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June 18, 2009

Andover's Yastremski selected by Red Sox

By Bill Kipouras

Twenty-six years after his Hall of Fame grandfather last played for the Boston Red Sox, Andover's Michael Yastrzemski carried on the family tradition with the ballclub when he was selected by the team in the 36th round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft last Thursday.

The younger Yastrzemski, an 18-year-old outfielder who just completed his senior year at St. John's Prep, was thrilled to get the call from his favorite team.

"I really felt honored to be a draft pick this year," said Yastrzemski, who led St. John's Prep to the Division 1 North final this spring. "I was actually out fishing, and the Red Sox called my mom and told her — and then she called me."

Red Sox scout Ray Fagnant spoke with Mike's mother, Anne-marie Yastrzemski, informing her the club had chosen her son with the 1,098th overall pick.

He told her that the Red Sox definitely planned to pursue the left-handed hitting center fielder — even though Yastrzemski already has a full scholarship to play baseball at Vanderbilt University.

"Ray said Mike deserved to be drafted because of all the hard work he had put into his game and said he would have gone earlier if it wasn't believed he was going to Vanderbilt," Anne-marie said.

Earlier in the day, Red Sox assistant general manager Ben Cherington called Mike's famed grandfather, "Impossible Dream" legend Carl Yastrzemski, and said the same thing before his grandson was even chosen.

The Red Sox's greatest living player said Cherington wanted to visit the Yastrzemskis and extend their interest in signing the heralded prospect.

"I just talked to my grandson. He's all excited," Yastrzemski said after a morning fishing trip.

"Cherington explained how Mike was deserving (of being drafted) and then told me they're very interested in signing him," he said. "I told him if it was anybody else who drafted him, then there was no doubt that he'd be going to school."

So is the door still open to signing him?

"It might (remain) slightly ajar," the elder Yastrzemski responded.

Mike batted .368 this season, had a .505 on-base percentage, managed 18 RBIs, 21 walks, scored 28 runs and was 9 for 10 in stolen base attempts. He had a career batting mark of .374 in high school.

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Andover's Yastremski selected by Red Sox
by By Bill Kipouras , , Thu Jun 18, 2009, 05:00 AM EDT
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