MLB '09

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Ha! Fear the Nats (next season perhaps). Apparently we signed some guy that actually knows how to toss a baseball. It's quite the novel concept for this team.

If it makes you feel better about the future consistency in futility for your team (I know I'll be wistfully disappointed when the A's figure once again that winning is the goal), the history of pitchers taken #1 in the draft isn't stellar.

13 in the nearly 45 years of the amateur draft (1965 being the first year).

[Note: I know this post is way overkill but as always I figure if I've interested myself into doing some research I might as well bore everybody with the results.]

David Clyde ('73) - His career consisted of 84 appearances over 5 seasons compiling a record of 18-33 with an ERA of 4.63. Won just 7 games in his first three seasons.

Floyd Bannister ('76) - Did have a decent mediocre career with a final record of 134-143 and an ERA of 4.06. Won 21 games in his first three seasons.

Mike Moore ('81) - Another midlevel career of 161-176 (4.34). Won 20 games his first three seasons.

Tim Belcher ('83) - The relative All Star of this class. Won 34 games his first three full seasons (against 27 losses). Also one of just three in this group to have a career winning average over 50% (146-140/4.16).

Andy Benes ('88) - Similar career as Belcher. 155-139/3.97 and 38-36 in first three seasons.

Unfortunately, Benes was the last #1 picked pitcher to have anything close to an impressive career.

Ben McDonald ('89) - Only 211 appearances with 78-70 record.

Brien Taylor ('91) - Never made it to the majors. Tore his labrum in a fist fight.

Paul Wilson ('94) - 170 appearances, 40-58 record.

Kris Benson ('96) - 203 games, 69-74 record. At 35 he's still bouncing up and down from the majors.

Matt Anderson ('97) - Entire major league career was working middle relief getting maybe 60 innings a season. Was out of the game before he was 30.

Bryan Bullington ('02) - Almost 30 and has yet to have more than 5 appearances in a season and that was 3 seasons ago.

Luke Hochevar ('06) - Still young, obviously, but he hasn't immediately set his career on fire. Kansas City gave him a nearly full season run in last year and he went 6-12. This year he's not any improved.

David Price ('07) - Still young, obviously. This is first real season in the majors. He's currently 5-5.