Today Is Your Friendly Reminder That The Houston Astros Drafted Phil Nevin Over Derek Jeter, Even Though Their Own Scout Said Jeter Was Going To Be a Hall of Famer

(this is from a blog from June 1st, 2018 but figured today was a good time to run it back)

June 1st is always one of my favorite days of the year. It’s a day that in 1992 I wasn’t even alive for, but it changed my life forever. On that day the Houston Astros ignored the advice of a trusted scout and Hall of Famer, Hal Newhouser. What advice did Hal give to his team for the 1992 MLB Draft? Take Derek Sanderson Jeter with the #1 pick and pay him whatever it took. Newhouser discovered Jeter in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he resided, and knew he was a franchise altering player in the making the first moment he laid eyes on him. Newhouser’s quote about Jeter says it all.

“No one is worth $1 million dollars, but if one kid is worth that, it’s this kid.”

The Astros ignored Newhouser’s advice and instead drafted Phil Nevin, the Yankees current third base coach. Now Nevin was no bust and ended up having a solid 12 year career, with a lifetime batting average of .270, hitting over 200 home runs. However, he only played one of those seasons with the Astros, where he hit zero home runs and totaled one whopping run batted in. Hal Newhouser quit being the Astros scout the day after the draft because he was so disgusted with the organization ignoring his advice.

The rest is history. Nevin was the player to be named later in a trade to Detroit for pitcher Mike Henneman. Derek Jeter went on to win five World Series championships for the Yankees, and will go down as one of the best shortstops to ever play the game.

Want to talk about one of the bigger what-ifs in sports history? What if the Astros listened to Hal Newhouser? Maybe they don't get involved in the biggest cheating scandals of all-time? Who knows!

Anyways, shout out to Hal Newhouser for flat out quitting his job with the Astros the day after they ignored his advice. That's how you go out. All the respect to that man.