It was late November, 1966 when MLB held its first version of what has now become the Rule 5 Draft. The New York Mets were incredibly active, selecting three players on the major league scale. Tommie Reynolds, Bart Shirley, and John Sullivan were all taken by the club.
The draft had several rounds of minor league picks. With one of those selections, the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate Jacksonville Suns gladly took a shot on a guy who hit .329 in Rookie Ball, .270 in A-Ball, and finally .360 in the instructional league for the Boston Red Sox.