Remember When a Girl was Drafted Ahead of Placido Polanco? That was Nepotism

If I didn’t know any better I would start to think that baseball players are the only people on earth that benefit from the position of their father. I’ll admit that I’ve only followed the MLB amateur draft for a couple years now but I’m already sick of the nepotism old bit.

Alex Avila? Proving to be a legitimate big leaguer.

Daniel Fields and Patrick Leyland? Taken by the Tigers at a point in the draft where it wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow if it was by a team other than the Tigers.

Colin Kaline, Bo McClendon, Ricky Knapp, Andrew Allen and Brett Impemba? Late round selections that typically don’t sign or are roster fillers for the low levels of the minor leagues. If you’re going to take a crapshoot or make a ceremonial make-the-kid’s-day pick, why not use it on someone close to the organization?

You want nepotism? I’ll give you nepotism.

John put up a post in which he touched on the familial feel of the Tigers draft that just ended. Like John, I have no problem with it for the same reasons he points out. I commented on the article about a true case of nepotism and some quick cranking of the google machine leads me to turn it into a full post.

In 1993, Chicago White Sox general manager Ron Schueler used a 43rd round pick on a left handed pitcher out of Campolindo High School in Moraga, California. The only problem is that pitcher played softball and her name is Carey Schueler. Yes, that is Ron’s daughter.

The White Sox selected Frank Menechino two rounds later, a second baseman that would end up playing in the majors for seven seasons. But that isn’t even the best part. With their 49th round pick, six rounds after selecting a high school softball player, the White Sox took a junior college infielder by the name of Placido Polanco. Yes, that Placido Polanco. He returned to Miami-Dade Wolfson Community College and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 19th round of the 1994 draft but that doesn’t change the fact that he was drafted after a girl thanks to a severe showing of nepotism.

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