What do Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez, Roy Halladay, and Derek Jeter have in common? Well, for one thing, they won't be found on this list. Instead, in the second of a three part series, here is a look at the worst draft picks from each year of the 1990s in the MLB Player Entry Draft. Once upon a time, these players were looked upon as future stars, but things didn't exactly work out for them or otherwise, they wouldn't be on a list chronicling the worst draft picks of the 1990s.
1990: Kurt Miller, Pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates, 5th Pick
Miller was all of 17 years old when the Pirates made him their first choice in the 1990 draft. Although Miller pitched well in the Pirates organization, the team traded him for Steve Buechele during the 1991 season. After Miller struggled some in Double-A, the Rangers traded him along with Robb Nen to the Florida Marlins for middle reliever Cris Carpenter. While Nen soon became a star closer for the Marlins, Miller failed to find his footing despite the expansion Marlins being desperate for pitching. Over the course of 1994-1997, Miller pitched 73 2/3 innings and compiled an ERA of 7.45. Still only 25, the Cubs traded for Miller, and Kurt was solid for AAA Iowa in 1998 (14-3, 3.81 ERA). In 1999, Miller suffered a ribcage injury and pitched only 20 2/3 innings between Iowa and the Cubs, and the Cubs released him after the season. Miller finished his career in Japan, and by 2001 he was out of baseball.
1991: Brien Taylor, Pitcher, New York Yankees, 1st Pick
Coming out of Beaufort, NC, Taylor was the most hyped pitching prospect since Dwight Gooden. The Yankees picked him first overall, and gave Taylor a then record 1.55 million dollar signing bonus. The next year, Baseball America named Taylor the number one prospect in baseball, and in 1993, they named Taylor the number two prospect. After a season in Double-A where the then 21 year old Taylor had a 3.48 ERA and 8.3 K/9, Taylor went back home to Beaufort. But an offseason fight resulted in a torn shoulder for Taylor, and he missed the entire 1994 season. When Taylor came back, his velocity was down and his once stellar control was gone. Over the next four season between rookie ball and single-A ball, Taylor pitched 108 2/3 innings, and walked 175 batters, an average of 14.5 per 9 innings. Taylor attempted a comeback with the Cleveland Indians organization, but by 2000 Taylor was out of the game, becoming only the second number one overall pick (Steve Chilcott being the other) to retire without playing in a MLB game.
1992: B.J. Wallace, Pitcher, Montreal Expos, 3rd Pick
Selected three picks ahead of Derek Jeter, Wallace was largely thought to be a 'signability' pick by the budget-conscious Expos. That's not to say that Wallace was without talent though, as he had pitched in the Olympics for Team USA and set the Mississippi State record for strikeouts in a career. Wallace started his career in single-A in 1993, and did quite well (11-8, 3.28 ERA, 8.3 K/9). In 1994, the injury bug caught up to Wallace, and he had to have surgery to repair his damaged shoulder. The Phillies picked him up in 1995, but Wallace's once strong fastball was gone, and Wallace lasted only one season in the Phillies organization before retiring in 1995, about the same time that Jeter began his Hall of Fame career with the Yankees.
1993: Jeff Granger, Pitcher, Kansas City Royals, 5th Pick
Granger, like the men listed above him, is further proof of the old sabermetric axiom TINSTAAPP, a.k.a. There is No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect. Granger, not only a pitcher but also a quarterback at Texas A&M, was thought of so highly by the Royals that he was pitching in the majors by the end of his first professional season. Of course, that might be part of the reason why Granger didn't succeed in the majors. Granger spent the next two seasons in double-A, with two cameo starts for the Royals in 1994. He pitched decently in those seasons (4.72 ERA, but also 7.5 K/9 with decent control), but the Royals decided to switch him to relief in 1996. The move seemed to pay off, as Granger had a 2.34 ERA in 77 innings at Triple-A, but when Granger got the call, he struggled again (6.75 ERA). Granger was traded to the Pirates in 1997, and in typical Pirates fashion, they had no idea what to do with him, alternating between making Granger a starter and a reliever. Predictably, Granger struggled (6.26 ERA in 87 2/3 innings between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Calgary), and the Pirates gave up on Granger after the season. Granger pitched for four different organizations over the next three years, but never regained the form that once made him one of the top prospects in baseball.
