| 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Date | October 10, 1961 |
| Overview | |
| 45 (plus three selections in 1963) total selections | |
| First selection | Eddie Bressoud (Houston Colt .45s) |
The1961 MLB expansion draft was held byMajor League Baseball on October 10, 1961, to fill the rosters of theNew York Mets and theHouston Colt .45s, the new franchises which would enter the league in the 1962 season. The pool of players out of which they could select was limited to the existingNational League ballclubs.[1]
Due to the poor performance of the Mets and Colt .45s after two seasons, another draft was held for the teams. The other existing National League clubs made four players from their 40-man roster available at $30,000 apiece. Only eight players could be selected between the two clubs.[2]
| All-Star |
| Pick | Player | Position | Selected by | Previous team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Ed Olivares | IF | Houston Colt .45s | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 34 | Sherman Jones | P | New York Mets | Cincinnati Reds |
| 35 | Jim Umbricht | P | Houston Colt .45s | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 36 | Jim Hickman | OF | New York Mets | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 37 | Jim Golden | P | Houston Colt .45s | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Pick | Player | Position | Selected by | Previous team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Joe Amalfitano | IF | Houston Colt .45s | San Francisco Giants |
| 39 | Jay Hook | P | New York Mets | Cincinnati Reds |
| 40 | Turk Farrell | P | Houston Colt .45s | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 41 | Bob Miller | P | New York Mets | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 42 | Hal Smith | C | Houston Colt .45s | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 43 | Don Zimmer* | IF | New York Mets | Chicago Cubs |
| 44 | Al Spangler | OF | Houston Colt .45s | Milwaukee Braves |
| 45 | Lee Walls* | IF/OF | New York Mets | Philadelphia Phillies |
* All-Star only before 1961 expansion draft
| All-Star |
| Player | Position | Selected by | Previous team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Haas | 1B/OF | New York Mets | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Claude Raymond | P | Houston Colt. 45s | Milwaukee Braves |
| Jack Fisher | P | New York Mets | San Francisco Giants |
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