1981 Major League Baseball Draft
Encyclopedia
First round selections
| = All-Star | = Baseball Hall of Famer |
The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.
| Pick | Player | Team | Position | Hometown/School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Moore | Seattle Mariners Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July... |
Pitcher | Oral Roberts University Oral Roberts Golden Eagles baseball The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles baseball team is the intercollegiate baseball team of Oral Roberts University. It plays in the NCAA's Division I SUmmit League. The team has won the Mid-Con and Summit League regular season and tournament titles for each of the past 12 years... |
| 2 | Joe Carter Joe Carter Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays.... |
Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... |
Outfield | Wichita State University |
| 3 | Dick Schofield Dick Schofield Richard Craig "Dick" Schofield was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played 14 seasons, spanning from 1983–96. Schofield played the majority of his career with the California Angels, but also played on the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays team that eventually won the World Series... |
California Angels | Shortstop | Griffin High School |
| 4 | Terry Blocker Terry Blocker Terry Fennell Blocker is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves from 1985 to 1989.... |
New York Mets New York Mets The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League... |
Outfield | Tennessee State University |
| 5 | Matt Williams Matt Williams (right-handed pitcher) Matthew Evan Williams is a former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball: 1983 for the Toronto Blue Jays and 1985 for the Texas Rangers.... |
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League .... |
Pitcher | Rice University Rice Owls baseball The Rice Owls baseball team is the interscholastic baseball team representing Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Rice Owls have been a regular fixture in the NCAA Tournament, participating in every tournament since 1995 including a victory in the 2003 College World Series, the first national... |
| 6 | Kevin McReynolds Kevin McReynolds Walter Kevin McReynolds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with a 12-year career from 1983 to 1994... |
San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... |
Outfield | Arkansas Razorbacks Arkansas Razorbacks baseball The University of Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team, sometimes referred to as the Diamond Hogs, is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference , and is currently coached by Dave van Horn. The program started in 1923, and will enter its 89th season of... |
| 7 | Daryl Boston Daryl Boston Daryl Lamont Boston is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. In 2001, he was named Minor-league roving outfield instructor for the Chicago White Sox.... |
Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans... |
Pitcher | Woodward High School |
| 8 | Bobby Meacham Bobby Meacham Robert Andrew Meacham is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who spent his entire six year career with the New York Yankees... |
St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... |
Shortstop | San Diego State Aztecs |
| 9 | Ron Darling Ron Darling Ronald Maurice Darling, Jr. is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Montreal Expos... |
Texas Rangers Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... |
Pitcher | Yale University Yale Bulldogs The Yale Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the Yale University. The school sponsors 35 varsity sports. The school has won two NCAA national championships in women's fencing, four in men's swimming and diving, and twenty one in men's golf.-Men's baseball:... |
| 10 | Mark Grant Mark Grant Mark Andrew Grant is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and is the current color commentator for the San Diego Padres' television broadcasts.-Career:... |
San Francisco Giants San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... |
Pitcher | Catholic High School |
| 11 | Mike Sodders | Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the... |
Third Base | Arizona State University |
| 12 | Jay Roberts | Atlanta Braves Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997.... |
Outfield | Centralia High School |
| 13 | George Alpert | Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona... |
Outfield | Livingston HS (Livingston, NJ) |
| 14 | Jim Winn Jim Winn James Winn , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1983–1988.... |
Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... |
Pitcher | John Brown University John Brown University The main campus in Northwest Arkansas has been the site of the university since it was founded in 1919. JBU has 2,183 students as of the 2011-2012 school year, 1,279 of which are traditional undergraduates. Of these, 878 live on campus. The Graduate School has 468 students... |
| 15 | Tim Pyznarski Tim Pyznarski Timothy Pyznarski played professional baseball for the San Diego Padres in 1986. He was selected fifteenth in the first round of the 1981 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He grew up on the South side of Chicago, attending Marist High School. Pyznarski led Marist to the IHSA Class AA State... |
Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum.... |
Third Base | Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois Panthers The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the men's and women's athletic teams representing Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. Eastern Illinois University's colors are blue and gray. Eastern Illinois sports teams, except for men's soccer and swimming teams, participate in NCAA Division I in... |
| 16 | Vance Lovelace Vance Lovelace Vance Odell Lovelace is the Director of pro scouting, special adviser to the general manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers.... |
Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National... |
Pitcher | Hillsborough High School |
| 17 | Ricky Barlow | Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant... |
Pitcher | Woodville High School (Woodville, TX) |
| 18 | Darren Dilks | Montreal Expos Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's... |
