1960 Major League Baseball expansion draft

Ground rules

As with all major-league expansion drafts prior to 1992, only players from the admitting league were eligible for selection. Each existing American League club had to make available for the draft seven players on their active rosters on August 31, 1960, and eight others from their 40-man rosters. The expansion clubs paid $75,000 for each of 28 players they drafted with a maximum of seven players drafted from each existing club, not including minor-league selections. They were required to take at least ten pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and four outfielders. The clubs also had the option of drafting one non-roster player for $25,000 from each established franchise.

Hasty expansion sowed draft confusion

Reacting belatedly to the National League's July 1960 announcement that it would expand to New York and Houston to begin play in April 1962 (twenty months later), the American League suddenly declared in October 1960 it would add two new teams as well—and that the AL's expansion teams would take the field in only six months, in time for the 1961 season.

Playing catch-up to the National League, under a much tighter deadline with no ownership groups, management or stadia yet in place, the American League was forced to wait until November 17, 1960, to officially award an expansion franchise to Washington, D.C., to replace the recently relocated Twins. Because it also intended to enter the Los Angeles metropolitan market, then controlled by Walter O'Malley, principal owner of the Dodgers, the American League was compelled to negotiate an indemnification agreement with O'Malley before the Los Angeles franchise could be granted. Finally, on December 6, 1960—one week before the expansion draft was expected to be held—the Angels franchise was officially created and awarded to a group led by Gene Autry.

Because the new teams had not had the time to assemble a scouting department, they were forced to lean on scouting reports from National League franchises to select their full complement of new players. The Angels were aided by the San Francisco Giants, and the Senators by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The league's chaotic, eleventh-hour approach to expansion resulted, on the day of the draft, in the new teams' noncompliance with rules that governed the maximum number of players each new club could select from each of the eight established teams. As a result, several post-draft trades, ordered by American League president Joe Cronin, were necessary to rectify the problem.

Results

Notes

References

References

1. Nowlin, Bill. "Did MLB Exist Before the Year 2000?".
2. (December 14, 1960). "To Pick 20: Senators, Angels To Pick 20 Each In Boston Draft". [[Holyoke Transcript-Telegram]].
3. Ringolsby, Tracy. (November 8, 1992). "First Expansion Draft a Slap-Dash Affair". [[Scripps Howard]] News Service.
4. (2011). "Mis-Management 101: The American League Expansion for 1961".
5. "Donald Ross".