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ATLANTA — Entering the 2009 MLB Draft, Angels scouting director Eddie Bane knew he was going to be taking whom he believed to be the second-best player available in the draft. The only question is when he’d pick him.

In Bane’s mind, there was Stephen Strasburg as clear No. 1. Then there was Mike Trout. The only question was whether the Angels would take him with the 24th pick in the first round, or the 25th. They had both selections. They could theoretically go either way.

The Angels ended up taking Randal Grichuk at No. 24. And then Trout at No. 25. A choice that has long been talked about and scrutinized. In some ways, it’s defined Grichuk’s MLB path. He was selected before Trout but never matched his talent. He believed he fell out of favor with the organization in subsequent years and was later traded. Part of his story has always been tied to that selection.

It was Bane who set the course. So, what was the real reason why Trout was taken after Grichuk, the reason why Bane didn’t take the best player available as soon as he was available to them? Well, he was annoyed with Trout’s agent, Craig Landis.

“He wanted to nitpick with me before the draft,” Bane said of Landis, noting the agent wanted him to call Trout’s father again, despite the parties having already met.

“And I was kind of petty, so I held it off and I took Randal first and Mike second out of pettiness to the agent really bugging about stuff I didn’t think was that important.”

At the end of the day, it didn’t really matter who was picked first — though both players acknowledge the competitiveness involved in a situation like that. And it’s hard to ignore the divergent narratives attached to the selection that followed both players.

They were two righty-hitting high school outfielders, players trying to make it to the major leagues as fast as possible. They were always going to be viewed in the context of the other as long as they were with the same organization.

“We definitely were pushing each other for sure,” Trout said. “As a competitor, if you aren’t doing that, you shouldn’t be doing this. We both had one goal, to get to the big leagues.

“When he got traded, it kind of sucked because he was one of the guys I grew up in this game playing with.”

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