1994: Antone Williamson, 3rd Base, Milwaukee Brewers, 4th Pick
Finally, a position player.Williamson was an All-American from Arizona State whom the Brewers felt would excel for them for many years to come as a high-average, power hitting third baseman. Williamson could hit minor-league pitching right away, although he didn't display the power the Brewers had hoped for. To make matters worse, Williamson struggled at the hot corner, making 29 errors in only 76 games for Double-A El Paso in 1995, putting up a horrible .862 fielding percentage. Nevertheless, he was promoted to Triple-A the next year, and had to undergo surgery after hurting his shoulder. Williamson got a brief cup of coffee in 1997 after hitting .286/.389/.434 in AAA that year, but it was clear by 1998 that the Brewers lost all confidence in him, and after hitting .204 in AAA in 1998, the Brewers sent him back down to double A. Williamson finished his career playing for Greenville in the independent Texas-Louisiana league, and after hitting .226, he was gone, with a mere 60 at bats and 11 hits in his brief big league career.
1995: Ben Davis, Catcher, San Diego Pardres, 2nd Pick
Instead of choosing Kerry Wood or Todd Helton, the Padres selected Davis, a high schooler from Malvern, PA, as their top pick in the 1995 draft. Davis started the next year in a high A-ball league, and hit .201/.264/.286 in 98 games. However, Davis did recover, and worked his way to the big leagues by 1998. In 1999, Davis served as a backup for the Padres and hit .244/.307/.361 in 77 games that year. By 2001, Davis had won the starting role, but after a season where he hit .239/.337/.357, the Padres decided to go in another direction and traded Davis to the Mariners. In Seattle, Davis failed to snatch the starting catching job away from Dan Wilson, and after a 2 and a half year stint where he hit .237/.289/.383, Davis was once again traded, this time to the White Sox. Davis played 54 games for the Sox, then bounced around baseball over the next few years, even becoming a pitcher in the Independent leagues. Earlier this year, Davis retired, and is now a post game analyst on Philadelphia Phillies TV broadcasts.
1996: Seth Greisinger, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers, 6th Pick
Greisinger was an All-American at the University of Virginia and was supposed to be a part of a young Tigers rotation that included Justin Thompson, Matt Drews, and Mike Drumright, among others. Well, that didn't exactly work out for the Tigers. Greisinger was rather awful in his debut at double-A Jacksonville in 1997 (5.20 ERA), but made the jump to Triple-A in 1998 anyway. After a strong start at AAA (2.92 ERA), Greisinger came up to the big leagues in 1998, and started 21 games for the Tigers, with mixed results (6-9, 5.10 ERA). Like so many pitching prospects before him, Greisinger's elbow gave out on him, and he missed nearly three whole seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. When he came back in 2002, Greisinger struggled in eight starts with the Tigers, posting a 6.21 ERA that was unacceptable even for the low standards the Tigers had at the time. After spending the entire 2003 season in Toledo, where he pitched decently (3.97 ERA), the Tigers gave up on him. Greisinger bounced around the Twins' and Braves' organizations before winding up in Japan, where I believe he still pitches today for the Yomuri Giants.
