1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft

1968 MLB expansion draft
General information
Teams	Montreal Expos San Diego Padres Kansas City Royals Seattle Pilots
Date(s)	October 14, 1968 (National League) October 15, 1968 (American League)
Picks
First selections	Manny Mota, Montreal Expos Ollie Brown, San Diego Padres Roger Nelson, Kansas City Royals Don Mincher, Seattle Pilots
Overall selections	60 (National League) 60 (American League)

The 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted to stock up the rosters of four expansion teams in Major League Baseball created via the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion and which would begin play in the 1969 season.

The expansion draft for the Montreal Expos and the San Diego Padres was held on October 14, 1968. The expansion draft for the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots was held on October 15, 1968.

Background

Montreal Expos

On December 2, 1967, Gerry Snyder presented a bid for a Montreal franchise to Major League Baseball's team owners at their winter meetings in Mexico City. One potential wild card in Montreal's favor was that the chair of the National League's expansion committee was influential Los Angeles Dodgers president Walter O'Malley, under whom the minor league Montreal Royals had become affiliated with the Dodgers. On May 27, 1968, O'Malley announced that franchises were being awarded to Montreal and San Diego, beginning play the following year (1969).^[1]

Business executive Charles Bronfman of the Seagram's distilling empire owned the new team.^[2] With a long history of use in Montreal, the "Royals" was one of the candidate nicknames for the new franchise, but the American League's new Kansas City team adopted this name, so the new owners conducted a contest to name the team. Many names were suggested by Montrealers (including the "Voyageurs" and in a coincidental twist, the "Nationals" — now used by the team in its new home in Washington, D.C.) but there was a clear winner. At the time, the city was still basking in the glow of the recently completed Expo 67, the most popular World's Fair to date, and so the name "Expos" was used.^[3] The Expos name also had the advantage of being the same in both English and French, the city's two dominant languages.

San Diego Padres

The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team which arrived in San Diego in 1936. That minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by then-18-year-old San Diegan Ted Williams. Their original owner was C. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. The team was led by longtime baseball executive Buzzie Bavasi.

Kansas City Royals

The "Royals" name originates from the American Royal Livestock Show, held in Kansas City since 1899. Entering Major League Baseball as an expansion franchise in 1969, the club was founded by Ewing Kauffman, a Kansas City businessman. The franchise was established following the actions of Stuart Symington, then-United States Senator from Missouri, who demanded a new franchise for the city after the Athletics—Kansas City's previous major league team—moved to Oakland, California.

Seattle Pilots

Seattle initially had much going for it when it joined the American League in 1969. Seattle had long been a hotbed for minor league baseball and was home to the Seattle Rainiers, one of the pillars of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The Cleveland Indians had almost moved to Seattle in 1965. Many of the same things that attracted the Indians made Seattle a plum choice for an expansion team. Seattle was the third-biggest metropolitan area on the West Coast (behind Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area).

