Ranking the MLB COMMISSIONERS!!

Welcome to another Humm Baby Baseball countdown and in today’s video, I’ll be ranking the MLB Commissioners from worst to best. There have been 10 commissioners in the history of Major League Baseball, beginning with Kenasaw Mountain Landis in 1920. Of course, we all know the current commissioner, Rob Manfred. Half of the commissioners were active during my lifetime and their actions had constantly had a major impact on my enjoyment of the game. However, I will try not to be biased and give a fair evaluation of each commissioner, offering positives and negatives. Of course, some of the negatives I give may be positives for others, such as a rule change that I hate but others may love. For this reason, every one’s ranking will be different and I’d love to hear yours down in that comment section below. With that said, let’s get started.

And a lot of people probably assume that Rob Manfred will come in at #10 as the worst commissioner of all time. If you made that assumption, congratulations. Coming in at #10 as the worst commissioner in MLB History of my list is indeed Robert Manfred.

#10 Rob Manfred

Rob Manfred assumed the office of the Commissioner of baseball in January of 2015 and has been a complete disaster since that time. He listed several potential MLB cities and advocated for expansion, and there has been no obvious progress on that. He began instituting rule changes meant to improve pace of play, which only made the game look more amateurish, such as runners simply jogging to first for an intentional walk instead of taking four balls. The rule changes continued with more each year, including forcing managers to leave their pitchers in to face at least 3 batters and more recently, starting a runner on 2nd base in extra innings, which was supposedly a safety measure, but had been enforced in the Minors before the pandemic and was well on its way to the Majors. Speaking of the pandemic, the public bickering between the owners and players was absolutely out of control under Manfred as they were supposedly negotiating how they could have a 2020 season. Manfred said they would unequivocally 100% play baseball that year. Five days later, he backtracked, saying he wasn’t confident they would have a season at all. Manfred was also heavily criticized on how he handled the Astros cheating scandal, a scandal that occurred in 2017 under his watch. He referred to the World Series Trophy as a “chunk of metal.” In 2021, he stripped the City of Atlanta and local baseball fans of the All Star Game over a Georgia Voting Reform Law, and opinions on this were mostly divided politically. MLB has been terrible at marketing players under Manfred, who has said that players like Mike Trout need to market themselves. Under Manfred, the Minor Leagues were completely reassembled, resulting in 42 cities losing their affiliated team and labor relations were strained to the point that the 2022 season was in jeopardy after Manfred and the owners instituted a lockout. They went radio-silent for over a month, showing no signs of faithful negotiations or updates for the fans. On the positive side, he has unified all fans and players in their desire to see him fired as soon as humanly possible.

#9 William Eckert

Coming in at #9 is the 4th commissioner in MLB history, William Eckert, who was an extremely decorated Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force, serving during World War II. In 1965, MLB Club owners needed to vote for a new commissioner and decided to hire Eckert, who was completely unknown in baseball circles and hadn’t even watched a game in person in over 10 years. They wanted some one who wasn’t connected with baseball who had strong leadership skills with an understanding of business and bureaucracy. He accomplished very little during his tenure and drew much criticism for his handling of whether or not to cancel games after the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. He wasn’t completely clear and his meek response caused confusion as to whether there would be games or not – some teams played and some didn’t. He knew nothing about the business of baseball and oftentimes sat still during moments of major controversy in which leadership and guidance was needed. He was so clueless about the game, he hadn’t realized that the Dodgers had moved to Los Angeles and once referred to the Cardinals as “the Cincinnati Cardinals.” He stayed up late at nights just studying the game of baseball, learning names of superstars and trying to be prepared for whatever question the media ask lest he look like a complete fool. One of the few positives regarding Eckert is that he was one of the first to promote the game internationally. He once said

 “I can visualize within the foreseeable future the spread of major league baseball on an international scale to include Japan, Canada and several Latin American countries. I see major league baseball as a means of contributing to international friendship.”

He accompanied the Dodgers to Japan in 1966 on a goodwill and exhibition tour. It was also during his term that union leader Marvin Miller was hired as the head of the Player’s Association. Eckert violated several union laws, albeit possibly unintentionally, and was no match for Miller. The player’s union began to show its strength and the owners voted Eckert out as commissioner in 1968. Cubs owner Philip Wrigley, realizing that hiring an outsider was a mistake, said that baseball needed a “baseball man.”

#8 A. Barlett Giamatti

The only reason Giamatti is this low on the list is because he was only commissioner for five months before tragically dying of a heart attack at age 51, so he never got the chance to really improve or destroy the game. He was, however, President of the National League for nearly three years before becoming commissioner and fought to improve the fan experience at ballparks. He was tough and quick when it came to handing down punishments and suspensions. Once he became commissioner, he reorganized the administration by creating a deputy commissioner to assist him, a position that still exists. He is most famous for dealing with the betting scandal of Pete Rose. After a report showed the Rose had bet on 52 Reds games in 1987, Giamatti and Rose negotiated a deal in which Rose would voluntarily accept a lifetime ban from the game with the ability to apply for reinstatement in a year. He did not have to publicly admit guilt and, in fact, denied that he bet on games for many years thereafter. Unforunately, Giamatti died a few days after this agreement. Giamatti, a lifelong baseball fan, may have turned out to be a fine commissioner, but sadly, he ended up being the William Henry Harrison of MLB Commissioners, dying too early in his term to really tell how good or bad he would have been.

#7 Bowie Kuhn

After forcing out William Eckert, owners hired that “baseball man” they wanted with the much more baseball-savvy Bowie Kuhn, who at 42 became the youngest commissioner in history. He made the unfortunate decision to ban both Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle from being involved in Major League Baseball because they had associations and sponsorships with casinos even though neither were directly involved with gambling, much less gambling on the game of baseball. His time as commissioner is filled with labor issues, including the first strike in MLB history in 1972 and the 1981 work stoppage, both which resulted in the cancellation of games. There were also labor disputes in ‘73, ‘76 and ‘80. Free Agency was created during his time as commissioner but he fought hard to prevent it, preferring to keep the old reserve clause system. Kuhn denied Curt Flood’s initial request to become a free agent and the dispute went all the way to the Supreme Court, who ruled in Kuhn’s favor. However, the union was able to negotiate the start of MLB Free Agency in 1975. On the positive side of things, Kuhn fought hard to allow Negro League players to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. He also came up with the idea to have a World Series Night Game, assuming more people would watch due to being off work. The game drew in a record 61 million viewers. He made a controversial decision in 1974 that I believe was probably correct in order to maintain competitive integrity. Hank Aaron was 2 homers away from breaking Babe Ruth’s record and the Braves wanted to bench him for the 3-game series in Cincinnati to start the season so he could break the record at home. Kuhn ruled he had to play in at least 2 of the 3 games. He was also swift and quick with suspensions, although he is the first commissioner to be aware of the steroids issue and the first to do nothing about it.

#6 Bud Selig

During Selig’s time as Commissioner, I was not a huge fan. However, he did accomplish a lot during his reign as MLB Commissioner, including nearly 20 years of labor peace. It has to be noted that Selig was acting commissioner during the 1994 strike, and despite the fact that labor relations were already horrible when he took over in 1992 due to collusion by the owners, he was the acting commissioner when a strike prevented the World Series from happening, something two World Wars didn’t do. However, since baseball resumed in 1995, there was continuous peace throughout Selig’s time as Commissioner. He also instituted the Wild Card and expanded playoffs in 1994, which would prevent a situation like the one that occurred to the 1993 San Francisco Giants after winning 103 games but missing out on the playoffs because they happened to be in the same division with a team that won 104. The economics of the game were mostly healthy under Selig and teams were bringing in major revenue, which allowed many beautiful stadiums to be built. Whether some changes to the game during Selig’s term are good or bad depend on each fan’s viewpoint – but in general, inter-league play and instant replay are considered successful innovations in the game. He also created a rule I hated, which was making the All-Star Game determine which team had home field advantage in the World Series. This was possibly a knee-jerk reaction to the controversy caused after he ended the 2002 All Star Game in a tie. His biggest black eye might be the steroid-era. Selig knew steroids were rampant in the game but did next to nothing about it until he was pressured to do so by Congress. He turned a blind-eye to steroids during the 90’s when McGwire and Sosa were making headlines. It became obvious that any one could do it and get away, which led to more players doing it, such as Barry Bonds, who saw what was going on with McGwire and Sosa and decided he better do it too. Selig claims that he never knew or heard a thing about steroids during the 90’s. Either he is lying, which is most likely, or was completely ignorant about what was going on in the game. Whatever the case, he finally did begin to establish testing and punishments for PED’s, but the damage was already done. Overall, Selig is a mixed bag and falls right around the middle at #6

#5 Peter Ueberroth

The Commissioner of Baseball when I first became a fan in 1987 was Peter Ueberroth, who was hired in 1984 after overseeing the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was an impressive commissioner in the early years, immediately resolving an umpire dispute that almost lead to them striking during the 1984 postseason. He also quietly, behind the scenes, helped negotiate collective-bargaining agreements between players and owners, ensuring the no games were lost. He reinstated Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, who were banned from working in Major League Baseball due to associations with casinos. He was also a key player in pushing the Chicago Cubs to install lights so that night games could be played at Wrigley Field and was swift in dealing with cocaine issues by suspending numerous players. Ueberroth negotiated massive contracts with CBS and ESPN and attendances improved dramatically under his leadership. The baseball industry became profitable for the first time in years and every team was benefiting from increased revenue.

Unfortunately, despite all the positives, there is one negative that keeps him from being ranked higher on this list and that is his involvement in the MLB Collusion Scandals of the 80’s. In 1986, the MLB Player’s Association filed a grievance after noticing no teams were willing to sign major free agents. Stars such as Kirk Gibson and Tommy John received zero interest. This continued throughout the mid-80’s and most stars had to re-sign with their previous teams. Andre Dawson, desperate to play on natural grass, took a massive pay cut to sign with the Cubs despite being an absolute superstar in the prime of his career. The players filed more grievances until an arbitrator ruled that the owners and conspired to restrict player movement. Peter Ueberroth played a major role in this and had given the message to owners to keep salaries as low as possible. Owners were ordered to pay millions in damages and any of the free agents affected were allowed to offer their services to any team without losing their existing contracts. Ueberroth resigned as Commissioner before the 1989 season.

#4 Fay Vincent

Next up is Fay Vincent, who took over for Bart Giamatti after his untimely death. He had a shaky start as Commissioner – literally, as an Earthquake brought the 1989 World Series to a halt. He made the right call in delaying the World Series for 10 days. There was also a lockout during 1990 Spring Training, but Vincent worked with both sides and helped work out an agreement in order to save a 162-game season. Later that year, he banned Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for life because he paid a gambler to dig up dirt on his player Dave Winfield. Steinbrenner was later reinstated. Vincent appointed a committee for statistical accuracy, which determined that Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in the 1961 season was indeed a true MLB single season record despite the schedule having 162 games instead of the 154 games that Babe Ruth’s schedule had. Vincent also started the expansion process, helping bring in the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins into Major League Baseball. However, owners did not appreciate Vincent as player salaries rose and Vincent was not afraid to openly criticize owners and past commissioners for collusion. He seemed like a solid commissioner who avoided major controversy and avoided making major rule changes for the sake of making rule changes. The owners voted him out, however, leading the way to Bud Selig as acting and eventually official Commisioner. Vincent also receives some criticism for not taking a stronger stance against the use steroids in baseball, although he did send a memo to all teams in 1991 explaining that any player who uses an illegal substance including steroids are subject to discipline including possible expulsion from the game. Of course, steroids were not nearly as rampant during Vincent’s time as Comish. After being voted out, Vincent said,

“To do the job without angering an owner is impossible. I can't make all twenty-eight of my bosses happy. People have told me I'm the last commissioner. If so, it's a sad thing. I hope they [the owners] learn this lesson before too much damage is done.”

#3 Kenasaw Mountain Landis

Coming in at #3 is the first Commissioner in the history of Major League Baseball, Kenasaw Mountain Landis. Landis, a former U.S. Federal Judge, was hired in the aftermath of the 1919 World Series Gambling Scandal, in which several members of the White Sox threw the World Series.

“We want a man as chairman who will rule with an iron hand,” said National League President John Heydler. “Baseball has lacked a hand like that for years. It needs it now worse than ever.”

They got exactly what they wanted as Landis came down hard on the 8 players involved in the scandal, banning each for life, regardless of the fact that they were acquitted by in a Chicago trial. He made a statement that made it loud and clear - no player involved in the throwing of a game will ever play professional baseball again. It was a major priority for Landis to rid the game of gamblers and crooks and he continued to ban and suspend any players involved in gambling. Under Landis the Minor Leagues became affiliated with the big leagues although credit for this mostly goes to Branch Rickey. Before his time as commissioner, all minor leagues were unaffiliated alternate leagues. This innovation is still felt today when attending Minor League Games and watching young prospects from Major League organizations. He also made it a law that all teams must disclose their transactions in both the Majors and Minors. His ruthless approach cleaned up the game and helped create the Minor League system we know today. On the downside, although he did proclaim that no rule prohibits black players from playing in the Majors, he did nothing to proactively help get rid of the gentleman’s agreement, an agreement among owners not to sign black players. He never encouraged teams to sign any player who would help their team regardless of race, even though Landis had the power and strength to destroy the color barrier as early as the 1920’s. Had he done this, his legacy would have been a hundred times stronger today.

#2 Ford Frick

Next up is the third Commisioner in MLB history and #2 on my list, Ford Frick, a lifelong baseball fan. He was a sportswriter and National League President before becoming commissioner, the first to have no political background. Before becoming commissioner, Frick was a pioneer in helping to create the Hall of Fame after proposing the creating of a Baseball Museum to honor the greatest players to ever play the game. As commissioner, he helped Major League Baseball grow massively across the country with expansion teams, television contracts, creating an international presence and a college scholarship system. New teams that entered the league were the Mets, Astros, Angels and Senators. He also approved the first team moves in over 50 years, which included the Giants and Dodgers moving west, creating Major League Baseball from coast to coast. Overall, however, he laid low and allowed the game to thrive without meddling. One writer wrote that

“He understood his role. He was a caretaker, not a czar.”

If only the current commissioner understood such things. That said, Frick had one major negative that he is remembered for and it is the decision to make a distinction between Babe Ruth’s single-season record of 60 home runs for a 154 game season and Roger Maris’s record of 61 for a 162-game season. This was a decision that was influenced in large part by the media, which he used to be a part of.

#1 Happy Chandler

Coming in at #1 is the second Commissioner in MLB history, Happy Chandler, a career politician who owners voted in as commissioner so they could have more influence in Washington D.C. He turned out to be a great commissioner, but not so much for the owners. His biggest contribution to the game was facilitating the breaking of the color barrier in 1947. After Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey announced to promotion of Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers, Chandler supported the decision and approved Robinson’s contract, even though he had the power to void it. After Phillies manager Ben Chapman hurled racist remarks at Robinson one game, Chandler threatened every team with disciplinary action should any race-based taunting happen again. Also, any player who decided to strike due to Robinson’s presence in the league would be indefinitely suspended. Ford Frick, who was N.L. President at the time, supported Chandler in this decision. Chandler made these decisions regardless of the opinion of the owners, many of whom were against allowing Robinson to play. Dodgers Pitcher Don Newcome said,

"Some of the things he did for Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella and [myself] when he was commissioner of baseball – those are the kinds of things we never forget. Chandler had cared for black players in baseball when it wasn't fashionable.”

Chandler was the Commissioner who decided to put umpires on the outfield foul lines during the playoffs back in 1947. Additionally, he negotiated a multi-million dollar contract with Gillette and the Mutual Broadcasting System for radio rights to the World Series, with the proceeds going into a player’s pension fund that he created. It was the first pension for players and gave him the reputation as a player’s commissioner. Unsurprisingly, the owners were not fond of his performance and voted him out in 1951. Although he was generally great to players, he did go to extremes to keep labor peace, such as threatening to ban players if they organized a strike. Another situation he dealt with was a Mexican League opening up and offering huge money to MLB players to come play in their league. Chandler threatened a five year ban if any player left MLB to play in the Mexican League and didn’t return before April 1st. These were questionable decisions, but overall, Happy Chandler was an outstanding commissioner and comes on my list as the best in MLB history.

