NBA Twitter would establish churches in his honor. There was not nearly as much media.. Winfield devoted exactly one paragraph of his autobiography to his remarkable draft picture, a Wikipedia-esque rundown of who drafted him and at what position. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook. Once Winfield hit the ballpark, of course, he never looked back. Then-manager Don Zimmer wisely brought Winfield along slowly again, a sharp distinction from the play-big-right-now mentality of today and helped him build the foundation for a two-decade-long career. They wanted me as a tight end, so I would have been catching Fran Tarkenton passes. A fast-track to the majors wasnt a hard sell, either. With his ability to run and hit and throw, we think he would be more of an asset in the lineup every day.. It was obtained by Brian Westre when Winfield made his major league debut for the Padres, a night that remains as vivid for Westre as if it happened last night. The hype today around Winfield would have been thermonuclear, but back then he was still unknown enough and the sporting world not yet progressive enough that a scouting report noted, This boy is colored. Times do change. Winfield was the big free agent of the 1980-81 offseason. It seems as though everyone is an expert this time of year. Im pretty sure it was Whitey (Wietelmann) that chewed him out. The Padres watched every penny back then. While records for second-tier pro leagues are sketchy at best, it appears Winfield is the only player ever drafted by four different sports leagues. The hype today around Winfield would have been thermonuclear, but back then he was still unknown enough and the sporting world not yet progressive enough that a scouting report noted, This boy is colored. Times do change. And in my mind, since I was 12 years old, Id wanted to be a pro baseball player.. [The draft] wasnt a big business. As a last resort I would put him on the mound, but he has too much power, and prefer him as a [sic] every day player. Study, study, study. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. NFL draft: Minnesota Vikings (1972, 17th round) NFL career: Never played; MLB draft: Baltimore Orioles (1969, 40th round); San Diego Padres (1973, first round) This was 1973, not 2019, so Winfields choice didnt exactly get Kyler Murray baseball-vs.-football breaking-news treatment. Day two of vacation in South Haven. Team Round PK(OVR) MIN: 17: 13(429) 1973 Draft Results. I didnt want to get injured. I would have had to step out [of baseball] and come back. But the only way that happens, Winfield says, is if kids can play more than one sport at a time. His greatest challenge was keeping both sports coaches happy while he shuttled from court to field. The 6-foot-6 Winfield was more accomplished as a right-handed pitcher than a hitter when the Padres drafted him. He was also a power forward on the basketball teams Big Ten championship team in 1972 and a heck of a projectable athlete as far as his hometown Vikings were concerned even if he hadnt played football since youth leagues. On Comment Dock Done Download Draft Fantasy Filter Forward 5s Forward 10s Forward 30s . Dave Winfield was a Rightfielder. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting, pegged Winfield with a definitive draft-if-available designation, one of only a few in major league history. TE; Minnesota; Scouts Grade; Conference TBD; 1973 Draft Pick Info. We had to discuss that. The Padres, too, were committed enough to fitting Winfield into their plans that they even tried him out a shortstop a handful of games that spring. Itd be glorious anarchy. I would have had to step out [of baseball] and come back. But Winfield was also a great basketball player, leading the Gophers to their first Big Ten Championship ship 53 years. Jan. 30, 1973: Vikings take him with pick No. O well #AllStarGame2023 . I thought that was cool, Winfield said. He was the MVP of the College World Series as a pitcher. [1] Padres history (June 5): Dave Winfield's fast track to San Diego Winfield thrilled fans with a big swing that produced long home runs, a strong arm that made runners think twice about going from first to third and long legs that made it seem like he could steal second base in three strides. ESPN ranked Winfield in 2004 as the third-best all-around athlete of all time in any sport. 513) | NFL on NBC, 6. Andrew Bynum was selected 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. Pick, pick, pick, pick: Dave Winfields draft numbers. Baseball fans would praise him as the game-saving messiah. 2020 NFL draft: MLB players selected in the NFL draft - USA TODAY The Eagles selected the halfback but traded his rights to the Bears. I remember reading that he was drafted by all these other sports and they were making a really big deal about it in the paper, said Westre, now branch manager for Pacific Sothebys International Realty in Rancho Bernardo. Drafted by: Rangers, 15th round, 2012 Winston became the youngest player to win college football's Heisman Trophy, but he was also a talented switch-hitting outfielder and pitcher at Florida State University. The really surprising one, though, was the Vikings taking Winfield in the 17th round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He was a natural in left field, but the bat that took a backseat to his arm in college had quite a bit of catching up to do. In 1973, Westre was a 12-year-old boy living up the hill from San Diego