Pick of the day: Ellington goes pro


Today’s Daily Dispatch brings the news we had hoped for as Vance County residents but had feared as UNC fans: Northern Vance alumnus Matt Ellington has signed with the Florida Marlins, ending his time as a Tar Heel after one year of back-injury rehab and two seasons in which he hit a combined .319 with 11 home runs, 25 doubles, a triple and 82 RBI. He spent almost all of 2005 as a designated hitter; now he’s playing first base with the Gulf Coast League Marlins, a rookie team in Florida, where his teammates include 2005 UNC grad Justin Webb. Unlike Webb, Ellington was not among the Marlins’ 55 draft picks in June, so he must have signed as a free agent in mid-June. You can follow his minor-league career here.