Also, note that there are some differences in the way the posts are labeled (in this case, Picks 551-600) and the actual numbers of the picks (553-603). This is because I left out picks for which there were either no eligible major leaguers (noted below) or no major leaguers at all.

All-Time Draft: Picks 701-750

Total WAR: 259.6 (5.2 per player)
High WAR: Woody Williams (26.0)
Low WAR: Don McKnight (-0.8)

Hall of Famers: None

Most Valuable Players: None

Cy Youngs: None

Rookies of the Year: Chris Sabo (1988)

707 – Rich Hand, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1966)
708 – Jeff DaVanon, OF, Oakland Athletics (1995)
709 – Mark Leonard, OF, San Francisco Giants (1986)
710 – Peter Zoccolillo, 1B, Chicago Cubs (1999)
711 – Joey Hamilton***, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (1988)
712 – Clay Christiansen, RHP, New York Mets (1979)
713 – Brian Bark, OF, Baltimore Orioles (1989)
714 – Eric Valent, OF, Detroit Tigers (1995)
715 – Corey Koskie, 3B, Minnesota Twins (1994)
716 – Jeff McKnight, SS, Baltimore Orioles (1982)
717 – Jesse Litsch, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (2004)
719 – Steve Ziem, RHP, Chicago Cubs (1979)
720 – Gene Walter, LHP, San Diego Padres (1982)
721 – Michael Jackson, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (1983)
722 – Chris Bosio, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1981)
723 – Brian Wilson, RHP, San Francisco Giants (2003)
724 – Matt Morris, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (1992)
725 – Eric Knott, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (1996)
726 – Chris Sabo, 3B, Montreal Expos (1980)
727 – Dallas Braden, LHP, Oakland Athletics (2004)
729 – Ken Patterson, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies (1982)
732 – Woody Williams, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (1988)
733 – Rick Langford, OF, Cleveland Indians (1972)
734 – Mark Brandenburg***, RHP, Texas Rangers (1992)
735 – Matt Downs, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (2003)
736 – LaVel Freeman, 1B, Chicago White Sox (1981)
737 – Thomas Field, SS, Colorado Rockies (2008)
738 – Billy Hatcher, OF, Montreal Expos (1979)
739 – Todd Zeile, C, Kansas City Royals (1983)
740 – Randy Veres, RHP, New York Mets (1984)
741 – Bryn Smith, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1973)
742 – Matt Thornton***, LHP, Detroit Tigers (1995)
743 – Jay Pettibone***, RHP, Texas Rangers (1979)
744 – Howie Clark, 1B, Baltimore Orioles (1992)
745 – John Hattig, SS, Boston Red Sox (1998)
746 – Kevin Foster, 3B, Montreal Expos (1987)
747 – Kerry Woodson**, RHP, Seattle Mariners (1988)
748 – Derek Holland, LHP, Texas Rangers (2006)
749 – Nate McLouth, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates (2000)
750 – Shane Spencer, OF, New York Yankees (1990)
751 – Billy Brewer, LHP, Montreal Expos (1990)
752 – Don Heinkel, RHP, Detroit Tigers (1982)
753 – Chris Nabholz, LHP, Cleveland Indians (1985)
754 – Bob Shirley, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1972)
755 – Pat Clements, LHP, New York Yankees (1980)
756 – Larry White, RHP, Cleveland Indians (1979)
757 – Jerry Sands**, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)
758 – Vance Law, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (1978)
759 – Tim Hulett, SS, Texas Rangers (1978)
760 – Charlton Jimerson***, OF, Houston Astros (1997)

Two Players With The Same High WAR (Denoted By Double Asterisk)
747 – Juan Eichelberger (0.1)
757 – Mitch Jones (0.0)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
711 – Bret Boone
734 – Mike Krukow
742 – Lance Johnson
743 – Alex Hinshaw
760 – Lance Johnson

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

Also, note that there are some differences in the way the posts are labeled (in this case, Picks 551-600) and the actual numbers of the picks (553-603). This is because I left out picks for which there were either no eligible major leaguers (noted below) or no major leaguers at all.

All-Time Draft: Picks 651-700

Total WAR: 470.9 (9.4 per player)
High WAR: Roy Oswalt (46.1)
Low WAR: Shayne Bennett (-1.6)

