Torey Lovullo’s batting practice decides Diamondbacks’ fantasy football draft

In the height of fantasy football draft season, the Arizona Diamondbacks found a unique way to determine their draft order.

BY HABOOB BLOG

Aug 24, 2024, 6:46 AM Updated: 8:43 am

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Arizona Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman (18) celebrates his run scored on a wild pitch with manager Torey Lovullo, right, and bench coach Jeff Banister, left, during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

At the height of fantasy football draft season, the Arizona Diamondbacks found a unique way to determine their draft order.

Manager Torey Lovullo grabbed a fungo bat at Fenway Park and took cuts at numbered baseballs.

The distance of which he hit each ball determined the draft order. D-backs players gathered around the turtle to watch their fantasy football fates and talk a little smack.

Starting pitcher Merrill Kelly’s baseball hit the wall, so he will have the chance to take Christian McCaffrey or CeeDee Lamb with the first overall pick. Lovullo popped up Joc Pederson’s ball, so the veteran designated hitter will go last.

D’backs manager Torey Lovullo took BP at Fenway to set his team’s fantasy football draft order. Each ball was numbered & the distance he hit each determined position. He hit the wall on Merrill Kelley’s baseball (he goes 1st) and popped up on Joc Pederson’s (he’s last) pic.twitter.com/aohDpCSmAE

— Tom Caron (@TomCaron) August 24, 2024

Lovullo was familiar with the Fenway Park sightlines having coached in Boston from 2013-16 before getting hired by Arizona. His last professional at-bat as a player was in 2000, but he still showed some pop to come up clutch for his guys, other than Pederson.

After the pregame fun, the Diamondbacks clobbered the Red Sox 12-2 to open the three-game series.

The NFL season is only two weeks away, starting Sept. 5 with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.