1997: Matt Anderson, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers, 1st Pick
An All-American at Rice University with a fastball that often topped 100 mph, the Tigers made Anderson the first selection in the 1997 Draft with the hopes that he would become their closer in the near future. Anderson shot threw three levels in 1998, and ended up pitching 42 games for the Tigers that year with a solid 3.27 ERA, striking out a batter an inning. However, Anderson, like many other fireballers before him, struggled with his control, and was inconsistent over the next two years. In 2001, Anderson was the Tigers closer with mixed results, although his 22 saves and his downturn in walks (from 8.3/9 in 1999 to 2.9/9 in 2001) was enough for the Tigers to sign him to a contract extension through the 2004 season. In an unfortunate turn of events, Anderson hurt a muscle in the armpit of his throwing arm, and he lost about 10 mph on his fastball. After three years of struggling in both Detroit and Triple-A Toledo, Anderson went through three organizations over the next four years before retiring in 2008. Anderson attempted a comeback with the Phillies this year, but was waived at the end of spring training.
1998: Jeff Austin, Pitcher, Kansas City Royals, 4th Pick
The second college pitcher picked by the Royals named Jeff featured here, Austin came out of Stanford University and was supposed to solidify the Royals rotation for years to come, because Lord knows nobody else was around this time. Austin held out before finally signing just before Spring Training opened the next year, and he started his pro career in high-A Wilmington. By 2000, Austin reached Triple-A, but in two years at Omaha, he didn't do so hot (5.34). But since the Royals didn't have much other options, Austin got his shot in the big leagues. After a 5.37 ERA in 35 innings over two years, the Royals traded him to the Reds. For some reason, Austin started seven games for the Reds in 2003, and he was just awful, with an 8.58 ERA and 21 walks in 28 1/3 innings. Somehow, he won two games for the Reds that year. By 1005, the Reds had had enough, releasing Austin, and after a stint with the Long Island Ducks in the independent leagues, Austin was done as a pitcher.
1999: Eric Munson, Catcher, Detroit Tigers, 3rd Pick
The third Tigers pick in four years to be featured on this list, Munson was a power hitting catcher from USC. The Tigers quickly decided that Munson didn't have the defensive ability to catch in the big leagues and moved him to first base. While Munson was a prodigious slugger in the minors (26 HRs in AA in 2001, 24 in AAA in 2002) he never hit with enough consistency at the big league level. In 2003, the Tigers had the bright idea to make Munson a third baseman, and not only did he hit below average (.240/.312/.441), he was terrible on the field, making 19 errors in 91 games and compiling a .920 fielding percentage. In 2004, the Tigers tried the same experiment, probably because of a lack of options, and Munson neither hit (.212/.289/.445) nor fielded (16 errors in 94 games) well enough to be a major league level third baseman. Munson was released by the Tigers after the 2004 season, and has played in five different organizations since then. Today, Munson is playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish in the independent Atlantic League. For his major league career, Munson hit .214 with 49 home runs in just over 1,000 at bats.
Well, thanks for reading. If you have any thoughts about this list, than feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have any ideas for future posts on this blog, then send them over to me at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label MLB Draft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLB Draft. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Worst MLB Draft Picks: 1980-1989
On June 6th, the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft will begin. Teams have been preparing for months in order to select the player they think could become the next All-Star for their respective teams. But no matter how much work is done, talent evaluation of young baseball players is by no means an exact science. Teams might think they have the next big thing, but often times the 'next big thing' can't adjust to wooden bats, or can't hit a curveball, or has control issues, or suffers a career altering injury. In the first of a three-part series, here is a look at the worst Major League Baseball draft picks of the 1980s. The following picks were picked to bring their teams to prominence, but for whatever reason, each of these players failed to meet the expectations that came with their high draft selection.
1980: Garry Harris, Shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays, 2nd Pick
One selection after Darryl Strawberry, the Blue Jays picked Harris, an 18 year-old speedster from San Diego, with the second pick in the draft. Harris signed quickly and played the 1980 season in Medicine Hat. The good news was that Harris hit .267 and stole 14 bases in 16 attempts. The bad news is that in 60 games, Harris made a whopping 54 errors at shortstop. Soon after, Harris was moved to second base, and in 1981 he played well in single-A for Florence, hitting 15 home runs and stealing 22 bases in 26 attempts. After being moved to a higher single-A league, Harris couldn't adjust, and over the next two years he posted lines of .235/.279/.343 and .224/.266/.348. After the 1983 season, Harris was done, out of baseball before turning 22. True, Harris had good speed, but as the old baseball adage goes, you can't steal first base.
