13 Aflac All-Americans Selected in First Round of 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft
June 07 2007 - 8:40PM
PR Newswire (US)
COLUMBUS, Ga., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Josh Vitters led a parade of
13 Aflac All-American baseball players selected in the first round
of today's 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the
most in one year since the game's inception in 2003. Vitters, a
power hitting third baseman from Cypress High School (Anaheim,
Ca.), went to the Chicago Cubs with the third pick in the draft.
Since the game's inception in 2003, 42 Aflac All-American alumni
have been selected in the first round of the draft, including No. 1
overall selections Matt Bush (2004, San Diego) and Justin Upton
(2005, Arizona), and 11 picks in the 2006 draft. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050721/CLTH055LOGO ) "This is
unbelievable," Vitters said after being selected by the Cubs on
Thursday. "It is just so awesome it happened. It's a dream come
true. Playing in the Aflac game (where he hit doubles off fellow
Aflac first round picks Michael Main, Madison Bumgarner and Rick
Porcello) definitely helped me. There was top competition and it is
the best showcase game to play in. I know it helped me a lot being
there." The annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic
showcases 38 of the nation's top high school players in an East
versus West match-up following their junior year. Aflac
All-Americans are chosen by official selection partners Baseball
America magazine and prep scouting service Perfect Game USA. Aflac
All-American players drafted in today's first round included: No. 3
-- Josh Vitters, 3B, Anaheim, Ca. -- Chicago Cubs No. 10 -- Madison
Bumgarner, LHP, Lenior, N.C. -- San Francisco Giants No. 14 --
Jason Heyward, OF/1B, McDonough, Ga. -- Atlanta Braves No. 17 --
Blake Beavan, RHP, Irving, Texas -- Texas Rangers No. 22 -- Tim
Alderson, RHP, Phoenix -- San Francisco Giants No. 24 -- Michael
Main RHP/OF, Deltona, Fla. -- Texas Rangers No. 27 -- Rick
Porcello, RHP, Chester, N.J. -- Detroit Tigers No. 31 -- Josh
Smoker, LHP, Sugar Valley, Ga. -- Washington Nationals
(supplemental first round) No. 32 -- Nick Noonan, SS/2B, San Diego
-- San Francisco Giants (supplemental first round) No. 33 -- Jon
Gilmore, 3B, Iowa City, Iowa -- Atlanta Braves (supplemental first
round) No. 44 -- Neil Ramirez, RHP, Virginia Beach, Va. -- Texas
Rangers (supplemental first round) No. 45 -- Justin Jackson, SS,
Ashville, N.C. -- Toronto Blue Jays (supplemental first round) No.
49 -- Michael Burgess, OF, Tampa -- Washington Nationals
(supplemental first round) This year's draft comes one day before
pitcher Homer Bailey, an alumnus of the inaugural 2003 Aflac
All-American High School Baseball Classic, makes his major league
debut for the Cincinnati Reds. Bailey is the first Aflac
All-American to reach the major leagues. The 5th annual Aflac
All-American High School Baseball Classic will be played on
Saturday, August 11, at San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith will serve as Honorary Chairman
for this year's game, which will be televised live on Fox Sports
Net (FSN) at 3 p.m. ET. For more information about this year's
Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic, please visit
http://www.aflacallamerican.com/. About Aflac For more than 50
years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to
direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting
medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one
provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States and
the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance
policies in force in Japan. Our insurance products provide
protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been
included in Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired
Companies for seven consecutive years and in Fortune magazine's
list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for nine
consecutive years. Aflac has also been recognized three times by
both Fortune magazine's listing of the Top 50 Employers for
Minorities and Working Mother magazine's listing of the 100 Best
Companies for Working Mothers. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500
company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL.
To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com. About Sports America
Sports America, Inc., is a sports marketing and event management
firm based in Rockville, Md., which created and currently produces
the Aflac Classic. Sports America also produces the McDonald's
All-American High School Basketball Game. Media Contacts (Photos
Available): Tim Turner Jeff Heckelman Aflac Incorporated Edelman
Sports 706-243-5594 212-642-7718 DATASOURCE: Aflac CONTACT: Tim
Turner of Aflac Incorporated, +1-706-243-5594, ; or Jeff Heckelman
of Edelman Sports, +1-212-642-7718, Web site: http://www.aflac.com/
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