MLB Network will broadcast the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft live June 9 starting at 6 p.m. The first day of the draft will be held at Studio 42 at MLB Network in Secaucus, N.J. The final two days of the draft will take place through conference call from MLB headquarters in New York City.
Following the first round on MLB Network, MLB.com will air a live video stream of the next two rounds and two compensation rounds (for teams who had Type A or B free agents sign with other teams or who were unable to sign a player chosen in the first three rounds of last year's draft) also being held on June 9.
The draft continues at noon on June 10 and concludes on the 11th following the 50th round. MLB.com will offer live programming of the last two days of the draft with expert commentary, a Draft Tracker, statistics, scouting reports, and highlights of draft-eligible players.
"When we started plotting out our programming schedule, the First-Year Player Draft was definitely one of the dates we circled on the baseball calendar," said Tony Petitti, president and CEO of MLB Network, in a statement. "We're looking forward to Studio 42 being the backdrop for the beginning of many promising baseball careers."
The Washington Nationals, ignominious holders of last year's worst record, will be first on the clock with the No. 1 pick on June 9.
