More then you’ll ever need (want?) to know about MLB’s Expansion Drafts – and the first and most interesting players taken by baseball’s 14 “new” franchises.
Eli Grba – first player taken in MLB’s first expansion draft.
Expansion drafts have fascinated BBRT since I was just a kid – drafting Strat-O-Matic teams with my baseball buddies. That interest was reenergized recently when I picked up an expansion team in a fantasy league – having to choose from players left unprotected by established teams. In this post, BBRT would like to take a look at MLB’s real expansion drafts – particularly the first player drafted by each expansion team and how those selections worked out. In addition, I’ll (totally subjectively) comment on the players I think were the most interesting selections by each team in each draft.
Notably, first-pick selections in MLB’s seven Expansion Drafts ranged from a utility player with only 13 MLB at bats (Bob Bailor) to a former AL MVP (Bobby Shantz). And, when you further examine Expansion Draft first picks, you also find a pitcher who had started Game Four of the previous season’s World Series (Tony Saunders) and a veteran outfielder with a .292 career average (over seven seasons) who would go on to a 20-season MLB career (Manny Mota). But enough teasers, let’s take a look at each expansion team’s first and most interesting Expansion Draft picks.
1960 EXPANSION DRAFT – For 1961 Season ———————-
Eli Grba – RHP – First pick of the Angels, taken from the Yankees.
Eli Grba was the first-ever Expansion Draft selection (the Angels had first pick). The 26-year-old Grba had appeared in a total of 43 games (15 starts) and 131 major league innings for the Yankees in the 1959-60 seasons – going 8-9 with a 4.74 ERA and one save. He was considered a solid prospect (who already had some seasoning), coming off a 1960 season in which he went 7-1, 1.80 at Triple A before putting up a 6-4, 3.68 line for the Yankees. Grba had a good season for the Angels in 1961 – winning 11 and losing 13, with a 4.25 ERA in 211 2/3 innings pitched. Grba, however, was out of the major leagues by 1964, finishing with a 28-33, 4.67 (4 saves) record over five seasons.
Angels’ most interesting pick – 20-year-old RHP Dean Chance, taken from the Orioles.
The Angels grabbed Chance from the Baltimore Orioles’ organization with the 51st pick in the draft. Chance was clearly a “prospect pick.” Just 20, he already had two minor league seasons behind him (in which he had gone 22-12, with a 3.06 ERA). Chance spent most of 1961 at Triple A, getting into just five games with the Angels at the end of the season (0-2, 6.87 in 18 1/3 innings). In 1962, he was a 14-game winner for the Angels and, by 1964, he was an All Star and AL Cy Young Award winner (20-9, 1.65 with 11 complete-game shutouts). A nice pick who had an 11-year MLB career, six seasons with the Angels.
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Bobby Shantz – LHP – First pick of the Senators, taken from the Yankees.
As much as the Angels went for potential, the expansion Senators appeared to go for experience – using their first pick on 35-year-old lefthander Bobby Shantz; a 12-year MLB veteran, three-time All Star and 1952 AL MVP. Shantz, however, never played for the Senators. He was quickly traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Bennie Daniels, 3B Harry Bright and 1B R.C. Stevens. The players the Senators received for Shantz did provide some value. Daniels led the Senators in wins in 1961, going 12-11, 3.44. He stayed with the team four more seasons, picking up 25 more victories. Harry Bright hit .240-4-21 in 72 games for Washington in 1961, then set career highs at .273-17-67 for the team the following year (after which he was traded to the Reds). R.C. Stevens played in only 33 games for the Senators – hitting .129 in his last of four MLB season.
Senators’ most interesting pick – LHP Bobby Shantz (see the full Shantz story below).
Bobby Shantz – The Most Interesting Player in TWO MLB Expansion Drafts
Bobby Shantz – Boyhood Hero.
Like the Dos Equis beer campaign’s “most interesting man in the world,” Bobby Shantz was the most interesting player in not one, but two, MLB Expansion drafts – at least in BBRT’s estimation.
First, a disclaimer. As a youngster, I had a personal interest in the 5’ 6 “ Shantz. My Dad was just 5’ 1” and it looked like I might follow in his (short stride and) footsteps. Luckily, a growth spurt in my teens got me past my Dad’s mark to an average 5′ 9″. Before that growth spurt, however, Shantz was my assurance that the vertically challenged could succeed in the national pastime.