1981: Terry Blocker, Outfielder, New York Mets, 4th Pick
Two picks before Kevin McReynolds was selected by the Padres, and five picks before Ron Darling was selected by the Rangers, the Mets picked Blocker, a speedy centerfielder from Tennessee State University, with the fourth pick in the 1981 draft. Blocker hit well in the minors, hitting over .300 at each level before making the big club in 1985. Blocker went 1 for 15, got hurt, and found himself in the minor leagues in 1986. In 1987, the Mets traded him to Atlanta, and in 1988 Blocker got a chance as Atlanta's everyday centerfielder. It didn't work out, as Blocker hit .212/.250/.283 in 199 at bats for the Braves. After a similar performance in 1989, Blocker was released in played in the Mexican league for a few years. While Blocker never became a hero on the diamond, he did become a hero off the field. In 1995, Blocker came back to Braves' camp as a replacement player. During spring training, another replacement player, David Shotkoski, was mugged and murdered in West Palm Beach, FL. Blocker was so distraught over the death of his friend that he went out and investigated the crime himself, and eventually led the police to the murderer. As for the Mets, they later traded for the two players they passed over in the draft, and both Darling and McReynolds ended up spending the majority of their careers in Flushing.
1982: Augie Schmidt, Shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays, 2nd Pick
Just two years after picking Harris, the Blue Jays went with another shortstop with the second pick of the 1982 draft. Unlike Harris, Augie looked to be close to being ready to play in the big leagues, as the University of New Orelans product was the 1982 Golden Spikes winner as college baseball's best player. Schmidt started out well, but once he got to Triple-A in 1984, Schmidt hit a wall, hitting .201/.280/.243 in 144 at bats. After the season, the Blue Jays shipped Schmidt to San Francisco, and Schmidt failed to impress Giants brass, who released him in 1986 during spring training. Schmidt signed with the Twins organization and played in his hometown at Class-A Kenosha (Wisconsin), where he hit .226/.362/.309 in 301 plate appearances. Schmidt was out of baseball after that, and in 1988 he became the head coach at Carthage College in Wisconsin, a position he still holds to this day. Even though the Blue Jays missed on Harris and Schmidt, it's hard to say that those choices hurt them in the long run. After all, they still had a shortstop named Tony Fernandez and a deep farm system, and from 1983-1993, the Blue Jays had 11 straight winning seasons, with five AL East Titles and Two World Championships during that span.
1983: Jeff Kunkel, Shortstop, Texas Rangers, 3rd Pick
The Rangers had high hopes in making Kunkel, the son of former major league umpire Bill, their first selection in the 1983 Draft. Kunkel, a product of Rider University, was quickly inserted in the lineup by manager Doug Rader in 1984. Too quickly as it turned out, as Kunkel hit .204/.218/.324 and was eventually sent down to double-A after 50 games. Afterwards, Kunkel seemed to be a perpetual 4A player, constantly shuffling between Triple-A and the major leagues. Except for a decent season in 1989 (.270/.323/.437 in 326 plate appearances), Kunkel was never able to settle in as the Rangers' everyday shortstop, losing his job to Curtis Wilkerson, Scott Fletcher, and Jeff Huson, among others. After leaving the Rangers, Kunkel singed with the Cubs in 1992, hit poorly (.138 in 29 at bats) and eventually left professional baseball in 1994. For his career, Kunkel finished with a line of .221/.259/.355.