Stadium in Serra Mesa. The other sports tried to lay claim on Winfield, but baseball was always his first love, and there was little doubt that hed end up with a major-league team over a basketball one. Sacrifice and the Flags of our Fathers: The 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg. The Padres, of course, picked their spots while testing the young Winfield. Winfield retired at 43 in 1995 after stints with the Angels, Blue Jays, Twins, and Indians. I can honestly say I never thought about it I have a lot of friends who played football, great players, and I cant tell you how many told me they wished theyd kept playing baseball., (Asked why he hadnt been drafted by the NHL for a clean sweep of the four major sports, Winfield laughs. With the ball Winfield had thrown him in one hand and a ballpoint pen in the other, Westre waited outside Gate F where the players exited the stadium. Drafted by five teams in five leagues in three major sports, Winfield chose baseball and compiled a first-ballot Hall of Fame career. He bounced out in his first three big-league at-bats against Astros pitcher Jerry Reuss. Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. This was 1973, not 2019, so Winfields choice didnt exactly get Kyler Murray baseball-vs.-football breaking-news treatment. It took me four years before I could play the game [baseball] at the highest level. After dominating college baseball, taking the Gophers to the College World Series and earning the Most Outstanding Player award (while not even making it to the championship game), Winfield was taken 4th overall in the 1st round to the San Diego Padres. Dave Winfield. Winfield devoted exactly one paragraph of his autobiography to his remarkable draft picture, a Wikipedia-esque rundown of who drafted him and at what position. Saatzer countered that Winfield hasnt enough bargaining power in basketball to demand a larger bonus. Winfield apparently had enough bargaining power to get himself vaulted straight onto the San Diego Padres roster without even a day in the minor leagues, one of only a few in major league history and the only Hall of Famer in the last 50 years with that distinction. Funny side note: At the same time Winfield was playing for the Padres, his old college coach, Bill Musselman, took over the reins of the San Diego Sails ABA team, and joked that Winfield should join the team. different pro leagues showed up in 2019. Dave Winfield NFL statistics and biographical data. Somehow we convince ourselves that we are better at predicting baseball outcomes than everyone else. I told him, Buzzie, this kid is going to struggle maybe two or three weeks, but hell kick that hitch and be a good big-league hitter. Minnesota Vikings, 17th round. Can the playoffs get even better? And sometimes, if theyre like Dave Winfield, it turns out theyre skilled in everything. . He is the only athlete to be drafted by MLB, NBA, ABA, and NFL teams. Best $100+ Million Contracts in Baseball History, 4. He played for half a dozen teams over the course of 20 years, winning a world championship in 1992 with Toronto, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 in his first year of eligibility. But the only way that happens, Winfield says, is if kids can play more than one sport at a time. Dave Winfield's Tweets. It was a completely different world, Winfield told Yahoo Sports recently. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & resort (KS). 1973 NFL Draft - Wikipedia Drafted by four teams in three sports A Foot In The Box Odds and lines subject to change. NFL draft tape-eaters would look for the slightest sign he wasnt Serious About Football. Dave Winfield was a consistently productive and, in his prime, . It came down to what I wanted to do for a living. No emotional connections, no sense of accomplishment in this telling, at least, it was as unremarkable as anyone else getting a few decent job offers out of college. Winfield played left field and batted seventh in his debut between third baseman Dave Roberts and second baseman Rich Morales on that June night in Mission Valley. Dave Winfield was drafted by four different pro leagues, unthinkable in today's environment. different pro leagues showed up in 2019. I saw when he got back that he kind of got chewed out by one of the coaches. Dave Winfield Stats - Pro Football Archives As a Golden Gopher, he played baseball and basketball. It created a sensation he wasnt looking for. 06-05-1969. 555 N. Central Ave. #406-C Sports talk radio and daytime talk shows would fire off takes hot enough to be seen from orbit. There were plenty of guys throwing pitches I had never even seen before.. San Diego Padres, first round (fourth overall) Atlanta Hawks (NBA), fifth round; Utah Stars (ABA), fourth round. He's also a 12-time MLB All-Star, a World Series Champion, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and was named the third-best all-around athlete in sports history by ESPN. I knew it was a sink-or-swim situation because they didnt have to keep me (in the majors) after that first year.. It came down to what I wanted to do for a living. He was selected Most Outstanding Player of the series, despite his team not making the final. Minnesota [1969nr 1970nr 1971nr 1972nr] Draft: 17th round (429th overall) 1973 Minnesota Vikings: In Memoriam: NFL Boxscores: NFL Training Camps . Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you. The name on the ball is faded now, but not the memory.