Braves draft

I have to say I'm an enormous fan of the Braves' trend of drafting from within this state and region. I enjoy seeing guys I knew from covering preps in Georgia wind up in the farm system of the team I grew up watching. The Braves have picked two kids from the Columbus area so far: RHP Caleb Brewer from Harris County High (Hamilton, Ga.) and OF Kuyaunnis Miles from Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, formerly of Russell County High in Seale, Ala. CVCC, incidentally, is the same JUCO program that produced current Braves pitchers Tim Hudson and Chuck James.

Anyway, check out all the Georgia talent in the Braves' draft pool thus far. It excites me:
14th overall pick Jason Heward, OF, Henry County HS
69. Joshua Fields, P, UGA
138. Cory Gearrin, P, Mercer U
198. Michael Fisher, SS, Georgia Tech
228. Travis Jones, 2B, South Carolina (Georgia native)
288. Timothy Ladd, P, Georgia Tech
438. Caleb Brewer, P, Harris County HS
498. Edwin Burns, P, Georgia Tech
588. Brett Butts, P, Auburn (Georgia native)
648. Kuyaunnis Miles, OF, CVCC, Valdosta State signee
678. Lyle Allen, OF/1B, Cartersville HS
768. Rico Reid, P, East Coweta HS

Them picking Lyle Allen (also a UGA baseball signee) makes me feel fairly old. I remember when he started his first game at QB for Cartersville as a freshman against Cass High and I was working for the media powerhouse Cartersville Daily Tribune News. Now he's getting picked in the baseball draft...although his going in the 22nd round may not be enough to convince him to turn pro...We'll have to stay tuned for that part.