Attention, campers

The Wild Things are ready to open camp Thursday morning with their first official workout.

Players checked in Wednesday at Consol Energy Park and dealt with all the nettlesome things that come with the arrival at camp: getting pictures and video shot for the videoboard and website, physicals, filling out paperwork and getting hooked up with host families or moved into a motel.

According to manager Chris Bando, everyone on the roster will be on the field Thursday except for catcher Eric Curtis. The Wild Things selected Curtis, from Chester, Va., in the third round of the Frontier League draft Tuesday. Curtis informed Bando that he had other opportunities that he wished to pursue and would not be reporting to camp.

Washington made six selections in the draft, which might be the most by any club since the Wild Things entered the league in 2002. The Wild Things had two first-round picks and chose outfielder Mike Miller (Oregon State and Roswell of the Pecos League) and catcher Juan Reyes (Inter-American University) at Nos. 6 and No. 12 respectively. The Reyes pick came from Southern Illinois to complete a trade for first baseman Ernie Banks.

Washington did not have a second-round pick. They had traded the pick to River City last year in the Josh Banda deal.

The Wild Things also drafted Curtis, pitchers Ryan Thomas and David Jensen, and first baseman Doc Nieman. Thomas pitched in four games for Washington last year before being released.

Though he wasn't on the Frontier League transactions list as of this writing, another player that has been added to the roster is Paul Raglione, a 6-6 right-handed pitcher who spent four seasons in the Kansas City Royals organization after being drafted out of high school. Raglione, however, last pitched professionally in 2008.

Washington has 39 players one the roster, including 19 pitchers.

UPDATE: Just noticed in the transactions, on the Associated Press wire, that San Angelo of the North American League has released second baseman Scott Lawson, who was acquired from Washington in a trade during the offseason.

Trying times in Washington

The Frontier League will hold a two-day open tryout today and Tuesday at Consol Energy Park. After the tryout, a draft will be held with each of the FL's 14 teams required to select at least two players.

While the tryout and draft provides any player who shows up in Washington -- provided they are less than 28 years old -- the opportunity to take a shot at living their dream and play for a professional baseball team, the odds are stacked against these guys.

There was a time when Frontier League teams stocked much of their roster with players from the tryout. In 1994, before the league's second season, there were only 100 players who showed up for the open tryout at Chillicothe's V.A. Memorial Stadium. More than half of those players were drafted.

Today, FL teams build much of their roster long before the tryout. Those rosters are heavily stocked with players released from major league organizations. Even with the Frontier League's Rookie rules, it has become increasingly difficult for players with only college experience to make it through a tryout camp and onto a FL roster, then stick around for more than a few games or weeks.

The Wild Things have been one of best teams over the last 10 years at finding diamonds in the rough at these tryouts, and even their success rate is less than stellar. There were, however, a few impact players for Washington who took a chance and attended the league tryout with only a glove, a bat and plenty of hope.

Here are the 8 best draft picks made by the Wild Things and the year they were selected:

1. Jack Headley (2004) - The Wild Things selected Headley, who had played at Santa Clara University and spent one year in the Philadelphia Phillies' system, with the 11th pick. The outfielder batted .325 and stole 18 bases, despite missing part of the season with an injury. He made the league's end-of-season all-star team.

2. Stephen Spragg (2005) - Spragg was a steal in the 2nd round out of NCAA Division II Augusta State. The sidearming right-handed relief pitcher played two seasons in Washington, winning 13 games and saving 16 others.

3. Kyle Werman (2006) - One of the Wild Things' first-round picks that year, Werman was a sure-handed second baseman who started for  1 1/.2 seasons.

4. Justin Mattison (2006) - The left-handed relief pitcher was drafted by the Wild Things in2006, but  he didn't play in Washington until 2007. Mattison signed with San Diego after the Frontier League draft, was released at seasons' end and then joined the Wild Things. He played one season, going 6-1, 2.37 with two saves as a reliever.

5. Rene Quintana (2007) - A valuable backup infielder, Quintana was selected in the first round out of Union (Ky.), an NAIA school. Quintana batted .286 in 87 games over two seasons.

6. T.J. Graves (2005) - The corner infielder was at the league tryout for only one day but was still drafted by the Wild Things in the first round. Graves spent the entire season on the roster and batted .309 with 11 stolen bases.

7. Dan Horvath (2008) - Lefty reliever out of Bowling Green was drafted in the first round (4th overall). He pitched in 38 games over one season had a 4-1 record.

8. Mike Grady (2005) - Another lefty reliever. Was Washington's third-round draft pick but made the team and had a 3-2 record over 26 appearances.