Let’s take a look at this most interesting of Expansion Draft picks (actually one of the more interesting MLB players period). Shantz – who was still under five-feet tall when he graduated from high school – was a natural athlete, excelling in everything from baseball to diving to gymnastics to ping pong. Still, when it came to professional opportunities, he was considered too small. Fortunately, a late growth spurt (some of which occurred during his military service) pushed Shantz up to 5’ 6″ and just shy of 140 pounds. After his discharge, some excellent results in sandlot ball earned Shantz a contract with the Philadelphia Athletics (most teams passed on Shantz due to his size). In his first season of pro-ball (1948 … for the Class A Lincoln A’s), Shantz went 18-7, with a 2.82 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 214 innings – showing great control and a baffling curve ball. Shantz was on his way. By 1951, he was an All Star for the Athletics, finishing the season 18-10, with a 3.94 ERA. The following season, he reached his peak. While the Athletics finished barely above .500 (79-75, fourth place), Shantz went 24-7, 2.48 – leading the league in wins and winning percentage and throwing 27 complete games in 33 starts. The campaign was topped off when Shantz was named the AL MVP.
The following season, however, Shantz fell victim to a shoulder injury that would create problems for him on-and-off for the remainder of his career. In 1957, Shantz was included in a 13-player trade (Athletics and Yankees). He proved a valuable addition to the Bronx Bombers, going 11-5, with a league-low 2.45 ERA (30 games, 21 starts). That year, he made his third and final All Star squad. He also started Game Two of the 1957 World Series, taking the loss in a 4-2 Braves victory.
In addition to making it to the World Series, Shantz also started an enviable streak in 1957. Remember the earlier note that Shantz was a natural athlete? Well, in 1957, the first Gold Gloves were awarded. In that initial year, one Gold Glove was awarded for each position (not one for each position in each league) and Shantz was the first pitcher to earn a Gold Glove. The following season, Gold Gloves were awarded by league and Shantz won the AL Gold Glove for pitchers in each of the next three seasons. He moved to the NL in 1961, and won four more consecutive Gold Gloves (1961-64).
So, as we look to the 1960 Expansion Draft, we find Shantz – at the time a former MVP, three-time All Star and four-time Gold Glover unprotected by the Yankees. Shantz was the first pick of the Senators, who – two days later – traded him to the Pirates. As a reliever and spot starter for Pittsburgh, Shantz went 6-3, 3.32, with two saves (43 games, six starts).
Then came the 1961 draft. The Pirates did not protect Shantz and the former MVP was again a “draftee,” selected by the Houston Colt .45’s with the number-21 pick. Shantz started the first-ever game for Houston (April 10, 1962), beating the Cubs 11-2 on a complete game five-hitter. He got three starts for Houston (1-1, 1.31) before a May 7 trade to the Cardinals (for OF Carl Warwick and P John Anderson). Shantz had a solid season as a reliever for Saint Louis – 5-3, 2.18 with four saves, and finished out his career as a reliever with the Cardinals, Cubs and Phillies He retired after the 1964 season with a 119-99, 3.38 record (48 saves) in 16 seasons – and BBRT’s vote as the most interesting player in the first – and second – Expansion Drafts.
1961 MLB EXPANSION DRAFT ——————————–
Eddie Bressoud – SS/2B/3B – First pick of the Colt. .45s, taken from the Giants.
The 29-year-old Bressoud had been utility infielder with the Giants (1956-61) – versatile and capable in the field, with a .239 career batting average. Like Bobby Shantz (see above), Bressoud was not to play a single game for the team that made him their first draft pick. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox for shortstop Don Buddin – which proved an unproductive move. Buddin played in 40 games for the 1962 Colt .45s, hitting just .163 n 80 at bats before being moved to the Detroit Tigers for cash in mid-season. The slick-fielding Bressoud remained in the major leagues for six more seasons, making the AL All Star team in 1964, when he hit .293 in 158 games as the regular shortstop for the Red Sox. Bressoud closed out his MLB career as a member of the 1967 World Champion Cardinals.
