Over the years, baseball has seen an astonishing number of players pass through its ranks. In each year since 1965, the MLB Draft, officially known as the Rule 4 draft, has served as the sport’s primary means of acquiring new talent. Untold legions of pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders have heard their names called, some of whom went on to fame, while the majority of their brethren have found themselves out of the game in only a short few years.

But over all the drafts in the history of the majors, there has perhaps been no worse disgraceful class than that of 1975.

Have you ever heard of Mike Lentz? Well, what about Les Filkins, or maybe Ted Barnicle? Don’t feel bad. Almost no one has, unless they were a member of the ‘75 Padres, Tigers, or Giants draft staff. These men were just three of the picks made in the top ten that year, headlined by No. 1 overall pick Danny Goodwin.

Goodwin, for his part, played only 252 games in the majors, spanning a seven year career. A lifetime .236 batter, he nontheless holds the distinction of being the only man to be taken No. 1 overall in two separate MLB Drafts (1971, 1975). Here’s how the entire first round shook out:

1. Danny Goodwin, California Angels, Catcher
2. Mike Lentz, San Diego Padres, Pitcher
3. Les Filkins, Detroit Tigers, Outfield
4. Brian Rosinski, Chicago Cubs, Outfield
5. Richard Okeefe, Milwaukee Brewers, Pitcher
6. Butch Benton, New York Mets, Catcher
7. Rick Cerone, Cleveland Indians, Catcher
8. Ted Barnicle, San Francisco Giants, Pitcher
9. Clint Hurdle, Kansas City Royals, Outfield
10. Art Miles, Montreal Expos, Shortstop
11. Chris Knapp, Chicago White Sox, Pitcher
12. Sam Welborn, Philadelphia Phillies, Pitcher
13. Rick Sofield, Minnesota Twins, Shortstop
14. Bo McLaughlin, Houston Astros, Pitcher
15. Otis Foster, Boston Red Sox, First Base
16. David Johnson, St. Louis Cardinals, Pitcher
17. Jim Gideon, Texas Rangers, Pitcher
18. Donald Young, Atlanta Braves, Catcher
19. Jim McDonald, New York Yankees, First Base
20. Dale Berra, Pittsburgh Pirates, Shortstop
21. Bruce Robinson, Oakland Athletics, Catcher
22. Tony Moretto, Cincinnati Reds, Outfield
23. Dave Ford, Baltimore Orioles, Pitcher
24. Mark Bradley, Los Angeles Dodgers, Shortstop

There you have it. The biggest name on the list would probably be Clint Hurdle, who went on to a successful career as a manager. Beyond that, only a few other players would make a major contribution to the game. These few were Lee Smith (famous closer, taken by the Cubs) and Lou Whitaker (second baseman, Detroit Tigers), and the great Andre Dawson (outfielder, Montreal Expos). Other than that, almost none of the 679 draftees proved to be viable major leaguers.

Here’s hoping the 2010 draft class has better luck!

- Taylor Maxwell

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Tags | 1975 draft, Baseball, Danny Goodwin, Giants, Les Filkins, Mike Lentz, MLB, Padres, Ted Barnicle, Tigers