Oakland A's Draft Fielder Mike Stenhouse

The Oakland A's Tuesday drafted Crimson outfielder Mike Stenhouse in the first round of the free agent baseball draft. The 6 ft.-1 in., 180-1b. junior said yesterday he is "thrilled and honored" at the offer but he has not yet decided whether to accept it.

"The A's are not a strong team and their farm system isn't that good, but that could be a blessing in disguise since I might be able to rise a little more quickly in the major leagues," Stenhouse, an economics major, said. Although he's excited by the prospect of playing professional baseball, Stenhouse said he is planning to graduate from Harvard, either by completing two more fall semesters or by waiting until next year's draft pick and playing ball for Harvard next spring.

"My father and I have to do some talking with the A's to see if we can reach a reasonable agreement," the left-handed hitter who batted .396 and had 30 RBIs last season said. "No matter what, though, I definitely want to get my Harvard degree as quickly as possible," he added.

Senior southpaw Larry Brown, coming off a disappointing final season at Harvard which ended with a loss to Cornell that knocked the Crimson out of the playoff picture, was drafted in the 14th round yesterday by the Houston Astros.