MLB stayed consistent through the 1960 season, with each league having 8 teams. Expansion first came in 1961, with the AL adding the Los Angeles Angels and Washington Senators (the original Washington Senators became the Minnesota Twins and the later Senators became the Texas Rangers in 1972). The NL expanded in 1962, as the New York Mets and Houston Astros joined the NL. Both the AL and NL expanded by two for the 1969 season, as the AL added the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots (the Pilots became the Milwaukee Brewers for the 1970 season) and the NL added the San Diego Padres and Montreal Expos. The AL would add the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays for the 1977 season. It wasn't until 1993 that the NL added two more teams: the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies. Both leagues concluded the expansion with the AL's Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the NL's Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998.
Prior to the first game played by each of the new teams, a draft was held the year before for the new teams to attempt to put together a roster of players for the next season. The rules for the availability of players changed slightly from 1962 to 1998, but what was common was the opportunity for the new teams to decide which players they could use from the existing teams in MLB. Over a series of 14 posts, I will review the expansion drafts of each of these newer 14 teams. Included are trades made following the draft and which players were taken first overall. Without further due, here is a recap of the 1968 expansion draft for the New York Mets.
After the American League expanded two teams for the 1961 season, the National League was prepared to do the same. A team was added to Houston and an NL team was returned to the New York area. The draft consisted of three phases, a regular phase consisting of 32 picks, from unprotected players on all National League teams. While no more than four players can be taken off of one team, there was no limit to how often you can select a player from any one team. Because of that the first two picks, SS Eddie Bressoud and C Hobie Landrith, came from the San Francisco Giants. Of course, that meant both the Colt 45s and Mets could only select two Giants for the remaining 30 picks of the first phase of the draft. Each player selected in the first regular phase cost the drafting team $75,000 a player. The second phase consisted of the next 5 picks, which cost the selecting team $50,000 per player.
Following that phase, the teams had a premium phase of the draft. Each selection on this level cost the selecting team $100,000. A total of 8 players went in this phase. Overall, the Colt 45s ended up with 23 new players while the Mets winded up with 22.
Like I already mentioned, the Colt 45s started off by taking SS Eddie Bressoud from the Giants. The Mets followed by selecting Landrith, also from the Giants. The Mets next selection was Cincinnati Reds infielder Elio Chacon (4th), followed by RHP Roger Craig from the Los Angeles Dodgers (6th), Reds OF Gus Bell (8th), Pittsburgh Pirates OF Joe Chistopher (10th) and Milwaukee Braves infielder Felix Mantilla (12th). The Mets next took Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (14th). They selected pitchers in the next two picks, talking Craig Anderson from the St Louis Cardinals (16th) and Ray Daviault from the Giants (18th).
The Mets followed up those players by taking LHP Al Jackson from the Pirates (20th), Chicago Cubs infielder Sammy Drake (22nd) and Cardinals catcher Chris Cannizzaro (24th). The Mets finished up the first phase of the draft by taking Phillies catcher Choo Choo Coleman (26th), Cubs 1B Ed Bouchee (28th) and Phillies OF Bobby Gene Smith (30th).
The Colt 45s took both the first selection and the final selection of the regular phase 2nd round. During this round, the players selected would cost the drafting team $50,000 as opposed to $75,000. The Mets took pitcher Sherman Jones from the Reds (34th) and OF Jim Hickman from the Cardinals (36th).