Colt .45’s most interesting pick – Bobby Shantz, taken from the Pirates (see full story in box above).
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Hobie Landrith – C – First pick of the Mets, taken from the Giants.
Hobie Landrith had a dozen MLB seasons under his belt (primarily as a backup catcher, although he did play in 100+ games in 1956 and 1959) when the Mets made him their first Expansion Draft pick. When asked about the reasoning behind this first pick, Met’s manager Casey Stengel is famously said to have replied, “You have to have catchers or you’re going to have a lot of passed balls.” Like so many of these first expansion picks, Landrith was not long for his new team. He played in just 23 games for the Mets (.289-1-7) before being traded to the Orioles for future Mets’ “legend” Marvelous Marv Throneberry. Landrith only played one more season in the big leagues. Throneberry was with the Mets in 1962 and 1963 (his last MLB season) – hitting .240 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI in 130 games. Marvelous Marv later gained fame as a spokesperson for Miller Lite beer.
Mets’ most interesting pick – 1B Gil Hodges, taken from the Dodgers.
The Mets took 37-year-old veteran 1B Gil Hodges from the Dodgers with the 14th pick of the 1961 draft – bringing a Brooklyn Dodgers fan favorite back to New York. Hodges was an eight-time All Star, all with Brooklyn. He was also a three-time Gold Glover – one with Brooklyn, two with Los Angeles. At the time he was drafted, Hodges had a .276 career average, 361 home runs and 1,254 RBI. Hodges got in just 65 games in two seasons with the Mets, hitting .248, with nine homers and 20 RBI. Hodges, appropriately, did hit the first home run in Mets’ history – on April 11, 1962. He was traded to the Washington Senators (for OF Jimmy Piersall) on May 23, 1963 – immediately retiring as a player to take over as the Senators’ manager (the purpose of the trade.)
1968 EXPANSION DRAFT ————————————–
Ollie Brown – RF – First pick of the Padres, taken from the Giants.
Ollie “Downtown” Brown, a plus defender with a strong arm, was the first pick of the expansion Padres – and it worked out well for Brown and the team. A part-timer with the Giants (181 games from 1965-68), Brown became a staple in the outfield for the Padres. In 1969, he played in 151 games for San Diego, hitting .264, with 20 HR’s and 61 RBI. He did even better the following season – .292-23-89 in 139 games. He was a regular in the Padres’ OF until he was traded to Oakland in 1972. Brown stayed in the majors through 1977 (13 seasons), putting up a career average of .265, with 102 home runs and 454 RBI.
Padres’ most interesting pick – 1B Nate Colbert, taken from the Houston Astros.
The Padres took Nate Colbert with the 18th pick of the 1968 Expansion Draft and, while he had a .133 average in 39 games with the Astros (1966 & 1968), he immediately began living up to his potential with the Padres. (In 1967-1968, Colbert had hit 42 home runs at Double A and Triple A). The 23-year-old hit .255 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI in his first season in San Diego and went on to earn three All Star berths and hit 163 home runs in six seasons for the team. His best season was 1972, when he went .250-38-111 for the Padres. Colbert gained further fame on August 1, 1972, when he hit a record-tying five home runs in a double header. Adding to the “interest factor” for BBRT is the fact the only other time that feat was accomplished (by Stan Musial on May 2, 1954), Colbert (then 8-years-old) was in the stands.
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Manny Mota – LF – First pick of the Expos, taken from the Pirates.
Manny Mota, the Expos’ first-pick in the 1968 draft, played only 31 games for the team before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mota and Expos’ SS Maury Wills were traded to the Dodgers for OF/1B Ron Fairly and IF Paul Popovich in mid-June of the 1969 season. Mota was with the Dodgers until 1982 (an All Star in 1973), becoming one MLB’s most adept pinch hitters; while Wills (who started his career with the Dodgers) stayed with LA through the 1972 season. Fairly was a Montreal regular (and a 1973 All Star). In six seasons with the Expos, he hit .276, with 86 home runs and 331 RBI. Popovich was immediately traded to the Cubs for OF Adolfe Phillips and RHP Jack Lamabe. (Phillips hit .216 in 58 games for the Expos that season, Lamabe spent the season in the minors and never pitched in the major again.)
