History
1969
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Now it was time to build a team. Soriano began by hiring Marvin Milkes as general manager. Milkes was already known to Seattle due to the fact he was also the general manager of the Seattle Angles in 1966 when they won the PCL championship. There was also the problem of finding a new name for the new team coming to Seattle. During the summer of 1969, Pacific Northwest Sports Inc. held a contest to name the team. After reviewing names such as the Kings and the Green Soxs, Pilots was finally chosen.
Next on the schedule was to begin filling the minor league system. Vancouver BC would become their AAA team and Newark and Clinton would be the A team. The Pilots never developed a AA team. Milkes began to sign young players to minor league contracts and get ready for the expansion draft were the team would get most of their players for the 1969 season. Before the draft, Milkes also shopped around for talent to purchase. He bought Jim Bouton from the Yankees. Bouton was already in Seattle playing with the Angles and working in his knuckleball. The Yankees were not impressed with what they say and decided to sell him to the new Pilots. The team also bought Mike Hegan from the Yankees to play the outfield.
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After the 1968 season, the Pilots signed their manager. Joe Schultz came from the Cardinals as their third base coach. After the 1968 World Series against Detroit, he officially became the new Pilots manager and after the draft would begin a seven week tour of the northwest to promote the team.
With a manager the team was ready to plan for the draft. Kansas City won the coin toss and would have first pick as one of the two expansion teams. Seattle's plan was to put a winning team on the field the first year. The city wanted long enough, they thought, to have a major league team and would not support a long building process as Kansas City had planned. The first pick by Seattle was California Angel's first baseman, Don Mincher. The Pilots second pick was an outfielder from Cincinnati, Tommy Harper. The next picks would be Detroit shortstop Ray Oyler and White Sox catcher Gerry McNertney. Their last pick in the first round was a Minnesota pitcher Buzz Stephens.