Boxing notes: HBO to have rare teaming for Khan-Peterson fight

HBO will announce next week that Jim Lampley will be joined ringside at the Dec. 10 Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson fight in Washington, D.C., by previously rotating commentators Larry Merchant and Max Kellerman.

The teaming has been described by one HBO official familiar with the deal as a "once and only" situation created by boxing commitments for expert analysts Roy Jones Jr., who has a fight against Max Alexander, and trainer Emanuel Steward.

Merchant, 80, has rotated color-commentatorduties with Kellerman, 38, since 2007, when an expiring Merchant contract led HBO to expand Kellerman's duties.

Merchant engaged in an entertaining post-fight exchange with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September after Mayweather delivered a pair of punches that were legal but appeared to cross the line of good sportsmanship.

"You never give me a fair shake," Mayweather said on the broadcast, advising HBO to fire Merchant.

Kellerman worked Manny Pacquiao's close Nov. 13 decision over Juan Manuel Marquez and is assigned to Saturday's Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch at Madison Square Garden.

Kellerman hosts a sports radio talk show weekdays on KSPN-AM (710).

MLB Draft: Picks 18-33 - Pitchers, pitchers, pitchers, including two local products

The Major League Baseball draft. One round, 33 picks.

There were 19 pitchers selected, including Alhambra's Robert Stephenson and Florida State's Sean Gilmartin, a former standout at Crespi High in Encino, Calif. Six more shortstops chosen.

Four outfielders. Two second baseman. One third baseman. One catcher. Here's the last of the first round selections:

18. Oakland Athletics: Sonny Gray, RHP

The Vanderbilt starter accumulated an 11-3 record this year with a strong 2.01 earned-run average. Oakland's farm system has shown a history of developing young arms (see Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, Dallas Braden), so Gray and his two high-quality pitches should fit right in.

19. Boston Red Sox: Matt Barnes, RHP

The second player drafted from UConn in the draft -- George Springer went 11th to the Astros, Barnes finished last season with an 11-4 record and an astounding 1.62 ERA. He threw three shutouts.

20. Colorado Rockies: Tyler Anderson, LHP

Somewhat of a local prospect for the Rockies -- Anderson went to Oregon but is originally from Las Vegas -- the lefty struck out 114 batters this season in 107.2 innings. 

21. Toronto Blue Jays: Tyler Beede, RHP

The high schooler out of Massachusetts was expected to drop a bit further in the draft, but the Blue Jays need pitching, and need it soon.

22. St. Louis Cardinals: Kolten Wong, 2B

The 5-foot-9 Hawaiian hit for a .378 average as he started every game for the Warriors this year. Wong stole 23 bases in 30 attempts.

23. Washington Nationals: Alex Meyer, RHP

Meyer celebrated his selection the old-fashioned way: a tweet shortly after MLB Commissioner Bud Selig announced the pick. "Just got drafted by the Washington Nationals!!"

MLB Draft: Dodgers pick Stanford's Chris Reed

The Dodgers selected Stanford pitcher Chris Reed with their first pick of the 2011 MLB draft on Monday. The Dodgers selected Reed with the 16th pick of the first round.

Reed served largely as Stanford’s closer this season, finishing with nine saves and a 2.54 earned-run average.

The left-hander graduated from Cleveland High in Reseda, Calif., in 2008.

Reed had only thrown 23 innings at Stanford before this season, when he more than doubled that with 49 2/3 innings. He struck out 48 and walked 15.

Reed and the Cardinal won the NCAA regional at Fullerton over the weekend, and will play in the NCAA super regional at North Carolina beginning Friday.

RELATED:

Players begin the long journey to major leagues

How 2010 draft selections have fared

Keep track of the first round here

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: Stanford reliever Chris Reed work the seventh inning of a game against Fullerton on Saturday. Credit: Bret Hartman / Associated Press

MLB Draft: Picks 11-15 -- Outfielders and pitchers

11. Houston Astros: George Springer, OF

Springer has been described as the greatest player in the history of University of Connecticut baseball.

The 6-foot-3 outfielder hit 12 home runs and knocked in more than 70 RBIs, while batting .374, this season.

12. Milwuakee Brewers: Taylor Jungmann, RHP

The junior from Texas is one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award –- the other two were picked second and third.

At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, the hard thrower reminds many of Roger Clemens, another Texas native.

13. New York Mets: Brandon Nimmo, OF

Nimmo became the first high schooler to ever be picked out of Wyoming when the Mets selected him. Barely two months past his 18th birthday, Nimmo is also the highest pick among Wyoming natives.

14. Florida Marlins: Jose Fernandez, RHP

The Marlins allowed Fernandez to stay close to home. The Tampa native, who attended Braulio Alonso High, had plans to go to the University of South Florida.

15. Milwaukee Brewers: Jed Bradley, LHP

With their second selection in a four-pick span, the Brewers added another powerful arm. Bradley, coming off a season at Georgia Tech in which he held opponents to a .239 batting average, turns 21 in six days.

RELATED:

Players begin the long journey to major leagues

How 2010 draft selections have fared

Keep track of the first round here

--Douglas Farmer

Photo: Connecitcut's George Springer slides home safely during an NCAA regional game against Coastal Carolina at Clemson on Sunday. Credit: Richard Shiro / Associated Press

MLB Draft: Picks 6-10 -- Rendon, then high schoolers, reigns

Three high schoolers and two premiere college hitters filled out the top 10 of the MLB draft on Monday.