Top 10 MLB Clubhouse Cancers of ALL TIME

It’s the nature of the workforce. Whether it’s an office job, restaurant or even a Major League Baseball team, there are always going to be those people who just make things difficult. They complain too much, cause fights and create an overall negative atmosphere. In sports, they’re called Clubhouse Cancers. And in baseball, there are plenty of players who seem like, wherever they go, which oftentimes is all over the place because no team wants to keep them for long, they cause trouble. Today we’ll be counting down the Top 10 Players with reputations as huge clubhouse cancers. As a disclaimer, I don’t personally know any of the players on this list and have never shared a clubhouse with them, but based on interviews from teammates, constant drama and even some interesting events caught on film, the evidence suggests that the 10 players on this list are not the greatest teammates and have earned the title of “Clubhouse Cancer.” Before I get into the list, I’d like to mention three players not on the list that are sure to be mentioned in the comment section.

Alex Rodriguez

One is Alex Rodriguez, who was certainly no stranger to controversy. He created lots of distractions and was disliked by many teammates. However, many teammates such as Mariano Rivera, have spoken very highly of A-Rod and he has shown some signs that he’s not a completely self-centered jerk, such as the willingness to switch positions so Derek Jeter could remain at shortstop. He may have been a clubhouse cancer, but didn’t quite make my Top 10.

Barry Bonds

Neither did Barry Bonds, who certainly had a massive ego and didn’t get along with the media at all. Nor did he get along with his teammates all the time – the obvious example being Jeff Kent, another player known for being somewhat of a problem in the locker room. Late in his career, word got out that Bonds had his own TV and massaging recliner in the clubhouse. However, he was able to stay with the same team for 15 years and some former players, like Kevin Frandsen, have defended Bonds. Even if he was a jerk behind the scenes, the stories aren’t quite bad enough to propel him into my Top 10.

Ty Cobb

Lastly, there’s Ty Cobb, one of the most misunderstood players of all time. Cobb was certainly no stranger to a fight and not the most pleasant teammate of all time – his intensity was over the top and he would not tolerate any one slacking off in the slightest. However, his reputation as a massive racist, a murderer and one of the worst human beings ever was caused by poorly researched articles and documentaries, which have been recently debunked. As far as his clubhouse presence, ex-teammate Del Pratt said “I never had a bad word with Ty. He was set on winning, and he would do whatever he could to win a ballgame, but he wouldn’t toss a player aside without helping him be better. I learned more from Cobb than any man I ever played with.” Look forward to a video dedicated to Ty Cobb soon. But for now, let’s get started with those who did make the Top 10 list.

#10 Jonathan Papelbon

Known for a strong arm and even stronger mouth, Jonathan Papelbon kicks off today’s Top 10. He took speaking what’s on his mind to the next level, criticizing teammates and fans. After leaving Boston to sign with the Phillies, Papelbon said,

“The difference between Boston and Philadelphia, the Boston fans are a little bit more hysterical when it comes to the game of baseball. The Philly fans tend to know the game a little better.”

He wasn’t always polite to the Phillies fans either, however, especially after a blown save in which he heard a few boos and did this in response. When he left Philly, Papelbon basically insulted every one of his teammates saying,

"I was one of the few that wanted to win. I was one of the few who competed and posted up every day,”

He was a master at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but Papelbon didn’t just use his mouth to get into trouble. He got into altercations with every one, even the radio and TV personalities. He apparently got into the face of commentator Howard Eskin and the two had to be separated. Superstars weren’t off-limits either, as he was suspended in 2015 for throwing directly at Manny Machado’s head and later that season, yelled at and proceeded to choke Bryce Harper in one of the most unbelievable moments ever caught on tape in an MLB dugout. Papelbon was simply all-around one of the greatest drama-kings in the history of the game.

#9 Trevor Bauer

Long before his current controversy and suspension, which I’ll get to, Bauer was known as a clubhouse cancer. He was selected by the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but reportedly clashed with teammates during the 2012 season, resulting in the D-Backs trading him to Cleveland. After the trade, Bauer released a diss-track titled “You Don’t Know Me,” after D-Backs catcher Miguel Montero stated that Bauer “never wanted to listen.” With The Indians, the controversies continued. In 2016, he missed a Game 2 playoff start because he sliced his finger while repairing a drone. He tried to start Game 3, but had to come out in the first inning when blood started dripping from his finger. He made more headlines in 2019 when he appeared to harass a female college student on twitter. Later that year, frustrated that he was being taken out of a game, Bauer threw a ball over the centerfield fence. Terry Francona said what we all were thinking. He won the Cy Young Award with the Reds in 2020 and was a risky free-agent option for teams that off season given his controversial past. The Dodgers took a chance on him with a 3 year/$102 million deal. It could be said that it wasn’t the greatest deal for LA, as Bauer was accused by a woman of sexual assault and ended up being suspended for two years despite the DA deciding not to criminally charge him. The Dodgers canceled his bobblehead night and pulled his merch from the team store and website. Reports came out that the majority of Dodgers players don’t want him back. Bauer may or may not be a horrible person, but based on his history, he’s certainly a major distraction to a clubhouse.

#8 Carlos Zambrano

Next on the list is a 3-time All-Star pitcher who could also swing the bat with big power. His name is Carlos Zambrano and he was not only a great all-around ballplayer but also a serious hothead. During his career, it seemed like he was good for at least one suspension per season. He got into altercations with any and everybody, including his own teammates such as the case in 2007 when he got into a major slugout in the dugout with his catcher, Michael Barrett, after a passed ball and errant throw by Barrett. The list of Zambrano controversies is lengthy and quotes from his teammates don’t help his case. Speaking of his teammates, he once called out his entire team after a tough loss, calling them a bunch of “Triple-A Players.” When things aren’t going his way, he tends to take out his anger on the batter – in a painful way. In August of 2011, he was ejected after throwing at Chipper Jones twice during a particularly bad outing. After the game, he said he was walking out on his team and retiring. Instead, the Cubs suspended him for 30 days. Zambrano’s teammate Ryan Dempster said

“He’s made his bed. Let him sleep in it. It’s not like it’s something new.”

By 2011, he wore out his welcome in Chicago and was traded to Miami, where he pitched in just one more big league season.

#7 Rogers Hornbsy

Coming in at #7 is a Hall-of-Famer and two-time MVP who was apparently hated as a player and manager. Rogers Horsnby wanted nothing to do with his teammates, having no interest in hanging out after the games, but stories indicate he wasn’t just an introvert. He apparently had an abrasive personality and was simply mean and nasty with every one. Hornsby once said “Baseball is my life. It’s the only thing I know and care about.” In 1926, the Cardinals traded him to the Giants, where he hit .361 and had an OPS over 1.000. The Giants traded him after one season anyway. Then, he hit an incredible .387 for the Boston Braves. After that one year, they traded him too. After his career, he became a manager and was fired several times. He was let go by the 1932 Cubs in the middle of the season, and the Cubs went on to win the pennant. The players voted against him receiving a share of the extra earnings. Hornsby also had off-the-field issues, including gambling addictions and various lawsuits against him, one for knocking over an elderly man with his car in 1919. In a biography about Hornsby, Charles Alexander wrote

“Hornsby never seemed to understand that by itself brilliance in his chosen field just wasn’t enough. To survive, prosper, and keep others respect, he would also have to accommodate himself to what others thought and felt.”

It seems that the bottom line is that Rogers Hornsby was one of the greatest players of all time – but certainly not the nicest guy of all time.

#6 Carl Everett

Next on the list is a very talented player who many considered to be a complete nutjob. Despite being a 1st round pick with a fantastic combination of speed and power, he played for 8 teams in 14 years, never spending more than three seasons in one place. He was outspoken with his beliefs and some of these, such as the denial that dinosaurs ever existed and his belief that the moon-landing was a hoax, seem fairly harmless. However, his comments became more controversial and offensive when he said that he would consider retiring if he ever had a gay teammate, or at the very least, he would “set him straight.” His beliefs aside, Everett also went into frequent tirades, getting into verbal disputes with umpires, opponents, teammates, coaches and managers. During one argument, he headbutted the umpire, resulting in a 10-game suspension. Teams would get tired of dealing with him after a couple seasons and trade him somewhere else. His issues stretched beyond the baseball field as well. In 1997, he and his wife temporarily lost custody of his two children when bruises were noticed all over his 5-year old daughter. After retirement, he has been arrested at least twice – once for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and again for assaulting a family member. Everett was a great ballplayer but, apparently, an even greater clubhouse cancer.

#5 Hal Chase

Next up we go back to the early days of the game with Hal Chase, a degenerate gambler who was involved in nearly every major scandal in the early days of baseball. He began his career with the Yankees, then known as the Highlanders. He was very good hitter but played elite defense – at least when he was not throwing games. He got along poorly with teammates and ignored his coaches and managers. According to several interviews, he would miss practices, skip games due to “illness,” and was simply the definition of a clubhouse cancer. In 1910, manager George Stallings said he would resign if Chase was not released. He was eventually traded to the White Sox where he made enemies with White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and A.L President Ban Johnson by jumping into the Federal League, a third league formed to compete with the A.L. and N.L. He was blackballed from the A.L. but later returned to play with the Reds. Reds manager and former Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson accused him of betting on and throwing games. As a first baseman, he perfected the art of making fielders throws look errant by arriving late to the bag. The Reds would go into terrible losing streaks, due in large part to strange errors or baserunning blunders by Chase. He also uncharacteristically missed signs and made mental mistakes. According to his teammate Ed Roush,

“He was the best first baseman I ever saw. He also the worst if he wanted to lose a game. You could tell after an inning or two whether he was there to win or lose.”

Despite being known as one of the most spectacular fielders of all time, he made 402 errors in just 10 seasons. It’s likely many if not the majority of them were intentional. He was later accused of playing a major role in the White Sox 1919 World Series Scandal, even though he was no longer with the White Sox or Reds. His entire career is filled with stories of gambling, scandals and throwing games, which couldn’t have been good for the clubhouse.

#4 Albert Belle

Albert Belle was one of the most terrifying players to pick up a bat – he was fiercely competitive and extremely talented, scaring the hell out of his opponents. Problem is, he scared the hell out of everybody else too and was an absolute menace in the locker room. According to Buster Olney -

“Few escaped his wrath: on some days he would destroy the postgame buffet ... launching plates into the shower, and after one poor at-bat against Boston, he retreated to the visitors' clubhouse and took a bat to teammate Kenny Lofton’s boombox. Belle preferred to have the clubhouse cold, below 60 degrees, and when one chilly teammate turned up the heat, Belle walked over, turned down the thermostat and smashed it with his bat. His nickname, thereafter, was "Mr. Freeze."

The Indians had to bill him $10,000 a year for the damage he would case in clubhouses on the road and at home. Another lowlight of Belle’s career was getting suspended for a corked bat then convincing teammate Jason Grimsley to sneak through the ceiling panels into the umpire’s dressing room to replace the corked bat with a legit one. He was disliked by the media as well and was only tolerated because of his amazing production which included 9 consecutive years of 100 or more RBIs. After retirement, he spent time in jail for stalking and was arrested for indecent exposure and DUI.

#3 Vince Coleman

Coming in at #2 is Vince Coleman, who was the National League’s version of Rickey Henderson in the 1980’s. He stole a ridiculous 110 bases during his rookie season. At one point in 1989, he stole 50 consecutive bases without being caught. However, he was controversial from the beginning, getting along poorly with coaches and teammates, constantly getting into fights and arguments. After the Cardinals traded him to the Mets, there were stories that he ignored the coaches signs on the basepaths and did whatever he wanted. He was also no stranger to controversial comments, once responding to a question about Jackie Robinson by saying “I don’t know nothin’ about him. Why are you asking me about Jackie Robinson?” Robinson’s widow, Rachel, later responded by saying “I hope he’ll learn and be embarrassed by his own ignorance.” Things took a horrifying turn later when Coleman was named, along with two of his teammates, in a sexual assault complaint filed by a woman in Florida, but he was never charged. In September of 1992, he got into a fight with manager Jeff Torborg and was suspended for the rest of the season. In 1993, he injured Doc Gooden by carelessly swinging a golf club in the locker room. Then, Coleman did the unthinkable – he lit a very powerful and explosive M-100 firecracker and threw it into a crowd of autograph-seekers outside Dodger Stadium, injuring three people, including two children. A 2-year old girl was seriously hurt, suffering cornea damage to her eye and lacerations on her face. The Mets were done with him at that point. He was charged and somehow only received community service and even continued his career after the Mets traded him to Kansas City. However, he bounced around several teams for the next 4 years before retiring.

#2 John Rocker

Next up is former Atlanta Braves closer John Rocker, whose controversial comments had to create major distractions in the clubhouse. He made his big league debut in 1998 and by 1999 became the closer, finishing the season with 38 saves. That year, he had some not-so-nice things to say about New York City and its people in an interview. I don’t want to repeat, so here is the recording:

He also insulted New York Mets fans, calling them degenerates. He was suspended for the first 14 games of the 2000 season. Outfielder Brian Jordan said

"You've got one guy being a cancer time and time again. Eventually, it's going to have an effect on the team."

The Braves traded Rocker to the Indians, and things didn’t exactly work out well in Cleveland. He reportedly didn’t get along with teammates and during the 2001 ALDS, he threw water at fans in Seattle. His offensive comments continued in 2002 with the Rangers, when he used several slurs to insult patrons of a Dallas restaurant. He pitched poorly in Texas, but refused to be demoted to the Minor Leagues, so they released him. After a brief stint with Tampa Bay, he retired but the comments didn’t. He later defended Ozzie Guillen after using a gay slur against a reporter and defended the use of steroids in baseball, saying that of course he used them. Rocker had a great arm for a couple years, but is one of the most hated MLB players of all time.

#1 Milton Bradley

One of the biggest trouble-makers in the history of the game and my #1 clubhouse cancer has to be Milton Bradley. In his 12-year career, Bradley played for 8 teams, causing problems everywhere he went. He was drafted by the Expos in 1996 and was suspended in the minors for starting a fight after getting hit by a pitch. That was just the beginning. After being traded to the Cleveland Indians, he created controversy after controversy both on and off the field. He was pulled over for speeding, but refused the ticket then sped away without permission to leave, resulting in a 3-day jail sentence. He got into frequent fights and run-ins with opponents and teammates. He often didn’t hustle or run out pop flies, resulting in him being barred from Cleveland’s training camp. In April 2004, the Indians traded him to the Dodgers. That season, he was ejected from a game in June and decided to throw a bag of baseballs onto the field and a few into the crowd as souvenirs. In September, he was suspended for the remainder of the year and required to attend anger management after an altercation with an unruly fan. He also had more run-ins with the cops and police were called to his home three times for possible domestic violence, but no charges were filed. Later, with the Padres in 2007, Bradley went on a massive tirade against an umpire and tore his ACL during the blowout. He signed with the Rangers for the 2008 season. During one game, Royals play-by-play announcer Ryan Lefebvre had a few negative thoughts on Bradley, which caused Bradley to storm out of the Rangers clubhouse and climb up four flights of stairs to get to the announcer and presumably kick his ass. He was held back by Ron Washington and others before he could get to Lefebvre. He went to the Cubs and quickly wore out his welcome after publicly criticizing the team and the fans. They suspended him then traded him to Seattle. He made headlines for abandoning his property in Chicago without paying rent. With the Mariners, it was more of the same including multiple ejections and fights, getting booed for lack of hustle, flipping off Texas Rangers fans, getting arrested for making threats against a woman, and getting suspended for bumping an umpire. After his career, he has been charged multiple times for domestic violence and in 2018, was charged with spousal battery and sentenced to 36 months of probation and 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling.

10 More MLB Draft BUSTS...

Today, we’ll be counting 10 more busts from professional baseball. I received a lot of great suggestions, but there are certain players who, while they certainly never lived up to the massive hype, still had solid MLB careers. Gregg Jeffries, for example, was supposed to be a next-level superstar, but was never that great. Still, he had a 14 year career, made 2 All Star teams and had a career .289 batting average. He even appeared on the 2006 Hall of Fame ballot and got two votes. So, for the purposes of this list, that is not a bust. For me, a bust is a high draft pick, highly touted prospect who generates big hype and had a far less than average big league career if he made it to the big leagues at all – and a major bust certainly never made an All Star team. So, let’s get started with ten more busts.

