DETROIT – Its the annual rite of the first week of June, baseballs amateur draft, where clubs take part in a three-day, 40-round marathon, selecting more than 1,000 players they hope will improve their fortunes in the years ahead. Dale Hunter Jersey . The Blue Jays had two picks in Thursday evenings first round – ninth and 11th overall – and used them to take a pitcher and a catcher. First, the club took right-hander Jeff Hoffman, a 21-year-old from Latham, New York, who attended East Carolina University. Two selections later, the Blue Jays selected Kennesaw State University product, 21-year-old catcher Max Pentecost from suburban Atlanta. Major League Baseball uses a slotting system – a recommended signing bonus value based on where a player is taken – and the Blue Jays, if they pay in full, will be on the hook for about $6 million for their two picks. Hoffman is an interesting case. He has a plus fastball, mid-90s miles per hour which can top out in the high 90s, a strong curveball and a developing changeup. But, just last month, Hoffman underwent Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. The procedure, now so routine its rarely flawed, was hardly a concern to Torontos front office and top scouts. "We just felt like the talent was too big to walk away from," said Blue Jays director of amateur scouting, Brian Parker. "This guy was going to go top three, top four picks prior to his injury and we just felt like even with the Tommy John, we felt this was a good gamble for us." Pentecost was a seventh round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2011. He was projected to go higher but suffered a stress fracture in his throwing elbow, which dropped his stock. He didnt sign with Texas, choosing to go to school instead. The first catcher the Blue Jays have taken in the first round since, take a breath, J.P. Arencibia in 2007, Pentecost is a versatile player who projects to be a good hitter, although more gap-to-gap than for power. A.J. Jimenez is the Jays top catching prospect, currently toiling at Double-A New Hampshire more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery of his own, and the Blue Jays have shipped out catchers like Arencibia, Travis dArnaud (to the New York Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade), Yan Gomes (to Cleveland for Esmil Rogers) and Carlos Perez (to Houston in the J.A. Happ deal) in recent years. "Taking Max had nothing to do with any of those trades or getting rid of any of those players," said Parker. "When you pick nine and 11, you just have to line up your board and take the best player and thats what we did. We like Max, we scouted him pretty hard from last summer in the (Cape Cod League) and throughout this spring. Hes an athletic, two-way position player and we like the bat. I think theres a lot of positives with him. Obviously, a guy at a premium position that can help out offensively and defensively is something that attracted him to us." In two of the last three drafts, the Jays have failed to sign their first round pick. In 2011, it was Tyler Beede, who instead chose to go to Vanderbilt University and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants 14th overall on Thursday night. Last year, the Jays failed to land right-hander Phil Bickford, who instead went to California State-Fullerton. The pick that landed Pentecost was compensation for missing out on Bickford. Going with two college kids, including one coming off an injury, increases the likelihood of the player being willing to sign. Neither has a full school ride to fall back on. Hoffman, who is pleased with the progress hes making early in his rehabilitation from elbow surgery, sounds eager to put pen to paper. Chris Kline, the Blue Jays area scout in the Carolinas, did most of the legwork on Hoffman. Mike Pidick, an area scout whose region includes Georgia, watched Pentecost. Brooks Laich Authentic Jersey . -- Connor Brown had two goals and an assist as the Erie Otters edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Brooks Orpik Capitals Jersey . Davis set career highs with 40 points and 21 rebounds, and Eric Gordon made two crucial free throws in overtime to lead the Pelicans to a 121-120 overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- The head of Olympic planning for Rio de Janeiros municipal government has resigned. Maria Silvia Bastos Marques, president of the EOM (Municipal Olympic Company), will be leaving her post but will remain as an advisor, a city hall statement said Tuesday. She will be replaced by Joaquim Monteiro, who works for the city government as a marketing specialist. The resignation comes almost two weeks after IOC inspectors urged Rio organizers and government representatives to finalize budget decisions about who pays for what for the 2016 Olympics. The Rio Games have been plagued by delays, partially centred on budget and planning problems among Brazils three levels of government. Brazil is spending about $15 billion on the games, a mix of private and public money, and faces pressure to rein in spending -- or be seen to be doing so. In a similar move six months ago, an army general took over the Olympic Public Authority, which co-ordinates planning between various layers of Brazilian government. Speaking to Rio officials at the end of an inspection tour two weeks ago, a top IOC official warned of the need to finalize planning. "At one point ... they have to decide who iis doing what," said Gilbert Felli, the IOCs executive director of the Olympic Games. Matt Niskanen Authentic Jersey. "At some point they have to take decisions, otherwise the project cannot go forward." A meeting announced for last week to deal with Olympic spending, which was to have included officials from the office of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, did not take place as scheduled. At least two major projects are behind schedule: the second largest cluster of venues called Deodoro, and the Olympic golf course. Work has yet to begin at Deodoro. Nawal El Moutawakel, head of the inspection team, said "until ground is broken, Deodoro remains a project under intense pressure." Last week the president of the International Golf Federation, Peter Dawson, said he was disappointed with slow progress on the golf course. Golf returns to the 2016 Olympics for the first time since 1904 in St. Louis. "Rio has got quite a few challenges ahead of them to get things done in time," Dawson said. "We are new to the Olympic Games. Maybe this is normal. However, I think its particularly disappointing given how long ago we got in among this and got things started." cheap jerseys from chinacheap jerseys ' ' '
