The day Jeff Deardorff has been waiting a lifetime for has arrived.
Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft begins today and, by all expectations, Deardorff shouldn't have to wait long for his phone to ring.
The most pessimistic of scenarios would have him being taken in the fifth round. The most optimistic is a first round selection. Most likely, though, the call could come sometime during the second or third rounds.
Baseball America has projected Deardorff, who graduated from South Lake High School Friday, as the 54th overall pick, which would make him a second round choice.
Deardorff, though, isn't getting into guessing games about where, or even if, he is going to be taken.
"I have no idea," he said, about where he would be drafted. "People have said a lot of things, but I don't want to say anything in case it doesn't happen."
South Lake baseball coach Mike Crawford, though, thinks Deardorff will reach his long-time goal.
"His goal in life is to play pro ball," Crawford said. "The team that gets him will be extremely fortunate. They will be getting a kid with a great work ethic and a love of the game.
"He is not going to give 110 percent, he is going to give 120 percent. He is a kid who not only can beat you with his bat, but with his speed and with his glove."
Deardorff, who played third base for South Lake High School this year and was an outfielder before that, has been the object of desire by pro scouts this spring. Early this year, more than 20 scouts were showing up at games and practices to watch Deardorff's skill at the plate, his smooth fielding ability and his strong arm.
Deardorff, who played for the U.S. Junior Olympic team last summer, finished this season with a .463 batting average, 8 home runs, 31 RBIs, 31 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.
He starred this weekend at the Florida Athletic Coaches Association's All-Star Games, and also has attended three or four workouts recently, including ones with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and New York Yankees.
The Montreal Expos, who have eight of the first 52 picks in the draft, also have shown a lot of interest as have the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.
"I saw where he is being projected between the first and fifth rounds. That is great when you consider all the collegiate players like (FSU's) J.D. Drew are also in there. I think he is going to go reasonably high. I think he will definitely go before the fifth round," said Crawford.
Deardorff, who is an early baseball signee with the University of Miami, is just thankful that the day finally has arrived.
"It's a little bit of a relief," he said. "I can get all of this out of the way and go out and play for a job."