10 Bill Bene, P.

Bill Bene

Back in the 1980’s, baseball cards of draft picks usually weren’t a thing. However, this Bill Bene card was fairly hot for a short while. Bene was taken 5th overall in the 1988 Draft by the Dodgers, the same team that also drafted Mike Piazza that year – with 1,390th pick. They also took Erik Karros with 140th. Luckily, those two worked out. The same cannot be said for Bill Bene, who had a lively arm that the Dodgers loved. Scouts saw his stuff and thought that he could be an elite arm, but needed some professional coaching to improve his control, which was absolutely terrible in college. It was a huge gamble to take him so high – and the Dodgers lost the bet. Bene went 5-0 in his professional season, but he must’ve gotten some solid run support, because he walked 45 batters in 65 innings and gave up 33 runs for an ERA of 4.55. The next year, in A-ball, the numbers started to become ridiculous and video-gamish in a bad way. In 27 innings, he struck out a decent 24 batters.. but walked 56. His ERA ballooned up to 12.64. In 1990 at Vero Beach, things really got out of hand as he walked 96 batters in 56 innings. The run support finally ended for Bene too, as he went 1-10 with an ERA of 6.99. If Bene wasn’t the 5th overall pick, he would’ve been released a long time ago at this point. Instead, he came back year after year, sometimes showing slight improvements in his control but never being able to consistently command the zone whatsoever. In 1994, still in the Dodgers organization, he walked 49 batters in 50 innings with a 6.04 ERA, strictly coming out of the bullpen at this point. Mercifully, the Dodgers released him. The Reds took a chance on him the next year with their Double-A team, but he walked 9 batters in 4 innings to end the experiment. He missed the ‘96 season and made a comeback attempt with the Angels in 1997, but the control just wasn’t there. Even at this point, he struck out 70 batters in 68 innings, but walked 66, going 0-4 with a 6.68 ERA. He was finally out of baseball, but continued to get busted even later in life, as he was arrested and sentenced to 6 months in jail in 2012 for operating a counterfeit karaoke business without paying taxes. Once a bust, always a bust.

9. Bubba Starling, OF

Bubba Starling

A recent massive prospect, Bubba Starling was a 3-sport star and the #1 baseball recruit in the nation back in 2011. He was seen as the most athletic player in the entire draft and the Royals took him with the 5th overall selection, just ahead of Anthony Rendon, who the Nationals took at #6. Starling was also taken ahead of Francisco Lindor, Javy Baez, George Springer and Brandon Nimmo in an extremely talented draft class. His minor league career was nothing special. In a full season in A Ball in 2014, he hit just .218 with 8 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Still, he slowly moved through the system, battling injuries at times, until finally making his big league debut in 2019, 8 years after he was drafted. In 56 games, he hit .215 with 4 homers and a .255 on-base percentage. In the shortened 2020 season, he was even worse, hitting just .170 in 35 games. That offseason, he was non-tendered by the Royals. Starling re-signed a minor league deal for 2021 and played his last year of professional baseball with Triple A Omaha, hitting .258 with 7 home runs before announcing his retirement from the game. He retired with a .204 MLB batting average.

8. Preston Mattingly, SS.

The next bust was taken in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and his name is Preston Mattingly. This 6’3” 200 lb power hitter, the son of should-be Hall of Famer Don Mattingly, impressed scouts in High School with massive power, speed and a great glove. Like his dad, he signed out of High School and went to Rookie League, where he hit .290 with a home run. In 2007, with the Great Lakes Loons in A Ball, he struggled, hitting just .210 with 3 home runs in 404 at bats. This wasn’t a great sign for Mattingly’s development and he wasn’t promoted to High A until 2009, when he hit .238 with just 8 home runs despite over 500 at bats. This was a situation where a player didn’t get hurt, wasn’t rushed to the big leagues, wasn’t self-destructive or addicted to drugs… he simply couldn’t hit that well at the professional level. Perhaps, as the son of Don Mattingly, he was overvalued. His last year was 2011, when he hit .232 with 5 home runs. He signed with the Yankees in 2012 but was released before the end of Spring Training. Mattingly, however, did return to college to play Division I basketball and was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021 to be their Minor League Director.

7. Ben McDonald, P

Next up is a 6’7” 212 lb machine who led the 1988 U.S. Olympic baseball team to a gold medal and helped Louisiana State reach the College World Series twice. His name is Ben McDonald and he was taken as the #1 overall pick in the 1989 MLB Draft and given a signing bonus of $350,000. Unfortunately, like many draft busts, we was rushed to the Major Leagues. McDonald pitched in only 2 minor league games in A Ball, throwing 9 solid innings , allowing 2 runs and 10 hits while striking out 9. It was a nice start to his minor league career but certainly not enough to warrant an immediate call up after two minor league games. He was brought up anyway and against major league hitting, the young prospect allowed 7 runs in 7 1/3rd innings while striking out just 3. He had some moderate success the next year and eventually became a part of the Orioles rotation but fell quite short of the hype, never making an All Star Team and eventually retiring with a 78-70 record and 3.91 ERA. McDonald wasn’t a massive bust, but as an #1 overall selection, he still makes this list.

6. Kiki Jones, P

In the first round of the 1989 MLB Draft, the Dodgers were fortunate to have three selections. Two of them, 22nd overall Tom Goodwin and 28th overall Jamie McAndrew, made it to the big leagues. The other pick, who was taken as the 15th overall selection, never made it to the big leagues. His name – Kiki Jones. He was a High School phenom who struck out 100 batters in 61 innings with a 1.14 ERA. Baseball America named him the country’s top High School prospect. In his first minor league season in the Pioneer League, he dazzled, going 8-0 with a 1.58 ERA, including two complete game shutouts. Instantly, Jones became one of MLB’s hottest up-and-coming Minor League prospects. Unfortunately, that was the last great season of pro baseball Jones would have. The next year, after going 3-3 with Bakersfield in A Ball, Jones season ended due to tendinitis. He made 9 starts at Vero Beach in 1991, going 3-1 with a 4.1 ERA, but continued to struggle with injuries In 3 starts at Double A in 1993, Jones went 0-1 with a 4.5 ERA. His strikeout numbers were gradually dropping off as well. By 1994 he was completely out of baseball. Jones made a comeback attempt in 1998 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization but was ineffective in 3 appearances in high A. His last hurrah was a brief run with the Rangers High A team in 2001, when he went 0-1 with an 18.69 ERA. Jones is one of the many sad stories of insanely talented young pitchers getting injured early in their minor league careers and never being able to make it to the big leagues.

5. Calvin Murray, OF

Calvin Murray with the San Francisco Giants

As a Giants fan, long before the three World Series championships, I remember vividly the hype around an up-and-coming prospect named Calvin Murray. He was a such a highly touted prospect that he was drafted in the first round not once, but twice – first by the Cleveland Indians in 1989, then by the San Francisco Giants in 1992. After not singing in ‘89, Murray went to college at Texas and hit .351 with 47 stolen bases during his Junior year. The Giants took him ahead of future superstars Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon. Murray was known as a guy who could fly, play elite defense and hit for average. The Giants also thought he could develop some big power. Unfortunately, while he could certainly run and play defense, he struggled to hit consistently at the professional level and lingered in the Giants farm system for 7 years. He did show improvement, however, and in 1998, hit .293 between Double-A and Triple-A. He had his breakout minor league season in 1999 when he hit .334 with 23 home runs and 42 stolen bases for the Fresno Grizzlies. Giants fans, myself included, thought we had a future All-Star who just took a little more time than normal to develop. Unfortunately, that year in Triple A was the last time he would show that kind of talent. In 2000, he hit .242 with 2 homers for the Giants with 9 stolen bases. In 2001, the Giants decided to just put him in the lineup for an extended period and really find out what they had. He hit .245 with 6 homers in 326 at bats, certainly not horrible but not particularly good either. The Giants traded him to the Rangers, he bounced around a bit for a few years and was out of baseball after 2005. Murray had a .231 career MLB batting average with 8 homers in 633 at bats and 22 stolen bases. He’s a name I remember well because he was in the system for so long, but never worked out at the big league level.

4. Billy Beane, OF

One of the most famous busts in MLB history is Billy Beane, the man who went on to become the GM of the Moneyball era Oakland A’s and who was portrayed on the big screen by one Brad Pitt. Before all of that, he was considered one of the top prospects in High School – a 5-tool talent who hit over .500 during his sophomore and junior years. Scouts projected him a future superstar and it was the New York Mets who grabbed him in the first round of the 1980 MLB Draft. The Mets also took two other players in the first round – Darryl Strawberry and John Gibbons, both of whom they put in Rookie Ball. As for Beane, he started in Low A and hit just .210 with a home run. The next year, he hit .268 but struck out 125 times in 403 at bats. His trip through the system was slow. In 1983, while Strawberry was in his first full MLB season, Beane was still in Double-A, hitting .246 with 11 homers. In ‘84, again in Double-A, he performed well enough to finally earn a callup to the big leagues, where he went 1 for 10. Despite another strong minor league season in 1985, the Mets seemed ready to move on from Beane and traded him to the Twins, who gave him his first extended shot in the big leagues. Beane hit .213 with 3 home runs. He also played briefly for the Tigers and A’s, never making it at the MLB level as a player. Fortunately, he has since become a successful baseball executive despite being one of the most noteworthy busts in MLB history.

3. Eddie Bane, P

Drafted in the first round out of Arizona State in 1973, Eddie Bane was considered a can’t miss pitching prospect, good enough in college to be elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. His career college stats are ridiculous – a 40-4 record with a 1.64 ERA. He broke and still holds the ASU strikeout record and even threw a perfect game. Bane also won a silver medal in the 1971 Pan-American Games. Unfortunately, the Twins made the same mistake the Rangers made with the first overall selection in the ‘73 draft, David Clyde, and promoted Bane directly to the big leagues. He completely bypassed the minors, which, of course, is a recipe for disaster. He went 0-5 with the Twins in 1973 with a 4.92 ERA. Like Clyde, he showed signs of brilliance and had a few good games here and there, but simply wasn’t ready for the big leagues. So, they put him in Triple-A for the next couple years where, after first getting used to life in the big leagues, had to begin his minor league career. He was finally called back up in 1975, started 4 games and went 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA. This would be his best season. The next year, Bane went 4-7 with a 5.11 ERA and never pitched in the big leagues again. Bane showed massive potential throughout his pro career but the mishandling of him by the impatient Twins front office was likely a major contributor in Bane never being able to really take off in the big leagues.

2. Donovan Tate, OF.

In the 2009 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres had the third overall pick and with it, took Donovan Tate, a 6’3” 200 lb. High School superstar. He was a 5-tool talent with insane speed, a powerful arm and big stats – a .512 batting average and 9 bombs his Senior Year, which led his team to the Georgia State Championship. The Padres snagged him, offering a $6.7 Million Bonus, and taking him ahead of Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt and Mike Trout. Unfortunately, the massive talent he showed in High School never translated to pro ball. In his first year, Tate hit .222 with 2 homers in rookie ball. The next year, he played in only 39 games in A Ball, struggling with injuries such as a sports hernia, broken jaw and sprained shoulder. He also had problems with non-PED drug abuse and in June of 2011, was suspended and required to attend a drug treatment program. He stayed relatively healthy in 2012, but hit just .226 with one home run in 440 at bats in A Ball. Tate stuck around that level through 2016, never making it to the Double A. The 26-year old retired from baseball and returned to college to play quarterback for the Arizona Wildcats. The Padres, especially during the 2000’s, were known for poor drafting but this may have been their biggest bust of all as he never even made passed High A.

1. Dustin Ackley, 2B/OF

Dustin Ackley with the Los Angeles Angels

My #1 bust in today’s article is Dustin Ackley, who was drafted just before Donovan Tate – which makes him the 2nd overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft. Number 1, by the way, was Stephen Strasburg. Ackley was a fantastic college player who broke several North Carolina records including 119 hits in a season, which he did in 73 games. In his three college seasons, he hit .402, .417 and .417 respectively with 22 bombs in his final year. He won multiple player of the year awards and was ranked as the #1 college prospect in many publications, including Baseball America. He was considered the best and most professional-ready offensive player in a draft that included Mike Trout. The Mariners were confident enough in his abilities to agree to a 5-year $7.5 million MLB contract before he signed. His first full season in the minors was split between Double-A and Triple-A. He hit .267 with 7 homers, not terrible but definitely not second-overall pick numbers. He looked better in 2011, hitting .303 with 9 homers through 66 games, earning a promotion to the big leagues. He hit .273 with 6 bombs and would be a regular for the Mariners in 2012. Unfortunately, he wasn’t great, hitting just .226 with 12 homers and an on-base percentage under .300. He ended up back in Triple-A for a portion of 2013, hitting well, but still struggling at the big league level. He had a few good streaks and definitely showed some potential from time to time, but would fall into prolonged slumps, and never got close to becoming the player he was supposed to be. Eventually, the Mariners dealt him to the Yankees. He battled injuries there for 2 years, never contributing much, then signing with the Angels, where he stayed in Triple-A for two years. Finally, in 2019, the Mariners signed him to return to his original organization, but he was released during Spring Training. He ended up hitting .241 with 512 hits and over 2,000 big league at bats, which is why he didn’t quite make my Top 10 busts, but given the fact that he was one of the most decorated college players ever and he was hyped up to the best offensive player in the draft, he certainly earned bust status in my opinion.

Top 20 MLB Draft STEALS Of ALL TIME

The MLB Draft started in 1965 and was an instant success, allowing every team to have the opportunity to bring elite talent into their organization. The Kansas City Athletics took Rick Monday with the first overall pick and he became an All Star player. However, one of the most intriguing aspects of the draft is that even if a team is picking beyond the first round, you never know when you’ll find a diamond in the rough. The Reds, for example, took a catcher in the 2nd round named Johnny Bench. Sometimes, these amazing finds occur even deeper – much deeper – in the draft and today, we will begin our exploration into the top 20 biggest draft steals of all time. The only criteria is that the pick had to occur outside of the top 5 rounds and this list only contains retired players. Also, of course, the player had to have signed with the team that drafted him. Part 3 of this series will be on the MLB Draft steals for active players. Even if the player found success with a different team than he was drafted by, he will still be considered for this list, even though the team that “stole” him never benefited from the steal. This list will rank these players based on how late they were taken compared to how good they actually became.

Honorable Mention: Robb Nen (Round 32, Overall: 831st)

a young Robb Nen

My honorable mention is the former San Francisco Giant closer Robb Nen, who was a third baseman and pitcher at Los Alamitos High School. He wasn’t valued too highly, but did have some MLB blood as the son of former big leaguer Dick Nenn, and the Rangers took a chance on him in the 32nd Round of the 1987 Draft. He was the 831st overall selection. Of the 25 players picked in the 32nd round that year, only two made the big leagues – Robb Nen and Jim Campbell, who appeared in exactly two career MLB games. Nen worked his way through the minors as a starter and made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 1993. He was injury-pone and ineffective with Texas but after he was traded to the Marlins, he was moved to the bullpen to reduce the stress on his arm, and he found his calling. He racked up over 100 saves for the Marlins and became an elite MLB closer. His dominance in the 1997 postseason helped the Marlins win the World Series. Then, for the next 5 years, he averaged 41 saves per season for the San Francisco Giants. He continued to dominate in the postseason, helping the Giants became National League Champions in 2002. Unfortunately, injuries & surgeries brought his career to an early end but he still managed over 300 saves as a Round 32 pick.

20. Mark Buehrle (Round 38, Overall: 1,139th)

Next up is Mark Buerhle, a pitcher who didn’t even make the team during his sophomore year of High School. He worked hard and became good enough to attend Jefferson College, a community college in Missouri. The White Sox took him in the 38th round with the 1,139th overall pick of 1998 Draft. At this point in the draft, teams are just filling rosters on their minor league affiliates. No one else in that round ever made any kind of impact in the major leagues. Buehrle pitched extremely well in the minors and quickly made the big league club in 2001, where went 16-8 in his first full season with a 3.29 ERA. He 2002, he made the All Star team and won 19 games. The White Sox had struck gold in the 38th round. He went on to make 5 All Star Teams and win 4 gold gloves in addition to 214 big league wins with the White Sox, Marlins and Blue Jays. In 2021, he received 11% of the vote for the Hall of Fame, allowing him to stay on the ballot. He will probably not quite make it into the Hall of Fame, but Mark Buerhle’s story is incredible – he went from getting cut from his High School team to getting picked late in the MLB Draft to winning over 200 MLB games.

