Angels Take Timberlake’S Jenks With 140Th Pick

Bobby Jenks, who hasn’t played high school baseball in two years, was picked in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft Monday by the Anaheim Angels.

Jenks, a 6-foot-2 right-handed pitcher who was academically ineligible the past two springs at Timberlake High in Spirit Lake, was the 140th pick overall.

He was the first player from the Spokane/North Idaho area drafted.

Jenks dropped out of school this spring and moved to Seattle where he was working out in preparation for the draft. Jenks couldn’t be reached for comment Monday, but his father confirmed that he flew to San Francisco with his agent to begin negotiations with Anaheim.

He pitched last summer for the Prairie Cardinals American Legion team. He posted a 9-3 record for the Post Falls-based team. He had a 2.15 ERA with 127 strike-outs and two no-hitters and also batted over .400 with eight home runs.

Jenks was considered a top regional prospect by Baseball America magazine. According to a biographical information of Jenks in the magazine, “What scouts see is one of the best raw power arms in the country. Jenks has outstanding stuff, routinely touching 93-94 mph with a power curve. And he does it effortlessly.”

The magazine went on to say, “Any team considering him, however, is forewarned that he has questionable makeup and an unconventional background. His family lives in a log cabin in a tiny, remote town in Idaho.”

As a sophomore, Jenks was the No. 2 starter for Lakeland, which qualified for state. Lakeland split the following year and Jenks attended Timberlake. But he never played at the school because of academic problems.

Jenks was the 10th player picked in the fifth round.

Anaheim had two picks in the first round, and it used both on pitchers. The Angels drafted five players before taking Jenks.

Washington State University outfielder Jason Grove has decided to forgo his senior season after being selected by the New York Yankees in the third round with the 98th overall selection.

A pair of WSU pitchers were also drafted. Left-hander Todd Meldahl was chose by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 15th round and left-hander Matt O’Brien was picked in the 18th round by the Oakland Athletics.