New England Patriots

Tom Brady marks anniversary of being drafted by the Expos

In an alternate universe, Tom Brady could've been a teammate of Pedro Martinez.

Tom Brady has returned to the baseball diamond since being drafted, but usually only for ceremonial purposes.

By Hayden Bird

2 minutes to read

https://www.facebook.com/TomBrady/photos/a.233362006704957.53331.214003275307497/1148563968518085/?type=3&theater

Tom Brady, an athlete universally associated with his ability on the football field, was once a promising baseball player. Recognizing his potential as a 17-year-old catcher, the Montreal Expos selected him in the 18th round of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Brady commemorated the 21st anniversary of his selection. Not surprisingly, he remains confident he made the right choice by sticking with football. Instead of signing with the Expos, Brady went on to play football at the University of Michigan.

The rest, as they say, is history.

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Brady wasn’t the only future NFL player selected in the ’95 MLB draft. Lawyer Milloy, another future Patriots star, was drafted in the very next round by the Detroit Tigers. In the 28th round, former Patriots backup quarterback Michael Bishop (who was briefly above Brady on the Patriots’ depth chart early in the 2000 season) was taken by the Cleveland Indians.

Other notable NFL players from that draft included:

  • Ricky Williams in round 8 by the Philadelphia Phillies
  • Danny Kannell in round 25 by the New York Yankees
  • Daunte Culpepper in round 26 by the New York Yankees

Apparently, the Yankees needed a quarterback.

If Brady had opted for a baseball career, and had, by some miracle, swept through Montreal’s minor league system, he could have potentially been a battery mate of Pedro Martinez. Prior to being traded to the Red Sox in November 1997, Martinez pitched in Montreal for four seasons.

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The two New England stars did eventually end up together with a bat and ball at Fenway Park on opening day in 2015:

The first overall selection in that ’95 MLB draft was Todd Helton, who went on to be a five-time MLB All-Star with the Colorado Rockies. Helton, who attended the University of Tennessee, also has a football connection. In addition to playing baseball at Tennessee, he was a quarterback who lost the team’s starting job to Peyton Manning during the 1994 season. Helton exited a game against Mississippi State with a knee injury, opening the door for Brady’s historic rival.

Even in obscure baseball draft references, it still comes back to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

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