Steven Lynn Chilcott (born September 23, 1948) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

player. He played in minor league baseball as a

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

from 1966 to 1972. Chilcott was chosen as the first overall selection in the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft, by the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

. He is one of three players to be drafted first overall in the

Major League Baseball Draft The first-year player draft is the primary mechanism of Major League Baseball (MLB) for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on a lo ...

and never play in the major leagues, along with

Brien Taylor Brien McKeiver Taylor (born December 26, 1971) is a former pitcher in minor league baseball. He spent seven seasons in the minor leagues, primarily with the New York Yankees organization. In his career, he had a win–loss record of 22–30 ...

and Brady Aiken.

Early life

Born in Lancaster,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, Chilcott attended Antelope Valley High School.

Athletic career

After graduating high school, Chilcott was chosen as the first overall pick by the

in the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft. (Famously, he was chosen one spot ahead of future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.) In 1967, during his second season in the minor leagues, he injured his shoulder while playing for the

Winter Haven Mets Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

in the Florida State League. After reaching second base as a baserunner, he dove back toward the base when the pitcher tried to pick him off. As he dove back to the bag, he slammed into it with full force on his right arm, dislocating his shoulder and ending his season. Chilcott was plagued by injuries for the rest of his baseball career. The Mets released him in 1971, and he signed with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

. However, he was released after only playing 24 games in 1972, and his athletic career was over at age 24. Chilcott never played higher than Triple-A, and is one of only three retired number-one picks to have never played a major league game.

Post-athletic career

Chilcott then began a career as a firefighter in the mid-1970s, working as a temporary in the Santa Barbara Fire Department. He later became a full-time contractor, constructing and remodeling homes.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chilcott, Steve 1948 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Winter Haven Mets players Fort Lauderdale Yankees players Visalia Mets players West Haven Yankees players Marion Mets players Auburn Mets players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Tidewater Tides players Memphis Blues players Winnipeg Whips players Baseball players from California People from Lancaster, California Antelope Valley High School alumni