Quote:
As the first pick [of the 1992 draft, by the Houston Astros], [Phil] Nevin was sure to be scrutinized against the rest of his class. And five picks later the Yankees took a high school shortstop from Kalamazoo, Mich., named Derek Jeter. The others chosen before Jeter were, in order, pitcher Paul Shuey, by the Cleveland Indians; pitcher B. J. Wallace, by the Montreal Expos; outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds, by the Baltimore Orioles; and outfielder Chad Mottola, by the Cincinnati Reds...
Five teams thought they had the answer. Five teams were wrong. And five former players, scattered across the country, can always say they were drafted ahead of Jeter, before the world knew the Yankees’ secret.
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Part of it is available signing money, part is scouting skill, part is short to near-term position needs and conflicts, and part is pure luck. Given all that, can you imagine if the Astros, Indians, Expos, Orioles, or Reds had picked Jeter ahead of the Yankees?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/sp...l/06jeter.html