19. Jeff Conine (Round 58, Overall: 1,226th)

If getting picked as the 1,139th overall pick sounds bad, how about the 1,226th overall pick? That’s how low Jeff Conine was picked by the Kansas City Royals in the 1987 Draft, a draft that broke a record for the number of draft picks. Most years, Conine would have never even been picked. No one else in the 58th round made it above Low A Ball. The most shocking thing about Conine is that at UCLA, he was a pitcher – and just an average pitcher at that - and he only had one plate appearance as a hitter, when he was hit by a pitch. It was Royals scout Guy Hansen who convinced the Royals to draft him by telling him that this guy could really hit and could be a first baseman. At this point in the draft, the Royals figured why not? No one was expected to pan out anyway. He had no issues at all with minor league pitching and hit .320 in Double A with 15 home runs. In Triple-A, he hit .302 with 20 bombs. The Royals knew they had hit the jackpot and promoted Conine to the majors. Unfortunately for them, the Florida Marlins were an expansion team and snagged up Conine in their inaugural draft, moved him to left field and found their franchise player. He is the only player who was with the Marlins for both their 1997 and 2003 world series championships, although he did play for the Orioles in-between them. He also won an All Star Game MVP Award and retired with over 200 homers and 1,000 RBIs – not bad for a 1,226th overall pick.

18. Jim Edmonds (Round 7, Overall 169th)

Jim Edmonds is a player who was recently highlighted in one of my top Hall of Fame Snubs ranking. Although he should be in the Hall of Fame in my opinion, he is ranked #17 since he wasn’t drafted ridiculously low – but it was still low. He was taken by the California Angels in the 7th round as the 169th overall pick, in-between Bernie Jenkins and Bill St. Peter, neither of whom made it above Double-A. He was considered damaged goods with a shoulder injury in High School, but showed serious promise in the minors by hitting over .290 in High A then over .300 in Double A and Triple A. His defense was also top-notch and the Angels promoted him in 1993. They still weren’t convinced he was in their future plans and signed free agents Bo Jackson and Dwight Smith for the 1994 season. Neverthless, Edmonds forced his way into the lineup and was in Rookie of the Year talks when the season was abruptly ended by the strike. The next year, his bat exploded – Edmonds crushed 33 home runs with 107 RBIs while making ridiculous plays in the outfield. He went on the be an absolute machine for the Cardinals, averaging 35 home runs a year for 6 years. He finished his career with a .284 average, 393 bombs, 8 gold gloves, a silver slugger and 4 All Star selections – representing the 7th round.

17. Fred McGriff (Round 9, Overall: 233rd)

Another huge Hall of Fame Snub who was taken even later than Edmonds is Fred McGriff. He loved the game of baseball as a kid and always hung out around the Reds Spring Training camp in Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, even in his High School days, Fred McGriff was getting snubbed as he was cut from his Sophomore team. He made the team the next year, although no scouts paid any attention to him – that is, until a few scouts who were checking out Doc Gooden pitch saw this McGriff kid hit a towering home run off Doc. The New York Yankees, with the last pick of the 9th round, decided to go ahead and take a shot at him as the 233rd overall pick. He showed some promise in rookie league by hitting .272 with 9 home runs. Then, figuring they were already good at first base with Don Mattingly, the Yankees let their draft steal go by trading McGriff, along with Dave Collins and Mike Morgan, to the Blue Jays for Dale Murray and Tom Dodd. They should’ve asked for much more. McGriff ended up smashing 20 bombs for the Jays in 1987, then 34 the next year, beginning a streak of 7 straight 30+ home run seasons. In 1990, the Jays also traded McGriff, although they got much better value in return by getting Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar from San Diego, Neverthless, McGriff still put up big numbers with the Padres and then the Braves, who picked him up at the trade deadline in 1993 to help them try to catch the red-hot Giants. He was the spark they needed – literally, as the Braves stadium caught on fire right after the trade, and figuratively – as the Braves won the division that year. In 1995, he helped them win the World Series. McGriff retired with 493 home runs and a .284 batting average and had an absolute Hall of Fame career – despite that fact that he inexplicably was never elected. He did all that and more as a 9th round selection.

16. Kenny Lofton (Round 17, Overall: 428th)

Next up, it was the 1988 MLB Draft and the Houston Astros, with the 428th overall pick, took Kenny Lofton. Only 2 other players in the 7th round made the big leagues and their combined WAR is -2. Lofton was a basketball player for the Arizona Wildcats and played in the Final Four in 1988. It wasn’t until his junior year that he decided to go try out for the baseball team. Although he made the team for his speed and athleticism, he played in just five games and got one at bat. An Astros scout, however, noticed his speed and thought he was worth a shot in the later rounds even though he wasn’t really a baseball player yet. He wasn’t great in his first minor league year with a .214 average but it was a lot better than any one expected, and he stole 26 bases, so they let him play a second season. Everything clicked – Lofton hit .292 and stole 40 bases. The next year, in Double-A, he hit .331 with 62 steals. He was not only showing the incredible speed he was drafted for, he was also a natural with the bat, rarely striking out, putting the ball in play, getting on base and wreaking havoc for the opponent. The Astros decided that since they needed a catcher and already had Steve Finley in centerfield, they would trade Lofton. He was sent to Cleveland for catcher Eddie Taubensee and pitcher Willie Blair. In 1992, Taubensee hit .222 for the Astros and Lofton became a superstar for the Indians. He made 6 straight All Star Teams, led the league in steals for 5 straight years and went on to help the San Francisco Giants win the NL Pennant in 2002. He also won 4 Gold Gloves and even hit 130 home runs. As a non-baseball player who had one college at bat, he is perhaps the most unlikely draft-pick to go on to have what can be considered by many to be a Hall-of-Fame worthy career, although to this day he still hasn’t been elected.

15. Mark Grace (Round 24, Overall: 622nd)

Coming in at #15 is first baseman Mark Grace, who was originally drafted in the 15th round by the Twins, but did not sign. He played at San Diego State University in 1985, hitting .395 with 2 home runs, not showing much power, but an incredibly smooth swing and a solid reliable glove. Apparently, this wasn’t impressive enough for most teams as Grace was passed on round after round after round in the 1985 MLB Draft. Finally, in the 24th round, after the Red Sox took Erik Laseke, it was the Chicago Cubs who selected Mark Grace. He instantly tore up the minor leagues with a .342 average in A ball with an impressive 15 round-trippers. The next year, in Double A, he hit .333 with 17 bombs. The Cubs made him a regular in 1988 and he impressed, hitting .296 and finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting to Chris Sabo. Grace went on to be a constant producer for the Cubs, consistently hitting well above .300 with moderate power and elite defense. He made 3 all star teams and won 4 gold gloves. In 2001, he signed with the Diamondbacks and helped them their first World Series. Grace hit .329 in his postseason career and retired with .303 batting average and 2445 hits. He led an entire decade in hits and is the only player other than Pete Rose to do so who is not in the Hall of Fame. Not bad for a guy picked in the 15th then 24th round.

14. Orel Hershiser (Round 17, Overall: 440th)

The original scouting report for Orel Hershiser, a relief pitcher for Bowling Green, said that he was rattled easily, had questionable makeup, a weak fastball and a curveball that he didn’t even know how to properly throw. It’s no surprise that it took a team until the 17th round to take him – and that team was the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was taken between Raymond Alonzo and Rob Teegarden – who both made it to Double A and no higher. The only other notable pick in Hershiser’s round was a decent steal himself, current Rockies manager Bud Black. Hershiser worked his way through the minors and looked halfway decent, but nothing extraordinary. He struggled in the big leagues and after one particular rough appearance, manager Tommy Lasorda gave him a scolding he would never forget, telling him he was too nice on the mound and needed to be a bulldog. The nickname stuck and the Bulldog went on to go 19-3 in 1985, finishing 3rd for the Cy Young. In 1988, he was even better, winning the Cy Young and going 23-8 while leading the Dodgers to a World Series Title. He threw a mind-blowing 59 consecutive scoreless innings, an MLB record. Later, with the Indians, he went 16-6 and led the team to their first postseason appearance in 41 years. He also pitched for the Giants and Mets before returning to the Dodgers for his last season. Hershiser won 204 games, a Cy Young, Gold Glove, ALCS MVP, NLCS MVP, World Series MVP and Silver Slugger. So much for a 17th round pick with questionable makeup. Unfortunately, Hershiser has yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

13. Ozzie Smith (Round 7, Overall 146th)

Ozzie Smith

Next up, we have a 7th round pick who has made it into Cooperstown, and it is the Wizard, Ozzie Smith, the 146th overall pick in the 1976 draft. Smith was a big baseball fan as a kid and played both basketball and baseball in High School. He attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for college and walked on to the baseball team as a backup infielder. When the regular shortstop broke his leg, Smith took over and impressed with amazing defense, blazing speed and a solid bat. After his junior year, the Tigers took him in the 7th round but they couldn’t agree on a bonus. The Tigers missed out on Ozzie Smith over $1,500. The next year, the Padres drafted him again in the 7th and he signed. He dazzled in the minors with the glove and the bat and was quickly promoted, where he established himself as one of the best defenders in the game. Just 10 games into his career, he made one of the most spectacular plays ever caught on video with a dive on a ball going up the middle that took a bad hop. Smith somehow snagged it with his bare hand and threw the runner out. Later, because of some animosity between the Padres and Smith’s agent, San Diego dealt Smith to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton, who the Cardinals were all too ready to get rid of due to fans booing him for his lackadaisical style of play and body language. The rest is history of course as Smith became a Cardinals legend, winning 13 gold gloves and making 15 total All Star games, one of which was with the Padres in 1981. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

12. Wade Boggs (Round 7, Overall 166th)

Amazingly, that 1976 7th round also produced another Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs. He is higher on this list, however as he was taken as the 166th pick, 22 picks after Ozzie. Boggs was an All-State football player in High School and earned a scholarship to the University of South Carolina. He also played baseball, but was exactly a hot name in the draft. It was likely no MLB team would take him if not for a scout named George Digby who fought hard for the Red Sox to draft this kid, who he said had an incredibly smooth swing. The Red Sox front office didn’t think he had MLB talent, but what the heck – it was the 7th round, so they took Digby’s advice. As a prospect that the Red Sox didn’t consider a future big leaguer, they were slow to move him up the minor league ladder. However, they couldn't ignore his stats – .332 batting average in A ball, .325 in Double-A, .335 in Triple-A. This guy was absolute hitting machine, but could he did at the big league level? We all know the answer. Boggs hit .349 in his rookie year and followed it up by leading the league with a .361 average and .444 on-base percentage. He never stopped hitting. Boggs led the league in batting average 5 out of 6 seasons at one point and made 12 All Star Teams. He also played solid defense, taking home 2 gold gloves. He finished his career with over 3,000 hits, a .328 average and even smashed 24 home runs in 1987. He was a first ballot shoe-in Hall of Famer and is one of the best pure hitters to ever play the game. He did it all as a 7th round pick.

11. Jim Thome (Round 13, Overall: 333rd)

Next up, the biggest steal in Part 1 of this list, is Jim Thome, a Hall-of-Famer who was taken in the 13th round and 333rd overall. Only 1 other player, Mike Oquist, made the big leagues from this round. In High School, Thome was considered underweight and lacking in potential. No team drafted him. Then, at a community college, he showed a bit more promise and, as basically an afterthought, the Indians drafted him in the 13th round. No one would have batted an eye if he washed out of the minor leagues after one or two seasons. Instead, he hit .340 in A ball with 16 home runs. Then, the next season, between double A and Triple A, he hit .319 and drove in 73 runs. The Indians took serious notice at this point and brought him to the big leagues, where he hit .255 in his first 27 games. He still wasn’t considered a massive prospect and bounced back and forth from Triple A to MLB for a few years until he smashed 20 home runs in 1994 and earned a permanent spot in the lineup. By 1997, he was a superstar, with 40 bombs that year and an OPS over 1.000. He led the league with 120 RBIs and didn’t slow down from there, driving in over 100 runs for 7 of the next 9 years. In 2003 with Philadelphia, he hit a career high 47 home runs and retired with an astonishing 612, becoming the 8th player of the 600 home-run club. He received 89.8% of the vote in his first year on the ballot. Jim Thome went from a skinny undrafted High School kid to a 13th round minor league roster filler to a no doubt first ballot Hall of Famer.

10. Andre Dawson (Round 11, Overall: 250th)

Andre Dawson with the Expos

Just cracking the top 10 is a Hall-of-Famer who scouts had absolutely no interest in during his High School days. He went on to take out some student loans so he could go to college, attending Florida A&M University. Dawson tried out for the baseball team and made it, eventually becoming a regular who showed definite talent. It was enough talent that the Expos took notice and drafted Dawson in the 11th round, 250th overall. He took the minor leagues by storm with a .330 batting average and 13 homers in just 72 games in rookie ball. He was sent to Double-A the next year and crushed everything. So, he was moved up to Triple-A. He tore up both leagues with a .352 average and 28 home runs in 1976. The Expos had a winning lotto ticket and they knew what to do with it. From 1977 onward, Dawson would be in the Expos lineup every day. He hit .282 that year with 19 home runs and won the Rookie of the Year Award. He started making All Star teams, winning gold gloves and becoming an absolute superstar. He eventually signed with the Cubs to get away from the artificial turf in Montreal and crushed 49 home runs in 1987, winning the MVP. He also played for the Red Sox and Marlins, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010 wearing a Montreal Expos cap on the plaque. He was also the first Marlins player elected to the Hall of Fame. It’s a good thing Dawson decided to go to college and walk on to the Florida A&M baseball squad.

9. Jeff Kent (Round 20, Overall: 523rd)

a young Jeff Kent

The next draft steal is Jeff Kent, who was taken in the 20th round of the 1989 MLB Draft. Kent was a college player at U.C. Berkley who had a great year in 1987 with a .349 average but showed a huge decline the next year, hitting just .193 in 1988 with 4 home runs. His 8 career college home runs didn’t spark much interest in him as a power hitter, but there was enough there that the Blue Jays took a waiver on him in the 20th round. He ended up being a decent minor league hitter, moving up slowly through the system and making his big league debut in 1992. He hit .239 with 11 home runs. With a reputation as a decent hitting infielder with at least a little pop, the Jays traded him to the Mets for David Cone. His power started really coming around in 1993 when he hit 21 home runs. He proved that he was a real big leaguer in New York. Later, he was traded to the Indians. However, it was in San Francisco where his career really took off. I know this from experience – Giants fans were not happy with the trade that brought Jeff Kent to the bay area, as it resulted in the loss of Matt Williams. However, we got it over it quickly as Kent hit 29 home runs in 1997, then 31 in 1998, finishing in the Top 10 for MVP both years. In 2000, he had a phenomenal season, beating out his teammate Barry Bonds for the MVP by hitting 33 bombs while batting .334. He was also, or at least we thought so at the time, a great fielder as well despite the advanced stats not agreeing with that. Kent went on to hit more home runs than any second baseman in the history of the game. He should have a plaque in Cooperstown, but as of now, it hasn’t happened. Kent, as a 20th round and 523rd overall pick, comes at #9 in my list of the Top MLB Draft Steals of all time.

8. Andy Pettite (Round 22, Overall: 577th)

Coming in at #8 is Andy Pettite, who was taken even lower – in the 22nd round and 577th overall. His fastball clocked in at about 85 MPH in High School and he wasn’t expected to do much, but teams have to fill their minor league rosters, so the Yankees took him right after the Dodgers snagged Mike Rocobaldo. Pettite’s fastball must’ve hit puberty right before his pro career began as he struck out 83 batters in 69 innings in his first minor league season. He continued to dominate the next year with a 2.2 ERA in A Ball. The Yankees moved him through the system slowly, noticing that he continued to dominate at each level. In 1995, after allowing zero runs in 2 Triple-A starts, they brought him up and put him in the rotation. He went 12-9 and finished 3rd for the rookie of the year. The next year, he broke through completely with a 21-8 record, finishing second in the Cy Young voting. He would be a mainstay in the Yankees rotation through 2003 when he went to Houston for three years then came back to the Yankees, where he helped them win it all in 2009. Pettite retired with an 19-11 postseason record and 256-153 regular season record. He is a borderline Hall of Fame case, but considering he was picked 577th in the draft and played nearly his entire career for the Bronx Bombers, Andy Pettite is a huge draft steal.

