NEW YORK -- Just call him Johnny Baseball. Archie Manning Authentic Jersey . Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 28th round of the Major League Baseball draft Saturday -- the 837th player taken. Manziel was listed as a shortstop for Texas A&M, although he never played for the Aggies as he focused on football. He hasnt played baseball since high school and probably wont see the diamond again as he embarks on his NFL career, but was happy the Padres took a swing at him. "Big thank you to the (at)Padres and (at)padresmikedee for selecting me in the MLB draft," Manziel wrote on his Twitter page. "What a great day!" Mike Dee, the Padres president and CEO, tweeted back: "Best athlete on the board... .JohnnyBaseball." Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012, was taken by the Browns with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL draft last month. "It was kind of, Why not?" Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said Saturday before the Padres hosted the Washington Nationals. In May 2013, Manziel visited the Padres when he was in San Diego to work with a quarterbacks coach. "He certainly loves baseball," Byrnes said. "We kind of talked about it at that time, Do you want us to draft you? He said, Yeah, absolutely." Why in the 28th round? "We really liked our 27th-rounder," Byrnes said. Asked the odds of actually signing Manziel, Byrnes, a big football fan, just smiled. Manziel played baseball and football at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, and asked Texas A&M coaches about being part of the baseball team before winning the Aggies starting quarterback job as a redshirt freshman. Earlier this week, Manziel -- decked out in an Indians jersey -- was set to throw out the first pitch in Cleveland before the Indians played Boston. He warmed up earlier with Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin, but his toss was washed out by rain that delayed the start. But, in May 2013, Manziel took batting practice with the Padres at Petco Park and tossed out a football-style first pitch as he dropped back, scrambled to the side of the mound and floated a bootleg "pass" to San Diego outfielder Mark Kotsay, who caught it behind his back with his glove. On Manziels first swing in batting practice, the bat flew out of his hands, but he settled down and later drove a pitch off the right-field wall. "I didnt know he played baseball," Padres right-hander Ian Kennedy said Saturday. "Anybody in Texas probably plays all those sports, football, baseball." Padres closer Huston Street, who pitched at Texas and whose late father, James, played quarterback for the Longhorns, liked the pick, even if Manziel did play for the Aggies. "Im a fan. I think hes an exciting player," Street said. "I think hes good for sport. I think he plays hard. I dont know if hell ever wear a Padre uniform, but it sure is exciting that the organization took him. I know he hung out here last year a couple times and everybody really enjoyed his presence. Everybody liked him. I came away from that day thinking, Man, thats a good dude, thats a cool guy. It seemed like he was a very focused, mentally strong guy. He wanted to do something. We know what he can do in football. "Heck, if he wants to come out here and hang around before games ... I dont know if they let 28th-round picks do that," Street said. "But hes a great athlete. I dont think anybody expects to see him in the big leagues, but maybe hes going to try and do both. I dont know. If he does, hes one of the more competitive people Ive been around. Well see what happens with his football career. Hes potentially got a baseball one." Street isnt sure if Johnny Football would try both sports. "I would tell him to dont try to be a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none," Street said. "But at the same time, its been done before. I dont know about at the quarterback position. A little bit tougher position." Big-time quarterbacks are no stranger to recent Major League Baseball drafts. John Elway, Dan Marino, Tom Brady, Daunte Culpepper, Colin Kaepernick and Jake Locker were all drafted by big league teams but instead stuck to the gridiron. Russell Wilson of the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks was a fifth-rounder by Baltimore out of high school in 2007, but opted to go to North Carolina State. He was a fourth-round pick of Colorado in 2010 and played in the Rockies system as a second baseman. Wilson, who had transferred to Wisconsin, told the Rockies in January 2012 that he wanted to pursue an NFL career, and in December 2013 was acquired by the Texas Rangers in the Rule 5 draft. A few weeks after winning the Super Bowl, Wilson attended Rangers spring training and participated in infield drills. Next year, Florida States Jameis Winston could be in the same situation as Manziel. