1972 DRAFT SEES SCHMIDT GO #1 TO PHILIBUSTERS

Draft Central —Punxsutawney, PA

The Punxsutawney Philibuster’s announce that Michael Jack Schmidt will be the first pick in the 1972 MWWL draft. Ironically, Punx used their first pick in the 1971 draft on Ron Cey, another 3rd base prospect.
Punxsutawney, American League Champions in 1970 and 1971, has earned a .632 winning percentage (204 wins against 119 loses) in the first two MWWL seasons. General Manager Brian Scantland, responding in a press conference, “Michael gives Punx a solid foundation for the future. We hope to utilize both Schmidt and Cey in some way, although we may be forced to consider trading Cey. I hated moving Gibson, but that deal has really paid off by placing Michael in a Philibuster uniform for hopefully the next 15+ years.”
The first pick was acquired in a trade with American League rival Roseland at the beginning of the 1971 MWWL campaign. Punx traded 1970 MWWL CY Young winner Bob Gibson, their franchise’s first pick from the inaugural MWWL draft and 8th overall, along with a 5th round draft pick to Roseland for reliever Steve Hamilton, and Roseland’s 1st and 4th round picks. Of course, Roseland’s 1st round pick turned into the overall 1st pick in the MWWL draft after the lottery was conducted. Roseland defeated Punxsutawney in the first round of the 1970 playoffs, and Scantland feels some measure of happiness in this twist of fate saying “I have no comment, but it is pretty nice…”