It's a major move.(baseball player drafts)(Brief Article)

When baseball G.M.s gather next week to make their selections in this year's draft, there will be little fanfare. Why won't fans pose a raging debate about whether the first choice should be Mark Prior or Mark Teixeira? Will you know anything about the player your favorite team picks? For me, the answers lie in the nature of baseball.

It is likely that Prior will be taken first, (Minnesota has the No. 1 pick.) A strong righthander from Southern California, Prior had an impressive 1.49 ERA and 13-1 mark this season. There's a chance he could go straight from the Trojans to the Twins (or whoever calls his name). But he should be wary.

Since the free-agent draft began in 1965, just 18 players have made their professional debuts in the major leagues. Most of the 18 had careers that belied their draft-day recognition. Mike Adamson was the first. He was a strapping righthander out of USC--does anyone see the irony?--who went straight to the Orioles. He struggled and was sent ...