Torres Says He’s on Fast Track

When the Angels begin molding Joe Torres, the left-handed pitcher they chose with the 10th pick in Monday’s free-agent draft, it appears they won’t have to spend much time on issues of confidence.

Torres, 17, is reputed to throw 96 mph, and his curveball is thought by many to be the best in the draft. He wore out at least one catcher at Gateway High in Kissimmee, Fla., where his record was 4-4 despite an earned-run average of 0.38 and 128 strikeouts in 55 innings.

By his own plan, he’ll be in the big leagues by 2003.

“I see myself getting there rather quickly,” Torres said. “I give myself a round figure of about three years.”

Angel scouting director Donny Rowland noted that that would be a very fast ascent.

“It’s not how fast we get him here,” Rowland said, “but how good he is when he does get here. I don’t think there’ll be a rush to get Joe to the big leagues.”

Torres has signed a letter of intent with Miami, but the player and the organization seem eager to come to an agreement. The signing bonus is expected to be in the $2-million range.

“That’ll take place in the next couple of days,” Torres said. “I’m trying to get it done as quick as possible.”

It might not be as simple with the club’s second selection. The Angels took right-hander Chris Bootcheck, a 6-foot-5 junior at Auburn, 20th. His attorney is Scott Boras.

“He’s very pleased about Anaheim, very pleased about the situation,” Boras said.

Asked about the coming negotiations, Boras said, “The difference was, he did not pre-negotiate with clubs at the top level, which is why the Angels got him where they got him.”

The Angels project Bootcheck, who throws four pitches, as a big-league starter.

Rowland drafted heavily in the areas of catching, shortstop, center field and left-handed pitching, which he considers premium positions.

“It was an exciting day,” he said. “It’ll be more exciting four years from now, when they get out here.”

The Dodgers also went for pitching. With their first pick, they selected Ben Diggins, a 6-7 right-hander from Arizona, with the No. 17 selection.

Diggins was 10-4 with a 3.83 ERA in 17 games for Arizona, striking out 127 in 113 innings.

“It feels great to be able to be selected by a team with as much tradition as the Dodgers,” said Diggins, a converted catcher. “I’ve only been pitching for three years.

“I still have a long way to go to refine my off-speed pitches.”

The Dodgers also chose right-hander Joel Hanrahan of Norwalk High in Iowa with the 57th pick, right-hander Jeffrey Tibbs of Davis High in Farmington, Utah at 87 and Lamar University right-hander Heath Totten at 147.

“There were more position players last year; more power and speed-type guys,” said Ed Creech, the Dodgers’ assistant general manager in charge of scouting. “This year there are more power arms.

“We went after the best players available at the time [they selected]. Obviously, they happened to be pitchers. Sometimes that happens.”

The No. 1 overall pick was first baseman Adrian Gonzalez of Chula Vista Eastlake High, by the Florida Marlins. He and the No. 2 choice, Cal State Fullerton right-hander Adam Johnson by the Minnesota Twins, were two of eight players with Southern California ties to be selected in the first round.

Corona Centennial High left-hander Mike Stodolka was selected fourth by the Kansas City Royals; Palmdale High right-hander Matt Harrington seventh by the Colorado Rockies; Stanford outfielder Joe Borchard of Camarillo 12th by the Chicago White Sox; UCLA infielder Chase Utley 15th by the Philadelphia Phillies; Loyola Marymount left-hander Billy Traber 16th by the New York Mets; El Camino College pitcher Robert Stiehl 27th by the Houston Astros; and Michigan catcher David Parrish, who played at Esperanza High and is the son of former major leaguer Lance Parrish, 28th by the New York Yankees.

Gonzalez is the first high school infielder to be taken No. 1 since Alex Rodriguez in 1993.

“He definitely possesses the best pure stroke in this year’s draft,” said Al Avila, the Marlins’ scouting director.

Gonzalez, 6 feet 2, batted .645 with 13 home runs and 34 runs batted in this season. He agreed to a $3-million signing bonus--the third-highest for a high school player--before the draft.

“It takes a lot of pressure off your back,” Gonzalez said.

The San Diego area also produced the third set of high school teammates to be chosen in the first round.

The Detroit Tigers took Rancho Bernardo pitcher Matt Wheatland with the eighth pick and the Padres selected catcher Ben Heard at No. 25.

Several players expected to be chosen in the first round dropped to the second round.

Pepperdine catcher Dane Sardinha was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 46th pick, Stanford right-hander Jason Young was taken 47th by the Rockies and Cal third baseman Xavier Nady was selected by the Padres at No. 49.

Parrish was not the only son of a former major league All-Star to be selected. The sons of Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers and former pitcher Joe Niekro also were chosen.

Jason Fingers, a right-hander from Arizona State, was selected by Kansas City with the 284th pick. Fingers, who shares his father’s pitching prowess but not his famous handlebar mustache, was 2-1 with one save and a 3.63 ERA in leading the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament this season.

Lance Niekro, an infielder from Division II Florida Southern, was the 61st pick by San Francisco. Niekro, a draft-eligible sophomore, was the Cape Cod League MVP last summer and hit .366 with seven homers and 63 RBIs for Florida Southern this season.

Atlanta selected Pennsylvania high school shortstop Aaron Herr, son of former Cardinal second baseman Tom Herr, with the 40th pick. Herr hit .418 for Hempfield High School in Lancaster, Pa.

However, Tony Gwynn’s son, Anthony, a center fielder for Poway High School, was not among the picks in Monday’s 20 rounds. Anthony Gwynn, who first gave an oral commitment to Cal State Fullerton, has since committed to San Diego State, his father’s alma mater.

The draft concludes with 30 more rounds today.

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Staff writer Gary Klein and the Associated Press contributed to this story.