7. Don Mattingly (Round 19, Overall: 493rd)

Amazingly, Andy Pettite isn’t even the Yankees biggest steal on this list. Next up is a 19th round pick named Don Mattingly. However, unlike many of this list, Mattingly was a big name during his High School career and had many MLB teams interested in his services. He hit .463 in High School and set multiple High School records that stand to this day. The only reason he fell all the way to the 19th round is that he accepted a scholarship to play college ball at Indiana State. His father told MLB teams to not bother drafting him, because he was going to honor his commitment. The Yankees were smart to try anyway and they did so with the 493rd pick. Mattingly wanted to play pro ball right away and, despite his father’s wishes, he signed with the Yanks. Mattingly was actually disappointed with his minor league performance in his first year, which resulted in a .349 batting average and .932 OPS. He was a star in the making and eventually became one of the premiere players in Major League Baseball, dominating the mid-to-late eighties. Even his power showed up in a big way when he crushed 35 bombs in 1985. Mattingly made 6 straight All Star teams, won an MVP and played flawless defense at first, winning 9 Gold Gloves. Injuries slowed him down, and he eventually had to retire relatively early, but Donnie Baseball absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame and, I am confident in saying, will be someday. The Yankees had a massive steal by taking a gamble that he would sign by drafting him in the 19th round way back in 1979.

6. Ryne Sandberg (Round 20, Overall: 511th)

Coming in at #6 in my Top 10 MLB Draft Steals of all time is Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Like Mattingly, he wasn’t a nobody in High School, in fact, he was a three-sport star and was so good at football, that several Division I colleges tried to recruit him. Sandberg eventually signed a letter of intent to play quarterback at Washington State University, which explains why he didn’t go higher in the MLB Draft. Nevertheless, the Phillies took a shot at him in the 20th round as the 511th overall selection. To their delight, Sandberg decided to forgo college football and signed to play pro baseball with the Phillies organization. Only one of the other 22 players drafted in the 20th round that year ever played major league baseball – and it was a guy named Pat Rooney, who went 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts in his big league career. Sandberg hit .311 in his first year at rookie ball, then moved through minors at an appropriate pace, playing at each level for one season. In 1981 in Triple A with the Oklahoma City 89ers, he hit .293 but hit just 9 homers – he was never much of a power hitter in the minors. The Phillies brought him up to make his big league debut. He went 1-for-6. Later that offesason, Cubs GM Dallas Green had his eye on Sandberg and convinced them to include him in a trade that primarily involved Larry Bowa and Ivan DeJesus. Sandberg, who was obviously a nice player in the minors but never showed insane potential, was just an extra chip in the trade. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career, winning the MVP in 1984, making 10 All Star teams and winning 9 Gold Gloves. In 1984, he also played in what became known as the “Sandberg Game,” a nationally televised game in which Sandberg hit two dramatic late-game home runs, putting himself on the map as a genuine MLB star. The Phillies never benefited from their amazing draft pick, taking a Hall of Famer in the 20th round.

5. Keith Hernandez (Round 41, Overall: 785th)

At #5 we have a player who I believe should be in the Hall of Fame, and was taken in the 41st round. His name is Keith Hernandez. He was not heavily recruited in High School after he sat out his entire senior year due to behavioral issues and arguments with his coach. He ended up attending a local community college and was surprisingly drafted, albeit very late in the draft. The St. Louis Cardinals took Hernandez as the 785th overall pick, and he was the only player in the 41st round to make the major leagues and the lowest pick in the entire 1971 draft to make the major leagues. He hit just well enough in the minors to stick around for a couple years until 1974 when, in Triple A, he had a breakout year. Hernandez hit .351 with 14 home runs for the Tulsa Oilers, forcing the Cardinals to bring him up. In 14 games at the big league level, he hit .294 with a .415 on-base-percentage. They put him in Triple A the next year and he just continued to tear up minor league pitching, leading the Cards to finally put him the lineup as an everyday player and he didn’t disappoint. In 1978, he won his first gold glove and in 1979, he won the MVP, hitting a league-leading .344 with 48 doubles. He helped his team win the World Series in 1982 and won gold glove after gold glove while hitting like an absolute machine. Eventually, due to arguments with the Cardinals management, he was traded to the Mets, where he continuously hit over .300 while playing flawless defense. He also helped them win a championship in the famous 1986 season. All told, Hernandez won 11 gold gloves, an MVP, 2 world series and retired with a .296 batting average and 426 doubles. His absence from the hall of fame is, in my opinion, an absolute travesty. He did it all as a 41st round draft pick.

4. John Smoltz (Round 22, Overall: 574th)

He was the last pick in the 22nd round of 1985 and the only pick of the round to do anything significant in the big leagues – John Smoltz. The team that gets credit for the pick is the Tigers, the team Smoltz rooted for as a kid from Detroit. Smoltz was an All-State player in High School but apparently not good enough for most MLB teams. With the Tigers organization in A ball, he showed some talent but nothing special, going 7-8 with a 3.56 ERA. The next year between Double-A and Triple-A, he went 4-11 with a 5.73 ERA. His strikeout stuff was nothing spectacular and The Tigers, who needed immediate starting pitching help, shipped him to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander. If I had a youtube channel at the time, I would’ve probably said the Tigers won that deal, picking up a veteran starter to help them while the Braves get this terrible minor leaguer who will wash out of pro ball within a year. I would’ve been wrong. Credit goes to Braves scout John Hagemann, who convinced the Braves to trade for Smoltz and told Bobby Cox that Smoltz had the best right handed arm he had ever seen. Smoltz went 10-5 for the Richmond Braves Triple-A team with a 2.79 ERA and was promoted to the big leagues. The next year, he was an All Star, going 12-11 with a 2.94 ERA. He went on to show the world what he could do, standing toe to toe with his childhood hero, Jack Morris, in the 1991 World Series. In 1996, he won the Cy Young after going 24-8. Later, he even became an elite closer, saving 55 games for the Braves in 2002. The 8-time All Star was elected to the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2015.

3. Albert Pujols (Round 13, Overall: 402nd)

A young Alert Pujols

Coming in at #3 is the recently retired, future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols. Pujols was born in the Dominican Republican and moved to U.S. in 1996. He was a strong player in High School but went undrafted. He attended Maple Woods Community College in Missouri and hit .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman. Teams were still wary of drafting him, because they weren’t sure of his real age and ideal position. It was the St. Louis Cardinals who decided to take him, but not until the 13th round and 402nd overall pick. 401 times, teams passed on Albert Pujols. The Cardinals themselves were slow to take him, as their picks from the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th rounds never made the big leagues. But at least they finally made the move and it paid off immediately. Pujols blasted through all levels of the minors in one season, then made the Opening Day roster in 2001. He was an instant star, hitting 37 home runs with 130 RBIs, taking home the Rookie of the Year award and a Silver Slugger. He made the All Star team in his first big league season. From there, he became one of the best sluggers in the game, routinely topping 40 home runs and leading the league in multiple offensive categories. Pujols helped the Cardinals win two World Series before signing with the Angels, where he started to decline a bit but continued to display amazing power including 40 bombs in 2015. He also played for the Dodgers in 2021 before returning to the Cards for one last year in 2022 when he .270 with 24 bombs, topping 700 career home runs and cementing himself as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The Cardinals not only had an amazing steal in 13th round, but they took full advantage of it as well as Pujols will undoubtedly wear a Cardinals hat on his plaque in the Hall of Fame.

2. Nolan Ryan (Round 12, Overall: 226th)

Nolan Ryan as a young pitcher

Coming in at #2 as the 2nd biggest steal of all time in the MLB Draft is the Ryan Express – Nolan Ryan. He was a feared arm in High School, 19-3 including one 7-inning game when every single out of the game was recorded via the strikeout. Hitters would refuse to even bat against him for fear of being struck by the awesome fastball that was already likely hitting the mid-to-high 90’s. A New York Mets scout saw Ryan pitch and told the Mets he had the best arm he had seen in his entire life. Still, for whatever reason, teams didn’t draft him. Even the Mets avoided him all the way up until the final pick of the 12th round. Ryan was taken as the 226th overall pick and of the 20 players picked in the 12th round, he was the only one to make the big leagues. In 1966, he went 17-4 with a 2.36 ERA between Single and Double A, but the stat that was most impressive was 307 strikeouts in 202 innings. At this time, this kind of strikeout rate was unheard of. Ryan was promoted and had mixed success in the big leagues at first, although he showed signs of greatness, such as tying a Mets record with 15 strikeouts in a game. After he was shipped to the Angels in 1971 offseason, Ryan’s career really took off as he started winning around 20 games per season with ridiculous strikeout rates. He started throwing no-hitters, making All Star teams, and became a superstar. Later, he also pitched for the Astros and Rangers. He ended up with a major league record 5,714 strikeouts and 7 no-hitters. Nolan Ryan is an absolute legend and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, receiving over 98% of the vote. What an amazing steal by the Mets as the 226th overall pick.

1. Mike Piazza (Round 62, Overall: 1,390th)

Mike Pizza had is breakout year with the Bakersfield Dodgers

But my #1 Draft Steal of all time has to go to the lowest pick in this entire video series – he was taken with the 1,390th pick of the 1988 MLB Draft – Mike Piazza. No one else in the 62nd round – nor any one in 61st round for that matter, ever touched the big leagues. Piazza was a community college player who had some connections with his father, who knew Tommy Lasorda. His father asked Tommy, as a favor, if he could get the Dodgers to draft Piazza. They did so in the 62nd round and Lasorda asked Piazza to switch positions from first base to catcher to help him have a better chance to maybe reach the majors someday. In his first year in Low A, he hit .268 with 8 homers, good enough to stick around for another year. In High A, he hit .250 with 6 homers. Still not too bad, and the Dodgers gave him another season in High A ball in 1991, where, with the Bakersfield Dodgers, he broke through. Piazza opened eyes with 29 home runs and a .277 average. The next year, between Double A and Triple A, he kept raking and the Dodgers promoted him. In 1993, Piazza won the Rookie of the Year Award and crushed 35 home runs with a .318 batting average. They had a bonafide superstar on their hands. He made 10 consecutive All Star teams and became the best hitting catcher in baseball. In 1998, he was traded to the Marlins, who quickly sent him to the Mets, where he hit one of the most memorable home runs in recent memory with a game winning bomb in the first game played after 9/11. He later played for the Padres and A’s and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016. Piazza gets #1 on this not because he was the greatest player but because he was a Hall-of-Famer who was taken lower than any one else on the list – 1,390th overall and even then, because of a favor requested by his dad.

And that does it for the Top 20 MLB Draft Steals of all time, an absolutely amazing list and one of the biggest reasons I’m always excited for the MLB Draft regardless of how low my favorite team is picking. You never know who will make an impact or even who will become an absolute superstar and maybe even a Hall of Famer. Have a wonderful day ladies and gentlemen and make sure to comment below any other great players who were picked very low in the draft who may have not made my Top 20.

The 10 Biggest MLB Draft BUSTS Of All Time

One of the most exciting elements of being a Major League Baseball fan is the MLB Draft, which allows fans and the media to hype up some of the most talented young baseball players in the country as teams select them to enter into their organization. Oftentimes even at this early stage, elite talent can be identified. We use terms like “can’t miss-prospect” and “insanely high ceiling” with certain names. Sometimes, those labels turn out completely right and a player like Chipper Jones or Ken Griffey Jr. get selected first overall in the Draft then go on to have Hall of Fame careers.

However, when it comes to drafting young High School or College players who still have to go through years of the Minor Leagues to prove themselves, there is never a guarantee. Many times, even the most supposed “can’t miss” prospect, for some reason or another, never ends up becoming the player they were supposed to – and sometimes they don’t even make it to the Major Leagues. In today’s video, we’re going to count down the 10 biggest Draft Busts in MLB history… by the way, one player who didn’t make my Top 10 is Matt Bush – who has been considered a huge bust as a #1 overall pick who then had massive off-the-field issues that derailed his career. However, because he seems to have gotten his life together and made it to the big leagues in 2016 and is still, as of 2022, pitching in the big leagues at age 36, he didn’t quite my Top 10 as I look at his career more like a success story than a bust. So, let’s get started at #10…

#10 Todd Van Poppel, Pitcher

Back in the late 80’s, when I first became a huge baseball fan, there wasn’t as much access to information on draft picks and for the most part, the average fan, especially one who was 9 years old like myself, had no knowledge about the newest draft picks. However, one name was so hot that even I knew all about Todd Van Poppel, an absolute phenom who had a 0.97 ERA and 170 strikeouts in his final High School season out of Arlington, Texas. After the Oakland A’s drafted him in the First Round, he even got a 7-11 Superstar 3D Coin usually only made for the top Superstars of the Game. My friends who were A’s fans bragged about him and how the A’s, after their 1989 championship, were destined to start a huge dynasty with Van Poppel leading the way once he got to the big leagues. However, Van Poppel and his agent must have been overconfident as they had the A’s structure the contract as an MLB deal from the onset, allowing only a certain amount of Minor League appearances. For this reason, the A’s had to accelerate his path through the Minors, promoting him to Double A after only 8 appearances in Single A and then after just 24 appearances in Double A – and despite a 6-13 record – he was brought up to the Big Leagues, where he gave up 5 runs and 7 hits in his only start in 1991. He was then injured for much of 1992 and ended up spending 5 years with the A’s, recording a 5.75 ERA. Eventually, he went to Detroit where he had an atrocious 11.39 ERA over 9 starts in 1996. Somehow, he was still able to stick around the big leagues for a while, however, pitching out of the bullpen the Cubs, Rangers, Reds and Pirates and retired after an 11-year career, which is why he isn’t higher on this list. Nevertheless, the hype never got close to his actual performance and as such, Todd Van Poppel is #10 on my list of the top 10 MLB Busts of all time.

#9 Bryan Bullington, Pitcher.

Bryan Bullington

In the 2002 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates had the first overall selection and took what looked like a safe pick – a 21 year old college 6’5 225 lb pitcher out of Ball State who set a university record for strikeouts and led his league in victories and ERA that season – his name was Bryan Bullington. The only risk might be that Ball State did not compete as one of the “Power 5” conferences, and so the competition was a big lighter than other schools. Nevertheless, it felt like perhaps a safer pick than High School kids like Zack Greinke and Prince Fielder. Of course, either of them would have worked out much better. Still, Major League teams were aware of Bullington since his High School days when he went 15-0 in 1999 and pitched a one-hitter in the State Finals. The Royals took him in the 37th round but he did not sign. By 2002, he was considered one of if not the best collegiate pitcher in the country. After the Pirates took him first overall, he was immediately placed in the Top 100 MLB Prospects list, before even appearing in a Minor League game. Then, he moved up that list quickly after going 5-1 with a 1.39 ERA for the Class-A Hickory Crawdads. By 2004, he was a Double-A All Star and even pitched a scoreless inning in the Futures Game at Fenway Park. Then, after pitching well in Triple A, Bullington was finally promoted, but only pitched in one game before damaging his shoulder. He needed major surgery and missed the entire 2006 season. In 2007, he had decent comeback season in Triple A with an 11-9 record an ERA of exactly 4, but then went 0-3 with a 5.29 ERA during his September call-up. He was never able to figure it out at the big league level and ended pitching for the Indians, Blue Jays and Royals, finishing his career with exactly one Major League win.

#8 Brooks Kieschnick, OF & Pitcher.

Long before Shohei Ohtani, there was a young up and coming player named Brooks Kieschnick who baseball fans all believed was the next Babe Ruth – a player who could both pitch and hit an an elite level. He is the only player to have won the Dick Howser Trophy – given to the best college baseball player of the year – twice. For the Texas Longhorns, Kieschnick hit .360, crushing 43 home runs and driving in 215 runs. As a pitcher, he went 34-8 with a 3.05 ERA, earning a reputation as a legitimate two-way player who could be drafted as either a position player or pitcher – or both. In the 1993 MLB Draft, he was taken 10th overall by the Chicago Cubs, who decided that his offense, especially his power, was more important than his pitching and, hence, used him as a position player. The decision seemed like the right one as he shuttled through the minor leagues, hitting for power and average every step along the way. In 1995, he hit .295 with 23 home runs and a .370 on-base percentage for the Triple A Iowa Cubs. He was called up to the big leagues in 1996 and had an amazing debut performance, hitting his first big league homer and going 10 for 29, good enough for a .345 batting average. All signs pointed towards Kieschnick being a regular for the 1997 Cubs. However, he was reportedly “stunned and dejected” after being sent back to to Minor League camp during the last week of 1997 Spring Training. He was eventually called up but hit just .200 in 90 at bats. The next year, the Devil Rays claimed him in their expansion draft, but never promoted him to the big leagues. He ended up signing with the Reds in 2000, but went 0 for 12 with 5 strikeouts. However, he did have a bit of a resurgence with the Brewers in 2003 and 2004 as Kieschnick took up pitching again and was a decent arm coming out of the bullpen. He also seemed to hit better in his role, with a .300 average in 2003 with 7 bombs. However, he never played in an MLB game after 2004.

