09-25-2009, 03:14 PM
To celebrate the call-up of future great Tyler Colvin, I searched for articles on our excellent drafting process. This was particularly eye-opening:
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->...One other key factor doomed the franchise -- an amazing streak that is mind-boggling. Baseball began its amateur draft in 1965. The Cubs, often bad, often drafted high. <b>Despite this, the Cubs have NEVER drafted a player in the first round who turned into a longtime star with the franchise. Not a single one.</b> In fact, of the 46 first-round picks made from 1965 through 2006, few even became quality major leaguers.
This is so astounding, so inexplicably astonishing, it's worth reviewing.
The seven "good" first-round choices:
1981: Joe Carter. Traded.
1982: Shawon Dunston. He did have a long (if mediocre) career.
1985: Rafael Palmeiro. Traded before he became a star.
1991: Doug Glanville. Traded for Mickey Morandini.
1995: Kerry Wood. Injured.
1997: Jon Garland. Traded for Matt Karchner.
2001: Mark Prior. Injured.
As for the rest, check out the complete list of first-round picks, from Rick James in 1965 through Tyler Colvin in 2006:
Rick James (not the funk master), Dean Burk*, Terry Hughes, Ralph Rickey*, Roger Metzger (five home runs in 1,219 career games … 1970s baseball, folks!), Gene Hiser, Jeff Wehmeier*, Brian Vernoy*, Jerry Tab, Scot Thompson (an outfielder who played 626 games and hit five home runs), Brian Rosinski*, Herman Segelke, Randy Martz, Bill Hayes, Jon Perlman, Don Schulze, Vance Lovelace, Joe Carter, Stan Boderick*, Tony Woods*, Shawon Dunston, Jackie Davidson* (could have had Roger Clemens), Drew Hall, Dave Masters*, Rafael Palmeiro (did enjoy his time with the Cubs, via Sandberg's wife), Derrick May, Mike Harkey, Ty Griffin*, Earl Cunningham* (prodigious power when he connected, which was rarely; hit .196 one year in Class A with 152 strikeouts and 19 walks), Lance Dickson, Doug Glanville, Derek Wallace, Jon Ratliff, Brooks Kieschnick, Jayson Peterson*, Wood, Todd Noel*, Jon Garland, Corey Patterson (had all the tools except strike-zone judgment), Ben Christensen*, Luis Montanez, Mark Prior, Bobby Brownlie*, Ryan Harvey*, Mark Pawelek*, Tyler Colvin.
* Never even appeared in the majors<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->...One other key factor doomed the franchise -- an amazing streak that is mind-boggling. Baseball began its amateur draft in 1965. The Cubs, often bad, often drafted high. <b>Despite this, the Cubs have NEVER drafted a player in the first round who turned into a longtime star with the franchise. Not a single one.</b> In fact, of the 46 first-round picks made from 1965 through 2006, few even became quality major leaguers.
This is so astounding, so inexplicably astonishing, it's worth reviewing.
The seven "good" first-round choices:
1981: Joe Carter. Traded.
1982: Shawon Dunston. He did have a long (if mediocre) career.
1985: Rafael Palmeiro. Traded before he became a star.
1991: Doug Glanville. Traded for Mickey Morandini.
1995: Kerry Wood. Injured.
1997: Jon Garland. Traded for Matt Karchner.
2001: Mark Prior. Injured.
As for the rest, check out the complete list of first-round picks, from Rick James in 1965 through Tyler Colvin in 2006:
Rick James (not the funk master), Dean Burk*, Terry Hughes, Ralph Rickey*, Roger Metzger (five home runs in 1,219 career games … 1970s baseball, folks!), Gene Hiser, Jeff Wehmeier*, Brian Vernoy*, Jerry Tab, Scot Thompson (an outfielder who played 626 games and hit five home runs), Brian Rosinski*, Herman Segelke, Randy Martz, Bill Hayes, Jon Perlman, Don Schulze, Vance Lovelace, Joe Carter, Stan Boderick*, Tony Woods*, Shawon Dunston, Jackie Davidson* (could have had Roger Clemens), Drew Hall, Dave Masters*, Rafael Palmeiro (did enjoy his time with the Cubs, via Sandberg's wife), Derrick May, Mike Harkey, Ty Griffin*, Earl Cunningham* (prodigious power when he connected, which was rarely; hit .196 one year in Class A with 152 strikeouts and 19 walks), Lance Dickson, Doug Glanville, Derek Wallace, Jon Ratliff, Brooks Kieschnick, Jayson Peterson*, Wood, Todd Noel*, Jon Garland, Corey Patterson (had all the tools except strike-zone judgment), Ben Christensen*, Luis Montanez, Mark Prior, Bobby Brownlie*, Ryan Harvey*, Mark Pawelek*, Tyler Colvin.
* Never even appeared in the majors<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's nothing better than to realize that the good things about youth don't end with youth itself. It's a matter of realizing that life can be renewed every day you get out of bed without baggage. It's tough to get there, but it's better than the dark thoughts. -Lance