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By TODD JACOBSON
WASHINGTON--The Nationals lost the rights to second-round draft pick Sean Black yesterday when the hard-throwing right-hander attended class at Seton Hall University.
Black's enrollment in college officially ended three months of negotiations between the Nationals and the 59th pick in June's First-Year Player Draft, talks which focused on a significant monetary gap between the two sides.
Black, a right-hander who blossomed during his senior season at Lenape High School in New Jersey, was expecting to go much higher than the 59th pick and at one point during the draft, he told the Boston Red Sox to pass on him.
When he was taken by the Nationals, he said he wanted first round money, or a signing bonus approaching $1 million.
Over the last three seasons, the 59th pick has received an average signing bonus of approximately $600,000, but the Nationals could have paid Black more than "slot" money.
Third-rounder Stephen King received a $750,000 signing bonus and $100,000 tuition stipend to sign with Washington, but according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations, Black didn't budge much from his original asking price and the Nationals weren't prepared to pay such a hefty price tag.
Black, 18, did not attend class Tuesday, giving the sides one more day to negotiate, but a deal could not be struck. Black is one of two unsigned picks in the first two rounds of the draft, and he's the only high schooler picked in the first two rounds that did not sign.
"If it's true, it is disappointing, because we would've liked to get it done," said Dana Brown, the Nationals' director of amateur scouting. "We really liked him."
Black, who dazzled scouts with his 6-foot-3 frame and 95 mph fastball, will be eligible to re-enter the draft after his junior season at Seton Hall, and the Nationals--or any other team--can draft him again at that time.
Black did not return a call to his cell phone and home telephone yesterday.
"We wish Sean and his family nothing but continued success," Nationals general manager Jim Bowden said in a statement released by the team. "We respect the Black family's decision."
When the Nationals drafted Black, they acknowledged it was a gamble, a risk taken to quickly improve the franchise's barren minor league system. Black was one of six high schoolers Washington grabbed with its first six picks, and team officials admitted at the time there was a chance they might not sign all six of the picks.
With the draft finally taking shape, Washington has signed seven of its top eight picks.
"Would it have been easier to sign an easier 'signability' guy in the fourth or fifth round, or take a guy in the second round that's going to sign two days after the draft? It would've been easier to sign those players but the idea was to draft the best players available and sign them and I think we've done that masterfully," said Nationals director of baseball operations Mike Rizzo several weeks ago.
Here's the pitchWhen Randy St. Claire met with new Nationals reliever Chris Booker, he asked Booker what pitches he used. When Booker said "forkball," St. Claire did a doubletake.
"I haven't seen a real forkball in a long time," St. Claire said. "That's kind of my era growing up."
Wedged between the forefinger and middle finger, the forkball acts as a fast knuckleball as it pops out of the hand, and Booker learned it in high school. When he was with the Cubs, they wouldn't let him throw it, but he calls it his "out pitch" now.
"When I need something, that's the pitch I go to," said Booker, who has been so-so in two appearances. He threw a scoreless inning of relief Saturday, but gave up two runs yesterday.
Extra basesNationals closer Chad Cordero was named Washington's recipient of the 2006 Roberto Clemente Award yesterday. The award is given to players who "best exemplify the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions to their teams."
Cordero is now a finalist for the national Clemente award.
To reach TODD JACOBSON:
Email: tjacobson@freelancestar.com