Expos’ most interesting pick – Maury Wills, taken from the Pirates.
The Expos selected Dodger SS Maury Wills with the 21st pick of the NL Expansion Draft. The 36-year-old Wills was a five-time All Star, two-time Gold Glover, 1962 NL MVP and had led the NL in stolen bases six times. He’d spent most of his career with the Dodgers, but in the year preceding the Expansion Draft, he had hit .278, with 52 steals for the Pirates – who did not protect him in the draft. (Wills was traded by the Dodgers to the Pirates after the 1966 season, reportedly over a disagreement over payment for a team post-season tour of Japan.) The 36-year-old Wills got into 47 games for the Expos (.222, 15 steals), before being traded back to his original team (the Dodgers), where he hit .297 with 25 more steals. Wills retired as a Dodger in 1972, with a .281 average and 586 stolen bases.
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Roger Nelson – RHP – First pick of the Royals, taken from the Orioles.
Roger Nelson had gone 4-3, 2.41 in 19 games (six starts) for the Royals in 1968 – after starting the season 3-0, 1.29 at AAA Rochester. At 24-years-old, he already had 6 years of professional experience when the Mariners made him their first choice. Nelson started 29 games for the Royals, going 7-13, 3.31. He was with the team for three more seasons, his best being 1972, when he went 11-6, 2.08 at a starter and reliever. After the 1972 season, he was traded (along with OF Richie Scheinblum) to the Reds for Of Hal McCrae and RHP Wayne Simpson. McCrae would spend 15 seasons with Kansas City, compiling a .293 average for the team, earning three All Star selections and leading the AL in doubles twice (54 in 1977 and 46 in 1982) and RBI once (133 in 1982).
Royals’ most interesting pick – RHP Hoyt Wilhelm from the Chicago White Sox.
Future Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm was already 46-years-old, a four-time All Star and had appeared in more than 900 games when the Royals made him the 49th pick in the AL Expansion Draft. Who would have thought the ageless knuckleballer still had four seasons (including one All Star campaign) left in his arm. Apparently not the Royals, who quickly traded Wilhelm to the California Angels for a pair of catchers – Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke. Kirkpatrick hit .248 with 56 home runs in six seasons with the Royals, while Paepke got in just 80 games (.183 average) in four Royals’ seasons. Wilhelm split the 1969 season with the Angels and Cubs, going 7-7, 2.19 (14 saves) in 52 appearances. In 1970, he split time with the Braves and Cubs, going 6-5, 3.40 with 13 saves and making his final All Star game. Wilhelm retired after the 1972 season (his 21st MLB campaign) having appeared in 1,070 games (none for the Royals), with a 143-122 record, 228 saves and a 2.52 career ERA.
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Don Mincher – 1B – First pick of the Pilots, taken from the Angels.
Don Mincher had established himself as a steady source of power when the Seattle Pilots made him their first choice in the 1968 Expansion Draft. In nine MLB seasons (Washington/Minnesota/California), Mincher had hit .248, with 130 home runs (despite averaging just 98 games per season), topping 20 homers in a season three times. The 31-year-old played in 140 games for Seattle in 1969, hitting .246, with a team-leading 25 home runs and 78 RBI (second on the Pilots to Tommy Davis’ 80). The Pilots, of course, moved to Milwaukee (to become the Brewers) in 1970 – but Mincher did not make the trip. The Pilots’ leading source of power was traded (along with infielder Ron Clark) to the Oakland A’s for pitchers Lew Krausse and Ken sanders, OF Mike Hershberger and C Phil Roof.
Pilots’ most interesting pick –OF Lou Piniella taken from the Indians.
Wow, the Pilots had several interesting picks – Mike Marshall, who would go on to set records for relief appearances in a season in both the NL and AL; two-time batting champ Tommy Davis; and a 28-year-old outfielder named Tommy Harper, who would lead the AL in stolen bases for the Pilots with 73 in 1969 and join the 30-30 (HR/SB) club in 1970.
