1968 Major League Baseball draft

First round selections

= All-Star = Baseball Hall of Famer

The following are the first round picks in the 1968 Major League Baseball draft.[1]

Pick Player Team Position Hometown/School
1 Tim Foli New York Mets SS Canoga Park, California
2 * Pete Broberg Oakland Athletics RHP Palm Beach, Florida
3 Marty Cott Houston Astros C Buffalo, New York
4 Thurman Munson New York Yankees C Kent State University
5 Bobby Valentine Los Angeles Dodgers OF Stamford, Connecticut
6 Robert Weaver Cleveland Indians SS Jacksonville, Florida
7 Curtis Moore Atlanta Braves OF Denison, Texas
8 Don Castle Washington Senators LHP Coldwater, Mississippi
9 Dick Sharon Pittsburgh Pirates OF Redwood City, California
10 Junior Kennedy Baltimore Orioles SS Arvin, California
11 Greg Luzinski Philadelphia Phillies 1B Prospect Heights, Illinois
12 Lloyd Allen California Angels RHP Selma, California
13 Tim Grant Cincinnati Reds RHP Boykins, Virginia
14 Rich McKinney Chicago White Sox SS Ohio University
15 Ralph Rickey Chicago Cubs OF University of Oklahoma
16 Alex Rowell Minnesota Twins OF Luther College
17 Gary Matthews San Francisco Giants OF Pacoima, California
18 Robert Robinson Detroit Tigers OF Chester, Virginia
19 James Hairston St. Louis Cardinals OF Dayton, Ohio
20 Tom Maggard Boston Red Sox OF-C Norwalk, California

* Did not sign

Other notable Selections

= All-Star

[2]

Round Pick Player Team Position
2 25 Bill Buckner Los Angeles Dodgers First Baseman
2 33 Milt Wilcox Cincinnati Reds Pitcher
5 85 Burt Hooton* New York Mets Pitcher
6 128 Cecil Cooper Boston Red Sox First Baseman
8 161 Joe Ferguson Los Angeles Dodgers Outfielder
8 174 Ross Grimsley* Detroit Tigers Pitcher
8 180 Tom Kelly Seattle Pilots Outfielder
9 185 Doyle Alexander Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher
11 237 Milt May Pittsburgh Pirates Shortstop
11 238 Al Bumbry Baltimore Orioles Outfielder
11 248 Ben Oglivie Boston Red Sox Infield-Outfielder
12 256 Duane Kuiper* New York Yankees Shortstop
14 301 John Milner New York Mets Outfielder
14 309 Bruce Kison Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher
16 354 Steve Stone* Cleveland Indians Pitcher
16 363 Oscar Gamble Chicago Cubs Outfielder
18 399 Ken Forsch Houston Astros Pitcher
18 402 John Lowenstein Cleveland Indians Shortstop
22 507 Bill Lee Boston Red Sox Pitcher
23 528 Craig Swan* St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher
25 574 Paul Splittorff Kansas City Royals Pitcher
26 594 Bob Forsch St. Louis Cardinals Third Baseman-Pitcher

* Did not sign

Background

The Los Angeles Dodgers laid the groundwork for their championship clubs of the 1970s with an outstanding draft. Among the players the Dodgers selected were: Dave Lopes (2nd round) in the January secondary phase, Bill Buckner (2nd round), Joe Ferguson (6th round), Doyle Alexander (9th round) & Tom Paciorek (40th round) in the June regular phase; and Steve Garvey (1st round) and Ron Cey (3rd round) in the June secondary phase.

The Dodgers didn't grab all the talent. Other draftees included Al Bumbry (Baltimore), Thurman Munson (Yankees), Greg Luzinski (Philadelphia) and Gary Matthews (San Francisco). The biggest steal of the June draft was Cecil Cooper, chosen in the 6th round by the Boston Red Sox.

Brothers Ken and Bob Forsch each found a home in the same draft. Ken Forsch (drafted, but unsigned each of the two previous years) went to Houston in the 18th round while younger brother Bob was selected in round 26 by the World Champion Cardinals, with whom he would win a ring himself in 1982

The 1968 June draft also included the four expansion teams that began play in 1969. Montreal, San Diego, Kansas City and Seattle began the selection process at the end of the fourth round of the regular phase.[3] The best of those expansion picks far and away was Kansas City's 25th round selection of pitcher Paul Splittorff (who would also throw the first pitch ever for the organization)

Notes

References

Preceded by
Ron Blomberg		 1st Overall Picks
Tim Foli 		Succeeded by
Jeff Burroughs
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