Draft results

Key

	All-Star
	Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

National League Draft Pick Player Selected from Selected by 1 Brown, OllieOllie Brown San Francisco Giants San Diego Padres 2 Mota, MannyManny Mota Pittsburgh Pirates Montreal Expos 3 Giusti, DaveDave Giusti St. Louis Cardinals San Diego Padres 4 Jones, MackMack Jones Cincinnati Reds Montreal Expos 5 Selma, DickDick Selma New York Mets San Diego Padres 6 Bateman, JohnJohn Bateman Houston Astros Montreal Expos 7 Santorini, AlAl Santorini Atlanta Braves San Diego Padres 8 Sutherland, GaryGary Sutherland Philadelphia Phillies Montreal Expos 9 Arcia, JoséJosé Arcia Chicago Cubs San Diego Padres 10 Billingham, JackJack Billingham Los Angeles Dodgers Montreal Expos 11 Clendenon, DonnDonn Clendenon Pittsburgh Pirates Montreal Expos 12 Kirby, ClayClay Kirby St. Louis Cardinals San Diego Padres 13 Alou, JesúsJesús Alou San Francisco Giants Montreal Expos 14 Fred Kendall Cincinnati Reds San Diego Padres 15 Mike Wegener Philadelphia Phillies Montreal Expos 16 Morales, JerryJerry Morales New York Mets San Diego Padres 17 Guinn, SkipSkip Guinn Atlanta Braves Montreal Expos 18 Colbert, NateNate Colbert Houston Astros San Diego Padres 19 Stoneman, BillBill Stoneman Chicago Cubs Montreal Expos 20 Versalles, ZoiloZoilo Versalles Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres 21 Wills, MauryMaury Wills Pittsburgh Pirates Montreal Expos 22 Frank Reberger Chicago Cubs San Diego Padres 23 Jackson, LarryLarry Jackson^[a] Philadelphia Phillies Montreal Expos 24 DaVanon, JerryJerry DaVanon St. Louis Cardinals San Diego Padres 25 Reynolds, BobBob Reynolds San Francisco Giants Montreal Expos 26 Stahl, LarryLarry Stahl New York Mets San Diego Padres 27 McGinn, DanDan McGinn Cincinnati Reds Montreal Expos 28 Kelley, DickDick Kelley Atlanta Braves San Diego Padres 29 Herrera, JoséJosé Herrera Houston Astros Montreal Expos 30 Ferrara, AlAl Ferrara Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres 31 Corkins, MikeMike Corkins San Francisco Giants San Diego Padres 32 Williams, JimyJimy Williams Cincinnati Reds Montreal Expos 33 Dukes, TomTom Dukes Houston Astros San Diego Padres 34 Hermoso, RemyRemy Hermoso Atlanta Braves Montreal Expos 35 James, RickRick James Chicago Cubs San Diego Padres 36 Grant, MudcatMudcat Grant Los Angeles Dodgers Montreal Expos 37 González, TonyTony González Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres 38 Robertson, JerryJerry Robertson St. Louis Cardinals Montreal Expos 39 Roberts, DaveDave Roberts Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres 40 Shaw, DonDon Shaw New York Mets Montreal Expos 41 Cline, TyTy Cline San Francisco Giants Montreal Expos 42 Murrell, IvanIvan Murrell Houston Astros San Diego Padres 43 Garry Jestadt Chicago Cubs Montreal Expos 44 Williams, JimJim Williams Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres 45 Morton, CarlCarl Morton Atlanta Braves Montreal Expos 46 McCool, BillyBilly McCool Cincinnati Reds San Diego Padres 47 Jaster, LarryLarry Jaster St. Louis Cardinals Montreal Expos 48 Peña, RobertoRoberto Peña Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres 49 McAnally, ErnieErnie McAnally New York Mets Montreal Expos 50 McBean, AlAl McBean Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres 51 Robles, RafaelRafael Robles San Francisco Giants San Diego Padres 52 Fairey, JimJim Fairey Los Angeles Dodgers Montreal Expos 53 Fred Katawczik Cincinnati Reds San Diego Padres 54 Laboy, CocoCoco Laboy St. Louis Cardinals Montreal Expos 55 Slocum, RonRon Slocum Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres 56 Boccabella, JohnJohn Boccabella Chicago Cubs Montreal Expos 57 Arlin, SteveSteve Arlin Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres 58 Brand, RonRon Brand Houston Astros Montreal Expos 59 Gaston, CitoCito Gaston Atlanta Braves San Diego Padres 60 John Glass New York Mets Montreal Expos