1984: Shawn Abner, Outfielder, New York Mets, 1st Pick
In a first round that had future All-Stars Mark McGwire, Jay Bell, and Bill Swift selected in the first 10 picks, the Mets chose Abner over all others as the first pick in the draft. In 1985, Abner seemed on his way to success, as he hit .301/.341/.485 at Class-A Lynchburg. However, Abner slipped a bit in Double-A (.266/.303/.436) and was then traded to San Diego in 1987. Abner spent five years in the Padres organization and in 569 plate appearances, Abner didn't do so well for the Padres, with a line of .207/.249/.303. Abner may have had all the tools, but his plate discipline left something to be desired. In 1992, Abner seemed to be turning a corner, as he hit .279/.323/.351 as the Chicago White Sox' fourth outfielder. However, a knee injury kept him out for nearly two whole seasons, and after a short lived comeback with the Mets' organization in 1995, Abner decided to call it a career, finishing his major league career hitting .227/.269/.323 with 11 career home runs in 902 plate appearances.
1985: Kurt Brown, Catcher, Chicago White Sox, 5th Pick
In the first four picks of the 1985 draft, B.J. Surhoff, Bobby Witt, Will Clark, and Barry Larkin were selected. Not a bad start, right? With the fifth pick, the White Sox decided to take their chances on a high-school catcher by the name of Kurt Brown. The first sign of trouble for Brown took place early, as in the rookie league, Brown hit .205/.273/.313, shockingly low numbers for the fifth pick in the draft. From there, Brown didn't hit too much better, hitting no higher than .272 in a season, with little home run power to go along with it. Brown finally reached Triple-A in 1991, but after a .248/.297/.350 season, the White Sox finally let him go, and Brown was out of baseball. What makes this pick even more glaring is that the next player chosen after Brown was none other than Barry Bonds, only the most talented player of the past 30 years.
1986: Brad Brink, Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 7th Pick
Just one pick after Gary Sheffield, the Philles selected Brink, a pitcher from USC. Brink wasn't impressive during his minor league days, but he kept moving through the Phillies system despite having ERAs over four at nearly every stop. In 1989, Brink tore his rotator cuff after three starts, and missed almost two whole seasons before coming back in 1991. To his credit, Brink fought all the way back and made eight starts for the Phillies in 1992. However, despite an average performance (0-4, 4.14 ERA, 3.5 K/9IP), Brink got lost in the shuffle, and in 1994 the Giants claimed him off of waivers. After two seasons in the Giants and A's organizations, Brink was out of baseball by 1995.
1987: Mark Merchant, Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2nd Pick
The Seattle Mariners actually debated over picking between Merchant and Ken Griffey Jr. with the first pick in the 1987 Draft. Obviously, the Mariners made the right choice. Merchant was thought to be the prototypical 'five-tool' player coming out of high school. Merchant showed off his speed in his pro debut, stealing 33 bases in 50 games in rookie ball. In 1988, Merchant struggled a bit, hitting .242/.367/.299, and the Pirates included him in a trade to the Seattle Mariners in 1989. Merchant repeated A-ball that year, and didn't do much better, as his .223/.318/.346 line attests. Merchant remained in the Seattle system until 1992, and seemed to lose his speed along the way, as he only stole three bases in 1992. After the Mariners, Merchant landed in the Cincinnati organization, where he hit .301/.393/.500 for the Double-A Chattanooga lookouts and earned a promotion to Triple-A. That would be as far as Merchant got, as he bounced around a few organizations before retiring in 1998. In 12 minor league seasons, Merchant finished his career with a .263/.356/.397 line, and had to watch as Griffey became one of the best players of his generation.
