Taillon-Jordan meeting goes well (w/draft speculation)

June 3, 2010 4:48 PM by Steve Melewski View Comments

If you've noticed, a lot of my pre-draft stories have centered around prep pitcher Jameson Taillon.

Since everyone is speculating on Monday's first-round at this point, I'll add my two cents.

My sense of it is that Taillon is the player the Orioles would like to get. They can get him if the Pirates pass on the 18-year-old right-hander with the second pick.

If Taillon is not there, most assume the O's would then pick Miami high school shortstop Manny Machado. I think in that scenario, the O's picking Machado is not a lock. If Taillon is gone the O's could go a variety of directions.

I have heard they have some interest in Cal State Fullerton shortstop Christian Colon. If it's a pitcher they desire, they have shown some interest in Drew Pomeranz of Ole Miss and Matt Harvey of North Carolina.

Meanwhile, here are some comments from Michael Taillon, Jameson's father. He told me when he, his wife and Jameson met with O's scouting director Joe Jordan, that meeting went well and they left with a positive feeling about the Orioles.

"We met for two-plus hours. I found it very interesting, moreso for me not being a baseball guy. It was very insightful and Joe was very articulate and had some interesting observations about baseball and the draft process.

"We met with Joe early in the process, really before it started to pick up speed and got very hectic. Joe was very candid about the process and what the expectations were. For my wife and I, we were extremely pleased. We not only like Joe a lot, we found the meeting extremely beneficial for us," Michael Taillon said.

He said his wife certainly was concerned that her son would be in good hands if the Orioles drafted him.

"Yes, very much so. If you can imagine, that's a mom's question and Kristy had that question on her list. She asked if he were drafted by the Orioles, where would he go, tell me about the environment and accommodations and so forth. Joe was happy to spend time with Kristy on that and walk her through that.

"One of my questions, and I understand this is predicated on performance, but the question was when we look at certain individuals like a Kershaw who is from Texas or a Porcello that went in the first round, how do the Orioles teach their elite prospects to get them in a position to play Major League baseball?

"We asked how do you teach them and what is the pitching philosophy? Joe was very good about that and had a very good handle on that.

"I found out through our conversation that Joe once worked with Josh Johnson of the Marlins. That's a player Jamo has been compared to due to body types."

Here is something you may not know about the Taillon family. Michael is a native of Canada. He's from St. Andrews West, about an hour from Montreal.

He and his wife and their four children have dual US-Canadien citizenship. When Jameson was born the family lived in Lakeland, Florida and they moved to the Woodlands, Texas when Jameson was four years old.

And the countdown to draft day goes on...

More draft coverage coming: Consider my blogs to be draft central over the next few days. Check the archives for other recent draft stories and coming up between now and the draft will be more stories with Jim Callis and Joe Jordan, plus more with Michael Taillon, Jameson's dad.

I will provide any updates I get on the O's possible first pick over the next several days and Monday check out this site often for some special draft-day coverage.

During our coverage this coming Monday afternoon, I'll be taking calls live on-air here at our MASNSports.com website, so I look forward to talking with many of you then. Stay tuned!