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By BOB PUTNAM
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 12, 2001
Blue Jays' first pick starts out at Dunedin
The future of the Toronto Blue Jays currently has a home in Dunedin.
Gabe Gross, the club's first-round pick (15th overall) this past June, joined Dunedin last week.
An outfielder from Auburn University, Gross hit .327 with a team-leading 19 doubles, 15 homers and 67 RBI as a junior this spring.
He is the highest drafted player from Auburn since the White Sox took first baseman Frank Thomas seventh overall in 1989.
Gross also played quarterback for Auburn but opted to concentrate on baseball after the 1999 season.
He appeared in his first game for Dunedin on Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Joining Gross from this past draft is pitcher Chris Sheffield.
A fourth-round pick from the University of Miami, Sheffield threw just 77 innings but averaged 13.4 strikeouts per game.
He has yet to make an appearance for Dunedin.
CLEARWATER: At the Futures All-Star game, Clearwater second baseman Chase Utley showed his power.
Utley, the Phillies' first-round pick in the 2000 draft, had a home run and a single during Sunday's game at Safeco Field in Seattle.
The All-Star Futures Game was part of Major League Baseball's all-star week and features the game's top prospects.
Playing for the United States, Utley and Rays prospect Toby Hall hit back-to-back singles in the second inning.
In the fourth inning, the two hit back-to-back home runs. Utley finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored as the United States beat the World team 5-1.
Utley's home run helped sooth the pain of one that got away during the Florida State League all-star game.
In the third inning of the FSL all-star game, Utley hit a ball that appeared to be a home run until Daytona Cubs outfielder Nic Johnson extended his arm over the wall to make a highlight catch.
TAMPA: On July 1, the Yankees bolstered their big-league staff by acquiring reliever Mark Wohlers from Cincinnati in exchange for former Tampa pitcher Ricardo Aramboles.
Aramboles, 19, went 7-2 with a 4.06 ERA for Tampa this year before his promotion to Triple A. He was 1-3 with a 3.04 ERA in four starts with Columbus.
It is the second time in as many seasons the Yankees have used prospects playing in Tampa to acquire pitching help.
Last July, the Yankees sent Tampa right-hander Brian Reith to the Reds in a six-player deal for Denny Neagle.
Also included in the deal were Drew Henson and Jackson Melian, who played for Tampa in 1999.