#7 Danny Goodwin, Catcher, First Base, DH.

Danny Goodwin

At #7 we have a player who was so good as a young amateur ballplayer that he was selected first overall – twice. First, out of High School, the Chicago White Sox took Goodwin with the first overall selection in 1971. He decided not to sign and attended Southern University and A&M in Baton Rouge. There, he was a three-time All American and 1975 College Player of the Year. He hit .408 with an incredible .543 on-base-percentage and 1.271 OPS. Goodwin was considered the best player again in the 1975 MLB Draft and this time, it was the California Angels who had the first overall pick. They took Goodwin and offered a record $150,000 Bonus. The Angels were not going to be patient with Goodwin’s development and assigned him directly to Double A where he hit .275 with 2 home runs. Then, after just 46 games in the Minor Leagues, the Angels promoted Goodwin. After being rushed to the big leagues, he went 1 for 10 with 5 strikeouts. Perhaps realizing he was rushed, the Angels sent him all the way back to A ball in 1976, a move that couldn’t have helped his confidence. Nevertheless, the hit .306 between Double A and Triple A and in 1977, for the first time, he played in Triple A, hitting .305 with 10 home runs in 77 games. Nearly 2 years after his first promotion, he finally made it back to the big leagues but hit just .209 in 91 at bats with a single home run. The Angels also, despite drafting him as a catcher, never allowed him to wear a glove. He only pinch hit or played DH. He never worked out with the Angels and ended up in Minnesota, where he played in a part-time role as a 1st baseman and pinch hitter. He played in the A’s organization from 1982 to 1985, getting only 52 big league at bats and hitting .212. For a player who was drafted first overall twice, he was a monumental bust, but a lot of the blame could go to the Angels, who never gave him a proper Minor League development.

#6 David Clyde, Pitcher.

In probably the most extreme example of a team rushing a young prospect, we have pitcher David Clyde. Clyde was a High School phenom who was billed as the next Sandy Koufax. In 1973, he was the consensus best player available and the Texas Rangers, who had the first overall pick after losing 100 games in 1972, snagged him and gave him a record $125,000 bonus, which would be broken by the previously mentioned Danny Goodwin. Clyde signed with Texas and said his goal was to become the greatest pitcher ever. Unfortunately, Texas Rangers owner Bob Short may not have had Clyde’s best interests in mind. It was already agreed that Clyde would skip the minors and go straight to the big leagues for his first two starts before heading to the minors for some proper development. However, after Short noticed Clyde’s first start resulted in the first sellout in Arlington Stadium history, he forced the team keep him on the big league roster. He ended his rookie year with a 4-8 record and 5.01 ERA, never having pitched an inning in the Minor Leagues. The next year, Billy Martin was hired as manager and fought with the GM over Clyde’s future. Martin knew he was not ready for the big leagues. Still, he stayed and in 1974, Clyde went 3-9 with a 4.38 ERA. Considering he went straight from High School to the big leagues, his numbers weren’t even that terrible and had he been given a normal Minor League career, who knows what would have become of David Clyde. By the time he was finally sent to the minors in 1975, he had already injured his shoulder and was never the same. After surgery, he bounced around the minors with some MLB opportunites with the Indians, but never found any consistency. He retired with an 18-33 record and 4.63 ERA.

#5 Shawn Abner, Outfielder.

It was the 1984 Draft and the Mets were looking to build the best outfield in baseball. They already had Darryl Strawberry and Billy Beane was just ready to get promoted. They identified Shawn Abner as an “all-around, can’t miss prospect.” So, the Mets took him as the #1 overall pick, ahead of USC star Mark McGwire. He hit for decent average in the minors but his power was lacking. The Mets decided to include him in a blockbuster 8-man deal that sent Kevin Mitchell to the Padres for Kevin McReynolds. In 1987, he made his big league debut for San Diego. Unfortunately, he was never great, hitting .181 in 1988 and .187 in 1989. He didn’t even offer any power to offset the low batting averages. He played his last year in the big leagues in 1992, hitting .279 with a home run. Injuries prevented him from making it back to the big leagues after that. In 2020, he was sentenced to 4.5 to 23 months in prison for animal cruelty after leaving his dog at home for over a month, resulting in the dog passing away. Apparently, he didn’t ask any one to care for the dog while he was gone.

#4 Steve Chilcott, Catcher.

Steve Chilcott

Unfortunately for the New York Mets, Shawn Abner isn’t even the worst #1 overall pick as far as MLB production. The 1966 MLB Draft produced some amazing MLB players such as Ron Cey, Steve Garvey and Charlie Hough. In fact, 3 of the top 4 picks ended up being MLB All Stars and one, the second overall pick, was a Hall of Famer named Reggie Jackson. However, with the #1 overall pick, the New York Mets took Steve Chilcott out of Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, California. He was a left-handed hitting catcher with a quick bat and extraordinary potential. He showed some of that potential in the minors. He was hitting .290 in Single A with a .365 on-base percentage and 45 runs driven in after 79 games when he dove back into first base on a pick-off attempt. It was a normal play we see hundreds of times per season, but on this particular play, Chilcott jammed his hand into the base and dislocated his shoulder, ending his season. The next year, he came back but hit just .189 for Visalia. Chilcott had injury issues for the rest of his career and never made it to the big leagues. After retirement, Chilcott became a firefighter and later a full-time contractor, constructing and remodeling homes.

#3 Al Chambers, DH/Outfield.

Al Chambers

The Mariners have had the #1 overall pick four times in their franchise history. Twice, they hit the jackpot – once with Ken Griffey Jr. and once with Alex Rodriguez. Another #1 pick, pitcher Mike Moore, had a solid 14 year career. But in 1979, the M’s weren’t so lucky. After losing 104 games and finishing dead last in 1978, the Seattle Mariners were awarded the first overall pick in 1979. With it, they selected an outfielder out of John Harris High School in Pennsylvania named Al Chambers. Chambers seemed to have all the tools, including blazing speed, big power and a great glove in the field. At 6’4, 217 lbs, he had the potential to become an absolute monster at the big league level. In 1989 with the San Jose Missions, he hit .301 with a .388 on-base percentage. The following year, his power showed up with 20 bombs for the Double A Lynn Sailors. Then in Triple A, he had a huge year, hitting .331 with 75 RBIs in just 99 games for the Salt Lake City Gulls. He finally got his opportunity and drove in four runs in his big league debut. However, something didn’t feel right.

"The veterans on the team didn't take me under their wing," he said. "It was a tough situation for me. I talked to other rookies in the league who told me how the veterans showed them the ropes, but it never happened in Seattle."

He ended up hitting just .209 for the Mariners in 67 at bats in 1983 and was devastated when they set him back to the minors. In ‘84, he hit .225. In ‘85, he was only given four big league at bats despite hitting .308 with a .402 on base percentage in Triple A. He didn’t have any major injuries or off-the-field issues. It just wasn’t meant to be for Chambers. “You only get so many breaks,” he said. He went on to work the swing shift at the Hershey Foods Factory in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,

#2 Adam Johnson, Pitcher.

Adam Johnson

The Minnesota Twins first selected Adam Johnson out of High School in 1997 Draft, but he chose to attend college instead. He set a Cal State Fullerton record with 365 strikeouts and was named Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year. In 2000, he struck out 166 batters in 119 innings. In that year’s MLB Draft, the Twins signed him again, but this time – with the second overall pick. Only Adrian Gonzalez was taken higher. Johnson’s strikeout stuff translated to the pros immediately as he struck out 92 batters in 69 Single A innings for the Fort Myers Miracle, maintaining a 2.47 ERA. The next season, in 2001, he was pushed through the Minors quickly and made his big league debut. Unfortunately, that’s where his success ended as he gave up 23 runs in 25 innings while only striking out 17. In 2002, he failed to make the team out of Spring Training and when given his assignment papers, according to former Twins player Michael Cuddyer, he crumbled them up and stormed out of the manager’s office. He only pitched in 2 more MLB games, although he hung around the minors and independent leagues through 2009.

#1 Brien Taylor, Pitcher.

Brien Taylor

At #1 is by far the consensus best player in the 1991 MLB Draft, Brien Taylor. At that time, Taylor was considered possibly the best High School pitcher of all time. The Yankees took him first overall and eventually signed him for at the time an insane $1.55 million. Taylor hired Scott Boras as an advisor. Boras said in 2006 that “Brien Taylor, to this day, is still the best High School Pitcher I’ve seen in my life.” He had a fastball that touched triple digits and struck out 213 out of 264 batters while walking only 28. No one could touch him. In his first year in the Minors, 1992, he pitched well, striking out 187 batters in 161 innings with a 2.57 ERA in High A Fort Lauderdale. The next season, in Double A, he went 13-7 with a 3.48 ERA – nothing insanely impressive but certainly good enough to expect he would make his big league debut in 1994. Then, on December 13th during the off season, there was the fistfight heard ‘round the baseball world. Brien Taylor, defending his brother, got into a fight and severely injured his shoulder. He need major surgery and missed the entire 1994 season. By the time he returned, he had lost 8 miles per hour off his fastball and completely lost his command. The Yankees were forced to keep him in Single A while he tried to work it out, but his numbers were absolutely atrocious. He went 0-5 with an 18.73 ERA and walked a ridiculous 43 batters in 16 innings. The Yankees eventually had no choice but to release him. After baseball, he worked for UPS, then as a beer distributor. Later, he was arrested and charged with cocaine trafficking and spent over 3 years in prison. It’s insane to think what would have had he never got into that fistfight as Taylor was on the fast track to the big leagues with some of the best stuff any pitching prospect has ever had.

The Greatest Negro League Players Who NEVER Played MLB...

Major League Baseball has over 150 years of rich history, full of memorable moments, amazing accomplishments, and a huge number of legends and superstars, many of whom are immortalized in the Hall of Fame. It would be an easy assumption to make that since the beginning of professional baseball, most if not all of the greatest baseball players America produced earned an opportunity to play Major League Baseball. Sadly, that is not the case. Beginning in 1890, as baseball was becoming the country’s National Pastime, league owners struck what would become known as the “Gentleman’s Agreement,” a non-formal consensus between owners that no team would draft or sign a black player. This reprehensible act led to the color barrier in Major League Baseball, which lasted well over 50 years.

During that time, Major League Baseball was not truly a league of the best of the best, as many of the best players in the country played in the Negro Leagues and never got a chance to play in what was supposedly the top level of baseball. It wasn’t until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 that the league truly become a representation of the best baseball players available. This led the way to Negro League players like Hank Aaaron and Willie Mays going on to have phenomenal MLB careers. However, today’s presentation will count down the 10 greatest Negro League players who never got the chance to play Major League Baseball. Before starting the list, it should be noted that in 2020, MLB officially recognized seven professional Negro Leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948 as the Major Leagues, meaning some of these players stats are now official MLB stats. Nevertheless, during their careers, they were denied the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues despite having obvious Major League talent.

Willie Wells

#10 Willie Wells, SS

Just as Hank Aaron and Willie Mays were getting their careers started, Willie Wells was wrapping his up. He played for 21 years in the Negro Leagues and according to former big leaguer Monte Irvin, “You should have seen Willie Wells play shortstop; as good as Ozzie Smith and a better hitter.” Despite his incredible hitting ability – a .330 career batting average with a league-leading .411 mark in 1930 – Wells was mainly known for his amazing defense. While playing in Mexico, his athleticism and acrobatic ability at shortstop earned him the nickname “El Diablo” – “The Devil.” He could also hit for power, leading his league in homers 3 times. He had an OPS over 1,000 for 7 straight years and led the league in steals twice, making him a true 5-tool player. He made 8 All Star teams during his Negro League career and also became a player-manager late in his career. Wells passed away in 1989, 8 years before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Ben Taylor

#9 Ben Taylor, 1B

One of the earliest stars of the game, Ben Taylor’s career began in 1908, before the National Negro League was formed. He played wherever he could and became known as “Old Reliable” for his ability to consistently come through in clutch situations and drive in runs while playing nearly perfect defense at first base. Like Ted Williams, he was a naturally talented hitter who took it to the next level by taking a scientific approach to the game. He studied pitchers, worked on his mechanics, and became one of the best, consistently hitting over .300 every season. Taylor was also a true gentleman - soft-spoken and well-respected. Buck Leonard said: “I got most of my learning from Ben Taylor. He helped me when I first broke in with his team. He had been the best first baseman in Negro baseball up until that time, and he was the one who really taught me to play first base.” He died at age 64 in 1953 and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

Rube Foster

#8 Andrew “Rube” Foster, P/Manager/Executive

Rube Foster makes this list not only because of his playing career, but also for an amazing career as a manager and top executive who is credited as the founder of the Negro Leagues. Although not all of his stats were recorded, Foster was considered one of the top pitchers in baseball in the early 20th Century. After his playing career, he was a great manager, winning over 700 games and setting high standards for his players, ensuring top personal conduct and professionalism. In 1920, Foster organized the National Negro Leagues, which flourished under his leadership. His hard work and tireless effort to make this league a success is what allowed the players on this list and many others to have the opportunities they had to play ball in front of thousands of people, earn a decent salary and for many, become Hall-of-Famers despite never playing in the Major Leagues. Foster had a nervous breakdown in 1926 and died in 1930. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

#7 Smokey Joe Williams, P

One of the most feared pitchers in the game for over 20 years, Smokey Joe Williams was an absolute legend. The stories about his insane velocity were told for years. In one particular game in 1930, Williams struck out 27 batters over 12 innings while allowing a single hit. Ty Cobb said he was a “sure 30-game winner in the Major Leagues.” Anecdotes about Williams include several no-hitters, catchers having to be replaced mid-game due to a swollen catching hand, and victories in exhibition games against great pitchers such as Walter Johnson and Grover Cleveland Alexander. He even once threw a no-hitter against the 1917 New York Giants in a barnstorming exhibition. Shortly before he passed away in 1951, after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Williams said “The important thing is that the long fight against the ban has been lifted. I praise the Lord I’ve lived to see the day.” Williams was elected to the Hall of fame in 1999.

Turkey Stearnes

#6 Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, OF

One of the most underrated players of all time, Turkey Stearnes played 18 years in the Negro Leagues and retired with a .349 batting average. He led his league in home runs 6 times and won the batting title twice, including a .390 average in 1929. He had an unorthodox stance and running style which led to his nickname, Turkey, but according to Negro Leaguer Jim Canada, “He hit the ball nine miles. He was a show. People would go to see him play.” He was also a premiere defender and the perfect example of a 5-tool talent, with a throwing arm that made runners very hesitant to try to advance an extra base. "That man could hit the ball as far as anybody," Cool Papa Bell said. "And he was one of our best all-around players. He could field, he could hit, he could run. He had plenty of power." Stearnes passed away in 1979. According to his daughter, he was never bitter about not playing in the Major Leagues and appreciated every moment he got to play ball. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Cool Papa Bell

#5 James “Cool Papa” Bell, OF

One of, if not the fastest runner to ever play the game, Cool Papa Bell was the definition of electric. The story went that he could turn a light switch off and be in bed before it was dark. Bell was switch-hitting contact hitter who knew the strike zone extremely well and was always looking to find a way to get on base where he could utilize his insane speed. Bell had a career batting average of .325 and led the league in stolen bases 7 times. Once the league instituted an All-Star Game in 1933, he made 8 All Star Teams in 8 years, despite being in his thirties by this point. In his final season, 1946, Bell hit .400 in 120 at bats for the Homestead Grays, one year before Jackie Robinson’s Major League debut. Cool Papa Bell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974 and passed away in 1991 at the age of 87.