Hall of Famers: None

Most Valuable Players: None

Cy Youngs: None

Rookies of the Year: None

656 – Matt Mantei, RHP, Seattle Mariners (1991)
657 – Geoff Zahn, LHP, Chicago White Sox (1966)
658 – Dave Schmidt*, RHP, Texas Rangers (1979)
659 – Jim Hibbs, C, New York Mets (1965)
660 – Paul Quantrill, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1986)
661 – Kelly Downs***, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (1979)
662 – Mike DeJean, RHP, New York Yankees (1992)
663 – Toby Hall*, C, San Francisco Giants (1995)
664 – Matt Williams, 3B, New York Mets (1983)
665 – Jerry DaVanon, OF, Houston Astros (1965)
666 – Logan Morrison***, 1B, Florida Marlins (2005)
667 – Rob Murphy, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers (1978)
668 – Jay Howell, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (1976)
669 – Duane Walker***, LHP, San Francisco Giants (1975)
670 – Ben McDonald, RHP, Atlanta Braves (1986)
671 – Richie Sexson, 1B, Cleveland Indians (1993)
672 – Mike Henneman, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (1982)
673 – Ed Sprague, C, Boston Red Sox (1985)
674 – Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2002)
675 – Jason Grilli, RHP, New York Yankees (1994)
676 – Eric Rasmussen, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1973)
677 – Tommy Hanson, RHP, Atlanta Braves (2005)
678 – Rich Aurilia, SS, Texas Rangers (1992)
679 – John Denny, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1970)
680 – Dan Wilson, C, New York Mets (1987)
681 – Zach Phillips**, LHP, Texas Rangers (2004)
682 – Ken Griffey***, OF, Cincinnati Reds (1969)
683 – Ken Kravec, LHP, Cleveland Indians (1969)
684 – Roy Oswalt, RHP, Houston Astros (1996)
685 – Bob Henley, C, Montreal Expos (1991)
686 – Tim Laudner***, C, Cincinnati Reds (1976)
688 – Ted Lilly, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1996)
689 – Mark Saccomanno**, 3B, Houston Astros (2003)
690 – Paul Lo Duca, C, Los Angeles Dodgers (1993)
691 – Pete Dalena***, 1B, New York Yankees (1982)
692 – Randy Wolf, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1994)
693 – Stephen Smithersman**, OF, Cincinnati Reds (2000)
694 – Al Woods, 1B, Montreal Expos (1971)
695 – Shayne Bennett***, RHP, Boston Red Sox (1993)
696 – Andres Torres, OF, Florida Marlins (1997)
697 – Aaron Rakers, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (1999)
698 – Scott Fletcher, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (1976)
699 – Rich Hacker***, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (1965)
700 – Doc Medich, RHP, New York Yankees (1970)
701 – Jack Fimple, SS, Cleveland Indians (1980)
702 – Greg Thayer, RHP, San Francisco Giants (1972)
703 – Sam Fuld, OF, Chicago Cubs (2003)
704 – Pat Sheridan, OF, Cincinnati Reds (1976)
705 – David Herndon**, RHP, Minnesota Twins (2005)
706 – Darren Hall, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (1986)

Active Players Who Are Close To The Best WAR (Denoted By Single Asterisk)
658 – Cory Luebke (2.0)
663 – Dillon Gee (2.3)

Two Players With The Same High WAR (Denoted By Double Asterisk)
681 – Lance Painter (0.3)
689 – Willie Eyre (0.1)
693 – Dave Haas (-0.1)
705 – Josh Sharpless (0.1)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
661 – Aaron Harang
666 – Ryan Franklin
669 – Eric Show
682 – John Olerud
686 – Jason Hammel
691 – Bob Myrick
695 – Bill Bonham
699 – Michael Young

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

Also, note that there are some differences in the way the posts are labeled (in this case, Picks 551-600) and the actual numbers of the picks (553-603). This is because I left out picks for which there were either no eligible major leaguers (noted below) or no major leaguers at all.

All-Time Draft: Picks 601-650

Total WAR: 317.3 (6.3 per player)
High WAR: Mark Grace (47.1)
Low WAR: Jason Simontacchi (-1.9)

Hall of Famers: None

Most Valuable Players: None

Cy Youngs: None

Rookies of the Year: Jason Bay (2004)

