June 19 marks the anniversary of the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring utility man Chris Taylor from the Seattle Mariners. In exchange for the versatile Taylor, the Dodgers traded once highly-regarded pitching prospect Zach Lee.
The Dodgers selected Lee 28th overall in the stacked 2010 MLB Draft. Other notable names from that draft class include Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Chris Sale, Christian Yelich and former Dodger Yasmani Grandal.
Lee would have likely been taken higher than 28th, but it’s believed that his commitment to play football at Louisiana State University caused him to slide to the end of the first round. When the Dodgers offered a franchise-record $5.25 million signing bonus, however, he chose to forgo the gridiron and pursue a career on the diamond.
Though Lee showed flashes of promise in the Dodgers’ Minor League system, he never performed to the expected level. In his lone appearance with the Dodgers at the big league level, he surrendered a whopping seven earned runs to the New York Mets over 4.2 innings.
Lee became the first Dodgers pitcher to allow seven runs in his debut since Johnny Babich did so in 1934.
Since coming to Los Angeles in 2016, Taylor has proved an integral piece of the Dodgers’ success. From his leadoff home run in Game 1 of the 2017 World Series to his series-saving catch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018 National League Championship Series, Taylor has made plenty of highlights.
Even when putting his big plays aside, Taylor’s value has been proven through his versatility and consistency. Throughout his tenure with the Dodgers, he has played six positions, held his own in multiple spots in the lineup and only once missed significant time due to injury.
Ruth coaches for Dodgers
Also on this day in Dodgers history, Babe Ruth was in uniform for his first game as first base coach. Ruth had his sights on managing, but instead had a brief coaching career with Brooklyn.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and more!
