Wednesday, June 3, 1998
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

J.D. Drew a Red? Don't laugh.

"If J.D. Drew was there, we were going to take him," Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said, "and we were going to sign him."

Drew, the second pick in last year's draft, refused to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies when they didn't meet his demand for an $11 million signing bonus.

He went back into the draft this year. He slipped to fifth, where St. Louis took him, largely because teams were afraid they couldn't sign him.

Bowden said Reds Managing Executive John Allen had approved picking Drew with the Reds' No. 7 pick in the first round.

"We had him first on our board last year," Bowden said. "He was too good to pass up. The difference between Drew and a high school player: Drew is ready to play now."

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