#4 Jon Henry “Pop” Lloyd, SS

Considered the best shortstop in Negro League history, Pop Lloyd played for 25 years and regularly hit well above .300 and was a rare combination of power and small-ball. Lloyd could hit for power when the situation dictated it, but he could also bunt and use the entire field to his advantage. He was a fantastic base-runner as well, stealing bases not just with pure speed but through knowing the situation and studying the opposing pitchers. Throughout most of his career, stats were not kept permanently, but from 1921 to 1929 – age 37 to 45 – he hit .349 with a .400 on-base percentage and 59 stolen bases. That was during his twilight years as a player. Lloyd simply had one of the best baseball IQ’s in the history of the game and, with this knowledge, went on to become a fantastic manager. “Pop Lloyd was the greatest player, the greatest manager, the greatest teacher,” said Bill Yancey, a shortstop who played with him. “He had the ability and knowledge and, above all, patience. I did not know what baseball was until I played under him.” In 1977, 13 years after he passed away, Pop Lloyd was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

#3 Walter “Buck” Leonard, 1B

A staple in the Homestead Grays batting lineup throughout the 30’s and 40’s, Buck Leonard had an amazing career that included 13 All Star Selections and an unreal .345 career batting average. He was one of the best pure hitters to ever pick up a bat and led the league in a variety of offensive categories multiple times including home runs, doubles and RBIs along with every offensive percentage statistic that you can think of. In 1938, he hit .420 with a .500 on-base percentage and unreal 1,240 OPS, all of which unsurpisingly led the league. Leonard was also a stellar defensive first baseman. His talent was so insane that when the color barrier was finally broken, despite his age of 45 years, he was still offered an MLB contract. Knowing he couldn’t play at his best anymore, Leonard declined and retired. Leonard passed away in 1997 but not before being elected into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Oscar Charleston

#2 Oscar Charleston OF/1B

Oscar Charleston OF/1BAccording to the great Buck O’Neil, Oscar Charleston was like “Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Tris Speaker rolled into one.” During the 1920’s, no one was better. Charleston regularly hit over .400, including insane batting averages of .433 in 1921 and .427 in 1925. He also hit for massive power during a time when home runs were not the norm. He led the league in home runs 5 times, including 20 bombs in 1925, which was unheard of at the time due to the much shorter Negro League schedule. Charleston could also fly and regularly stole at least 20 bases per season during his prime. He was an excellent defender and used to play center-field very shallow due to his confidence that he was fast enough to catch anything hit over his head. There is no doubt he would have been an absolute superstar in the Major Leagues. Charleston was elite in everything he did on a baseball field and even went on to become a great manager. He passed away in 1954 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1976.

Josh Gibson

#1 Josh Gibson C

The man, the myth, the legend himself – Josh Gibson was a spectacular talent who could hit the ball like no other. “Josh was a better power hitter than Babe Ruth, Ted Williams or anybody else I’ve ever seen,” said former Cleveland Buckeye pitcher and manager Alonzo Boone. “Anything he touched was hit hard. He could power outside pitches to right field. Shortstops would move to left field when Josh came to the plate.” Gibson was quickly hailed “The Black Babe Ruth,” and some fans who watched both play, decided it was more accurate to call Ruth “The White Josh Gibson.” From 1933 to 1938 he led the league in home runs and RBIs every season. In 1943, Gibson drove in 109 runs in just 69 games. His home run totals may not look amazing, but one has to take into account the much shorter Negroe League seasons. In 1937, for instance, Gibson hit 20 home runs in 39 games. That is the equivalent of hitting about 85 home runs throughout the course of a normal MLB season. His batting average was also ridiculous, easily topping .400 on multiple occasions. In 1943, he hit .433. Gibson has been said to have hit nearly 800 home runs throughout his career, although most of them were hit in barnstorming exhibitions and various other leagues. In his official career, he still had a home-run to at bat ratio that rivals the greatest power hitters of all time, and if he had ever been given the chance, there is no doubt Josh Gibson would have been one of the greatest MLB power-hitters to ever live. Oh, and by the way, he was also a phenomenal catcher with an arm that was both powerful and accurate. Tragically, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1942 and eventually died of a stroke in 1947. Gibson became the 2nd Negro League player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

And there you have it for 10 of the greatest Negro League players who never got a chance to play Major League Baseball. There are many others as well, and some who did get a brief chance to play in MLB such as the great Satchel Paige, which is why he wasn’t on the list. Thank you so much for checking out this video and feel free to mention some players I may have missed in the comments section below. Have a wonderful day and we’ll talk to you in the next one.

A HALL OF FAME SNUB From EACH of the 30 MLB Teams

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports.  The difficulty in getting elected can be proven by the sheer number of players who have not been elected despite public opinion that they are sure-fire 100% hall of famers.  Today we’ll be looking at a major hall of fame snub from each of the 30 Major League teams.  Some teams have multiple snubs, but I picked a player for each team, sometimes not choosing the obvious pick so that he could be represented by another team he played for that had less options.  So, if the player you expect isn’t picked, he might be represented by another team he played for. And also, steroid users will be included, so this might be an interesting comment section.  Now, onto the selections.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Curt Schilling

Starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks, it’s Curt Schilling.  How has Curt Schilling not yet been elected into the Hall of Fame despite an 11-2 postseason record with a 2.23 ERA along with over 3,100 career strikeouts, 3 seasons of at least 20 wins, 6 All Star selections and a World Series and NLCS MVP?  He was in the top 5 for the Cy Young Award 5 times, finishing second 4 times.  Obviously, this guy must be a heavy steroid user, right?  Nope.  He’s a conservative and has ruffled some feathers on Twitter with his personal opinions.  Let’s be honest – if he didn’t make his political opinions public and just retired onto a farm somewhere and never signed up for a Twitter account, he’d have a plaque right now in Cooperstown.  And in my opinion, that’s completely wrong.  He deserves to be in based on his career and no one – regardless of how extreme in either direction – should be held out because of their political views or takes.  For the D-Backs, I got Curt Schilling.

Atanta Braves: Andruw Jones

Next up is the Atlanta Braves and an honorable mention goes to Dale Murphy, but I have to take Andruw Jones.  What’s most shocking to me isn’t that he hasn’t been elected but that he only got 19.4% of the vote in 2020.  Are you kidding me?  One of the most elite players defensively and offensively for 10 years with no steroid connections can’t get 20% of the vote?  10 Gold Gloves and just 66 bombs shy of 500 home runs and he can’t get 20% of the vote?  In 2005, this guy crushed 51 home runs and drove in 128 runs and would’ve easily been the MVP if not for Albert Pujols in his prime.  He’s a 5-time All Star and is being held out because injuries derailed his career and he struggled for the last few years of his career.  But he still hit nearly 500 homers and won 10 Gold Goves; that’s all I need to know.  If Sandy Koufax is a sure fire hall of famer for 5 years of dominance, how is Andruw Jones not a Hall of Famer for 10 years of dominance with the bat and the glove?  For the Braves it’s Andruw Jones.

Baltimore Orioles: Rafael Palmeiro

Let the steroid conversations begin with my Orioles pick, which is Rafael Palmeiro.  There will be steroid guys on this list, so if you’re strictly against steroid users getting in the Hall, we know where you stand – you can just move on.  However, Rafael Palmeiro, despite being the first superstar name to fail a steroid test, became just the 4th player in history to hit 500 home runs and accumulate 3,000 hits.  He was also a slick fielder who won three Gold Gloves.  The big question with Palmeiro is, would he have been a Hall of Famer without steroids and when did he start using?  He was teammates with Jose Canseco as early as 1992 in Texas, so that’s not a good sign.  To me, he’s a borderline case because of that, but based strictly on the numbers, he’s an absolute Hall of Famer.

Boston Red Sox: Roger Clemens

Speaking of absolute Hall of Famers, my Boston Red Sox pick goes to the Rocket – Roger Clemens.  Clemens and Barry Bonds are the two steroid-connected players who, in my opinion, should absolutely be in because one can reasonably come to the conclusion that they would have been 100% hall of fame players even if they never touched steroids.  When Clemens started to decline in the mid-90’s, before he ever touched steroids, he was already a first ballot Hall of Famer with 3 Cy Young Awards, an MVP and three 20-win seasons.  This was simply one of the best starting pitchers in the history of the game and we can ignore his numbers after he went to Toronto and he’s still deserving of enshrinement in Cooperstown.  For the Red Sox, I’m taking Roger Clemens.

Chicago Cubs: Sammy Sosa

For the Chicago Cubs, I would have picked Ron Santo, but he finally got elected by the Veteran’s Committee in 2011 – right after he died so that he couldn’t enjoy the moment.  Nice job there.  So, instead, I’ll take a controversial selection and it’s Sammy Sosa.  I’ve gotten into some arguments over Sosa not being on my unofficial ballots I release on my YouTube channel.  However, the only reason he’s not on them is because I only have ten slots and Sosa is usually my 11th or 13th pick since I’m not 100% sure Sosa would have been a Hall of Famer without steroids.  That being said, this is a guy who broke Roger Maris’s 61 home run mark three times and hit an absolutely unconceivable 243 home runs in 4 years.  He was a 7-time All Star with over 600 home runs and yes – there are some advanced stats like WAR that don’t look that great, but this was one of the biggest names in the game and during a time when baseball turned a blind eye to the steroids. He and Mark McGwire brought baseball back to the USA after the ratings crashed post-strike. Unfortunately, they were also part of bringing it into darkness again with the steroid scandal, but all these years later, I feel that they were amongst the best in a league where steroids were everywhere.  He was one of the best in the league and put up numbers never seen before, and so Sammy Sosa is my pick for the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame snub. 

Chicago White Sox: Joe Jackson

For the White Sox, I’m going with Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was banned from baseball for life for his role in the fixing of the 1919 World Series. There are lots of debates on his involvement but statistically, if he was throwing the World Series, you wouldn’t know it - He had a series-leading .375 batting average, including the series’ only home run. Jackson threw out five baserunners and handled 30 chances in the outfield with no errors. Even in the games that the Sox lost, Jackson performed well statistically. Also, from the account of others involved, Jackson was not even in on the meetings.  They wanted to use his name to help gain more rapport with the gamblers.  All that aside, I believe Joe Jackson should get in the Hall of Fame because he has already paid the price for the scandal – he was banned from baseball for life and never allowed to participate again for the rest of his life.  Furthermore, at the time he played, there was no players union and players were not paid like they are now.  Also, White Sox owner Charles Comiskey had a reputation for paying his players as little as possible and even charging them for having their uniforms laundered.  At the end of the day, people make mistakes and Joe Jackson has passed away –MLB likes to hold players accountable for life for not being perfect while they kept the game segregated for 60 years.  Sometimes, it’s time to forgive and give a guy a plaque – Joe Jackson deserves one for a Hall of Fame baseball career.

Cincinnati Reds: Scott Rolen

For The Reds, I’m going with Scott Rolen.  If you’re wondering where another former Red who has more hits than any one in MLB history is, he’ll be included as well but I had to find a place for everyone, so he’ll be included with a different team.  I had to include Rolen somewhere as well.  This is a guy who, like Andruw Jones, was one of the best defensive and offensive players at his position for a decade.  He won eight Gold Glove Awards while offensively, he ranks in the top 15 among third basemen in home runs (316), RBI (1,287) and slugging percentage (.490).  The 7-time All-Star is more than deserving of enshrinement and I believe he will be elected within the next couple of years.

Cleveland Indians: Kenny Lofton

For the Cleveland Indians, there were several names I considered including Manny Ramirez, who hit 555 home runs.  The problem with Ramirez is he failed not one, but two PED tests and has a history of not being a great teammate, quitting on his teams and having an overall negative impact on the game.  However, I can’t deny his numbers as they are certainly Hall-of-Fame worthy.  Nevertheless, I’m going with Kenny Lofton, who somehow got booted from the ballot after just one year, despite a great career in which he had 2,428 hits, 622 steals, 4 Gold Gloves and 6 All Star Selections.  He played right amid the steroid era and still had a fantastic career defensively, offensively and on the basepaths.  If you look at the JAWS ranking for centerfielders, which is a metric measuring overall Hall of Fame worthiness, Lofton is 10th all time and above Hall-of-Famers Richie Ashburn, Andre Dawson, Kirby Puckett, Hack Wilson and several others. He might not be an absolute shoe-in, but he certainly was snubbed of more opportunities after getting less than 5% of the vote in his first year. 

Colorado Rockies: Todd Helton

The Rockies gave me the easiest choice of this entire list – Todd Helton.  He spent seventeen years with the same team, crushing 369 home runs with a .316 batting average.  He was elite with the bat and the glove, winning 3 Gold Gloves and 4 Silver Sluggers while representing the Rockies in the All Star Game five consecutive seasons.  Maybe most impressively, his career OPS is 18th best in baseball history.  I believe he is an absolute Hall-of-Famer and anyone keeping him out because he plays in Denver is, in my opinion, absolutely absurd.  There is a Major League team in Denver.  A player should not be criticized because of where their team plays their home games.  Besides, it’s Denver – not the moon.  The ball carries well, but Helton was a machine at home and the road throughout his career, including the year 2000 when he hit .372 with 147 RBI.  He should absolutely be in as soon as possible.

Detroit Tigers: Lou Whitaker

Next comes the Detroit Tigers and I’m taking Lou Whitaker as their biggest Hall of Fame snub.  Going back to the JAWS ranking, Whitaker finds himself above Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio and Bill Mazeroski.  Yet the 5-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glover and 4-time Silver Slugger received a pathetic 2.9% of the vote, falling off the ballot immediately.  Are you kidding me?  Whitaker was not only a great defender, but had a dynamic bat with power, hitting at least 19 home runs 5 times, finishing with 244 in his career, which is a ton for a second baseman.  He also helped the Tigers win a World Series and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1978.  On baseball-reference, Whitaker has a higher WAR than Reggie Jackson, modern-day Frank Thomas, Derek Jeter and many other huge names.  Yet he fell off the ballot after one year.  That is an absolute snub.

Houston Astros: Billy Wagner

For the Houston Astros, I’m going with closer Billy Wagner.  The Astros drafted him in the first round and he pitched in Houston for 9 seasons.  He ranks sixth all time with 422 saves and his 1,196 career strikeouts as a reliever are the fourth-most in the history of baseball.  The 7-time All Star had an astonishing 2.31 career ERA and in his final big league season, he closed out 37 games for Atlanta with an even better 1.43 ERA.  As far as his regular season career, he should be a no-doubt Hall-of-Famer when compared to his peers who have already been voted in such as Bruce Sutter and Trevor Hoffman.  The downside for Wagner is his disappointing postseason career, but in my opinion, a great postseason career is a bonus that could put some one in who otherwise would be a borderline case.  It shouldn’t keep some one out who had a Hall-of-Fame career, which, in my opinion, Billy Wagner had.

Kansas City Royals: Dan Quisenberry

For the Royals, I’m going with another relief pitcher who was removed from the ballot after one year.  It’s the great submariner Dan Quisenberry.  Although I admit he is a borderline case and not a shoe-in, the fact that he was only on the ballot for a year is very upsetting.  This is a guy who led the American League in saves five out of six seasons and finished among the top three in Cy Young voting for an unbelievable for four straight years, which is insanely impressive for a reliever.  He finished his career with 244 saves and a 2.76 ERA but also helped the Royals win a World Series in 1985 with a 2.08 ERA.  He won the Rolaids Reliever of the Year 5 times and made three All Star Teams.  Unfortunately, he wasn’t so great during the last few years of his career, but certainly deserved more consideration in my opinion.