604 – Daniel Bard, RHP, New York Yankees (2003)
605 – Chuck James, LHP, Atlanta Braves (2002)
606 – Al Holland, LHP, Texas Rangers (1974)
607 – Vance Worley, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (2005)
608 – Keith Miller, SS, Cleveland Indians (1981)
609 – Craig Wilson***, SS, San Francisco Giants (1991)
610 – Bill Butler, LHP, Detroit Tigers (1965)
611 – Vinnie Pestano, RHP, Cleveland Indians (2006)
612 – Matt Reynolds, LHP, Colorado Rockies (2007)
613 – Mac Scarce***, LHP, Cincinnati Reds (1969)
614 – Nick Punto, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (1998)
615 – Bob Davidson, RHP, New York Yankees (1984)
616 – Mike Barlow, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (1969)
617 – Jeromy Burnitz, C, Milwaukee Brewers (1987)
618 – Stan Thomas, RHP, Washington Senators (1971)
619 – Jason Simontacchi, RHP, Kansas City Royals (1996)
620 – Steve Renko, 1B, New York Mets (1965)
621 – Jeff Banister, C, Pittsburgh Pirates (1986)
622 – Mark Grace, 1B, Chicago Cubs (1985)
623 – John Frascatore, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1991)
624 – Scott Sauerbeck, LHP, New York Mets (1994)
625 – Jason Varitek, C, Houston Astros (1990)
627 – Buzz Capra, RHP, New York Mets (1969)
628 – Darren Daulton, C, Philadelphia Phillies (1980)
629 – Corky Miller, C, California Angels (1994)
630 – Ron Roenicke, OF, San Francisco Giants (1975)
631 – Jeff Fiorentino, OF, Toronto Blue Jays (2001)
632 – Al Lachowicz, RHP, New York Mets (1978)
633 – J.C. Romero, LHP, Minnesota Twins (1997)
634 – Gary Ross, RHP, Milwaukee Braves (1966)
635 – Omir Santos, C, New York Yankees (2001)
636 – Tanyon Sturtze, RHP, Oakland Athletics (1990)
637 – Travis Ishikawa, 1B, San Francisco Giants (2002)
638 – Jack Brohamer, SS, Cleveland Indians (1967)
639 – Kurt Kepshire, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (1979)
640 – John Halama, LHP, Houston Astros (1994)
641 – Bobby Estalella, C, Philadelphia Phillies (1992)
642 – Ryan Franklin*, RHP, Seattle Mariners (1992)
643 – Warren Brusstar, RHP, San Francisco Giants (1970)
644 – Rick Reed, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1986)
645 – Jason Bay, OF, Montreal Expos (2000)
646 – Jorge Posada, SS, New York Yankees (1990)
647 – Doug Bird, RHP, Cleveland Indians (1968)
649 – Rich Yett, RHP, Minnesota Twins (1980)
650 – Ryan Rohlinger, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (2005)
651 – Andy Thompson***, SS, Toronto Blue Jays (1994)
652 – Steve Connelly, RHP, Oakland Athletics (1995)
653 – Bob Beall, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (1970)
654 – Scott Watkins, LHP, Minnesota Twins (1992)
655 – Gary Mielke, RHP, Texas Rangers (1985)

Active Players Who Are Close To The Best WAR (Denoted By Single Asterisk)
642 – Chris Sale (3.4)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
609 – Cliff Lee
613 – Billy Sample
651 – Mike MacDougal

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

Also, I should probably note that around this time, we’ll start seeing some differences in the way the posts are labeled (in this case, Picks 551-600) and the actual numbers of the picks (553-603). This is because I left out picks for which there were either no eligible major leaguers (noted below) or no major leaguers at all.

All-Time Draft: Picks 551-600

Total WAR: 614.6 (12.3 per player)
High WAR: Paul Molitor (74.8)
Low WAR: Kevin Bearse (-0.7)

Hall of Famers (1): Paul Molitor (587)

Most Valuable Players: None

Cy Youngs: John Smoltz (1996)

Rookies of the Year: Mike Hargrove (1974); Pat Listach (1992); Chris Chambliss (1971)

553 – Bret Prinz*, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (1998)
554 – Jeff Fassero, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1984)
555 – Chris Denorfia, OF, Cincinnati Reds (2002)
556 – P.J. Forbes, 2B, California Angels (1990)
557 – Ryan Mattheus, RHP, Colorado Rockies (2003)
558 – Jim Lentine, OF, Chicago White Sox (1972)
559 – Greg Legg***, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (1982)
560 – Mike Fetters, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1983)
561 – Bob File, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays (1998)
562 – Mike Lowell, 2B, New York Yankees (1995)
563 – Tim Ireland***, 2B, Montreal Expos (1973)
564 – J.D. Drew, OF, San Francisco Giants (1994)
565 – Paul Reuschel, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (1965)
566 – Lou Marone***, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1965)
567 – Kevin Bearse, LHP, Cleveland Indians (1987)
568 – David Price, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (2004)
569 – Jeff Nelson, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1984)
570 – Eddie Guardado, LHP, Minnesota Twins (1990)
571 – Steve Lombardozzi, SS, Washington Nationals (2008)
572 – Mike Hargrove, 1B, Texas Rangers (1972)
573 – Brett Butler, OF, Atlanta Braves (1979)
574 – John Smoltz, RHP, Detroit Tigers (1985)
575 – Paul Splittorff, LHP, Kansas City Royals (1968)
576 – Micah Owings, RHP, Chicago Cubs (2004)
577 – Howard Johnson, RHP, New York Yankees (1978)
578 – Darren Bragg, OF, Seattle Mariners (1991)
579 – Pat Listach, SS, Seattle Mariners (1987)
580 – Charles Thomas, OF, Atlanta Braves (2000)
581 – David Eckstein, 2B, Boston Red Sox (1997)
582 – Rick Wilkins, C, Chicago Cubs (1986)
583 – Lance Carter, RHP, Kansas City Royals (1994)
584 – Shane Komine, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (2001)
585 – Noah Lowry, LHP, Texas Rangers (1999)
586 – Mark Bomback, RHP, Boston Red Sox (1971)
587 – Paul Molitor, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (1974)
588 – Chris Chambliss, 1B, Cincinnati Reds (1967)
590 – Danny Lazar***, LHP, Chicago White Sox (1965)
591 – Sammy Stewart, RHP, Kansas City Royals (1974)
592 – Jim Norris*, OF, Chicago White Sox (1967)
593 – Bronswell Patrick***, RHP, Oakland Athletics (1988)
594 – Andy Pettitte, LHP, New York Yankees (1990)
595 – Brad Ziegler, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (2003)
596 – Lyman Bostock, OF, Minnesota Twins (1972)
597 – Jeff Schwarz, RHP, Chicago Cubs (1982)
598 – Bill Bonham, RHP, California Angels (1966)
599 – Jose Bautista, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (2000)
600 – Jason Donald, SS, Anaheim Angels (2003)
601 – Jack Lind, 3B, Cleveland Indians (1966)
602 – Rick Krivda, LHP, Baltimore Orioles (1991)
603 – Jon Ratliff, RHP, San Diego Padres (1990)

