The 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted to stock up the rosters of four expansion teams in Major League Baseball—two teams each in the American League and National League—created via the 1969 Major League Baseball expansion and that would begin play in the season.
The expansion draft for the Montreal Expos and the San Diego Padres was held on October 14, 1968. These two new franchises selected players from other National League teams. The expansion draft for the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots was held on October 15, 1968. These two new franchises selected players from other American League teams.
Background
Montreal Expos On December 2, 1967, Gerry Snyder presented a bid for a Montreal franchise to Major League Baseball's team owners at their winter meetings in Mexico City. One potential wild card in Montreal's favor was that the chair of the National League's expansion committee was influential Los Angeles Dodgers president Walter O'Malley, under whom the minor league Montreal Royals had become affiliated with the Dodgers. On May 27, 1968, O'Malley announced that franchises were being awarded to Montreal and San Diego, beginning play the following year (1969).
Business executive Charles Bronfman of the Seagram's distilling empire owned the new team. With a long history of use in Montreal, the "Royals" was one of the candidate nicknames for the new franchise, but the American League's new Kansas City team adopted this name, so the new owners conducted a contest to name the team. Many names were suggested by Montrealers (including the "Voyageurs" and in a coincidental twist, the "Nationals" — now used by the team in its new home in Washington, D.C.) but there was a clear winner. At the time, the city was still basking in the glow of the recently completed Expo 67, the most popular World's Fair to date, and so the name "Expos" was used. The Expos name also had the advantage of being the same in both English and French, the city's two dominant languages.
San Diego Padres The Padres adopted their name from the Pacific Coast League team which arrived in San Diego in 1936. That minor league franchise won the PCL title in 1937, led by then-18-year-old San Diego native Ted Williams. Their original owner was C. Arnholt Smith, a prominent San Diego businessman and former owner of the PCL Padres whose interests included banking, tuna fishing, hotels, real estate and an airline. The team was led by longtime baseball executive Buzzie Bavasi.
Kansas City Royals The "Royals" name originates from the American Royal Livestock Show, held in Kansas City since 1899. Entering Major League Baseball as an expansion franchise in 1969, the club was founded by Ewing Kauffman, a Kansas City businessman. The franchise was established following the actions of Stuart Symington, then-United States Senator from Missouri, who demanded a new franchise for the city after the Athletics—Kansas City's previous major league team—moved to Oakland, California.
Seattle Pilots Seattle initially had much going for it when it joined the American League in 1969. Seattle had long been a hotbed for minor league baseball and was home to the Seattle Rainiers, one of the pillars of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The Cleveland Indians had almost moved to Seattle in . Many of the same things that attracted the Indians made Seattle a plum choice for an expansion team. Seattle was the third-biggest metropolitan area on the West Coast (behind Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area).
Draft results +KeyAll-Star Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
National League draft PickPlayerSelected fromSelected by1San Francisco GiantsSan Diego Padres2Pittsburgh PiratesMontreal Expos3St. Louis CardinalsSan Diego Padres4Cincinnati RedsMontreal Expos5New York MetsSan Diego Padres6Houston AstrosMontreal Expos7Atlanta BravesSan Diego Padres8Philadelphia PhilliesMontreal Expos9Chicago CubsSan Diego Padres10Los Angeles DodgersMontreal Expos11Pittsburgh PiratesMontreal Expos12St. Louis CardinalsSan Diego Padres13San Francisco GiantsMontreal Expos14Fred KendallCincinnati RedsSan Diego Padres15Mike WegenerPhiladelphia PhilliesMontreal Expos16New York MetsSan Diego Padres17Atlanta BravesMontreal Expos18Houston AstrosSan Diego Padres19Chicago CubsMontreal Expos20Los Angeles DodgersSan Diego Padres21Pittsburgh PiratesMontreal Expos22Frank RebergerChicago CubsSan Diego Padres23Philadelphia PhilliesMontreal Expos24St. Louis CardinalsSan Diego Padres25San Francisco GiantsMontreal Expos26New York MetsSan Diego Padres27Cincinnati RedsMontreal