Lambo embraces MLB draft
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

PLAYING THE WAITING GAME- Panther senior Andrew Lambo s "one of the harder guys to get a handle on" in today's MLB FirstYear Player Draft, according to John Manuel, an editor-in-chief for Baseball America. Despite uncertainty as to when he'll be selected, Lambo said he won't be nervous waiting for the phone to ring.

The future has arrived for Newbury Park High senior Andrew Lambo.

After two fabulous seasons with the NPHS baseball team- and equipped with a resume that includes a pair of Ventura County Player of the Year awards, one Marmonte League championship and the school's all-time and single-season home run records- Lambo is now ready to take the next step in his playing career.

Lambo, 18, is expected to be an earlyround pick during Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft, which begins today in Orlando, Fla.

For the first time in history, the opening round will be televised, with ESPN2 broadcasting live for four hours beginning at 11 a.m. PST. With his future- and quite possibly a lot of money- at stake, Lambo said he's enjoying the entire draft experience and won't get too worked up trying to determine where he'll eventually end up.

"I have no pressure going into the draft," said the 6foot3, 190pound left-hander who also has a scholarship to Arizona State if need be. "It is what it is. They're going to draft me for who I am and what kind of player I am. . . .

"I feel that I did my best this year. Unfortunately, I didn't have a 24-home-run season. I think in our league that's pretty damn near impossible. But I went out there and performed the best that I could, and I can't say that I held anything back."

For many years Lambo has played with and against the finest youth baseball talent in the nation. Two of his childhood friends, Matt Dominguez and Mike Moustakas of Chatsworth High, are projected as top 15 picks.

Although he's not expected to go as high as Dominguez and Moustakas- different publications have projected Lambo anywhere from the supplemental first round to the fifth round- Lambo said he's just as thrilled for his buddies as he is for himself.

"It's exciting when you see a bunch of your friends getting drafted," Lambo said. "You have friends that you've grown up with since you were 8 or 9 years old, and you see them now and they're in the same situation you are. It's pretty awesome to be in that situation."

Newbury Park

slugger projected as an outfielder at the

next level

Over the past couple of weeks Lambo has been on a nonstop tour of scouting combines and tryouts. A few days ago he was at Chase Field in Arizona, working out in front of assistant general managers and other front-office types.

At times the travel has been grueling, Lambo said. There's also the constant poking and prodding by scouts, both professional and from the college ranks, and draft experts.

Prior to the high school season, Lambo was viewed by Baseball America as a potential supplemental first-round pick. After posting a .453 batting average and hitting nine home runs, he's slipped a few rounds in the publication's opinion.

According to John Manuel, an editor-in-chief for Baseball America, some scouts have concerns with Lambo's mental makeup and have questioned his maturity off the field. On the field, however, there's a lot to like, Manuel said.

"He's one of the harder guys to get a handle on in this draft," Manuel said. "If you believe in his power as an organization, you could take him in the first three rounds because he's got a pretty left-handed swing.

"There are some things that point to good intangibles, and there are other things that point to bad intangibles. . . . If you're a scout you have to be confident to put your name next to this player. If he goes out into pro ball, how's he going to represent the organization? Your name will be next to him."

Before transferring to Newbury Park, Lambo had a series of disciplinary issues at Grover Cleveland High in Reseda. He insists those troublesome days are a thing of the past.

"I understand that some scouts can be iffy with certain situations," Lambo said. "But you know what though, I know who I am, and I know what I'm going to do. That's really the only thing that matters."

If his problems in school hurt his draft stock and ultimately cause him to fall a few rounds, Lambo said he'll use the situation as motivation to improve as a ballplayer and a person.

"It won't be a slap in the face, but I'll be like, 'Let me show you guys that I'm better than that Round 1 guy. Let me show you guys why I deserve more money.'"

Lambo is being represented by professional superagent Arn Tellem, whose client list includes a plethora of big-name stars from the world of sports.

He said Tellem and an assistant, Rich Audea, have been extremely supportive toward him and his family during the entire pre-draft process.

"They're going to take care of my money. That's what they do," Lambo said.

"They are a very wellrespected organization. They are not going to go with a bunch of headcase kids. They pick and choose wisely, and when they found me they said they knew about my things at Cleveland but that they loved me and loved my intensity."

Although the draft may be stressful for some, Lambo said he plans to attend school and treat it like any other day.

"I'm not going to worry about it too much," he said. "When I get picked my dad will call me. I'm going to be at school because I've got to take care of that first."