Active Players Who Are Close To The Best WAR (Denoted By Single Asterisk)
553 – Lars Anderson (-0.1)
592 – Kameron Loe (2.6)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
559 – Jason Hammel and Jerry Reed
563 – Mark Hendrickson
566 – Mike Willis
590 – Mark Hendrickson
593 – Jerald Clark

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

There are over 1,200 players listed here, so I broke this up into rounds of fifty picks each. We’ll run one round each day, starting below.

All-Time Draft: Picks 501-550

Total WAR: 490.7 (9.8 per player)
High WAR: Ryne Sandberg (62.0)
Low WAR: Mark Calvert (-1.7)

Hall of Famers (1): Ryne Sandberg (511)

Most Valuable Players: Ryne Sandberg (1984); Jeff Kent (2000)

Cy Youngs: Jack McDowell (1993); Mark Davis (1989)

Rookies of the Year: Vince Coleman (1985); Chris Coghlan (2009)

503 – Eddie Milner, OF, Cincinnati Reds (1976)
504 – Dusty Baker, OF, Atlanta Braves (1967)
505 – Brian Jordan, SS, Cleveland Indians (1985)
506 – Johnny Estrada, C, Philadelphia Phillies (1997)
507 – Bill Lee, LHP, Boston Red Sox (1968)
508 – David Williams, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1998)
509 – Mike Rowland, RHP, San Francisco Giants (1975)
510 – Jack McDowell, RHP, Boston Red Sox (1984)
511 – Ryne Sandberg, INF, Philadelphia Phillies (1978)
512 – Albie Lopez, RHP, Seattle Mariners (1990)
513 – Vince Coleman, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (1981)
514 – F.P. Santangelo, SS, Montreal Expos (1989)
515 – Dave Baker, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (1974)
516 – John Rocker, LHP, Atlanta Braves (1993)
517 – Tom Bolton***, LHP, Boston Red Sox (1980)
518 – Ray Searage, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1976)
519 – Mike MacDougal, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (1998)
520 – Charlie O’Brien, C, Seattle Mariners (1981)
521 – Mark Calvert, RHP, San Francisco Giants (1978)
522 – Dean Hartgraves, LHP, Houston Astros (1987)
523 – Jeff Kent, SS, Toronto Blue Jays (1989)
524 – DavE. Robertson, RHP, New York Yankees (2006)
525 – Ernie Riles, SS, Seattle Mariners (1980)
526 – Darren Ford, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (2004)
527 – Jeff Reardon, RHP, Montreal Expos (1973)
528 – Craig Swan, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1968)
529 – Kip Young*, RHP, Detroit Tigers (1976)
530 – Placido Polanco, SS, St. Louis Cardinals (1994)
531 – Dave Dravecky, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1978)
532 – Cory Luebke, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (2004)
533 – Mark Trumbo, RHP, Los Angeles Angels (2004)
534 – Jimmy Serrano, RHP, Montreal Expos (1998)
535 – Marvin Benard, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (1990)
536 – Ben Weber, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (1991)
537 – Mark Johnson, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates (1990)
538 – Lyle Overbay, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks (1999)
539 – Mark Davis, LHP, New York Mets (1978)
540 – Tim Stoddard, RHP, Texas Rangers (1974)
541 – Brandon Medders, RHP, Kansas City Royals (1999)
542 – Jim Deshaies, LHP, New York Yankees (1982)
543 – Sean Maloney, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (1993)
544 – Damian Miller, C, Minnesota Twins (1990)
545 – Dustan Mohr, OF, California Angels (1994)
546 – Chris Coghlan, C, Arizona Diamondbacks (2003)
547 – Ed Lynch, RHP, Texas Rangers (1977)
548 – Ed Ott, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (1970)
549 – Scott Hairston, SS, Chicago White Sox (1999)
550 – Adam LaRoche, LHP, Florida Marlins (1998)
551 – Gerry Davis, 3B, Boston Red Sox (1977)
552 – Dave Collins, 1B, Cincinnati Reds (1971)

Active Players Who Are Close To The Best WAR (Denoted By Single Asterisk)
529 – Jonny Gomes (2.1)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
517 – Don Slaught

Although I won’t be attending any minor league games this year, there are a several promotions I would like to see happen. I’m far from a promotions expert, so some of these may have actually happened, but if so, then I would like for them to happen again, because I think they are great ideas.