For BBRT, their most interesting pick was a 25-year-old outfielder named Lou Piniella, taken from the Indians with the 28th pick. The Pilots traded Piniella to the Royals (appropriately on April Fool’s Day) before the season opened (for RHP John Gelnar and OF Steve Whitaker). The Pilots looked a bit foolish when Piniella went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors with the Royals – and then enjoyed an 18-season MLB career (.291 average, 102 home runs, 766 RBI), as well as a long career as an MLB manager.
1976 EXPANSION DRAFT —————————–
Ruppert Jones – CF – First pick of Mariners, taken from the Royals.
Ruppert Jones began his professional career at age 18 (1973), hitting .301 in 61 games for the Royals’ rookie-level Billings (Montana) Mustangs. The next season – at Class A – he hit .320 with 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases. In 1975 and 1976, he held his own at AAA (.243-13-54, with 12 steals; .262-19-73, with 16 steals). In 1976, he was called up to the Royals and made his MLB debut in August, but hit just .216 in 28 games. The Mariners, however, recognized Jones’ potential and made him their first choice. In his initial season with Seattle, Jones got in 160 games, hitting .263, with 24 home runs, 76 RBI and 13 steals – earning his first of two All Star selections (he was also an All Star with the 1982 Padres). Jones was with the Mariners for three seasons, before being traded to the Yankees in a six-player deal in November of 1979. Jones hit.250 with 147 home runs and stole 143 bases in a 12-year MLB career.
Mariners’ most interesting pick – Outfielder Dave Collins, taken from the Angels.
The Mariners used their number-14 pick in the 1976 Expansion Draft to add some speed to their roster – in the form of 24-year-old, switch-hitting outfielder Dave Collins. Collins had spent a good portion of the 1975-76 seasons with the Angels, getting into 192 games and hitting .265 with 56 stolen bases. In 1977, he hit .239 (120 games) for the Mariners, and swiped 25 bags. After the season, the Mariners traded Collins to the Reds for LHP Shane Rawley. Collins went on to a 16-year MLB career in which he hit .272, with 395 steals (a high of 79 for the Red in 1980.) Collins hit over .300 thee times, with 1980 his best overall season – .303 average, 79 steals, 94 runs scored.) What makes Collins most “interesting” to BBRT is that he is one of a handful of players who played in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association (for retired and released players over age 35) and made it back to the major leagues. (For the story on the SPBA, click here.)
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Bob Bailor – Utility – First pick of the Blue Jays, taken from the Orioles.
In 1975 and 1976, Bob Bailor got the proverbial ”cup of coffee” in the big leagues – 14 games and 13 at bats with the Orioles. The versatile player had put up some pretty good minor league numbers – with a solid average and plenty of speed. (In 1975, he hit .293 and swiped 21 bases at AAA.) Toronto made Bailor their first choice in the 1976 Expansion Draft and he responded with arguably his best MLB season, In 1977, Bailor put up a .310 average, with 5 home runs and 15 steals in 122 games; while playing all three OF spots and shortstop. Bailor hit.264 over an 11-year MLB career (four seasons with the Blue Jays) in which he spent time at every position except pitcher, catcher and first base.
Blue Jays’ most interesting pick – DH Rico Carty, taken from the Indians.
While the Blue Jays went with diversity (of positions) with their first pick, their most interesting pick might have been a more limited player taken at number ten – Designated Hitter and former batting champ (.366 for the Braves in 1970) Rico Carty. Now here’s where (and why), it gets interesting – and yo-yo like. The 37-year-old Carty was traded by the Blue Jays TO the Indians (for OF John Lowenstein and C Rick Cerone). Carty went on to a .280-15-80 season as the Indians’ primary DH. Then, during Spring Training 1978, the Blue Jays traded LHP Dennis DeBarr to the Indians FOR Carty. The DH hit .284-20-68 for Toronto in 104 games before being traded TO the Oakland A’s (for DH Willie Horton and RHP Phil Huffman) in August. In 41 games for Oakland, Carty hit .277 and added another 11 round trippers. That gave the DH a respectable .282-31-99 season. Then, in October 1978, the Blue Jays again ACQUIRED Carty (for cash this time). In 1979, with Toronto – his last MLB season – Carty hit .256-12-55. Carty probably should have retired one year earlier. In his 15-season MLB career, Carty hit .299 (204 home runs, 890 RBI). a .300 average would have been nice.
