Braves select Parkview's Francoeur in first round

NEW YORK - A lack of college talent is forcing scouting directors to concentrate on high school players in the baseball draft. That concerns some major league teams. <br> <br> The Braves had the 23rd pick in today&#39;s MLB First-Year Player Draft and selected Jeff Francoeur, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound outfielder from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga. <br> <br> At No. 34 overall, a supplemental first-round pick, Atlanta chose Daniel Meyer, a 6-3 left-handed pitcher from James Madison University. The Braves then picked Duluth (Ga.) H.S. catcher Brian McCann in round two. <br> <br> Major league teams scrambled to determine the top players available in the days leading to Tuesday&#39;s draft <br> <br> ``I think everybody is still searching for who they want to take early,&#39;&#39; Baltimore scouting director Tony DeMacio said. ``There&#39;s no one that&#39;s really separated themselves and said, &#39;I&#39;m the guy.&#39;&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The Pittsburgh Pirates, who have the first pick, were trying to choose between Ball State right-hander Bryan Bullington, high school shortstop B.J. Upton and Canadian left-hander Adam Loewen. <br> <br> Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Baltimore and Montreal select after Pittsburgh to round out the first five picks. Oakland has four first-round picks, and seven of the first 39 selections as compensation for losing free agents. <br> <br> The draft, conducted by conference call with all 30 major league teams, runs through Wednesday and will last up to 50 rounds. <br> <br> The Pirates have the No. 1 pick for the third time - they selected Jeff King in 1986 and Kris Benson in 1996. <br> <br> ``It makes it more exciting to have it,&#39;&#39; Pirates scouting director Ed Creech said. ``What we do has a domino effect on the rest of the draft.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Bullington, the Mid-American Conference career strikeouts leader with 370, is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior with a fastball that routinely hits 92-94 mph. <br> <br> Upton, from Greenbrier Christian Academy in Virginia, is an outstanding athlete with excellent speed and defensive skills. <br> <br> The 17-year-old Loewen will probably be the highest-drafted Canadian ever. The 6-6, 220-pounder had a dominant season with his club team in Vancouver. Scouts like his size, 92-94 mph fastball, nasty curveball and smooth mechanics. <br> <br> Jeff Francis, a left-hander from the University of British Columbia with a fastball that hits 93 mph, could join Loewen as a top 10 pick. There have been only two Canadian players to go in the first round: Kevin Nicholson was picked 27th by San Diego in 1997 and Scott Thorman was taken 30th by Atlanta in 2000. <br> <br> Other projected top picks include left-hander Scott Kazmir of Cypress Falls High School in Houston, outfielder Jeremy Hermida of Wheeler High School in Georgia, Rutgers right-hander Bobby Brownlie, Virginia Tech lefty Joe Saunders, righty Zack Greinke of Apopka High School in Florida, and Florida high school first baseman Prince Fielder, the son of former major league slugger Cecil Fielder. <br> <br> ``Everybody&#39;s got a different flavor, just like ice cream,&#39;&#39; DeMacio said. ``Signability will come into play for a few clubs, I&#39;m sure, but it is a high school draft.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Radcliff, who took high school catcher Joe Mauer with the top pick last year, thinks the lack in college talent this year is a byproduct of the way teams operate. <br> <br> ``We just haven&#39;t allowed very many high school players with baseball talent to go to college in the last few years,&#39;&#39; Radcliff said. ``We end up signing so many of them before they go to college that there&#39;s just not that much talent available at the college ranks.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Boston and the New York Yankees don&#39;t pick until the second round. St. Louis has to wait until the 102nd pick - the last selection in the third round - for its first. <br> <br> Picking late hasn&#39;t always been a bad thing. Although the No. 1 pick has produced major league stars such as Harold Baines (1977), Darryl Strawberry (1980), Ken Griffey Jr. (1987), Chipper Jones (1990) and Alex Rodriguez (1993), teams have found gems in later rounds. <br> <br> Mike Piazza was taken by Los Angeles in the 62nd round in 1988, closer Jason Isringhausen was picked by the Mets in the 44th round in 1991, Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle was chosen in the 37th round in 1998 and 2000 NL MVP Jeff Kent was a 20th-round pick by Toronto in 1989. <br> <br> ``The draft is a big gamble to begin with,&#39;&#39; DeMacio said. ``The greatest satisfaction as a scouting director is when your scouts do a good job in the middle to late rounds and kids surface at the major league level.&#39;&#39;