Mariners Quick To Grab An Auxiliary ‘Big Unit’ Seattle’s First Pick In Draft Appears To Be A Johnson Clone

The Seattle Mariners, having had some luck 10 years ago with a draft choice named Ken Griffey Jr., took another junior in 1995 - Jose Cruz Jr.

Now the Mariners have taken a “Big Unit” clone. In the first round of Tuesday’s Major League Baseball free agent draft, Seattle chose Michigan high school pitcher Ryan Anderson, a 6-foot-10 left-hander with a 90-plus-mph fastball and No. 51 on his back.

Sound like anybody you know?

It was a surprise that Anderson was around when the Mariners used the No. 19 pick. Anderson, who pitched for Divine Child High School in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, was considered a possible choice of the Tigers, who had the No. 1 overall pick. Instead, Detroit went with Rice University right-hander Matt Anderson.

“I wanted to go to Seattle if I wasn’t drafted number one by the Tigers,” Anderson said. “Seattle has always been one of my favorite teams because I pattern myself after Randy Johnson.”

Anderson met Johnson when the Mariners were in Detroit in April.

“I’m not giving up my number and he’s not getting my nickname,” Johnson said Tuesday. “If he should make it up here and I’m still here, it should be a lot of fun.”

Anderson’s position in the draft apparently was affected by questions of his maturity and attitude, plus his father’s decision not to tell teams how much it would cost to sign him.

Two off-field incidents gave some teams pause, baseball executives said.

Anderson was stopped by store security guards in January for attempting to steal wristbands from a sporting goods store. He wasn’t arrested.

In May, Divine Child suspended him for five games when he and several friends took off their pants and had pictures taken of their legs below the groin. Anderson showed the pictures at school. His family appealed the suspension and it was reduced to one game.

Anderson has a lot to prove, but his high school statistics are certainly phenomenal.

Anderson struck out 133 batters and walked 33 in 51-1/3 innings as a senior. He lost two of his seven starts, but had three no-hitters and a 0.68 earned-run average.