1988: Bill Bene, Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers, 5th Pick
With most of these selections, even though they didn't work out, you can see why teams thought that these players would succeed. With Bene, it's hard to figure what the Dodgers were thinking. Yes, Bene had a mid-90s fastball, but he also had a 5.64 ERA while pitching at Division II California State-Los Angeles. But the Dodgers must have loved Bene's arm, as they picked him over Jim Abbott, Tino Martinez, and Robin Ventura, among others. In 1989, Bene pitched 27 innings in single A ball, and walked a whopping 56 batters that year, or 18.67 batters per nine innings. Bene lowered that rate in 1990, to 15.3 BB/9 (96 walks in 56 2/3 innings). The Dodgers decided to move him to the bullpen in 1991, where he did slightly better, but not enough to impress the Dodgers, as he was waived in 1994. Bene tried to stick with the Cincinnati and Anaheim organizations, but his lack of control doomed him, and he was out of the game by 1997. In 445 professional innings, Bene walked 489 batters.
1989: Roger Salkeld, Pitcher, Seattle Mariners, 3rd Pick
The grandson of former major league catcher Bill, Roger Salkeld was a hot-shot high school pitcher when he was selected by the Mariners in the 1989 Draft, a mere four picks ahead of Frank Thomas. For a while, Salkeld made the Mariners look wise, as he rose up to Triple-A by the age of 20, and was ranked the third best prospect by Baseball America before the 1992 season. Then Salkeld hurt his shoulder and missed the entire 1992 season. After returning in 1993, Salkeld seemed to be back on the right track, and made the Mariners rotation in 1994. However, Salkeld didn't do so well, as his 2-5 record and 7.17 ERA shows. In 1995, Seattle traded Salkeld to the Reds for Tim Belcher, and Salkeld got another chance as a starter in Cincinnati's rotation. Despite an 8-5 record, Salkeld still pitched poorly, with a 5.20 ERA. Sent back to Triple-A in 1997, Salkeld pitched even worse (6.75 ERA), and bounced around for a while before finally retiring in 2000.
Well, thanks for reading. Remember, if you have any thoughts about this post, than feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have an idea for a new post, then send those along to me either by leaving a comment or by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
1980: Garry Harris, Shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays, 2nd Pick
One selection after Darryl Strawberry, the Blue Jays picked Harris, an 18 year-old speedster from San Diego, with the second pick in the draft. Harris signed quickly and played the 1980 season in Medicine Hat. The good news was that Harris hit .267 and stole 14 bases in 16 attempts. The bad news is that in 60 games, Harris made a whopping 54 errors at shortstop. Soon after, Harris was moved to second base, and in 1981 he played well in single-A for Florence, hitting 15 home runs and stealing 22 bases in 26 attempts. After being moved to a higher single-A league, Harris couldn't adjust, and over the next two years he posted lines of .235/.279/.343 and .224/.266/.348. After the 1983 season, Harris was done, out of baseball before turning 22. True, Harris had good speed, but as the old baseball adage goes, you can't steal first base.
1981: Terry Blocker, Outfielder, New York Mets, 4th Pick
Two picks before Kevin McReynolds was selected by the Padres, and five picks before Ron Darling was selected by the Rangers, the Mets picked Blocker, a speedy centerfielder from Tennessee State University, with the fourth pick in the 1981 draft. Blocker hit well in the minors, hitting over .300 at each level before making the big club in 1985. Blocker went 1 for 15, got hurt, and found himself in the minor leagues in 1986. In 1987, the Mets traded him to Atlanta, and in 1988 Blocker got a chance as Atlanta's everyday centerfielder. It didn't work out, as Blocker hit .212/.250/.283 in 199 at bats for the Braves. After a similar performance in 1989, Blocker was released in played in the Mexican league for a few years. While Blocker never became a hero on the diamond, he did become a hero off the field. In 1995, Blocker came back to Braves' camp as a replacement player. During spring training, another replacement player, David Shotkoski, was mugged and murdered in West Palm Beach, FL. Blocker was so distraught over the death of his friend that he went out and investigated the crime himself, and eventually led the police to the murderer. As for the Mets, they later traded for the two players they passed over in the draft, and both Darling and McReynolds ended up spending the majority of their careers in Flushing.