Minor League Movie Day

This is an easy promotion I am surprised I have never seen done yet. There are a lot of movies out there that do with minor league baseball, from the great Bull Durham to the not-so-great Summer Catch. The team could hand out blank forms numbered 1-18 to every attendee and the PA announcer would say a quote from a minor league-based movie between each inning and asks the fans what movie the quote is from. The fan who fills in the most answers on their answer sheet wins free movie tickets to a local theater. The team could even bring in an actor or actress from one of the movies to throw out the first pitch. Seriously, what is Freddie Prinze, Jr doing these days?

Major League 3 Demolition Day

Major League 3 is by far the worst minor league baseball movie ever made. Whereas Major League is a classic in baseball cinema and Major League 2 is passable, Major League 3 is a scar upon our collective cinema consuming culture. Therefore it should be removed from public consciousness forever.

Taking a page from Disco Demolition Day and the Shaq-Fu Liberation Movement, I would like to see one team, or maybe more, promote a Major League 3 demolition day. Fans that bring in a copy of Major League 3 would get in for free and all the copies would be put in a giant garbage pail. During the seventh inning stretch, this garbage pail would be wheeled out to centerfield and all the Major League 3 copies would be smashed by a trash compactor. Of course, all the contents would be brought to the most convenient recycling facility.

Traveling Gnome Day

Like the Travelocity Gnome, gnomes are always popular. And people love taking pictures of them in different places.  I even have one and will be taking it to Afghanistan with me.

From my little bit of research, I think the origin of the traveling gnome lies in a combination of the Swedish folklore of Tomte, a little man who looked over the home and protected the people from misfortune while they were away or asleep, and the Australian-derived practice of “liberating” (aka stealing) garden gnomes and taking them on trips. Perhaps the thieves believe that Tomte needs a vacation from house protecting.

Minor league teams can capitalize on this odd phenomenon by creating traveling (18in or so) gnomes emblazoned with the team’s logo. (They have them for Major League teams.) Teams can then encourage people to take their gnomes with them on trips and email the pictures to the team or post the pictures on Facebook and tag the team. Perhaps the best picture, or the fan who brought his or her gnome to the most or most exotic places can a sponsored trip through a local travel agency. Bonus points for taking pictures of the team’s traveling gnome at other stadiums.

Date a Mascot Day

Although the buzz on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is not as high as they used to be, if they haven’t done so already, I think there is a lot of potential in having “mascot dating” shows. Teams could work with local modeling agencies, local Hooters, or other areas where people are trying to put themselves over and could use the publicity of “dating” a mascot.

First, fans could make videos on why they should date the mascot. Teams could have filming rooms at the ballpark and the fans could “star” in videos similar to those hilarious 1980s personals videos.

Then there could be vote to select the top candidates to”date” the mascot. Which opens a whole other world of possibilites.

Picture this: a romantic beach backdrop, a beautiful woman, a candlelit dinner, and slowly emerging from the dark, a big-nosed, goofy walking representative of your local minor league team. The youtube possibilities are endless. Teams could post the videos on their websites and have fans votes on the best “match”.  It would also be great to see mascots be on their “best” behavior at the ballpark with their “date”.

Foursquare Season

Although the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs had a Foursquare special last season, I think Foursquare is completely undertapped as a promotional tool. Teams can incorporate Foursquare to raise the “buzz” of their games. Fans who “check in” the most in a month, half-season, or through the whole season can win a gift certificate or other exclusive prizes. Teams can post check-ins on their website or on a board at the ballpark. The check-in contest would add an element of competition to attendance.

Here is a list of all the stadiums on foursquare.

Star Wars Day (FSL only)

Although there have been Star Wars-themed days across Minor League and Major League Baseball, there has not yet been a Star Wars Day in the Florida State League. As a huge Star Wars fan, this bothers me greatly. I still get chills when I see Darth Vader and company and I really want to see them throw out the first pitch. I know there is an element of the 501^st Battalion in the Sarasota area and I know they have done museum openings and pro wrestling shows in Florida. They might have even also done the Florida Marlins Star Wars Night last season. So there is no reason why a team of the Florida State League can’t make the call to a galaxy far, far away and host a Star Wars Night.

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

There are over 1,200 players listed here, so I broke this up into rounds of fifty picks each. We’ll run one round each day.

