Matt Bush

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Matt Bush (born on February 8, 1986 in San Diego, CA) was selected first overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft out of Mission Bay High School.

Bush was the first shortstop drafted first overall from high school since the Seattle Mariners took Alex Rodriguez in 1993.

The Padres' selection of Bush in 2004 was controversial from the start. Jeff Niemann, Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver were considered the top talents, but San Diego did not think they were worth the bonus they would command as the top overall choice. As a compromise, they decided to take Bush who was from the San Diego area and was also considered an elite talent.

His pro career began poorly as Bush was suspended before he ever took the field for his role in a fight outside an Arizona nightclub. The shortstop went on to hit .192/.296/.253 in 99 at-bats between the Rookie-level Arizona League and short-season Northwest League.

Things did not improve in his first full season in 2005 as he hit .221/.282/.272 in 453 at-bats for Fort Wayne. It just got worse for the 20-year-old in spring training 2006 when he broke his ankle, forcing him to miss half a season.