The final round of the NL's first ever expansion draft allowed the teams to draft more players, but at a cost of $125,000 per player. This was called the premium phase. The Colt 45s had both the last pick of the 2nd regular phase and the first pick of the premium phase. The Mets next took RHP Jay Hook from the Reds (39th). In this round the Mets also added pitcher Bob Miller from Cardinals (41st) and infielders Don Zimmer from the Dodgers (43rd) and Lee Walls from the Phillies (45th). The following is the entire Mets expansion draft recap:
Regular Phase, $75,000 per player
PickPlayerPositionSelected byPrevious team
2Hobie LandrithCatcherNew York MetsSan Francisco Giants
4Elio ChacónInfielderNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
6Roger CraigPitcherNew York MetsLos Angeles Dodgers
8Gus BellOutfielderNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
10Joe ChristopherOutfielderNew York MetsPittsburgh Pirates
12Félix MantillaInfielderNew York MetsMilwaukee Braves
14Gil HodgesFirst basemanNew York MetsLos Angeles Dodgers
16Craig AndersonPitcherNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
18Ray DaviaultPitcherNew York MetsSan Francisco Giants
20John DeMeritOutfielderNew York MetsMilwaukee Braves
22Al JacksonPitcherNew York MetsPittsburgh Pirates
24Sammy DrakeInfielderNew York MetsChicago Cubs
26Chris CannizzaroCatcherNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
28Choo Choo ColemanCatcherNew York MetsPhiladelphia Phillies
30Ed BoucheeFirst basemanNew York MetsChicago Cubs
32Bobby Gene SmithOutfielderNew York MetsPhiladelphia Phillies
Regular Phase, $50,000 per player
PickPlayerPositionSelected byPrevious team
34Sherman JonesPitcherNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
36Jim HickmanOutfielderNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
Premium Phase, $125,000 per player
PickPlayerPositionSelected byPrevious team
39Jay HookPitcherNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
41Bob MillerPitcherNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
43Don ZimmerInfielderNew York MetsChicago Cubs
45Lee WallsInfielder/OutfielderNew York MetsPhiladelphia Phillies
The Mets purchased RHP Billy Loes from the Giants and signed free agent catcher Joe Ginsberg from the Chicago White Sox. Prior to the draft, the Mets acquired 3B/OF Frank Thomas from the Braves, with a player to be named later for a player to be named later. The Mets sent Gus Bell to the Braves for Rich Herrscher to complete the deal. They also purchased catcher Harry Chiti from the Cleveland Indians. New York then traded Bobby Gene Smith to the Cardinals for Sammy Taylor. After the season started, the Mets traded their first selection of the draft, Landrith, to the Orioles for 1B Marv Throneberry.
To finish off the opening day roster, the Mets purchased former Phillies star OF Richie Ashburn from the Cubs and traded Lee Walls to the Dodgers to get veteran 2B Charlie Neal. This was the first ever lineup assembled in a regular season game for the New York Mets.
Richie Ashburn CF
Felix Mantilla SS
Charlie Neal 2B
Frank Thomas LF
Gus Bell RF
Gil Hodges 1B
Don Zimmer 3B
Hobie Landrith C
Roger Craig P
Unfortunately, this was not 1959, Neal, Bell and Hodges last really good seasons. The talent in that starting lineup was a lot better than what showed during the 1962 season. Ashburn and Thomas were the team's best players. But Bell and Landrith would not be on the team for long and Hodges would only play in 54 games. Mantilla was still a couple years away from breaking out with his 30 HR for the Boston Red Sox and Craig, in spite of showing a lot of promise with the Dodgers, would lose 24 and 22 games, respectively, for the Mets in 1962 and 1963. The Mets became not only the worst example of an expansion team, but the worst team in the history of MLB (after 1900). They had hired former Yankees manager Casey Stengel, but even with his tutorage, the team finished with a 40-120 record, 10th place in the National League. The Mets finished 60 1/2 games out of first place.
Prior to the first game played by each of the new teams, a draft was held the year before for the new teams to attempt to put together a roster of players for the next season. The rules for the availability of players changed slightly from 1962 to 1998, but what was common was the opportunity for the new teams to decide which players they could use from the existing teams in MLB. Over a series of 14 posts, I will review the expansion drafts of each of these newer 14 teams. Included are trades made following the draft and which players were taken first overall. Without further due, here is a recap of the 1968 expansion draft for the New York Mets.
After the American League expanded two teams for the 1961 season, the National League was prepared to do the same. A team was added to Houston and an NL team was returned to the New York area. The draft consisted of three phases, a regular phase consisting of 32 picks, from unprotected players on all National League teams. While no more than four players can be taken off of one team, there was no limit to how often you can select a player from any one team. Because of that the first two picks, SS Eddie Bressoud and C Hobie Landrith, came from the San Francisco Giants. Of course, that meant both the Colt 45s and Mets could only select two Giants for the remaining 30 picks of the first phase of the draft. Each player selected in the first regular phase cost the drafting team $75,000 a player. The second phase consisted of the next 5 picks, which cost the selecting team $50,000 per player.
Following that phase, the teams had a premium phase of the draft. Each selection on this level cost the selecting team $100,000. A total of 8 players went in this phase. Overall, the Colt 45s ended up with 23 new players while the Mets winded up with 22.
Like I already mentioned, the Colt 45s started off by taking SS Eddie Bressoud from the Giants. The Mets followed by selecting Landrith, also from the Giants. The Mets next selection was Cincinnati Reds infielder Elio Chacon (4th), followed by RHP Roger Craig from the Los Angeles Dodgers (6th), Reds OF Gus Bell (8th), Pittsburgh Pirates OF Joe Chistopher (10th) and Milwaukee Braves infielder Felix Mantilla (12th). The Mets next took Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (14th). They selected pitchers in the next two picks, talking Craig Anderson from the St Louis Cardinals (16th) and Ray Daviault from the Giants (18th).
