June 4 -- FEELING A DRAFT

So, we could open today's post -- the 1,000th in the 3-year history of The News Journal's Phillies blog -- with a breakdown of Adam Eaton's third straight superb start (I'm fairly certain those words have never appeared in this space). Or we could talk about the oddity of last night's 3-2 victory, only the fourth time in 60 games that the Phils have won when they've scored less than four runs.

Instead, we'll start with a few words about the MLB draft.

For the past week, Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever and his band of merry men have been hunkered down at the Bank, pouring over scouting reports, assembling a draft board and making phone calls to agents to determine if the players they'd like to select this week are "signable." It isn't a job they take lightly. The Phillies have seven selections in the first 136 picks, giving them their best opportunity in years to replenish a farm system that has been depleted by trades and free-agent signings.

Now, the MLB draft isn't like the NFL or NBA drafts, where all the top-rated players are well-known long before their names are called. The MLB draft is a relative crapshoot, featuring players from the high school and college ranks. Some years, the draft is rich with talent. In 2002, for instance, B.J. Upton, Zack Greinke, Prince Fielder, Jeff Francis, Jeremy Hermida, Joe Saunders, Khalil Greene, Russ Adams, Scott Kazmir, Nick Swisher, Cole Hamels, James Loney, Jeremy Guthrie, Jeff Francoeur, Joe Blanton and Matt Cain were all selected in the first round. Other years, the draft is fruitless. In 2000, the only first-round picks who made a significant impact in the majors were Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley and Adam Wainwright. Wolever talked with us beat writers yesterday and said he thinks the '08 draft will be deep. He hinted that the Phils may use their first-round pick (24th overall) to select a hitter, but if there's a pitcher they like available at that spot, they'll take him.

It'll be interesting to see if the Phils reach for some tougher-to-sign players. The commissioner's office issues recommendations for what players in the top five rounds should be paid, and while the Phillies have heeded those suggestions, several teams, like the Tigers, have signed players for above their slotted value. Last year, the Phillies met pitcher Julian Sampson's $390,000 request to keep him from going to the University of Washington. But they failed to sign pitcher Brandon Workman, their third-round pick who wound up going to the University of Texas.

Meanwhile, Wolever told an amusing story about some misdirection that he orchestrated to make sure the Phillies got Hamels in 2002.

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Incidentally, Eaton was the Phillies' first-round pick (11th overall) in 1996. But if Eric Chavez had fallen one more spot, Wolever said the Phils probably would've wound up picking him. With a 66-58 career record, Eaton has never quite met those first-round expectations. But he has pitched superbly in his last three starts, and last night may have been his best in 42 starts since signing the infamous three-year, $24.5 million contract with the Phils before last season.

Eaton's numbers from his last three starts: 2-1, 2.29 ERA, 19-2/3 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 11 K

Do you believe in him yet?

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Chase Utley's homer streak ended at five games. His RBI streak, however, is alive and well. Utley has driven in at least one run in his last nine games, one short of matching the franchise record. Pinky Whitney (1931) and Bobby Abreu (2005) had RBIs in 10 straight games. From the Elias Sports Bureau, Utley is only the third player to have two five-game homer streaks in the same season. The others: Harmon Killebrew (1970), Frank Thomas (1994) and Barry Bonds (2001).

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Utley leads the majors with 21 home runs, but according to HitTracker.com, that total has been inflated by homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park. So, what do you think? Does Utley benefit from the Bank?

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Check out a photo gallery from last night's game.

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Finally, reliever Tom Gordon elected to walk Ken Griffey Jr. on four pitches in the eighth inning last night, absolutely the correct stategical decision in a one-run game. Yet fans at the Bank booed, wanting a chance to see history made. "It's good for the game," Charlie Manuel said, "but we definitely didn't want him to hit there." I couldn't agree more.

And while Griffey remains one homer short of his 600th, we're celebrating our own milestone today -- 1,000 posts. Thanks so much for reading. Let's go for 1,000 more.