Expos28Atlanta BravesSan Diego Padres29Houston AstrosMontreal Expos30Los Angeles DodgersSan Diego Padres31San Francisco GiantsSan Diego Padres32Cincinnati RedsMontreal Expos33Houston AstrosSan Diego Padres34Atlanta BravesMontreal Expos35Chicago CubsSan Diego Padres36Los Angeles DodgersMontreal Expos37Philadelphia PhilliesSan Diego Padres38St. Louis CardinalsMontreal Expos39Pittsburgh PiratesSan Diego Padres40New York MetsMontreal Expos41San Francisco GiantsMontreal Expos42Houston AstrosSan Diego Padres43Garry JestadtChicago CubsMontreal Expos44Los Angeles DodgersSan Diego Padres45Atlanta BravesMontreal Expos46Cincinnati RedsSan Diego Padres47St. Louis CardinalsMontreal Expos48Philadelphia PhilliesSan Diego Padres49New York MetsMontreal Expos50Pittsburgh PiratesSan Diego Padres51San Francisco GiantsSan Diego Padres52Los Angeles DodgersMontreal Expos53Cincinnati RedsSan Diego Padres54St. Louis CardinalsMontreal Expos55Pittsburgh PiratesSan Diego Padres56Chicago CubsMontreal Expos57Philadelphia PhilliesSan Diego Padres58Houston AstrosMontreal Expos59Atlanta BravesSan Diego Padres60New York MetsMontreal Expos
American League draft PickPlayerSelected fromSelected by1Baltimore OriolesKansas City Royals2California AngelsSeattle Pilots3Cleveland IndiansSeattle Pilots4Boston Red SoxKansas City Royals5Detroit TigersSeattle Pilots6New York YankeesKansas City Royals7Chicago White SoxSeattle Pilots8Oakland AthleticsKansas City Royals9Minnesota TwinsSeattle Pilots10Washington SenatorsKansas City Royals11Cleveland IndiansSeattle Pilots12Detroit TigersKansas City Royals13New York YankeesKansas City Royals14Oakland AthleticsSeattle Pilots15Boston Red SoxKansas City Royals16Chicago White SoxSeattle Pilots17Baltimore OriolesKansas City Royals18California AngelsSeattle Pilots19Minnesota TwinsKansas City Royals20Washington SenatorsSeattle Pilots21Boston Red SoxSeattle Pilots22Detroit TigersKansas City Royals23New York YankeesKansas City Royals24Oakland AthleticsSeattle Pilots25Baltimore OriolesKansas City Royals26Minnesota TwinsSeattle Pilots27California AngelsKansas City Royals28Cleveland IndiansSeattle Pilots29Chicago White SoxKansas City Royals30Washington SenatorsSeattle Pilots31Detroit TigersKansas City Royals32Baltimore OriolesSeattle Pilots33Boston Red SoxSeattle Pilots34Minnesota TwinsKansas City Royals35California AngelsSeattle Pilots36Cleveland IndiansKansas City Royals37New York YankeesSeattle Pilots38Oakland AthleticsKansas City Royals39Washington SenatorsSeattle Pilots40Chicago White SoxKansas City Royals41Detroit TigersSeattle Pilots42Baltimore OriolesKansas City Royals43Minnesota TwinsKansas City Royals44Boston Red SoxSeattle Pilots45Cleveland IndiansKansas City Royals46Oakland AthleticsSeattle Pilots47California AngelsKansas City Royals48New York YankeesSeattle Pilots49Chicago White SoxKansas City Royals50Washington SenatorsSeattle Pilots51Boston Red SoxKansas City Royals52Baltimore OriolesSeattle Pilots53Detroit TigersSeattle Pilots54Minnesota TwinsKansas City Royals55Oakland AthleticsSeattle Pilots56Cleveland IndiansKansas City Royals57New York YankeesSeattle Pilots58Chicago White SoxKansas City Royals59California AngelsSeattle Pilots60Washington SenatorsKansas City Royals
The Expos acquired Bobby Wine as compensation after Larry Jackson decided to retire rather than report to Montreal."Bobby Wine heading home, will join Phils as coach," The Gazette (Montreal), Tuesday, July 18, 1972.
Dave Giusti never played for the Padres. He was traded back to the Cardinals two months later for four players."Why Cardinals traded twice for Dave Giusti in 3 months"
Hoyt Wilhelm never played for the Royals. He was traded to the California Angels on December 12, 1968, for two players.
Lou Piniella never played for the Pilots. He was traded to the Royals on April 1, 1969.
Jesus Alou, Jack Billingham and Skip Guinn never played for the Expos. Alou and Donn Clendenon were traded to Houston for Rusty Staub. When Clendenon threatened to retire rather than report, Billingham and Guinn were sent to Houston to complete the trade."The Planting of Le Grand Orange"
Katawczik, Glass, Miklos, Richmond and Click never played in the major leagues.
Ike Brookens never played for the Royals. He did not play in the major leagues until making his debut with the Detroit Tigers in 1975.
Jimy Williams never played for the Expos or returned to the major leagues.
Rick James never played for the Padres or returned to the major leagues.
See also Continental League, a proposed third major league that had planned to begin play in the 1961 season
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