<P> The bonus rule was largely ineffective . There were accusations that teams were signing players to smaller bonuses, only to supplement them with under - the - table payments . In one famous incident, the Kansas City Athletics signed Clete Boyer, kept him on their roster for two years, then traded him to the Yankees just as he became eligible to be sent to the minor leagues . Other clubs accused the Yankees of using the Athletics as a de facto farm team, and the A's later admitted to signing Boyer on their behalf . Finally, it was the bidding war for Rick Reichardt, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels for the then outrageous bonus of $200,000, that led to the implementation of the draft . </P> <P> Major League clubs voted on the draft during the 1964 Winter Meetings . Four teams--the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets--attempted to defeat the proposal, but they failed to convince a majority of teams, and in the end only the Cardinals voted against it . </P> <P> Major League Baseball's first amateur draft was held in June 1965 . Teams chose players in reverse order of the previous season's standings, with picks alternating between the National and American Leagues . With the first pick, the Kansas City Athletics took Rick Monday, an outfielder from Arizona State University . </P> <P> Originally, three separate drafts were held each year . The June draft, which was by far the largest, involved new high school graduates, as well as college seniors who had just finished their seasons . Another draft was held in January, which typically involved high school players who graduated in the winter, junior college players, and players who have dropped out of four - year colleges . Junior college players were required to wait until their current season was completed before they could sign . Finally, there was a draft in August for players who participated in amateur summer leagues . The August draft was eliminated after only two years, while the January draft lasted until 1986 . </P>

How many picks are in a mlb draft