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback also is a hard-throwing closer for the Seminoles baseball team. Winston was already a 15th-round pick of the Rangers in 2012. The sons of Cal Ripken Jr. and Mariano Rivera were just a few of the other familiar names selected on the final day of the Major league Baseball draft. The sons of former big leaguers Bobby Bonilla, John Franco, Tom Browning, Benito Santiago and Magglio Ordonez were also taken as baseballs draft wrapped up Saturday after three days, 40 rounds and 1,215 players chosen. Ryan Ripken, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound first baseman from Indian River State College in Florida, was taken in the 15th round by Washington. The lefty-hitting son of baseballs "Iron Man" batted .321 with one homer and 24 RBIs in 42 games this season after transferring from South Carolina, where he did not make the roster and redshirted. "I think theres immense pressure on that young man," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "Its too bad, but I think he handles it really well. You know, dad, uncle, grandfather, great bloodlines, great work ethic." Mariano Rivera III, a starting pitcher at Iona College, went to the Yankees -- his fathers old team -- in the 29th round. He went 2-6 with a 5.40 ERA and five complete games and a team-leading 50 strikeouts in 70 innings for the Gaels. Yankees manager Joe Girardi asked his former closer for a scouting report on his son. "Mo wasnt sure if he got drafted what he would do," Girardi said before the Yankees played the Royals in Kansas City. "But I think its neat he got drafted by the Yankees and well see what happens." It was a big draft for sons and siblings of major league players, starting with Florida high school shortstop Nick Gordon -- son of Tom "Flash" Gordon and brother of the Dodgers Dee Gordon -- going fifth overall to Minnesota on Thursday night. Brandon Bonilla, a left-handed pitcher from Grand Canyon University, went in the 25th round to Baltimore. The son of former All-Star Bobby Bonilla and godson of Barry Bonds has a fastball that hits the mid-90s. Brown second baseman J.J. Franco, the son of former Mets and Reds closer John Franco, was a 38th-round pick by the Braves. Florida high school lefty Logan Browning went in the 36th round to the Reds, the team for which father Tom once pitched a perfect game. Benito Santiago Jr. is a star behind the plate, just like his dad, was drafted in the 38th round by San Francisco. He was a batterymate of first-rounder Touki Toussaint at Floridas Coral Springs Christian Academy. Florida high school first baseman Magglio Ordonez Jr. went in the 38th round to Detroit, where his father played for seven years. Bradley Wilpon, the son of Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon, was a 36th-round choice of Boston. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flaccos younger brother Tom, a high school outfielder from New Jersey, was a 32nd-round selection of Philadelphia. Several other players with big-league bloodlines were drafted Saturday, including: Drew Stankiewicz (son of Andy, 11th round, Phillies); Kevin Cron (brother of Angels C.J., 14th round, Diamondbacks); Lukas Schiraldi (son of Calvin, 15th round, Mariners); Jed Sprague (son of Ed, 37th round, White Sox); James Lynch (son of Ed, 39th round, Blue Jays); and Grayson Byrd (son of Paul, 39th round, Braves). Houston, which had the first overall pick for the third straight year, took California high school lefty Brady Aiken at No. 1 on Thursday night. Jonathan Goodwin . The Bruins suffered their share of setbacks, a notable one just a week earlier. Once the Pac-12 tournament got rolling, the Bruins took off. Morten Andersen . They did take one chance on a free agent-to-be however, and it didnt pay off. Rory Kohlert, selected by the Redblacks in the expansion draft from Winnipeg, has signed as a free agent with the Blue Bombers. EDMONTON -- It never hurts starting a road trip against the leagues worst home team. Mike Ribeiro and Mikkel Boedker each had a goal and two assists as the Phoenix Coyotes started off a four-game trip on solid footing with a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Radim Vrbata, Shane Doan, Keith Yandle and David Moss also scored for the Coyotes (16-7-4), who had lost four of their previous five games. "Obviously after the Chicago game (a 5-2 loss on Saturday on home ice), we wanted to make sure we came out and played more to our identity, especially on the road," said Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett. "Were starting a tough trip, we wanted to come in and play well tonight. I thought for the most part, we did a lot of good things. "I was glad the way our guys killed the penalties in the second and then responded in the third. Thats what we needed to start the trip." Ribeiro said that his team was confident they could get the Oilers running around in the third. "We knew if we stayed patient