American League Draft Pick Player Selected from Selected by 1 Nelson, RogerRoger Nelson Baltimore Orioles Kansas City Royals 2 Mincher, DonDon Mincher California Angels Seattle Pilots 3 Harper, TommyTommy Harper Cleveland Indians Seattle Pilots 4 Foy, JoeJoe Foy Boston Red Sox Kansas City Royals 5 Oyler, RayRay Oyler Detroit Tigers Seattle Pilots 6 Rooker, JimJim Rooker New York Yankees Kansas City Royals 7 McNertney, JerryJerry McNertney Chicago White Sox Seattle Pilots 8 Keough, JoeJoe Keough Oakland Athletics Kansas City Royals 9 Stephen, BuzzBuzz Stephen Minnesota Twins Seattle Pilots 10 Jones, SteveSteve Jones Washington Senators Kansas City Royals 11 Salmon, ChicoChico Salmon Cleveland Indians Seattle Pilots 12 Warden, JonJon Warden Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals 13 Rodríguez, EllieEllie Rodríguez New York Yankees Kansas City Royals 14 Seguí, DiegoDiego Seguí Oakland Athletics Seattle Pilots 15 Morehead, DaveDave Morehead Boston Red Sox Kansas City Royals 16 Davis, TommyTommy Davis Chicago White Sox Seattle Pilots 17 Fiore, MikeMike Fiore Baltimore Orioles Kansas City Royals 18 Pattin, MartyMarty Pattin California Angels Seattle Pilots 19 Oliver, BobBob Oliver Minnesota Twins Kansas City Royals 20 Schoen, GerryGerry Schoen Washington Senators Seattle Pilots 21 Bell, GaryGary Bell Boston Red Sox Seattle Pilots 22 Butler, BillBill Butler Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals 23 Whitaker, SteveSteve Whitaker New York Yankees Kansas City Royals 24 Aker, JackJack Aker Oakland Athletics Seattle Pilots 25 Bunker, WallyWally Bunker Baltimore Orioles Kansas City Royals 26 Rollins, RichRich Rollins Minnesota Twins Seattle Pilots 27 Schaal, PaulPaul Schaal California Angels Kansas City Royals 28 Piniella, LouLou Piniella Cleveland Indians Seattle Pilots 29 Bill Haynes Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals 30 Bates, DickDick Bates Washington Senators Seattle Pilots 31 Drago, DickDick Drago Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals 32 Haney, LarryLarry Haney Baltimore Orioles Seattle Pilots 33 Baney, DickDick Baney Boston Red Sox Seattle Pilots 34 Kelly, PatPat Kelly Minnesota Twins Kansas City Royals 35 Hovley, SteveSteve Hovley California Angels Seattle Pilots 36 Harris, BillyBilly Harris Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals 37 Barber, SteveSteve Barber New York Yankees Seattle Pilots 38 O'Riley, DonDon O'Riley Oakland Athletics Kansas City Royals 39 John Miklos Washington Senators Seattle Pilots 40 Fitzmorris, AlAl Fitzmorris Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals 41 Comer, WayneWayne Comer Detroit Tigers Seattle Pilots 42 Drabowsky, MoeMoe Drabowsky Baltimore Orioles Kansas City Royals 43 Hernández, JackieJackie Hernández Minnesota Twins Kansas City Royals 44 Brandon, BuckyBucky Brandon Boston Red Sox Seattle Pilots 45 Hedlund, MikeMike Hedlund Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals 46 Lockwood, SkipSkip Lockwood Oakland Athletics Seattle Pilots 47 Burgmeier, TomTom Burgmeier California Angels Kansas City Royals 48 Timberlake, GaryGary Timberlake New York Yankees Seattle Pilots 49 Wilhelm, HoytHoyt Wilhelm Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals 50 Bob Richmond Washington Senators Seattle Pilots 51 Adair, JerryJerry Adair Boston Red Sox Kansas City Royals 52 Morris, JohnJohn Morris Baltimore Orioles Seattle Pilots 53 Marshall, MikeMike Marshall Detroit Tigers Seattle Pilots 54 Cram, JerryJerry Cram Minnesota Twins Kansas City Royals 55 Gosger, JimJim Gosger Oakland Athletics Seattle Pilots 56 Healy, FranFran Healy Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals 57 Ferraro, MikeMike Ferraro New York Yankees Seattle Pilots 58 Northey, ScottScott Northey Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals 59 Paul Click California Angels Seattle Pilots 60 Brookens, IkeIke Brookens Washington Senators Kansas City Royals

Notes

^a The Expos acquired Bobby Wine as compensation after Larry Jackson decided to retire rather than report to Montreal.^[4]

References

1. "Key dates in Expos history". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2004-09-29. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
2. Montreal Expos (1969–2004)
3. Wordorigins.org
4. "Bobby Wine heading home, will join Phils as coach," The Gazette (Montreal), Tuesday, July 18, 1972.