All-Time Draft: Picks 451-500

Total WAR: 533.9 (10.7 per player)
High WAR: Bret Saberhagen (54.4)
Low WAR: Rafael Bournigal (-1.7)

Hall of Famers: Bruce Sutter (501)

Most Valuable Players: Don Mattingly (1985)

Cy Youngs: Jake Peavy (2007); Bret Saberhagen 2 (1985, 1989); Bruce Sutter (1979)

Rookies of the Year: Pat Zachry (1976)

451 – Doug Johns, LHP, Oakland Athletics (1990)
452 – Mike Hessman***, 1B, Atlanta Braves (1996)
453 – Jerry Remy, 2B, Washington Senators (1970)
454 – Pat Zachry, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (1970)
455 – David Segui, 1B, Baltimore Orioles (1987)
456 – Greg Garrett, LHP, Oakland Athletics (1965)
457 – Dann Howitt, OF, Oakland Athletics (1986)
458 – Jared Hughes, RHP, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003)
459 – Dennis Rasmussen, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1977)
460 – Randy Tomlin*, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1988)
461 – Bob Myrick, LHP, New York Mets (1974)
462 – Alex Hinshaw, LHP, San Francisco Giants (2005)
463 – Darren Lewis, OF, Oakland Athletics (1988)
464 – Jason Michaels, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (1997)
465 – Dennis Sarfate, RHP, Texas Rangers (1999)
466 – James Shields, RHP, Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000)
467 – Dewey Robinson, RHP, Chicago White Sox (1977)
468 – Bill Gogolewski*, RHP, Washington Senators (1965)
469 – Brian Daubach, 1B, New York Mets (1990)
470 – Turner Ward, OF, New York Yankees (1986)
471 – Chris Dickerson, OF, Cincinnati Reds (2003)
472 – Jake Peavy, RHP, San Diego Padres (1999)
473 – Glenn Hubbard***, 2B, Atlanta Braves (1975)
474 – Marty Pevey, C, Minnesota Twins (1982)
475 – Kevin McReynolds, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (1978)
476 – Mark Reynolds, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (2004)
477 – Kirk Reuter, LHP, Montreal Expos (1991)
479 – Mike Willis, LHP, Baltimore Orioles (1972)
480 – Bret Saberhagen, RHP, Kansas City Royals (1982)
481 – Craig Chamberlain, RHP, New York Mets (1977)
482 – Rafael Bournigal, INF, Los Angeles Dodgers (1987)
483 – David Hernandez, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (2005)
484 – John Tudor, LHP, New York Mets (1975)
485 – Danny Kolb, RHP, Minnesota Twins (1993)
486 – Mike Gonzalez, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1996)
487 – Steve Gajkowski, RHP, Cleveland Indians (1990)
488 – Mike Cameron, OF, Chicago White Sox (1991)
489 – Chris Hoiles, C, Detroit Tigers (1986)
490 – Chris Stowers, OF, Montreal Expos (1996)
491 – Josh Willingham, SS, Florida Marlins (2000)
492 – Paul Maholm, LHP, Minnesota Twins (2000)
493 – Don Mattingly, 1B, New York Yankees (1979)
494 – Steve Edlefsen, RHP, San Francisco Giants (2007)
495 – Tom Henke, RHP, Seattle Mariners (1979)
496 – Ian Kinsler, SS, Texas Rangers (2003)
497 – Matt Macri, SS, Minnesota Twins (2001)
499 – J.J. Putz, RHP, Minnesota Twins (1998)
500 – Mike Napoli, C, Anaheim Angels (2000)
501 – Bruce Sutter, RHP, Washington Senators (1970)
502 – Brian Lawrence, RHP, San Diego Padres (1998)

Note: No player selected with the 478th or 498th overall picks has gone on to play in the major leagues.

Active Players Who Are Close To The Best WAR (Denoted By Single Asterisk)
460 – Gaby Sanchez (3.5)
468 – Aaron Laffey (2.1)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
452 – Chuck Knoblauch
473 – Bobby Higginson

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

There are over 1,200 players listed here, so I broke this up into rounds of fifty picks each. We’ll run one round each day.

All-Time Draft: Picks 401-450

Total WAR: 662.0 (13.2 per player)
High WAR: Albert Pujols (88.7)
Low WAR: Geno Espineli (-0.1)

Hall of Famers: None

Most Valuable Players: Albert Pujols 3 (2005, 2008-09)

Cy Youngs: Orel Hershiser (1988)

Rookies of the Year: Albert Pujols (2001)

