“He’s got good speed, and he’s a natural hitter. I saw him play in Little League, and he impressed me even then. I’ve been watching him for six years.”
This is what White Sox owner Bill Veeck said in June 1977 after drafting Harold Baines first overall in the MLB draft. Consider the fact that Baines was 18 years old at the time. He had been watching him for six years? Do the math.
The White Sox haven’t picked first overall since. And they definitely got it right with Harold Baines.
After a solid 1979 campaign at Iowa (AAA) hitting .