The Mets followed up those players by taking LHP Al Jackson from the Pirates (20th), Chicago Cubs infielder Sammy Drake (22nd) and Cardinals catcher Chris Cannizzaro (24th). The Mets finished up the first phase of the draft by taking Phillies catcher Choo Choo Coleman (26th), Cubs 1B Ed Bouchee (28th) and Phillies OF Bobby Gene Smith (30th).
The Colt 45s took both the first selection and the final selection of the regular phase 2nd round. During this round, the players selected would cost the drafting team $50,000 as opposed to $75,000. The Mets took pitcher Sherman Jones from the Reds (34th) and OF Jim Hickman from the Cardinals (36th).
The final round of the NL's first ever expansion draft allowed the teams to draft more players, but at a cost of $125,000 per player. This was called the premium phase. The Colt 45s had both the last pick of the 2nd regular phase and the first pick of the premium phase. The Mets next took RHP Jay Hook from the Reds (39th). In this round the Mets also added pitcher Bob Miller from Cardinals (41st) and infielders Don Zimmer from the Dodgers (43rd) and Lee Walls from the Phillies (45th). The following is the entire Mets expansion draft recap:
Regular Phase, $75,000 per player
PickPlayerPositionSelected byPrevious team
2Hobie LandrithCatcherNew York MetsSan Francisco Giants
4Elio ChacónInfielderNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
6Roger CraigPitcherNew York MetsLos Angeles Dodgers
8Gus BellOutfielderNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
10Joe ChristopherOutfielderNew York MetsPittsburgh Pirates
12Félix MantillaInfielderNew York MetsMilwaukee Braves
14Gil HodgesFirst basemanNew York MetsLos Angeles Dodgers
16Craig AndersonPitcherNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
18Ray DaviaultPitcherNew York MetsSan Francisco Giants
20John DeMeritOutfielderNew York MetsMilwaukee Braves
22Al JacksonPitcherNew York MetsPittsburgh Pirates
24Sammy DrakeInfielderNew York MetsChicago Cubs
26Chris CannizzaroCatcherNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
28Choo Choo ColemanCatcherNew York MetsPhiladelphia Phillies
30Ed BoucheeFirst basemanNew York MetsChicago Cubs
32Bobby Gene SmithOutfielderNew York MetsPhiladelphia Phillies
Regular Phase, $50,000 per player
PickPlayerPositionSelected byPrevious team
34Sherman JonesPitcherNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
36Jim HickmanOutfielderNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
Premium Phase, $125,000 per player
PickPlayerPositionSelected byPrevious team
39Jay HookPitcherNew York MetsCincinnati Reds
41Bob MillerPitcherNew York MetsSt. Louis Cardinals
43Don ZimmerInfielderNew York MetsChicago Cubs
45Lee WallsInfielder/OutfielderNew York MetsPhiladelphia Phillies
The Mets purchased RHP Billy Loes from the Giants and signed free agent catcher Joe Ginsberg from the Chicago White Sox. Prior to the draft, the Mets acquired 3B/OF Frank Thomas from the Braves, with a player to be named later for a player to be named later. The Mets sent Gus Bell to the Braves for Rich Herrscher to complete the deal. They also purchased catcher Harry Chiti from the Cleveland Indians. New York then traded Bobby Gene Smith to the Cardinals for Sammy Taylor. After the season started, the Mets traded their first selection of the draft, Landrith, to the Orioles for 1B Marv Throneberry.
To finish off the opening day roster, the Mets purchased former Phillies star OF Richie Ashburn from the Cubs and traded Lee Walls to the Dodgers to get veteran 2B Charlie Neal. This was the first ever lineup assembled in a regular season game for the New York Mets.
Richie Ashburn CF
Felix Mantilla SS
Charlie Neal 2B
Frank Thomas LF
Gus Bell RF
Gil Hodges 1B
Don Zimmer 3B
Hobie Landrith C
Roger Craig P
Unfortunately, this was not 1959, Neal, Bell and Hodges last really good seasons. The talent in that starting lineup was a lot better than what showed during the 1962 season. Ashburn and Thomas were the team's best players. But Bell and Landrith would not be on the team for long and Hodges would only play in 54 games. Mantilla was still a couple years away from breaking out with his 30 HR for the Boston Red Sox and Craig, in spite of showing a lot of promise with the Dodgers, would lose 24 and 22 games, respectively, for the Mets in 1962 and 1963. The Mets became not only the worst example of an expansion team, but the worst team in the history of MLB (after 1900). They had hired former Yankees manager Casey Stengel, but even with his tutorage, the team finished with a 40-120 record, 10th place in the National League. The Mets finished 60 1/2 games out of first place.
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