401 – Jim Eisenreich, OF, Minnesota Twins (1980)
402 – Albert Pujols, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals (1999)
403 – Juan Acevedo***, RHP, Colorado Rockies (1992)
404 – Vern Ruhle, RHP, Detroit Tigers (1972)
405 – Rick Honeycutt, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates (1976)
406 – Ron Wotus, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (1979)
407 – Skeeter Barnes, 2B, Cincinnati Reds (1978)
408 – Khalil Greene, SS, Chicago Cubs (2001)
409 – Michael Kohn, RHP, Los Angeles Angels (2008)
410 – Dexter Fowler, OF, Colorado Rockies (2004)
411 – Steve Olin, RHP, Cleveland Indians (1987)
412 – Dave Frost, RHP, Chicago White Sox (1974)
413 – Oil Can Boyd, RHP, Boston Red Sox (1980)
414 – Bill Mueller, SS, San Francisco Giants (1993)
415 – Darren Holmes***, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1984)
416 – Tony Phillips, SS, Seattle Mariners (1977)
417 – Buddy Black, LHP, Seattle Mariners (1979)
418 – Dick Tidrow, RHP, Washington Senators (1965)
419 – Rick Peters, INF, Minnesota Twins (1973)
420 – Casper Wells, OF, Detroit Tigers (2005)
421 – Louis Coleman, RHP, Washington Nationals (2008)
422 – Ron Hassey, C, Cleveland Indians (1976)
423 – Calvin Schiraldi, RHP, Chicago White Sox (1980)
424 – Dante Bichette, OF, California Angels (1984)
425 – Jose Cruz, OF, Atlanta Braves (1992)
426 – Ryan Church, OF, Cleveland Indians (2000)
427 – Gregg Zaun, C, Baltimore Orioles (1989)
428 – Kenny Lofton, OF, Houston Astros (1988)
429 – Scott Bankhead***, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1981)
430 – Geno Espineli, LHP, San Francisco Giants (2004)
431 – Chris Wakeland, OF, Detroit Tigers (1996)
432 – Doug DeCinces, 3B, San Diego Padres (1969)
433 – Brandon Lyon, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (1999)
434 – Freddie Patek, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates (1965)
435 – Kevin Gregg, RHP, Oakland Athletics (1996)
436 – Bubba Trammell, 3B, Baltimore Orioles (1992)
437 – Brian Giles, OF, Cleveland Indians (1989)
438 – Rich Rodriguez, LHP, Kansas City Royals (1981)
439 – Will Venable, OF, Baltimore Orioles (2004)
440 – Orel Hershiser, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1979)
441 – Josh Towers, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (1996)
442 – Larry Bradford, LHP, Atlanta Braves (1973)
443 – Chuck Crim, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (1982)
444 – Garrett Jones, 1B, Atlanta Braves (1999)
445 – Terry Bradshaw, SS, New York Yankees (1987)
446 – Dennis Cook, OF, San Francisco Giants (1985)
447 – Eric Show, RHP, San Diego Padres (1978)
448 – Mark Salas, C, St. Louis Cardinals (1979)
449 – NatE. Robertson, LHP, Chicago White Sox (1998)
450 – Mark Grudzielanek***, SS, New York Mets (1989)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
403 – John Farrell
415 – Frank Viola
429 – Gary Redus
450 – Tim Salmon

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

There are over 1,200 players listed here, so I broke this up into rounds of fifty picks each. We’ll run one round each day.

All-Time Draft: Picks 351-400

Total WAR: 679.4 (13.6 per player)
High WAR: Buddy Bell (60.8)
Low WAR: Jeff Baisley (-0.4)

Hall of Famers: None

Most Valuable Players: Jose Canseco (1986)

Cy Youngs: Steve Stone (1980); Mike Flanagan (1979)

Rookies of the Year: Gary Matthews (1973); Jose Canseco (1986)

351 – Mike Esposito**, RHP, Colorado Rockies (2002)
352 – Ernie Whitt, C, Boston Red Sox (1972)
353 – Jason Thompson, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1972)
354 – Steve Stone, RHP, Cleveland Indians (1968)
355 – Mike Flanagan, LHP, Houston Astros (1971)
356 – Bob Meacham, SS, Chicago White Sox (1978)
357 – Darin Erstad, OF, New York Mets (1992)
358 – John Jaha, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers (1984)
359 – Dwayne Murphy, OF, Oakland Athletics (1973)
360 – Matthew Joyce, OF, Detroit Tigers (2005)
361 – Ron Cey, 3B, New York Mets (1966)
362 – Bill Risley, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (1987)
363 – Oscar Gamble, OF, Chicago Cubs (1968)
364 – Tom Murphy, RHP, Houston Astros (1965)
365 – Rick Matula, RHP, Montreal Expos (1972)
366 – Gary Matthews, OF, San Diego Padres (1993)
367 – Gerald Williams, OF, New York Yankees (1987)
368 – Jim Scranton, SS, Oakland Athletics (1978)
369 – Mark Hendrickson, LHP, Atlanta Braves (1992)
370 – Joe Davenport, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (1994)
371 – Jeff Baisley, 3B, Oakland Athletics (2005)
372 – Chuck Finley, LHP, California Angels (1984)
373 – Joel Pineiro, RHP, Seattle Mariners (1997)
374 – Mike Williams, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (1990)
375 – Buddy Bell, 2B, Cleveland Indians (1969)
376 – David Carpenter, C, St. Louis Cardinals (2006)
377 – Mark Langston, LHP, Chicago Cubs (1978)
378 – Adam Melhuse, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays (1993)
379 – Jack Perconte, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers (1976)
380 – Derek Lilliquist, LHP, Boston Red Sox (1984)
381 – Gary Redus, SS, Cincinnati Reds (1978)
382 – Gary Lance, RHP, Chicago Cubs (1967)
383 – Jim York, RHP, Kansas City Royals (1969)
384 – Dave Stewart, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1975)
385 – Darrell May, LHP, Oakland Athletics (1991)
386 – Antoan Richardson, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks (2004)
387 – Gene Garber, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1965)
388 – Dave LaRoche, LHP, California Angels (1966)
389 – Josh Thole***, C, New York Mets (2005)
390 – Juan Pierre, OF, Colorado Rockies (1998)
391 – Rich DeLucia, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (1985)
392 – Jose Canseco, 3B, Oakland Athletics (1982)
393 – Rick Henninger, RHP, Cincinnati Reds (1966)
394 – Daniel Murphy, 3B, New York Mets (2006)
395 – Mike Stanley, 1B, Texas Rangers (1985)
396 – Lenny Webster, C, Minnesota Twins (1982)
397 – Gary Lavelle, LHP, San Francisco Giants (1967)
398 – Tim Teufel, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (1978)
399 – Ray Burris***, RHP, Chicago Cubs (1972)
400 – Jamey Carroll, SS, Montreal Expos (1996)