The Washington Nationals pulled the trigger on the sixth pick of the draft by selecting Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon, who had been predicted to go as high as second in the draft, but questions about a shoulder injury and an influx of pitchers in the top few picks made him available for the Nationals.

The Arizona Diamondbacks picked their second right-handed pitcher of the draft with the seventh pick. Archie Bradley, from Broken Arrow High in Oklahoma, will join Trevor Bauer of UCLA in the Diamondbacks’ potential rotation of the future. The 18-year-old has committed to Oklahoma University to play both baseball and football.

This season’s pace-setters, the Cleveland Indians, looked to add to their stock of young talent with the eighth pick. The Indians added shortstop Francisco Lindor. The 5-fooot-11 Florida native from Montverde Academy won the 2010 Aflac All-American Home Run Derby, so despite his size, he has shown legitimate power.

The Cubs surprised many with their pick of shortstop Javie Baez with the ninth selection. The Cubs already have a shortstop-of-the-future in Starlin Castro, who leading the way for Chicago’s offense this season.

Baez was not planning on leaving home for college, going from Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Fla., to Jacksonville University, but now will have to reconsider.

The San Diego Padres finished off the first 10 picks of the draft with their selection of a player who apparently can play nearly any position. Listed at second base some days, shortstop other days, with even a few appearances at third base and in the outfield, Cory Spangenberg of Indian River State College in Ft. Pierce, Fla., will gave the Padres a versatile weapon.

RELATED:

Players begin the long journey to major leagues

How 2010 draft selections have fared

Keep track of the first round here

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: Anthony Rendon. Credit: Smiley N. Pool / Associated Press

MLB Draft: Two Bruins and a Bubba go in top five

Two UCLA pitchers highlighted the top five picks of the 2011 MLB draft Monday. Four pitchers were chosen among those selections, with Bubba Starling, a multi-sport high school star from Kansas, breaking the arms monopoly.

The Pittsburgh Pirates chose Bruins right-hander Gerrit Cole with the first pick. Cole boasts a fastball that has been clocked at 102 mph.

Using their full five minutes to make the second pick, the Seattle Mariners chose Virginia pitcher Danny Hultzen. The southpaw finished his junior season with an 8-0 record and 99 strikeouts in only 61 innings.

Hultzen was initially picked out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 10th round but opted to play in college and was not draft eligible again until he was a junior.

This year, the Diamondbacks used the third selection for UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer. He ended his college career with a 13-2 record this season, including 203 strikeouts –- a Pacific 10 Conference single-season record previously held by for USC All-American Mark Prior.

The Baltimore Orioles selected the first high school player when picking right-handed pitcher Dylan Bundy from Owasso High in Oklahoma. Bundy throws a triple-digit heater, and his older brother Joe is already in the Baltimore farm system.

The Kansas City Royals looked local to round out the top five. Starling, who is from Gardner-Edgerton High in Gardner, Kan., received heavy recruiting for his football skills as well as his talents with a baseball bat. He has committed to playing both sports at Nebraska, but a hefty contract offer from the Royals could change his tune.

RELATED:

Players begin the long journey to major leagues

How 2010 draft selections have fared

Keep track of the first round here

-- Douglas Farmer

Photos: Virginia pitcher Danny Hultzen (top) and Gardner-Edgerton High two-sport star Bubba Starling. Credits: McClatchy-Tribune and Associated Press

MLB Draft: Diamondbacks snag UCLA's Trevor Bauer with third pick

UCLA's Trevor Bauer joined teammate Gerrit Cole in the top three of the 2011 MLB draft on Monday. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Bauer with the third pick of the draft, after Cole (first pick to the Pirates) and Virginia pitcher Danny Hultzen (second to the Seattle Mariners).

The right-handed pitcher enjoyed quite a successful Monday. He was also named one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the National Player of the Year.

He ended his junior season with a 13-2 record and a 1.25 earned-run average with a streak of nine consecutive complete games concluding his college career.

In his final appearance Saturday, Bauer broke Mark Prior’s Pac-10 record for strikeouts in a season. Bauer’s 14 against Fresno State brought his season tally to 203.

Cole and Bauer mark the first time since 1978 teammates have been picked in the top three of the MLB Draft.

RELATED:

Players begin the long journey to major leagues

How 2010 draft selections have fared

Keep track of the first round here

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: Trevor Bauer. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / U.S. Presswire.

MLB Draft: Pirates select Gerrit Cole with first pick

Alex Rodriguez … Joe Mauer … Stephen Strasburg … GERRIT COLE.

Less than 24 hours after his college season ended abruptly, UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole has moved on to the pros, in grand style. Cole joined the likes of Rodriguez and Mauer, Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones when the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him with the top pick in the 2011 MLB draft on Monday.

The Bruins’ loss Sunday ended their season at the Los Angeles NCAA regional. Cole, a junior, pitched in their regional opener Friday, a 3-0 loss to San Francisco.

Cole’s fastball has topped out at 102 mph. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound right-hander ended his junior season with a 6-8 record and a 3.31 earned-run average. He joins a Pittsburgh franchise that hasn’t enjoyed a winning season since 1992.

Cole was initially drafted out of Orange Lutheran High in 2008 by the Yankees but opted to play at UCLA, making him draft eligible after his junior season.

RELATED:

Players begin the long journey to major leagues

How 2010 draft selections have fared

Keep track of the draft right here

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: Hard-throwing Gerrit Cole works against South Carolina in the 2010 College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Credit: Nati Harnik / Associated Press