1992 EXPANSION DRAFT ———————————–
David Nied – RHP – First pick of the Rockies, taken from the Braves.
By the time of the 1992 draft, David Nied looked like a true prospect. In 1992, he had gone 14-9, 2.84 at Triple A and then 3-0, 1.17 in a call up to the Braves. (In five minor league seasons, Nied had a 57-36 record, with a 3.26 ERA). The Rockies couldn’t resist and made Nied their number-one choice in the Expansion Draft. That first season, the 24-year-old Nied went 5-9, 5.17.He did start the first-ever Rockies’ game and pitch Colorado’s first-ever complete game and shutout. The following year, he improved to 9-7, 4.80. Then in 1995, an elbow injury proved the first step in shortening his career (he was out of baseball by age 28). In parts of four seasons with the high-air Rockies, Nied went 14-18, 5.47.
Rockies’ most interesting pick – Vinny Castilla, taken from the Braves.
The Rockies used the number-forty pick to take a promising young (25-year-old) shortstop with just 21 games MLB experience from the Braves. His name was Vinny Castilla and in 105 games at SS for the Rockies in 1992, he hit .255, with nine home runs and 30 RBI – but there was much, much more to come. Castilla was moved to 3B and, in nine seasons with the Rockies, hit .294 with 239 home runs and 745 RBI – topping 40 HR’s three times and 100 RBI five times. Castilla had a 16-season MLB career, hitting .276, with 320 home runs and 1,105 RBI.
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Nigel Wilson – OF – First pick of the Marlins, taken from the Blue Jays.
Being the Mariners’ first choice in the 1992 Expansion Draft was one of the highlights of Nigel Wilson’s MLB career – which was comprised of 22 games and 36 plate appearances, over three seasons (1993-95-96) with three teams (Marlins, Reds, Indians). That’s not to say Wilson had not shown promise. In 1992, he hit .274, with 26 home runs and 13 stolen bases at Double A Knoxville. This after a .301 season (12 homers, 27 steals) at High A Dunedin in 1991. In 1993, Wilson got in only seven games for the Marlins, going zero-for-sixteen – although he did hit .293 with 17 home runs and eight steals for the Marlins’ AAA farm club. Somehow, that minor league success never translated to the majors. Wilson’s final MLB line shows a .086 average (3-for-35) with two home runs and five RBI. Wilson did go on to have three seasons of 30+ home runs in Japan.
Marlins’ most interesting pick – RHP Trevor Hoffman, taken from the Reds.
Yes indeed, the Reds left Trevor Hoffman (who would go on log 601 MLB saves) unprotected in the 1992 draft – and the Marlins grabbed him with the number-eight pick. Hoffman had not yet pitched in the major leagues and, in 1992, he had gone 7-6, 3.41 as a starter and reliever at Double A and Triple A. While the Reds didn’t protect him, the Marlins didn’t keep him. (Two wrongs don’t make a right.) Hoffman got in 28 games for the Marlins (2-2, 3.28, 2 saves) before being traded to the Padres (along with two minor league pitchers) for Gary Sheffield and relief pitcher Rich Rodriguez. The rest is history, 601 career saves (552 with San Diego), seven All Star selections, 14 seasons of over 30 saves, with a high of 53 in 1998. I don’t think Hoffman will be wearing a Marlins’ hat when the HOF finally calls.
1997 EXPANSION DRAFT ——————————————–
Tony Saunders – LHP – First Pick of the Devil Rays, taken from the Marlins.
Signed by the Marlins in 1992, Tony Saunders made it t0 the major leagues in 1997 – after several strong minor league seasons. Between 199 and 1996, Saunders went 34-15, with a 2.85 ERA in nearly 400 minor league innings. In 1997, he went 4-6, 4.61 in 22 games (21 starts) for the Marlins – and got a start in both the National League Championship Series and World Series. In his first season with the Devil Rays, Saunders went 6-15, 4.12 in 31 starts. The following year, his last in the major leagues, he went 3-3, 6.43 – before a broken arm (May 26) cut his season (and eventually his career) short. (In 2000, he broke the arm again during a rehab assignment.)
Devil Rays’ most interesting pick – Brooks Kieschnick, taken from the Cubs.
