Jul 8, 2026 By John Sacco 4 min read

The MLB draft will be televised Saturday full of hype, information and a fanfare two local players drafted 41 years ago were unfamiliar with when their names were called.

The two local players drafted that year were: Doug Dascenzo of Brownsville Area High School and Oklahoma State by the Chicago Cubs, and Brian Zanardelli of California Area High School by Pittsburgh.

Unlike today, they didn’t find out immediately they were selected. This weekend, the draft’s first hour will be on NBC. The balance of the draft can be seen on Peacock, NBCSN and MLB Network.

The draft, which used to be held in secret, has been televised in recent years, and is continuously followed on social media platforms.

None of the locals from the 1985 draft were asked to do televised interviews or look on their cell phones to see what social media sites were reporting.

The 1985 draft is arguably the greatest amateur baseball draft of all time.

Included in the group of selections are three Hall of Fame players — Barry Larkin (4th overall), Randy Johnson (36th overall) and John Smoltz (574th overall).

Two others, Barry Bonds (sixth by the Pirates) and Rafael Palmeiro (22nd overall) are potential HOF players. However, it doesn’t look good for them to be elected with the current makeup of the era committees.

Other notables in that draft were: B.J. Surhoff (the top pick), Will Clark (second), Bobby Witt (third), Walt Weiss – current manager of the Atlanta Braves — Brian McRae, Gregg Jeffries, Joey Cora, Tino Martinez, Bobby Thigpen, David Justice, Al Martin and Mark Grace.

And three men, who played in the NFL and MLB including, Deion Sanders (149th overall), Brian Jordan (505th overall) and Bo Jackson (511th overall).

Dascenzo was playing to win the NCAA Division I World Series when he was drafted. That had his attention.

“The draft happened probably about in the middle of the World Series,” he explained. “I was basically just notified that I had been selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 12th round, and that was pretty much it until after the College World Series was over.

“My mom and dad and I drove back home from Omaha, Neb., where we got a second phone call from a scout from the Cubs. It was obviously very exciting to hear that news to be quite honest with you. I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was just playing out my junior season at Oklahoma State, and had a wedding planned in July, and I was going to go back to Oklahoma State for my senior year.”

Dascenzo played for the Cubs (1988-1992), Texas in 1993 and San Diego in 1996. He began serving as coach and roving instructor for the Padres. Dascenzo managed in the minor leagues before becoming Atlanta’s minor league base running and outfield coordinator. In 2013, he was promoted to the Braves as third base coach. He then became a coach with the Cubs.

Dascenzo began his Major League career by playing in a then-National League record 241 consecutive games without making an error. The streak spanned from his debut in 1988 to the 1991 season. He finished his career with a .990 fielding percentage, playing at all three outfield positions, committing only eight errors in 792 total chances.

Dascenzo adds depth to that strong 1985 draft class, as he enjoyed a nice career in professional baseball.

“I would not hesitate to discuss or argue that the (1985) draft would have been the best draft ever,” Dascenzo said. “It was quite amazing. The people who were picked in that draft and the careers they had … It just wasn’t guys like me that only maybe played three or four years. There were Hall of Famers, and others who had long careers. It was a really talented group of players at that time.”

Zanardelli was selected in the 17th round of the 1985 June amateur baseball draft by the Pirates — the 424th pick overall.

Even though he attended tryouts after high school and another about two weeks before the 1985 draft, being selected caught Zanardelli off guard.

While attending a graduation party, a Pirates representative called and informed him that the club picked him.

“I asked him what the next step was,” Zanardelli previously said. “We set up a meeting at the old Pizza Hut in Canonsburg.

“Back in the 1980s, you didn’t know about the workings of the draft. There wasn’t the information available back then as there is now. I don’t think they expected to draft me, and I didn’t expect to get drafted.”

Zanardelli decided against signing a professional contract and joined the California University Vulcans program. He takes pride in being selected that year.