Pitcher | Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball is the NCAA Division I collegiate baseball team of Oklahoma State University based in Stillwater, Oklahoma.The Oklahoma State baseball program is among the most storied and successful in the country. The program has won 30 conference championships as well as 19... |
| 19 | Steve Lyons Steve Lyons (baseball) Stephen John Lyons is a former Major League Baseball player and a television sportscaster. He is of French and Irish descent, and currently resides in Hermosa Beach, California.... |
Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... |
Shortstop | Oregon State University Oregon State Beavers baseball The Oregon State Beavers baseball team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the Pacific-10 Conference. They are currently coached by Pat Casey and assistant coaches Marty Lees, David Wong, and Pat Bailey. They play home games in Goss... |
| 20 | Johnny Abrego Johnny Abrego Johnny Ray Abrego is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs. His career was a brief one, as he was a member of the Cubs' starting rotation for the last month of the 1985 season... |
Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League... |
Pitcher | Mission High School Mission San Jose High School Mission San Jose High School , is a public, co-educational, four-year secondary school founded in 1964 and located in the Mission San Jose district of Fremont, California, United States... (San Jose, CA) |
| 21 | John Cerutti John Cerutti John Joseph Cerutti was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and later a broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:... |
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League .... |
Pitcher | Amherst College Amherst College Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009... |
| 22 | Dave Anderson | Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
Shortstop | University of Memphis |
| 23 | Dave Leeper Dave Leeper David Dale Leeper is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played parts of two seasons in the majors for the Kansas City Royals, managing just three hits in 40 at bats.-Sources:... |
Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium... |
Outfield | University of Southern California |
| 24 | Al Lachowicz Al Lachowicz Allen Robert Lachowicz is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The right-hander was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1st round of the 1981 amateur draft, and he appeared in two games for the Rangers during the last three weeks of the 1983 season... |
Texas Rangers Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... |
Pitcher | University of Pittsburgh |
| 25 | Kevin Burrell | Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... |
Catcher | Poway High School Poway High School Poway High School is a public, comprehensive high school located in the city of Poway, California. Established in 1961, it serves ninth through twelfth grade students from the communities of Poway and Rancho Bernardo. The school mascot is the Titan... |
| 26 | Frank Castro | San Diego Padres San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times... |
Catcher | University of Miami Miami Hurricanes baseball The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is the college baseball program that represents the University of Miami.Since 1973, the program has been one of college baseball's elite with 23 College World Series appearances, winning four national championships and advancing to the NCAA regionals a record 39... |
Other notable players
- John ElwayJohn ElwayJohn Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round (52nd pick overall) of the 1981 amateur draft. Elway went on to a spectacular career as the quarterback for the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which included two NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Championships in Super Bowls 32Super Bowl XXXIISuper Bowl XXXII was an American football game played on January 25, 1998 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1997 regular season...
and 33Super Bowl XXXIIISuper Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
. - David ConeDavid ConeDavid Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
was drafted by the Royals in the 3rd round. Player signed June 10, 1981. - Tony GwynnTony GwynnAnthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
was drafted by the Padres in the 3rd round. Player signed June 16, 1981. - Eric PlunkEric PlunkEric Vaughn Plunk , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1986-1999.Plunk was involved in two trades for Rickey Henderson...
was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 4th round of the 1981 amateur draft. Player signed June 15, 1981. - Mickey TettletonMickey TettletonMickey Lee Tettleton , is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers...
was drafted by the Athletics in the 5th round. - Devon White was drafted by the California Angels in the 6th round of the 1981 amateur draft. Player signed June 13, 1981.
- Fred McGriffFred McGriffFrederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 9th round of the 1981 amateur draft. McGriff signed on June 11, 1981. - Charlie O'BrienCharlie O'BrienCharles Hugh O'Brien is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Oakland Athletics , Milwaukee Brewers , New York Mets , Atlanta Braves , Toronto Blue Jays , Chicago White Sox , Anaheim Angels and Montreal Expos .While growing up in Tulsa, O'Brien attended and graduated...
was drafted by the Mariners in the 21st round. - Lance JohnsonLance JohnsonKenneth Lance Johnson is a retired Major League Baseball player. At the age of 24, Johnson broke into the big leagues on July 10, 1987, with the St. Louis Cardinals after being drafted by them in the 6th round of the 1984 amateur draft. In 1987 Johnson, playing for the Louisville Redbirds, was...
was drafted by the Pirates in the 30th round of the 1981 amateur draft. - Cecil FielderCecil FielderCecil Grant Fielder is a former professional baseball player who was a noted power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . He played with the Toronto Blue Jays , Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , Anaheim Angels and Cleveland Indians...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 31st round of the 1981 amateur draft.