Three Future Hall of Famers are featured in The first mass-market free agent re-entry draft is held at the New York Plaza Hotel.

Three Future Hall of Famers are featured in The first mass-market free agent re-entry draft is held at the New York Plaza Hotel.

ByThis Day in Baseball

1976 – The first mass-market free agent re-entry draft is held at the New York Plaza Hotel. Among those available are Reggie Jackson, Willie McCovey, Joe Rudi, Don Gullett, Gene Tenace, Nate Colbert, Rollie Fingers, Don Baylor and Bobby Grich. McCovey and Colbert are the only two players not selected, but McCovey will catch on with the Giants in spring training and have a banner year at his old first base position.

The last-place New York Yankees have the first pick in the free-agent draft and use it to take Ron Blomberg 11 of first 20 picks will make the show

The last-place New York Yankees have the first pick in the free-agent draft and use it to take Ron Blomberg 11 of first 20 picks will make the show

ByTom

The last-place New York Yankees have the first pick in the free-agent draft and use it to take Ron Blomberg. Blomberg will be the first designated hitter in major league history. In the secondary phase, the Orioles select pitcher Mike Adamson, who will leap directly to the big leagues, debuting on July 1, becoming the first player in draft history to bypass the minors.