Rays take SS Beckham No. 1

What used to be a fly-under-the-radar event has suddenly become made-for-TV.

The amateur baseball draft is today and ESPN2 is televising it for the first time. No word on if Mel Kiper's best available is included. XM radio is also getting into the act, with several hours of live coverage this afternoon.

As expected, the Rays took Tim Beckham (above), the shortstop from Griffin (Ga.) High. The last high school shortstop Tampa Bay selected was six years ago, when they took B.J. Upton and moved him to 2B and then to CF, where his speed/power package is one of the elite fantasy players in the game.

Beckham has been compared to Upton, although with not quite as high of a hitting upside, but with fielding skill that should keep him at SS through the big leagues.

The Pirates took Vanderbilt 3B Pedro Alvarez second and Kansas City took 1B Eric Hosmer of American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) High third. Locally, Justin Smoak, the University of South Carolina 1B went 11th overall to the Texas Rangers. For current draft results click here.

Beckham is the fifth shortstop selected No. 1 overall in the past 20 years. All but one have turned out rather swimmingly: Justin Upton, Matt Bush, Alex Rodriguez and Chipper Jones.

Matt Bush, the only player not to become a fantasy impact player, has never gotten past Single-A and has been switched to pitching, although currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.