Two Players With The Same High WAR (Denoted By Double Asterisk)
351 – Mark Gilbert (-0.1)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
389 – Keith Foulke
399 – Terry Steinbach and Ken Forsch

At least a year ago, maybe longer, I had an idea: wouldn’t it be cool to go through every draft pick in major league history, pick the best player for each one, and create sort of an Ultimate Draft? (NFL.com did something like this a couple years ago, so maybe that’s where I got the idea from, but they only did the first round. I can’t find anyplace that’s done it for baseball.)

There are over 1,200 players listed here, so I broke this up into rounds of fifty picks each. We’ll run one round each day.

All-Time Draft: Picks 301-350

Total WAR: 544.6 (10.9 per player)
High WAR: Jim Thome (72.2)
Low WAR: John Hale and Leon Everitt (-0.4)

Hall of Famers: None

Most Valuable Players: Dave Parker (1978)

Cy Youngs: Bob Welch (1990)

Rookies of the Year: Geovany Soto (2008)

301 – John Milner, OF, New York Mets (1968)
302 – Scott Hatteberg, C, Philadelphia Phillies (1988)
303 – Leon Everitt***, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (1965)
304 – Scott Terry, OF, Cincinnati Reds (1980)
305 – Casey Blake, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (1992)
306 – Marlon Byrd, OF, Philadelphia Phillies (1999)
307 – Darren Dreifort, OF, New York Mets (1990)
308 – Mark Williamson, RHP, Kansas City Royals (1981)
309 – Bruce Kison***, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1968)
310 – Jerald Clark*, 3B, San Diego Padres (1985)
311 – Robb Quinlan, 1B, Anaheim Angels (1999)
312 – Mike Perez, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (1986)
313 – Peter Bourjos, OF, Los Angeles Angels (2005)
314 – Mike Easler, 3B, Houston Astros (1969)
315 – Lenny Dykstra, OF, New York Mets (1981)
316 – Rob Wilfong, 2B, Minnesota Twins (1971)
317 – Ed Vande Berg, LHP, Seattle Mariners (1980)
318 – Geovany Soto, C, Chicago Cubs (2001)
319 – Bob Welch, RHP, Chicago Cubs (1974)
320 – Kevin Millwood, RHP, Atlanta Braves (1993)
321 – Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers (2000)
322 – Jerry White, Montreal Expos (1970)
323 – Mike Oquist, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (1989)
324 – Mike Stanton*, LHP, Atlanta Braves (1987)
325 – Scott Leius***, SS, Minnesota Twins (1986)
326 – Tim Christman, LHP, Colorado Rockies (1996)
327 – Rod Beck, RHP, Oakland Athletics (1986)
328 – Bruce Christensen, SS, California Angels (1966)
329 – Pat Meares, 3B, Minnesota Twins (1990)
330 – Adam Wilk, LHP, Detroit Tigers (2009)
331 – Jose Rosado, LHP, Kansas City Royals (1994)
332 – Dave Parker, C, Pittsburgh Pirates (1970)
333 – Jim Thome, SS, Cleveland Indians (1989)
334 – Michael Wuertz, RHP, Chicago Cubs (1997)
335 – Todd Frohwirth, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (1984)
336 – Bobby Higginson, OF, Detroit Tigers (1992)
337 – Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (2008)
338 – Dan Uggla, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks (2001)
339 – John Hale, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (1971)
340 – Gene Tenace, SS, Kansas City Athletics (1965)
341 – Chris Brock, OF, Atlanta Braves (1992)
342 – Scott Downs, LHP, Atlanta Braves (1994)
343 – Danny Boone, LHP, California Angels (1973)
344 – Roy Staiger, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers (1969)
345 – Jerry Hairston, SS, Baltimore Orioles (1997)
346 – Michael Stutes, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies (2008)
347 – Everett Teaford, LHP, Kansas City Royals (2006)
348 – Bob Moose, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1965)
349 – Brian Shouse, LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (1990)
350 – Mike Mason, OF, Detroit Tigers (1978)

Active Players Who Are Close To The Best WAR (Denoted By Single Asterisk)
310 – Kris Medlen (1.2)
324 – Stephen Drew (10.7)

Player Listed Was Second-Highest; First Highest Already Appeared (Denoted By Triple Asterisk)
303 – Tony Fossas
309 – Dave Magadan
325 – Steve Finley