Brewers draft B.C.'s Brett Lawrie 16th

Brett Lawrie, who might join his sister Danielle on the diamond at this summer's Beijing Olympics, probably felt like he won a gold medal on Thursday.

The 18-year-old catcher/infielder from Langley, B.C., was chosen 16th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball's annual draft of high schoolers and collegians, the highest a Canadian position player has been selected since 1985.

The San Diego Padres drafted Kevin Nicholson of Surrey, B.C., 27th overall in 1997.

Last year, the Seattle Mariners made hard-throwing pitcher Phillippe Aumont of Gatineau, Que., the 11th pick overall, while fellow hurlers Adam Loewen and Jeff Francis were drafted fourth and sixth overall in 2002 by Baltimore and Colorado, respectively.

Lawrie, who hit eight home runs in as many games on the national junior team's recent tour of the Dominican Republic, is only the sixth Canadian to be selected in the first round.

He entered this season with the Langley Blaze of the B.C. Premier Baseball League as a projected third-rounder in the MLB draft but has steadily climbed the ranks.

"The past five months have been crazy with Team Canada," Lawrie, who is being considered for Canada's Olympic roster, told the Canadian Press this week. "Who knows where I'd be if I didn't do good in the Dominican."

Danielle Lawrie will be one of Canada's top arms in softball in Beijing, along with Lauren Bay, sister of Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jason Bay, from Trail, B.C.

Canuck likely to get big bucks

Lawrie could be in line for a big payday from the Brewers.

Milwaukee gave outfield prospect Matt LaPorta a $2-million US signing bonus after making him the No. 7 pick in 2007. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw secured a $2.3-million bonus from the Los Angeles Dodgers the previous year after going seventh overall.

The six-foot-one, 180-pound Lawrie hopes to follow in the footsteps of Dodgers all-star catcher Russell Martin, a converted third baseman from East York, Ont.

"I like to model my game around him," said Lawrie, who some scouts believe is the most advanced hitter at age 18 in Canadian history.

"He didn't start catching until he was coming right out of junior college and I've challenged myself. I can play a number of positions, third base real well, I can play second, the outfield and I didn't want to limit myself to one position."

The Toronto Blue Jays had the 17th pick and selected first baseman David Cooper out of the University of California, Berkeley.

The left-handed hitting Cooper, 21, projects as a 25-homer type who can hit the ball to all fields, but is known to be limited defensively.

"He's very disciplined, hangs in well against lefties, has power, will use his outfields well, he's a very advanced guy," said Blue Jays scouting director Jon Lalonde. "He's just mechanically very sound. Whenever you put his swing under the microscope, it holds up against anyone's.

"We think offensively, he's a pretty complete player."

The Blue Jays used their second-round pick to select high school outfielder Kenny Wilson. In the subsequent four rounds, they chose right-hander Andrew Liebel, third baseman-outfielder Mark Sobolewski, shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and outfielder Markus Brisker.

After Lawrie, no other Canadians were picked in the first six rounds of the draft.

Rays take Beckham 1st overall

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays made high school shortstop Tim Beckham the first overall selection at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla.

At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Beckham is said to have the prerequisite range to remain at short.

"Middle-of-the-field player, very good athlete, an advanced bat," Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison told MLB.com before the draft.

Beckham previously signed a baseball scholarship to Southern California, but wants to play in the majors.