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The 1965 Draft: Rick Monday versus Les Rohr

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As the month of April enters its final week and the June amateur draft keeps rumbling towards us like Pete Rose barreling towards home, I couldn’t help but wonder how all of the top two picks in the history of the draft stand up against each other when it comes to careers. Not many number one and number two overall picks have had successful Major League careers but one cannot help but wonder what could have been for some teams if they could pick again.

The draft’s first year was in 1965, with a total of 20 number one overall picks in history named to at least one All-Star team during their careers. Only two number one overall picks retired from the game of baseball without ever playing a Major League game while only two players taken number one overall were named Rookies of the Year. Since 1965, 23 number one overall picks were taken right out of high school.

Even though the draft has only been around since 1965, this will have to be an ongoing series of articles examining the top two picks in each year’s draft because there is so much to delve into when you compare two players.

The first installment in this series begins with the inaugural draft, featuring Rick Monday, drafted number one overall by the Kansas City Athletics and Les Rohr, drafted number two overall by the New York Mets. [Read more…]

Around the Horn: Forget Instant Replay

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Yet again, the umpires across Major League Baseball have added fuel to the instant replay fire across the country during these 2009 playoffs. The crews who worked all four League Division Series and the two League Championship Series have missed call after call at first, second, third and at home when it comes to balls and strikes.

Just because the umpires have struggled mightily this fall does not mean that instant replay should be expanded to include more of the game than it already does. [Read more…]

Around the Horn: Players Who Need to Call it Quits

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We have finally hit the month of October, which means the playoffs have finally arrived, and three of four teams have already reached the League Championship Series (Dodgers, Angels, Yankees). Every off-season brings important decisions from front office personnel, on-field staff members, and players alike.

One of the hardest decisions for some players to make (see Brett Favre of the NFL) is whether or not to end their playing career. Once you make it to the Majors, if you pitch or hit well enough, you will hang around for a long time. [Read more…]

Around the Horn: Time to Change the Draft

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After the signing deadline spectacle came and went on Monday night I sat back and pondered about previous draft signing deadlines and how much money has been spent on draft picks over the years.

Let’s not forget that these players have yet to step foot on a professional baseball field and throw one pitch or record one at-bat with a professional team but they still obtain million dollar contracts and million dollar signing bonuses right out of high school and/or college. Bud Selig, the game’s commissioner, needs to revamp the draft and how much money can be spent on draft picks. [Read more…]