in the third that they would probably try to open up and thats what happened," he said. "We had our chances, were able to score and well take those two points, especially on this road trip." David Perron scored a pair of goals for the Oilers (9-18-2) who dropped to 3-9-0 on home ice this season as they began a five-game stay in Rexall Place. The Oilers trailed 3-2 heading into the third period, but the wheels came off from there. "In the third there were three or four areas where we got out-battled," said Oilers forward Jordan Eberle. "You can look at every goal and there is probably a play where they won a battle and got it to our net and scored. Thats what it came down to. Thats what pisses you off when you come into the room. It isnt a technical thing, its not a bouncing puck, you got out-battled. You cant have that." Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins was especially disappointed in the defence. "The fourth goal, the fifth, the sixtha that is about as bad as I have seen three or four of our defencemen play this year and it cost us," he said. "They are individual mistakes and things that the individual has to correct. Some of the plays tonight had nothing to do with systems. It was all about a misread, or more importantly, a no-read. Just being so focused on the puck. "Its tragic when you are still in the game and then you go into the third period and that happens. It tears your heart out, it tears your guts out." The Coyotes started the scoring three-and-a-half minutes in on the power play as Boedker was left all alone in front to pick up a big rebound and wrist it past Oilers starter Devan Dubnyk. It was just Phoenixs second first-period goal in the last six games. Edmonton tied the game up midway through the first period as Phoenix defenceman David Schlemko coughed up the puck to Mark Arcobello. Arcobello used a drop pass to leave the puck open for a trailinng Perron, who rifled his 10th of the season past Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. Erik Lorig Jersey. . The Oilers started the second period well, but suddenly found themselves behind 3-1 after goals just under a minute apart. Seven minutes into the second period, another Coyotes player went to the front of the net unmolested as Ribeiro passed through the crease to a wide-open Vrbata, who scored his ninth of the season. Just 58 seconds later the Coyotes had a two-goal advantage as Ribeiro floated a shot from the point that was deflected on the way to the net by Doan and completely fooled Dubnyk. Edmonton got one of those goals back on the power play with just 52 seconds left in the middle period as Ales Hemsky made a nice pass from behind the net to Perron, who scored his second of the game with a quick shot off Smiths shoulder and into the net. After having what initially appeared to be a goal by Moss called back on a high stick, the Coyotes went up 4-2 on another Edmonton defensive breakdown as Ribeiro was left alone in front to take a Doan pass and score his eighth of the season. Phoenix put the game out of reach midway through the third period with another pair of quick-strike goals just 42 seconds apart. Yandle got the fifth goal as he undressed Edmonton defender Jeff Petry and beat Dubnyk with a slapshot to the top corner. "Keith Yandle is one of those guys in the league that everybody is looking for, that everybody is trying to find," Doan said. "We are so thankful to have him and any other team in the league would be so thankful to have a D-man that can make those plays." Moss deflected a shot on net and then swatted in his own rebound as he was getting hauled down to make it 6-2. The Coyotes play the second match of a four-game road trip in Calgary on Wednesday. The Oilers host the second game of a five-game homestand on Thursday when they welcome the Colorado Avalanche. Notes: It was the second of five meetings this season between the Pacific Division rivals. Phoenix came from behind with a pair of late third-period goals to win the first contest 5-4 at home on Oct. 26a The Coyotes came into the game having won six of their last eight games in Edmonton and were 12-2-2 against the Oilers under coach Dave Tippetta Devan Dubnyk got the start for Edmonton after coming in to relieve and injured Ilya Bryzgalov in Sundays 3-2 shootout win in Dallas. Bryzgalovs status is unknown as he continues to be evaluated for concussion/whiplash symptoms after taking a hit in the crease from the Stars Ryan Garbutta Oilers centre Boyd Gordon remained out of the lineup with a myriad of minor injuries. Gordon is fifth in the NHL in face-off winsa Coyotes defenceman Zbynek Michalek (lower body) and winger Lauri Korpikoski (upper body) did not play, but are expected to join the team on its road tripa The Oilers announced on Tuesday that their new downtown rink will be named Rogers Place. The new building is slated to be completed in the fall of 2016. ' ' '
