Mike Lehnerz won title, got drafted, saw 4 pro seasons
Mike Lehnerz helped his Colorado high school team to the state championship in 1988, striking out 17 in the title game. He got drafted by the Mets, in the 8th round.
"I was pleased with it," Lehnerz told The Kingsport Times-News the next year. "I didn't expect to go as high as I did but I was glad to be drafted."
Lehnerz went on from there to see time in four pro seasons. He topped out at short-season.
Lehnerz' career began that year in 1988, taken by the Mets out of Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado.
Lehnerz started with the Mets in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He got into 12 games, starting five. He went 0-2, with a 7.71 ERA.
He had higher hopes going into 1989 at rookie Kingsport, having already played a season.
"That one year experience helps a lot," Lehnerz told The Times-News that June. "I remember when I first showed up at Sarasota last year I was pretty scared. I had a brutal year."
Lehnerz saw seven starts that year. He went 2-1, with a 5.09 ERA. He then returned to Kingsport and the GCL for 1990, but saw only six outings on the year. He went 0-2 and gave up 12 earned in 3.1 innings.
For 1991, he made short-season Pittsfield. But his stay proved brief. He saw three outings and gave up six earned in 3.1 innings. After speaking with his pitching coach Jerry Koosman about his future, Lehnerz asked for and got his release, ending his career, The Daily Hampshire Gazette wrote.
"There were a lot of things going through my mind," Lehnerz told The Gazette in a minor league feature published at year's end. "If I wasn't going to play baseball, what was I going to do? I hadn't thought about that before. I always thought I had the ability to play major league baseball...and I still do."
- Kingsport Times-News, June 11, 1989: K-Mets include many Sarasota Met veterans
- Kingsport Times-News, July 7, 1989: Lehnerz improving with time, Part 1
- Daily Hampshire Gazette, Sept. 21, 1991: Curtain falls on a summer of baseball
Made the Majors:1,468-31.8%
Never Made Majors:3,148-68.2%-X