ESPO’S TRIVIA CHALLENGE: 50TH ANNIVERSARY JUNE DRAFT

(Neil Miller/Sportsday Wire)

This year marks the 50^th Anniversary of MLB’s June First-Year Player Draft, an annual event that has been known as the June Free Agent draft, the June Amateur Draft, and on the mlb site, simply, The Draft.

The future fates of all 30 teams may become inexorably decided based on the decisions made by the team’s GM, scouts, and other execs. So here’s a trivial look at some of the stats and choices made these past 50 years:

1. Which state has produced the greatest number of draft picks:

1. California
2. Texas
3. New York
4. Florida

2. How many Hall of Famers have been selected in the past 50 years of the MLB Draft?

1. 19
2. 30
3. 54
4. 71

3. Who was the very first draft pick in 1965?

1. Rick Reichardt
2. Rick Monday
3. Steve Chilcott
4. Reggie Jackson

4. Other than the 50 United States, what is the one place where draftees are allowed to be selected?

1. Canada
2. Mexico
3. Dominican Republic
4. Puerto Rico

5. Alaska is the state that has produced the least amount of draft selections – 20 – but in the Continental United States, which state has produced the least amount of draft selections with 36 players picked?

1. Rhode Island
2. Montana
3. Idaho
4. Vermont

6. Which team has selected players who have enjoyed the greatest number of All-Star seasons with 68?

1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees
3. Louis Cardinals
4. Los Angeles Dodgers

7. Who was the first Mets First Round selection to make it to the majors with the Mets? (reminder: first round pick, not just draft selection)

1. Mike Jorgensen
2. Jon Matlack
3. Les Rohr
4. Nolan Ryan

8. Who was the first NY Yankees first round pick to make it to the majors with the Yankees?

1. Stan Bahnsen
2. Ron Blomberg
3. Thurman Munson
4. Steve Kline

9. True or false: Only one first selection overall (NOT first round) has already been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

10. Both the Mets and Yankees once drafted this future NFL quarterback:

1. Dan Pastorini
2. John Elway
3. Vinnie Testaverde
4. Ken Stabler

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ANSWERS:

1. A (15,538)
2. B
3. B
4. D
5. D
6. A
7. C (Sept. 19, 1967)
8. C (Aug. 8, 1969)
9. False – No first selections overall have been inducted…yet. Ken Griffey, Jr. was selected first overall in 1987
10. D (The Mets drafted Stabler in ’66, the Yankees in ’67)