One thing I used to reassure myself throughout the crapfest that was the Oakland A’s 2007 season was the fact that a losing record at least will mean a higher-than-usual draft pick in the June 2008 ammy draft.

As it looks, with how the standings ended, the A’s will be picking 12th overall.

That’s certainly not a high-profile pick position, but it’s a far cry from 21, which is where they picked the last time they had a first-round pick. That was 2005, and they took a guy who has so far been a bust, Cliff Pennington.

The last time the A’s had a pick higher than 12th overall? The year was 1999, and they took a lefty pitcher with the 9th pick overall. His name was Barry Zito.

The A’s have had the 12th pick once before, in 1986. That year they took Scott Hemond, scrub catcher and lifetime .217 hitter. Hopefully this 12 works out better than the last 12.