Natale has been a real hit

Of the 54 picks the Red Sox made in the amateur draft earlier this month, exactly one is a native New Englander. That makes Jeff Natale, a New Haven native plucked in the 32d round out of Trinity College in 2005, A) rare and B) someone to root for.

Natale has played just 123 minor league games but has posted some staggering totals.

2005 at short-season Lowell: 12 games, .488 average, .522 OBP, .610 slugging, 1.132 OPS.

2005 at Single A Greenville: 47 games, .338 average, .463 OBP, .544 slugging, 1.007 OPS.

2006 at Single A Greenville: 50 games, .343 average, .487 OBP, .571 slugging, 1.058 OPS.

2006 at Single A Wilmington: 14 games, .262 average, .439 OBP, .381 slugging, .820 OPS.

Natale, who is 5 feet 9 inches, 180 pounds, hasn't replicated his audacious totals yet in Wilmington, but he has reached base in all 14 games in which he's played, leading to that high on-base percentage. The 23-year-old is, for now, exclusively a second baseman. If he can continue to enhance his footwork, reads, and ability to turn the double play, he'll remain there. If not, there's some thought that he might someday play left field or first base. It was his hitting, though, that caught the eye of Ray Fagnant, the club's Northeast regional scout.

Natale proved the Sox wise early on. Promoted to Greenville after just 12 games in Lowell last summer, he went on to walk 31 times and strike out just 17 times in 47 games.

``Jeff has an advanced approach at the plate and an excellent idea of the strike zone," said Ben Cherington, the Sox' vice president for player personnel. ``He consistently puts himself in a position to hit by getting into good counts and swinging at good pitches.

``He's got a short, simple swing. He has worked hard at his defense and continues to progress at second base."

Natale, you may remember, was the minor leaguer Curt Schilling hit in the head with a fastball in spring training, when Schilling wanted to begin pitching inside more. Natale, that day, never flinched, simply jogging down to take his base after the ball ricocheted off his helmet and into the stands.

David Murphy, the Sox' top pick (17th overall) in 2003, continues to hammer the ball since his promotion to Triple A. He was named International League player of the week for the week ending June 11, batting .400 (10 for 25) with seven extra-base hits for a .920 slugging percentage. In 177 Double A games, Murphy batted .274 with 17 homers. But in just 18 Triple A games, he's hitting .338 with three homers and 13 RBIs . . . The Double A Portland Sea Dogs reeled off 10 consecutive wins before losing Wednesday, falling two shy of equaling the club record, established in 1997 . . . Sea Dogs outfielder Brandon Moss may be batting just .239 with six homers and 37 RBIs, but that average is climbing. He's at .357 with two doubles, three homers, and nine RBIs in nine games this month . . . Jimmy Serrano, whose ERA was 0.23 in his last seven starts with the PawSox, signed with a team in Korea this week. Serrano was presented with the chance to make considerably more money in Korea. The Sox, who couldn't guarantee Serrano a spot in the majors this season, decided not to stand in his way.

Toronto's $55 million man, righthander A.J. Burnett, will make a rehab start for Double A New Hampshire tomorrow at 5:05 p.m. in Manchester, N.H. His opponents: the Sea Dogs . . . Lefthander Phil Seibel, the 27-year-old who missed all of 2005 following Tommy John elbow surgery, eclipsed Craig Hansen's Portland record for consecutive scoreless innings. Hansen's record was 20 1/3, Seibel is at 22 1/3 and counting. Seibel, in nine starts, is 2-3 with a 1.20 ERA and a .157 opponents' batting average . . . Pawtucket's Ron Calloway ranks fifth in the IL in batting at .313 (50 for 160) . . . Pawtucket's Jeff Bailey, the only hitter exhibiting substantial power in the Sox system, ranks third in the IL in homers with 13 . . . Wilmington third baseman Andrew Pinckney and pitcher Mike James were named to the Carolina-California League All-Star Game, to be played June 27.