1982: Augie Schmidt, Shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays, 2nd Pick
Just two years after picking Harris, the Blue Jays went with another shortstop with the second pick of the 1982 draft. Unlike Harris, Augie looked to be close to being ready to play in the big leagues, as the University of New Orelans product was the 1982 Golden Spikes winner as college baseball's best player. Schmidt started out well, but once he got to Triple-A in 1984, Schmidt hit a wall, hitting .201/.280/.243 in 144 at bats. After the season, the Blue Jays shipped Schmidt to San Francisco, and Schmidt failed to impress Giants brass, who released him in 1986 during spring training. Schmidt signed with the Twins organization and played in his hometown at Class-A Kenosha (Wisconsin), where he hit .226/.362/.309 in 301 plate appearances. Schmidt was out of baseball after that, and in 1988 he became the head coach at Carthage College in Wisconsin, a position he still holds to this day. Even though the Blue Jays missed on Harris and Schmidt, it's hard to say that those choices hurt them in the long run. After all, they still had a shortstop named Tony Fernandez and a deep farm system, and from 1983-1993, the Blue Jays had 11 straight winning seasons, with five AL East Titles and Two World Championships during that span.
1983: Jeff Kunkel, Shortstop, Texas Rangers, 3rd Pick
The Rangers had high hopes in making Kunkel, the son of former major league umpire Bill, their first selection in the 1983 Draft. Kunkel, a product of Rider University, was quickly inserted in the lineup by manager Doug Rader in 1984. Too quickly as it turned out, as Kunkel hit .204/.218/.324 and was eventually sent down to double-A after 50 games. Afterwards, Kunkel seemed to be a perpetual 4A player, constantly shuffling between Triple-A and the major leagues. Except for a decent season in 1989 (.270/.323/.437 in 326 plate appearances), Kunkel was never able to settle in as the Rangers' everyday shortstop, losing his job to Curtis Wilkerson, Scott Fletcher, and Jeff Huson, among others. After leaving the Rangers, Kunkel singed with the Cubs in 1992, hit poorly (.138 in 29 at bats) and eventually left professional baseball in 1994. For his career, Kunkel finished with a line of .221/.259/.355.
1984: Shawn Abner, Outfielder, New York Mets, 1st Pick
In a first round that had future All-Stars Mark McGwire, Jay Bell, and Bill Swift selected in the first 10 picks, the Mets chose Abner over all others as the first pick in the draft. In 1985, Abner seemed on his way to success, as he hit .301/.341/.485 at Class-A Lynchburg. However, Abner slipped a bit in Double-A (.266/.303/.436) and was then traded to San Diego in 1987. Abner spent five years in the Padres organization and in 569 plate appearances, Abner didn't do so well for the Padres, with a line of .207/.249/.303. Abner may have had all the tools, but his plate discipline left something to be desired. In 1992, Abner seemed to be turning a corner, as he hit .279/.323/.351 as the Chicago White Sox' fourth outfielder. However, a knee injury kept him out for nearly two whole seasons, and after a short lived comeback with the Mets' organization in 1995, Abner decided to call it a career, finishing his major league career hitting .227/.269/.323 with 11 career home runs in 902 plate appearances.
1985: Kurt Brown, Catcher, Chicago White Sox, 5th Pick
In the first four picks of the 1985 draft, B.J. Surhoff, Bobby Witt, Will Clark, and Barry Larkin were selected. Not a bad start, right? With the fifth pick, the White Sox decided to take their chances on a high-school catcher by the name of Kurt Brown. The first sign of trouble for Brown took place early, as in the rookie league, Brown hit .205/.273/.313, shockingly low numbers for the fifth pick in the draft. From there, Brown didn't hit too much better, hitting no higher than .272 in a season, with little home run power to go along with it. Brown finally reached Triple-A in 1991, but after a .248/.297/.350 season, the White Sox finally let him go, and Brown was out of baseball. What makes this pick even more glaring is that the next player chosen after Brown was none other than Barry Bonds, only the most talented player of the past 30 years.