Okay, I thought of going with Saunders – based on his pitching in the World Series shortly before being given up in the draft. However, I was afraid you’d think I was getting lazy (this is a pretty long post), so I went with Kieschnick. You’d be right to ask why, particularly since Kieschnick spent all his time with the Devil Rays in their minor league system. Kieschnick piqued my interest because he was a bit of a jack of all trades. In 2003, while with the Brewers, Kieschnick became the first player to hit home runs as a pitcher, designated hitter and pinch hitter in the same season. For his MLB career, Kieschnick played 784 games at pitcher, 50 in the outfield, four at DH and two at 1B – and none for the Devil Rays.
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Brian Anderson – LHP – First pick of the Diamondbacks, taken from the Indians.
Twenty-five-year-old southpaw Brian Anderson already had 58 major league appearances (20-16, 5.25 ERA) under his belt when the Diamondbacks made him their first choice in the 1997 draft. Like Devil Rays’ first pick Tony Saunders, Anderson pitched in the 1997 post season – making a combined six appearances in relief in the American League Championship Series and World Series. He pitched well in both, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in ten innings. Still, like Saunders, he was left unprotected. The southpaw had a solid season for the expansion team in 1998, going 12-13, 4.33 in 32 starts. He stayed with Arizona for four more seasons ending his Diamondbacks’ tenure with a 41-32 record and 4.52 ERA. Anderson pitched for four teams in 13-season MLB career, going 82-83, 4.74.
Diamondback’s most interesting pick – LHP Brian Anderson.
This is based on his World Series’ performance (see above) – just weeks before he was left unprotected in the draft. Kind of a cop out, but I did need to recognize that the 1997 draft included two pitchers who, just weeks before, had been on the mound in the World Series.
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There are plenty of reasons to watch baseball. You know what I’m talking about: The powerful bats of Bryce Harper and Josh Donaldson; the glove work of Andrelton Simmons and Kevin Kiermaier; the speed of Jose Altuve and Dee Gordon; the mound work of Clayton Kershaw and Jake Arietta. There are also the unfolding “stories” of rookies like Kevin Story and Jeremy Hazelbaker or veterans like Bartolo Colon and David Ortiz.
One of the top “stories” (pun intended) of the 2016 MLB season has been Colorado Rockies’ rookie shortstop Trevor Story – just 14 games into the season, Story has an MLB-leading eight home runs. That got BBRT to thinking: How many long balls would Story need to put himself into a top-ten spot on the all-time rookie leader board? It appears a season of 35 home runs would do it – and that reaching the mark can portend a pretty long and successful career. Let’s take a look at the past rookies who have reached 35 home runs.
The first game of a new season (whether it’s part of MLB’s Opening Day or your team’s Home Opener) does indeed elicit strong emotions. That may be especially true here in Minnesota, where the return of baseball is one of the most valued rewards for surviving the frigid winter. Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby once said, “People ask me what I do in winter when there is no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
Then came what would prove to be the emotional highlight of the day – the ceremonial first pitch. Twins’ hero, Hall of Famer and seven-time batting champ Rod Carew – who suffered a near fatal heart attack in September – received a long and warm standing ovation as he made his way to the infield to do the honors. The ovation continued as another Twins’ legend, three-time batting champion and former Carew roommate Tony Oliva delivered the ball to “Sir Rodney.” Catching the pitch was another three-time batting title winner, Twins’ 1B Joe Mauer. It was genuinely a feel-good moment – not indicative of what was to come once the pitching began in earnest.
Well, MLB Opening Day – or, more accurately, Opening Days – is at least partially behind us. (BBRT is old school. I miss the times when Opening Day featured games in Cincinnati and Washington D.C. and the rest of MLB opened play the following day.) This year, Opening Day, even without postponements, was slated to stretch from Sunday through Tuesday. (So, it’s not over yet.) My feelings on Opening Day(s) aside, let’s look at a few notable occurences from 2016 openers thus far.
MLB’s 2016 Opening Day is nearly upon us and, in honor of this annual rite of spring, BBRT would like to revisit some Opening Day targets that players and teams will be “working for” or “working to avoid.” (Unfortunately, my Twins open on the road, but I will be attending the May 11 home opener.)