Los Angeles Angels: Bobby Grich

For the Los Angeles Angels, I’m going with Bobby Grich, who was on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1992 and got a mere 2.6% of the vote, falling off the ballot.  Throughout the 70’s and 80’s, Grich was an excellent player both offensively and defensively, making six All Star teams, winning 4 Gold Gloves and a silver slugger.  He didn’t get Hall of Fame support because his final career numbers aren’t overly spectacular – just 224 home runs and .266 batting average but if you consider his position, he is among the best offensive second baseman and ranks 8th all time on the JAWS list, ahead of several Hall of Famers including Ryne Sandberg, Jackie Robinson, Robert Alomar and Craig Biggio.  He also hit a clutch home run in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS that would’ve been an All-Time Great Home Run if Dave Henderson and the Red Sox hadn’t made history with an amazing come-from-behind victory.  Ultimately, Bobby Grich was undervalued in 1992 and his Hall of Fame case should get another look.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Orel Hershiser

The Los Angeles Dodgers are next and I’m going to go with Orel Hershiser, a staple in that Dodgers rotation throughout the 80’s and early 90’s.  He ended up playing 18 seasons and setting an MLB record with an astonishing 59 consecutive scoreless innings.  As far as the regular season, Hershiser dominated during the early part of his career and even won a Cy Young Award in 1988.  He made three consecutive All Star teams and won a Gold Glove.  His numbers eventually fell after some injuries and surgeries and he didn’t end up with the most impressive career totals – a 204-150 record with a 3.48 ERA.  Where I think he deserves heavier consideration is his postseason career.  Hershiser has both an ALCS and NLCS MVP along with a World Series MVP from 1988 when he helped the Dodgers win a World Series by throwing two complete games while allowing just 2 runs in 18 innings.  He dominated with the Indians as well and even pitched 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball in the 1999 playoffs with the New York Mets at age 40.  Hershiser ended his career with a 2.59 postseason ERA and for all his accomplishments there, as well as his dominance throughout the first 6 years of his career, I believe he was snubbed when got only 4.4% of the vote in 2007, falling off the ballot. 

Miami Marlins: Gary Sheffield

For the Miami Marlins, I’m going with a guy who played there since their inaugural season in 1993 through 1998 and helped them win a World Series title in ’97 by hitting .320 in 50 postseason at bats with 3 home runs.  I’m talking about Gary Sheffield, who does have 100% Hall of Fame stats, but unfortunately also has those PED connections.  He ended up 509 bombs, 9 All Star appearances, 5 Silver Sluggers, and a batting title in 1992.  The problem, as I mentioned, is his steroid connections as he did some training with Barry Bonds around 2002 and has ties to Balco during that time.  He also doesn’t have the best defensive metrics.  Sheffield was one of the most feared hitters in the game for well over a decade, however, and should definitely gain traction with more forgiving and younger voters.

Milwaukee Brewers: Cecil Cooper

For the Brewers, it has to be a great player who many have probably forgotten – Cecil Cooper.  Cooper was a 6th round draft pick by the Red Sox who never really broke out until he signed with Milwaukee in 1977 and hit .300 with 20 home runs.  He only got better from there, making five All Star teams, winning consecutive Gold Glove awards, leading the league in RBI twice and picking up two Silver Slugger awards.  He topped 200 hits three times and finished his career with a .298 batting average and 2,192 hits. He also hit .286 with a home run in the 1982 World Series.  For some one who was excellent on both sides of the ball and had as many accomplishments as he did, you’d expect at least a few Hall of Fame votes even if he doesn’t get enshrined.  Cecil Cooper did not receive a single vote during his one year of eligibility.  Not one.   

Minnesota Twins: Jim Kaat

The first name that came to mind for me with the Twins is Jim Kaat.  Kaat pitched 25 years in the Major Leagues and helped every team he played for including the Twins, for whom he picked up 25 wins in 1966.  He finished his career with 283 wins and an amazing 16 Gold Gloves.  The only pitcher with more is Greg Maddux.  Kaat struck out 2,461 batters, won at least 20 games 3 times, made three All Star teams and helped the Cardinals win a World Series in 1982 at the age of 43.  In 2003, he only got 26.2% of the vote and fell off the ballot after 15 years.  I believe longevity means a lot and when you combine his 25 year career with 16 Gold Gloves, over 2,400 strikeouts and nearly 300 wins, you have a Hall of Famer.

New York Mets: Keith Hernandez

For the New York Mets, I’m going with Keith Hernandez.  If you’re surprised by this, just listen to these career accomplishments.  In his 17 year career, Hernandez won 11 Gold Gloves, making him undeniably an elite defensive first baseman in the league for over a decade.  He also won two Silver Sluggers, was elected to five All Star Teams and even won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1979 by hitting .344 with 48 doubles and 105 RBI.  He helped both the Cardinals and Mets win a World Series.  Hernandez helped his teams win enough to have a higher career WAR than Hall of Famers Yogi Berra, Mike Piazza, Vlad Guerrero and Willie Stargell.  Defense matters and if certain players like Ozzie Smith can get in on defense alone, how does some one who was elite both defensively and offensively not get in?  Keith Hernandez was snubbed.

New York Yankees: Roger Maris

My New York Yankees pick may be a little controversial because even I admit he doesn’t quite have the career numbers to merit induction.  However, there are certain accomplishments that create a legendary status that alone should be given a lot of weight in my opinion.  And when a player also has plenty of other supporting accomplishments on top of that, I start to think – this guy deserves a plaque.  That guy is Roger Maris, whose most famous accomplishment is, of course, hitting 61 home runs in 1961, breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record and winning the MVP.  He did this in the face of constant pressure and harassment, with both writers and fans openly rooting against him. However, it is sometimes forgotten that the year before that, in 1960, Maris also won the MVP by hitting .283 with 39 home runs and 112 RBI.  He also won a Gold Glove that year.  He was a seven-time All Star who not only helped the Yankees win 2 World Series rings but won a ring later in his career with the Cardinals.  Roger Maris is part of baseball immortality and with 3 rings, 2 MVP’s, the single-season home run record (before the steroid era came along anyway), and a solid 12 year career, I would personally vote for him and would love for Roger Maris to have a plaque in Cooperstown.

Oakland A’s: Mark McGwire

If I’m going to have Sammy Sosa and Gary Sheffield on this list, there’s a couple Oakland A’s I have to consider.  One is Jason Giambi who won an MVP with Oakland and finished his 20 year career with 440 home runs.  However, the more obvious pick and the one I’m going with as the Oakland A’s snub is Mark McGwire.  Yes, he did steroids – perhaps throughout his career since he was teammates with Jose Canseco from the beginning.  However, McGwire was on a course with stardom since he was drafted in the first round out of USC.  He hit 49 home runs in his rookie year, breaking a rookie record, went on to hit 583 career bombs and, of course, famously broke Roger Maris’ single season record in 1998, helping to save baseball with Sammy Sosa, and becoming one of the biggest sports stars in the world.  He was simply one of baseball’s biggest stars for 15 years and with 12 All Star selections and even a Gold Glove, I believe he should have a plaque in Cooperstown, although many would disagree for obvious reasons. 

Philadelphia Phillies: Dick Allen

For the Phillies, I’m taking a player who probably would have been elected if the pandemic had not canceled the veteran’s committee meeting last year.  Instead, they didn’t elect anybody and now sadly Dick Allen has passed away and when he gets elected, as happens too often, he won’t be able to enjoy the moment.  It should have never gotten to that point as Dick Allen was a definite Hall of Famer with a 15 year career, Rookie of The Year in 1964, MVP Award in 1972, and seven All Star Selections.  During his peak 11 years from 1964 to 1974, only Hank Aaron had a higher OPS.  He topped leaderboards in nearly every offensive category and if you have any doubt that Dick Allen is a Hall of Famer, let me just say he has the same career OPS+ as Willie Mays.  The only issue is he didn’t play long enough to get to the key 500 home runs or 3,000 hits because of injury, but during his 15 years, he was more than great enough and he’ll probably be elected this year, especially since he just passed away, which is one of the best things you can do to improve your Hall of Fame chances and it’s a shame he won’t be able to be at his own ceremony.  Dick Allen is a Hall of Famer.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Dave Parker

The next team is the Pittsburgh Pirates and I’m going to go with Dave Parker, who never received more than 24.5% of the vote during his 15 years on the ballot.  In his prime, he was one of the most dangerous sluggers in baseball and had a cannon for an arm in the outfield.  He has big numbers and big awards, including an MVP, three Gold Gloves, an All Star Game MVP, two World Series Rings, and back-to-back batting titles. He was a key member of the Pittsburgh Pirates championship team in 1979, hitting .333 in the NLCS and .345 in the World Series.  Parker finished his career with over 2,700 hits and an insane 143 outfield assists.  Again, because he didn’t hit the big milestones with the zeroes at the end, he doesn’t get in and it’s ridiculous.  The same player could have hit 3,000 hits with no MVP’s, Gold Gloves or rings and would be first ballot Hall of Famer but Parker can’t get more than 24.5% of the vote. 

San Diego Padres: Steve Garvey

For the San Diego Padres, I’m going with Steve Garvey, who played for the All Star Team a ridiculous – for some one not in the Hall of Fame – TEN times.  This is another player who was elite on both sides of the ball, winning four Gold Gloves while finishing his career with a .294 batting average and 272 home runs.  If you need an MVP, you got one – Garvey won it in 1974 and finished second in 1978.  He, in fact, received MVP votes for 8 straight seasons.  On top of all that, he was an Iron-Man, breaking the NL record streak with 1,207 consecutive games played.  Want more records?  He set an MLB record with 159 errorless games at first base.  This was one of the best players in the game over a long period of time but again – he didn’t reach the magic 3,000 hit number.  Steve Garvey needs a plaque and he needs it now.

San Francisco Giants: Barry Bonds

For my favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, there really is one obvious choice although I do want to give a shoutout to Will Clark and a guy who will be on this list a little later, Jeff Kent – both who had amazing careers and deserve more consideration.  However, I’m going with Barry Bonds, one of the best players in the history of the game.  Bonds was a shoe-in first time no-brainer Hall of Famer before he ever touched, as Bob Costas would say, anything stronger than a Protein Shake.  We can ignore all of the video-game numbers he put up after the turn of the century and he’s still a Hall of Famer.  There is really only one argument to keep him out and that’s the fact that he eventually did use steroids, but to keep one of the greatest baseball players to ever live out of the Hall of Fame is something I just can’t get behind.  This is a guy who had to watch Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire be hailed as heroes who saved baseball while he knew he was 10 times as good as either of them.  He gave into temptation and I wish he never did it, but he did.  At the end of the day, this is one of the greats of all time and had won three MVP’s, made eight All Star Teams and won eight Gold Gloves before he touched steroids.  Bonds needs a plaque, and he needs it now. 

Seattle Mariners: Omar Vizquel

For the Seattle Mariners, I’m going to take Omar Vizquel, who spent his first 5 big league seasons with the M’s.  What I never understood about the lack of support for Omar is how Ozzie Smith was a first ballot Hall of Famer yet Omar Vizquel can’t even sniff the Hall of Fame.  When you compare their stats, Omar was, in many ways, an even better defender and certainly a better hitter.  He showed incredible longevity with a 24-year career in which he won 11 Gold Gloves and ended his career with 2,877 hits.  The only shortstops with more hits are Derek Jeter, Honus Wagner, Cal Ripken Jr. and Robin Yount, all sure-fire Hall of Famers.  The problem could be that only made three All Star teams and played for a variety of teams, which could hurt his case.  However, if Ozzie Smith is a Hall of Famer, I believe Omar Vizquel is as well. 

St. Louis Cardinals: Jim Edmonds/Ken Boyer

For the St. Louis Cardinals, I have to cheat and pick two players – first there’s Jim Edmonds, who got bumped off the ballot after one year.  A human highlight reel in centerfield, Edmonds won eight Gold Gloves and was just 7 home runs shy of 400 in his career.  For his first six seasons in St. Louis, he averaged 35 home runs a year.  He helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006 and hit 13 career postseason home runs.  How he fell off the ballot after one year I can’t explain.  Then there’s Ken Boyer, an elite offensive and defensive player, who won 5 Gold Gloves with 11 All Star Selections.  He won the MVP in 1964 for hitting .295 with 24 bombs and an MLB-best 119 RBIs while leading the Cardinals to the World Series. All of his numbers are right in line with other Hall of Famers, but somehow he got completely overlooked.  Both Jim Edmonds and Ken Boyer deserve more consideration.

Tampa Bay Rays: Fred McGriff

By far, the most confusing and frustrating snub in this entire list is Fred McGriff.  He could’ve easily been the pick for the Braves or Blue Jays, but since The Rays need a representative, I’ll give them Fred, who played for the Rays from their inaugural season in 1998 until 2001.  Overall, McGriff is a 100% absolute Hall of Famer who played the game clean right amidst the steroid era.  Instead of rewarding him for playing the game clean, he is punished – stupidly enough, while also punishing those who chose to do steroids.  Fred McGriff hit 493 home runs in his career and I am convinced if he hit a mere 7 more, he would already be in the Hall of Fame.  McGriff also made five All Star Teams, won a ring with Atlanta, has a .303 career postseason batting average with 10 bombs in 188 at bats and had 6 Top 10 MVP seasons.  His career batting line after 19 seasons is .284/.377/.509 and he won three Silver Sluggers with an All Star Game MVP as well.  Add to all that the fact that McGriff was one of the nicest guys in the league, popular with the fans and media.  If they don’t want to put in Bonds, Clemens or McGwire because of steroids, how in the hell do they keep out McGriff?

Texas Rangers: Al Oliver

For the Texas Rangers, I’m going with Al Oliver, who spent 4 seasons in Arlington, where he made 2 of his seven All Star Teams.  He also won a batting title with the Expos, hitting .331 in 1982 with a league high 204 hits and 109 RBI.  He received MVP votes in 10 separate seasons and retired with a batting average of .303 with over 9,000 career at bats.  This man hit over .300 in 9,000 Major League at bats and can’t get in the Hall of Fame.  He has more career hits than Chipper Jones, Lou Gerhig and Ted Williams. How was his Hall of Fame support in his first year on the ballot?  He got less than 5% of the vote and fell off immediately.  To this day, Al Oliver is still getting denied by the Hall of Fame, who won’t even put him on the veteran’s ballot. 

Toronto Blue Jays: Jeff Kent

For the Toronto Blue Jays, I could’ve given them any number of guys I’ve already used up such as Fred McGriff, Omar Vizquel or Roger Clemens.  I also considered Dave Stieb, who made 7 All Star Teams, but ultimately, I had to find a place for the great Jeff Kent.  Kent was drafted by the Blue Jays and made his debut with them although he found most of his success with the Mets, Giants, Astros and Dodgers.  Jeff Kent is a four-time Silver Slugger and five-time All Star who won the 2000 MVP despite playing on the same team as Barry Bonds.  The stat that makes it most shocking that he’s not in the hall is the fact that Jeff Kent has more home runs than any other second baseman – ever.  He has also been a clutch postseason player with multiple big moments, finishing his career with 9 postseason home runs in just 170 at bats.  Jeff Kent is absolutely a Hall of Famer and is still getting snubbed every year by the writers who only gave him 27.5% of the vote in 2020.

Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos: Pete Rose

But my final snub, appropriately enough, is the hit king and he will represent the Montreal Expos, now known as the Washington Nationals.  Pete Rose only spent 95 of his 3,562 games with Montreal and is certainly better represented by the Reds or Phillies, but the Nationals franchise didn’t have a lot of options now that Tim Raines has gotten in.  Pete Rose needed to be on here somewhere though.  Even though he did gamble on the game and deserved to be banned from participating, there was no rule that said he couldn’t get in the Hall of Fame until the Hall of Fame themselves created that rule once Rose was placed on the ineligible list, deciding that any one on the ineligible list is also ineligible for the Hall of Fame.  It’s a terrible policy in my opinion as the purpose of the rule was the keep gamblers from participating in MLB games and having a plaque in a museum is no threat to the integrity of the game.  Pete Rose has more hits than any one who has ever played this game, but was also a perfect example of how to play hard every day.  He ran out every grounder, made the head-first slide popular and through hard work and dedication, became one of the greatest of all time despite not being gifted athletically. Pete Rose may not have been the best person, but he was one of the best ballplayers ever and should be immortalized in Cooperstown while he’s still alive to enjoy it and know that his career is appreciated, even if he’s not allowed to wear a uniform again as an active participant. 

It is truly embarrassing that baseball has a Hall of Fame dedicated to all the greatest who ever played the game, yet the Hit King, Home Run King and perhaps the greatest pitcher of all time are all on the outside looking in.  However, even if you want to keep them out for their wrongdoings, what’s the excuse for not letting in many of the other guys I’ve talked about today?  What about Fred McGriff?  What bout Andruw Jones?  Al Oliver?  The Hall of Fame should be tough to get into, but history has shown that you don’t have to be Babe Ruth or Randy Johnson to get in.  If guys like Ozzie Smith, Harold Baines and Luke Appling are Hall of Famers, so are many of these guys.  Until they get in or at least get a fair shake, I’m calling them the biggest Hall of Fame Snubs in Major League Baseball.