Name: Matt Bush
Position: SS / P
Team Drafted By: San Diego Padres
Draft Year / Draft Position: 2004 / 1st overall pick
Signing Bonus: $3.15 million
The Hype: He was considered the best high school hitter of the draft. The pick was highly criticized since there were so many better players to chose from but the Padres didn’t want to pay the big bucks needed to sign these guys. In high school he hit 0.447/11/31 and was also 9-1 as a pitcher. He wasn’t even the high school player of the year (Homer Bailey was).
The Reality: Things got off to a bad start, he was suspended from the Padres, mere weeks after starting his career for getting into a nightclub altercation. In 2005 he did poorly for Ft. Wayne of low A ball. He broke his ankle in 2006 and missed most of the season and it was back to poor hitting in 2007. In 2008 he was converted to a pitcher. After one start, he tore a ligament in his pitching elbow and missed the rest of the season. He was finally traded by the Padres to the Blue Jays in 2009 for a player to be named later and cash considerations (essentially nothing). During Spring Training he was released by the Blue Jays for violating their zero tolerance behavioral policy.
Card Values: Once a very strong value, his cards have lost nearly 95% of the value and if you pay a premium it’s only because of a famous flop’s card goes for a little more. His Bowman Xfractor autograph can be had for as little as $20. At one point it was worth hundreds.
Famous Players Passed over in the Draft: Justin Verlander, Stephen Drew, Jered Weaver, and Phil Hughes.
Was there a bigger flop drafted that year?: No way, he was the first pick in the draft and as such since he flopped (which doesn’t happen often), he is the biggest of the draft.
Team and Parent Club Currently Plays For: None, currently nursing yet another injury and is considered a free agent.
Flop Scale: 10.0/10.0 – Total killer for the Padres who have since learned their lesson. Brutal draft for the Padres who only had 2 of the players from that year’s draft make the majors and both are utility guys.
Do you remember Matt? Did you any rookie cards of him that you are pissed that they are now worthless? What is your flop rating for Matt? Do you know him, and his address for a TTM?
June 25, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Don’t know hit but have heard he’s a major league punk. He was in the news recently out here about an altercation at a high school field.
I remember seeing his autos featured in packs but never could imagine why someone would want it since he had no business being a #1 draft pick, and nobody would know his name otherwise.
June 25, 2009 at 3:19 pm
As a major Padres fan… I have never purchased a Matt Bush card. Score one for me!
Re: “an altercation at a high school field”, he “allegedly” assaulted some high school lacrosse players while drunk (in the early afternoon). He “allegedly” shoved a few of the kids while shouting at them, “Don’t you know who I am??? I am Matt #&@%ing Bush!”
He was lucky the kids with lacrosse sticks weren’t Padres fans. They would have beaten the crap outta HIM.
Battle of Crap Picks- Matt #&@%ing Bush vs. Ryan “Don’t talk to me!” Leaf… We all lose.
June 25, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Ha, yeah, now I remember the Bush tirade. What’s funny is that the lacrosse players likely didn’t know who Matt ^$#%ing Bush was other than some psycho yelling at them.