Matt Bush

[TakebackOPACY]

The Padres just DFA'd Matt Bush. What was he doing on the 40-man roster in the first place? They added him this year to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. I guess he might've been taken in the minor league portion.

Bush was the first overall selection in the 2004 draft. The Padres passed on better talents to draft the more affordable Bush, an 18-year-old high school SS.

Two weeks after the draft, he was arrested after getting into a fight with a couple bouncers across the street from the Padres' Peoria Sports Complex.

Employees at McDuffy's, which is across the street from the Peoria Sports Complex, where the Padres hold spring training, believe Bush and his 23-year-old brother, Jeremy, slipped into the bar through a rear entrance, Davies said Tuesday.

"Somebody found out he was under age and reported him, and that's when things turned sour for him," he said.

When security approached to lead them out, police said Bush resisted and the pair started a fight with at least two of the bouncers.

"It's alleged Matthew bit one of the security members on the left arm," Davies said.

The Padres suspended him for a month before he ever played a single game. He eventually pleaded down to a couple misdemeanor convictions.

He only played in 29 games that summer, batting .192 with a .539 OPS. He spent his 19-year-old season with low-A Ft. Wayne and batted .221/.279/.276/.555 while committing 38 errors in 125 games at SS.

By his fourth year, he was a bust as a position player and was converted to pitcher. Featuring a fastball that touched 95 mph, he struck out 16 batters in just 7.2 innings pitched. But then he blew out his elbow.

He missed all of 2008 having undergone TJ surgery. But that didn't stop him from getting into the news.

In late July, he was rehabbing at another bar across from the Padres' Peoria, AZ camp when he was injured in another fight.

Last week, while out enjoying his last month of all play and no work, Bush apparently had a run-in with a group of high school lacrosse players. From early reports, we can conclude that either his elbow is feeling better, or at the very least he was feeling no pain at the time when he picked up one of the high school lacrosse players and threw him.

At the time of his release this week from the Padres, the El Cajon, California police were looking for Bush to question him about the incident. They're pretty sure it was Matt Bush because he apparently yelled, "I'm Matt [expletive] Bush!" Sorry Matt, that's a dead giveaway.

El Cajon police Lt. Steve Shakowski yesterday confirmed an investigation involving Bush and allegations of assaultive behavior and public intoxication. A witness, who requested his name not be used because of the ongoing police investigation, said Bush was drunk, threw a golf club into the dirt, picked up and threw a freshman lacrosse player and hit another one. Bush also yelled “I'm Matt (expletive) Bush,” and “(expletive) East County,” before driving over a curb in his Mercedes when leaving the (high school) campus, according to the witness.

[J.D.]

At the time of his release this week from the Padres, the El Cajon, California police were looking for Bush to question him about the incident. They're pretty sure it was Matt Bush because he apparently yelled, "I'm Matt [expletive] Bush!" Sorry Matt, that's a dead giveaway.

To which the high school senior replied, "Umm... Matt Who?"

[TakebackOPACY]

Only two #1 overall selections before Bush failed to make it to the majors. I pulled this from this blog in which the writer makes an argument that Bush is the worst draft bust ever in any sport.

Steve Chilcott, the #1 pick in 1966 ahead of Reggie Jackson (#2) was a catcher who never made it after six seasons with the Mets. Injuries forced him out of the game at that point.

The 1991 #1 pick, Brien Taylor, was named the #1 overall prospect by Baseball America in 1993. He then tore his labrum in an off-field altercation.

Bush is yet to make it past High-A.

[J.D.]

Only two #1 overall selections before Bush failed to make it to the majors. I pulled this from this blog in which the writer makes an argument that Bush is the worst draft bust ever in any sport.

Steve Chilcott, the #1 pick in 1966 ahead of Reggie Jackson (#2) was a catcher who never made it after six seasons with the Mets. Injuries forced him out of the game at that point.

The 1991 #1 pick, Brien Taylor, was named the #1 overall prospect by Baseball America in 1993. He then tore his labrum in an off-field altercation.

Bush is yet to make it past High-A.

What's more amazing is that this wasn't entirely unexpected. I mean, this selection got slammed by the media when it happened. It was an obvious signability pick. It was a pick made to pander to the home fans. And it was a guy that was a mid-late first rounder at best at the time.

Out of the three, I'd say Bush not making it to the majors is least surprising. Not making it past high-A, though? That's a big ball of awful. It's hard to believe that he was THAT bad as a shortstop, and that the Padres had no clue of this when selecting him.

[BaltimoreTerp]

What's more amazing is that this wasn't entirely unexpected. I mean, this selection got slammed by the media when it happened. It was an obvious signability pick. It was a pick made to pander to the home fans. And it was a guy that was a mid-late first rounder at best at the time.

Out of the three, I'd say Bush not making it to the majors is least surprising. Not making it past high-A, though? That's a big ball of awful. It's hard to believe that he was THAT bad as a shortstop, and that the Padres had no clue of this when selecting him.

Apparently from his stats he simply cannot hit. My guess is that they figured his arm was so good he was worth a try as a pitcher to see if they could get any value from him.

He was pretty good in VERY limited time before he got hurt, so he may still have a shot if he can get himself an egoectomy.