1986: Brad Brink, Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies, 7th Pick
Just one pick after Gary Sheffield, the Philles selected Brink, a pitcher from USC. Brink wasn't impressive during his minor league days, but he kept moving through the Phillies system despite having ERAs over four at nearly every stop. In 1989, Brink tore his rotator cuff after three starts, and missed almost two whole seasons before coming back in 1991. To his credit, Brink fought all the way back and made eight starts for the Phillies in 1992. However, despite an average performance (0-4, 4.14 ERA, 3.5 K/9IP), Brink got lost in the shuffle, and in 1994 the Giants claimed him off of waivers. After two seasons in the Giants and A's organizations, Brink was out of baseball by 1995.
1987: Mark Merchant, Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2nd Pick
The Seattle Mariners actually debated over picking between Merchant and Ken Griffey Jr. with the first pick in the 1987 Draft. Obviously, the Mariners made the right choice. Merchant was thought to be the prototypical 'five-tool' player coming out of high school. Merchant showed off his speed in his pro debut, stealing 33 bases in 50 games in rookie ball. In 1988, Merchant struggled a bit, hitting .242/.367/.299, and the Pirates included him in a trade to the Seattle Mariners in 1989. Merchant repeated A-ball that year, and didn't do much better, as his .223/.318/.346 line attests. Merchant remained in the Seattle system until 1992, and seemed to lose his speed along the way, as he only stole three bases in 1992. After the Mariners, Merchant landed in the Cincinnati organization, where he hit .301/.393/.500 for the Double-A Chattanooga lookouts and earned a promotion to Triple-A. That would be as far as Merchant got, as he bounced around a few organizations before retiring in 1998. In 12 minor league seasons, Merchant finished his career with a .263/.356/.397 line, and had to watch as Griffey became one of the best players of his generation.
1988: Bill Bene, Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers, 5th Pick
With most of these selections, even though they didn't work out, you can see why teams thought that these players would succeed. With Bene, it's hard to figure what the Dodgers were thinking. Yes, Bene had a mid-90s fastball, but he also had a 5.64 ERA while pitching at Division II California State-Los Angeles. But the Dodgers must have loved Bene's arm, as they picked him over Jim Abbott, Tino Martinez, and Robin Ventura, among others. In 1989, Bene pitched 27 innings in single A ball, and walked a whopping 56 batters that year, or 18.67 batters per nine innings. Bene lowered that rate in 1990, to 15.3 BB/9 (96 walks in 56 2/3 innings). The Dodgers decided to move him to the bullpen in 1991, where he did slightly better, but not enough to impress the Dodgers, as he was waived in 1994. Bene tried to stick with the Cincinnati and Anaheim organizations, but his lack of control doomed him, and he was out of the game by 1997. In 445 professional innings, Bene walked 489 batters.
1989: Roger Salkeld, Pitcher, Seattle Mariners, 3rd Pick
The grandson of former major league catcher Bill, Roger Salkeld was a hot-shot high school pitcher when he was selected by the Mariners in the 1989 Draft, a mere four picks ahead of Frank Thomas. For a while, Salkeld made the Mariners look wise, as he rose up to Triple-A by the age of 20, and was ranked the third best prospect by Baseball America before the 1992 season. Then Salkeld hurt his shoulder and missed the entire 1992 season. After returning in 1993, Salkeld seemed to be back on the right track, and made the Mariners rotation in 1994. However, Salkeld didn't do so well, as his 2-5 record and 7.17 ERA shows. In 1995, Seattle traded Salkeld to the Reds for Tim Belcher, and Salkeld got another chance as a starter in Cincinnati's rotation. Despite an 8-5 record, Salkeld still pitched poorly, with a 5.20 ERA. Sent back to Triple-A in 1997, Salkeld pitched even worse (6.75 ERA), and bounced around for a while before finally retiring in 2000.
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