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Ex-Yankees Prospect Brien Taylor Sentenced In Crack Cocaine Distribution Case

NEW BERN, N.C. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Former Yankees top pitching prospect Brien Taylor has been sentenced to 38 months in prison after pleading guilty in August to distributing crack cocaine.

The 40-year-old Taylor told U.S. District Court Judge Louise W. Flanagan during Wednesday's sentencing hearing that he was sorry for causing so much pain to his family and his five daughters.

Taylor was arrested in March. The Carteret County Sheriff's Office said undercover narcotics agents bought a large quantity of cocaine and crack cocaine from him over several months.

Taylor will also have three years of supervised release after his prison term.

Taylor was the No. 1 overall selection in the 1991 draft and got a then-record $1.55 million signing bonus from the Yankees, but he never threw a pitch in the major leagues.

A shoulder injury suffered in a bar fight derailed the left-hander's pitching career. He toiled through seven seasons in the minors, never pitching above Double-A.

Taylor finished 22-30 with a 5.12 ERA over 100 games (82 starts).

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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