<|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|><|begin_of_text|>The day Jeff Deardorff has been waiting a lifetime for has arrived.
Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft begins today and, by all expectations, Deardorff shouldn't have to wait long for his phone to ring.
The<wm> St. Louis Cardinals are selecting the top 11 draft choices in Tuesday, and on Thursday, a team can't look too far ahead - it's not yet too early for a rookie in line to be called to the big club, and 77 teams already have submitted their selections.
Deardorff's baseball roots run deep, a former minor league shortstop who has seen more time with the minor leagues (10 years and 500 games) - the longest in St. Louis Cardinals history -</wm> than anyone other player to be selected in first overall.
And with his size and defensive prowess, the