LOS ANGELES — It shouldn’t come as any surprise Walker Buehler is a Ferris Buehler fan.
“I do actually like the movie. I’ve seen it a bunch of times, probably 10 times,” Buehler said.
Buehler is now a big fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The club took him with the 24th pick overall in the Major League Baseball draft Monday.
Los Angeles also took another pitcher in the first round, grabbing the University of Louisville’s Kyle Funkhouser with the 35th selection. That pick comes as compensation from the Boston Red Sox signing former Dodger shortstop Hanley Ramirez.
Billy Gasparino, the Dodgers director of scouting, believed the franchise was fortunate the two pitchers fell into their laps late in the first round. Gasparino believed both would be gone by the time they made a pick.
“We thought it was a long shot for both of them to get there,” Gasparino said.
Buehler said he patterns his game on Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke.
“Similar body type, similar pitcher,” Buehler said. “I guess that’s kind of been my guy that I look up to.”
The 6-2, 170-pound Walker has a 4-2 record with a 2.97 ERA in 14 starts this season with Vanderbilt, which advanced to the College World Series on Monday with a win over Illinois.
Funkhouser, a 6-2, 218-pounder, was 8-5 with a 3.20 ERA with Louisville, which fell to Cal State Fullerton for College World Series bid Monday.