[ MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ]
MacLane and
Furtado going pro
Evan MacLane has signed with the New York Mets and Micah Furtado will sign with the Texas Rangers.
They are the first players with Hawaii connections selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft earlier this week to decide what they will do in the near future.
MacLane, a Hawaii Rainbow recruit and a 25th-round pick of the Mets, accepted the team's terms Thursday night after saying it wasn't a great offer the day before. The Mets will pay for his final two years of college should he return to school and give him a $7,500 signing bonus.
"I think I have a really good shot in the pros. I think I'm ready and want to get started," said MacLane. "I feel I made the right decision and I'm confident in what I'm doing."
Furtado has decided to join the Texas organization and has the blessing of Lewis-Clark State coach Ed Cheff, who had hoped his second baseman would return for another season.
"I thought I was ready after three years of college ball," said Furtado, a Kapaa High School graduate who celebrates his 21st birthday Monday.
"I think winning the (NAIA) championship this year and getting my second ring was big and I thought about going for three, but I want to start my pro career at a younger age. Ed supported me either way."
The Rangers, who selected Furtado in the 20th round, will cover his college costs for two years and there will be a bonus. He has the paperwork to sign but wants his parents to check the contract first.
"I want to get my degree because I know baseball is not forever," said Furtado, who indicated the problem he had with his left shoulder is in the past and that he has resumed weight training.
He expects to be assigned to a Rangers farm team in the Arizona League or the Northwest League.
Kamaile Santos, picked in the 30th round by Seattle, will return to Los Medanos College next week for summer school and meet with a Mariners scout in California. The right-hander from Kailua expects to be a draft-and-follow selection. That means the Mariners have until one week before the 2004 draft to sign Santos or he is eligible to be drafted again.
Chad Boudon, who hit .287 and had a team-leading 22 home runs and 58 runs batted in for the Washington Huskies after transferring from Hawaii, said he was disappointed with the round he was selected. The Baltimore Orioles took the outfielder/first baseman in the 42nd round.
"I gave the Orioles a dollar figure for me to sign. If they meet it, I'll go. Otherwise, I'll go back to school," said Boudon.
