Brewers fail to sign first round draft pick

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MILWAUKEE - For the first time in 19 years, the Milwaukee Brewers have failed to sign their first-round draft pick.

A physical last week revealed that pitcher Dylan Covey had Type-One juvenile diabetes. So he decided to attend the University of San Diego this fall, where he has a scholarship.

Covey was the 14th overall pick in this summer’s draft. He was an All-American right-hander at Maranatha High School in Pasadena, California. The 19-year-old Covey told the Baseball Beginnings Web site that the diabetes explained a drop in his performance late last season. And he said it would be easier to adjust to his condition while in college instead of in the pros. Covey’s father Darrell said he was shocked, because no one in their family has ever been diabetic.

Brewers’ scouting director Bruce Seid said the team was planning to sign Covey anyway. He said there are no hard feelings on either side. Milwaukee will get an extra compensatory draft pick next year. The Brewers were one of three Major League teams not to sign their first-round picks by last night’s 11 o’clock deadline. Right-hander Barret Loux failed his physical with the Arizona Diamondbacks. And San Diego could not sign right-hander Karsten Whitson, who will go to the University of Florida.

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The Brewers will open a short two-game series tonight in St. Louis. The Cardinals are one game behind first-place Cincinnati in the National League Central, while Milwaukee is 12-and-a-half back and nine games under .500. Right-hander Dave Bush will start for the Brew Crew this evening against left-hander Jaime Garcia. Bush is 5-10 with an ERA of just over four-and-three-quarters. He gave up four straight homers in a disastrous loss to Arizona last week. Garcia is 10-and-5 with a two-point-seven-one ERA. He’s 2-0 against Milwaukee this season, and he’s given up just three earned runs to the Brewers in 19 innings. Saint Louis comes in at 65-51, with the National League’s second-best home record at 39-20. Milwaukee is 55-64.

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