Kansas City, Mo. ? The Kansas City Royals have the overall No. 1 selection in Tuesday’s amateur draft, an important opportunity for an organization that’s on track to lose 100 games for the third straight season. But they can’t even talk about it with their new general manager, let alone seek his advice.

Instead, people incoming GM Dayton Moore may be about to fire will be making decisions that could prove vital to his future and to Kansas City’s.

But all Moore can do is sit and watch. He won’t even be in the room.

“But I’ll be pulling for them,” Moore said.

Before the Royals hired Moore last week off the Atlanta Braves’ staff, the teams agreed he would not take part in draft decisions for either club. Moore, the top assistant under Braves general manager John Schuerholz, has access to all the information Atlanta’s highly acclaimed scouts have gathered, and the Braves do not care to share it.

“He’ll be at home watching ESPN,” Schuerholz said when asked what Moore would be doing during the two-day draft.

Moore, 39, officially assumes his new duties Thursday, the day after the draft. He’ll replace Allard Baird, who was fired last week, after Moore agreed to a five-year contract to take over a down-and-out team whose 14-40 record going into this week was the worst in the majors.

“Because of the sensitive nature of my knowledge of what the Braves are doing, I’m not going to be a part of either draft,” Moore said. “I won’t be in any draft room.”

The Royals, who have never before had the overall No. 1 pick, were expected to take a college pitcher. They were particularly interested in left-hander Andrew Miller of North Carolina and right-handers Tim Lincecum of Washington and Brad Lincoln of Houston.

After a series of compensation picks following the first round, Kansas City will take the 45th overall choice, then pick first in each succeeding round. Among those making the decisions will be Deric Ladnier, the senior director of scouting who was hired by Baird in 2000, and acting general manager Muzzy Jackson.

“Deric and his staff worked all year to prepare,” Moore said. “They are the very best people to make (the overall No. 1 pick) because they have spent the entire year knowing they were going to pick No. 1.”

Moore has been given the authority to make any changes he deems necessary in the Royals’ baseball operation. That means Jackson, Ladnier and all the scouts and cross-checkers know they could be conducting their last draft for Kansas City.

But Moore expressed confidence in the Royals’ staff.

“I knew Deric when he was our Midwest supervisor in Atlanta and I was an area scout,” Moore said. “He’s very thorough. He listens to people. There are quality people there who I’m sure will make the right decisions.”

Nevertheless, the agreement between the two clubs has not quelled predictions that Moore will cup his hand over a cell phone and furtively let Kansas City know what he wants.

Such speculation has angered parties on both sides.

“There will be no contact between Dayton and I at any time prior to the draft,” said Ladnier. “Anybody who says there will be is a liar.”

Moore said he would not contact Kansas City before the draft under any circumstances.

“It’s just wrong,” Moore said. “Even if the two clubs said, ‘Dayton, as general manager of Kansas City, it’s OK if you want to be there,’ I wouldn’t do it. I have too much respect for our area scouts and supervisors to take my knowledge to another club.”