Nearly every mock draft leading up to the 2012 MLB Draft had the Houston Astros taking Stanford right hander Mark Appel with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. When Bud Selig strolled up to the podium and announced the pick, it wasn't Mark Appel -- it was Carlos Correra, a 17 year old shortstop from Puerto Rico.
Despite the fact that either Appel was seen as the top pick among many draftnik circles in the draft this year, Jeff Luhnow and the Astros made the right choice selecting Correra.
It's no secret that Astros owner Jim Crane wanted to select Appel with the top pick, as Appel is a Houston native and grew up as an Astros fan. Appel has all the easy appeal, very good stuff, a successful 2012 campaign for the Cardinal and, as a collegiate pitcher, he's polished.
Taking Appel, though, would have been taking the easy way out. The Astros should not be taking the easy way out. The Astros should not be making emotional decisions, and Appel's Houston ties likely tugged on the heartstrings (and potentially the wallet) of Crane.
Peter Gammons on MLB Network said after the Astros took Correra that the "baseball people" wanted to take Correra. And the Astros did take Correra. This is a very, very, very good thing for the Astros organization.
Jeff Luhnow was hired away from the St. Louis Cardinals over this past winter, where he served as vice president. Luhnow, though, was heavily involved in the drafting process over the past few years for the Cardinals, and his involvement has paid dividends, as St. Louis' farm system went from one of the worst to one of the best in baseball over the past few years.
If Luhnow wanted Correra, then it's only right that he was allowed to do his job, and select the player that he wanted with the No. 1 overall pick.
Owners aren't supposed to run the team; they're supposed to hire the right people and let them run the team. Jim Crane did the right thing by allowing Luhnow to take Correra No. 1 for the Astros, and hopefully for the Astros, it works out for the best.