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Beaver owner Brendan Macgranachan's first year back in the league hasn't been a disaster as many Ottawa fans had feared. Actually, the season has gone well so far for the Beavers, rebuilding because many players had begun to receive pensions and were ordering off the seniors menu at Smitty's on road trips. (Using that logic, the first trade that sent 29 year old centerfielder Keith Dickson to the Island for 31 year old Alfonso Coffman made total sense.)
But also in these deals were draft picks, lots of them. Even in a weak draft year, Macgranachan stocked up on draft picks as if they were free double cheeseburgers. This was great because his drafting history while in Sherwood Park was, well, one the worst things he'd done there, and that is saying a lot. The Beavers gave our reporter unprecedented access into the war room before and during the CBL Amateur Draft. Here is his story:
Macgranachan called the scouts in from across the country and they assembled inside the murky depths of the Beavers' stadium. When purchasing the team, he promised the city to spend $20 million dollars in repairs on the park but reneged after he bought the Beavers. The scouts began to call out names of players to draft.
"Diaz," says Derek, for instance. No one knows Derek's last name, the new young scouting director Brendan hired to replace the old one. Derek used a giant wad of Copenhagen to disguise the fact that he really is a fugitive, on the lam for who-knows-what. In fact, Brendan insists everyone chews tobacco inside the draft room to increase the 'manliness' of the team. The scouts continue to discuss players:
A collegiate right hander:
"He's a cocky asshole but he throws gas." says Derek.
"Hell", another scout chimes in, "isn't this the kid who was selling wacky tobacky in high school?"
"No", Macgranachan interrupts, "that guy owns the PEI Argonauts."
A Power-hitting outfielder:
"I'm not sure he wants to sign. He said he'd like to go to law school."
"He's getting pressure from his girlfriend I think."
"He's looking for love it sounds like."
Macgranachan has the final say, "What a loser."
June 2020 - CBL Draft Day
Macgranachan's phone rings an hour before the draft. Everyone is tired and hung-over from the gentleman's club the night before and nobody enjoyed the 7 AM wakeup. He picks up, "Hey Frank", he says, unenthusiastically. It's not that Macgranachan doesn't like talking to Halpa, owner of the Kelowna club, but Frank runs his team out of a mob shop in New York. Long distance charges apply for every second they are on the phone together. After they disconnect, Derek asks Macgranachan what he wanted.
"Just told me he is going to win the beer, drink it in the States then piss it all out on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and hope it flows into our drinking water." Everyone laughs. "No, seriously, that's what he said."
Macgranachan then follows up that phone call with another, this time to Moose Jaw to owner Torin Stefanson. Stefanson keeps telling Macgranachan he is going to select Andrew Raleigh, the Jessica Alba of the draft. The owner tries to convince Torin to trade him the pick for the option to swap third rounders in 2028. Finally, Torin hangs up. "Pretty smart for a Saskatchewan boy." Brendan comments.
But Brendan has his eyes set on pitcher Jeremy Neurohr, an 18-year old pitcher. No one knows what he sees in him but Macgranachan likes him. At first, there is no hint of trouble. Everyone has called around and has a good idea what will happen in the first round. All of a sudden, the phone rings and its Brendan's closest friend in the CBL, PEI owner Justin Herrington. Whatever Herrington says causes him to brighten and then hang up. Obscenities follow.
"Dickson f*cked us." he says and explains. CF Ashley Dickson was originally to go to Toronto with the 10th pick but his signing bonus price just went up. Now the Polar Bears were likely to select Jason Ivester, slotted to go to Val Dor at #11, who in turn would take Neurohr. Vitali, the owner's bodyguard motioned over towards him and whispered something in his ear. Macgranachan smiled and nodded at the big Russian.
The draft went as planned through the first nine picks. However, when Toronto's turn came up, they selected Dickson. Everyone throughout the league thought Dickson had been taken off the table but apparently something had been worked out. Vitali and Brendan looked at each other and smiled. No one in the room knows what Vitali did to but everyone knows. Dickson lives in the suburbs of Ottawa, surely some convincing was done.
Just like that, Neurohr falls to Ottawa. But then, like the Matt Millen of baseball, Macgranachan fell in love with pitchers. After Neurohr came James Hudson at #18, Higgy Burgos at #20 ("every team needs a Higgy" said Brendan). Five of the team's first six selections were pitchers. "We just take the best player available, no matter the position", explained Macgranachan.
Who knows what the future will hold for the Beavers.
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