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Yarrow is in line to become first STHS player drafted since Bruso

Steve Yingling, Tribune sports editor
Steve Yingling / Tahoe Daily TribuneStephen Yarrow is interviewed following a University of San Francisco baseball victory over UC Davis in April. Yarrow, a STHS grad, led the West Coast Conference with 16 homers and is a possible high-draft pick on Tuesday.
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Has it really been eight years?

That is the last time a South Shore baseball player was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. The San Francisco Giants took Greg Bruso, a boyhood Giants’ fan, in the 16th round of the 2002 draft.

South Shore’s draft-less streak may come to an end next week when first-year amateur selections take place over three days. Local draft followers have an added interest this June: Will a major league club pluck a high school player from the mountain community for the first time?



San Francisco Dons’ third baseman Stephen Yarrow and South Tahoe High senior pitcher Max DeLallo are considerations for the 50-round first-year player draft.

With three college seasons under his belt, Yarrow, a former South Tahoe High shortstop, appears to be a cinch to be drafted somewhere during the Monday-through-Wednesday selection period.



“All of the area scouts are saying anywhere from the fourth to the 12th round,” Yarrow said by phone from Chicago on Thursday night. “I’m feeling really good and excited about the upcoming week. It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little kid.”

If a big-league team takes Yarrow early, he likely won’t be heading back to USF for his senior season.

“If I’m taken in the fourth, fifth or sixth round, I’ll definitely sign. Anything beyond it would be a pretty big decision whether I’d go or come back to school for my senior year,” Yarrow said.

The Milwaukee Brewers took the final shot to look at Yarrow in person before the draft. Milwaukee worked out Yarrow on Saturday at Miller Park – an answered dream for the former South Tahoe High slugger.

The Oakland A’s also asked Yarrow to try out on Saturday, but he made a commitment to Milwaukee first. Earlier in the week, the Mariners hoped to look at him, too, but Yarrow was tied up with USF’s end-of-the-season banquet.

Yarrow hammered a West Coast Conference-leading 16 home runs and was third in total bases with 129. The 6-foot-4 power hitter was leading the Dons in hitting for most of the season until he struggled in the final weekend of the season at Pepperdine and finished with a .310 average. His 16 homers, three triples, 46 RBI and .635 slugging average led the Dons.

“I think I accomplished most of my goals,” Yarrow said. “I would have liked a little more success at the end of the season, but I can’t change anything about it. My aptitude for the game increased, and I learned a lot about myself.”

Yarrow said that signing bonuses for fourth-round selections are typically around $250,000 and $60,000 for 12th-round picks.

“USF is an expensive school, so $60,000 wouldn’t be worth it,” Yarrow said. “I would be fine going back and finishing my degree and playing for the coaching staff that we have here.”

DeLallo appears to be a long shot to become the first South Tahoe player to be drafted out of high school. The hard-throwing DeLallo compiled a 3-6 record and 4.89 earn run average, but his numbers are deceiving since he pitched for a cellar-dwelling team that committed a bushel of errors behind him.

“That’s every little kid’s dream, to make the pros,” DeLallo said. “If I work hard enough I could see myself with a future in Major League Baseball. It’s all about how hard I work and push myself.”

The 6-foot-3 DeLallo attracted the attention of a Chicago Cubs’ scout and Western Nevada College coaches after tossing gems against Damonte Ranch and Douglas early in the season. In a 3-1 loss to Douglas, DeLallo allowed just two hits and fanned 12 Tigers. But his most impressive outing was a school-record 17-strikeout performance against North Valleys – a 5-4 victory that was his last of the season.

South Tahoe coach Don Amaral doesn’t believe DeLallo will be drafted.

“I don’t think so. I haven’t been asked to fill out any papers on him,” Amaral said. “He’s a great, great athlete, the hardest worker I’ve ever been around.”

In the weeks leading up to the draft, DeLallo decided to commit to the Western Nevada College program. But he has yet to sign with WNC.

The South Shore’s last professional baseball player, Bruso, lasted five seasons in the minor leagues, rising to the Double-A ranks in the Giants’ and Milwaukee Brewers’ organizations. With pinpoint control Bruso gathered a long list of memories in pro ball after an All-America senior season at UC Davis. He started on the mound in the deciding game of the Southern League championship series, he was a Giants’ organizational player of the month, he registered five wins and produced a 3.42 ERA in the Double-A Eastern League and registered a Northwest League-best 1.99 ERA in his first season in the pros in 2002.

Baseball fans can follow the draft live at mlb.com.

Yarrow won’t be.

“I’ll be at home, but I’m thinking about going golfing so I won’t have to think about it,” Yarrow said. “I don’t want to sit by the computer and watch the picks go down.

“I’ll have my cell phone with me, but I’m probably going to play terrible.”


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