Tommy Arko, 2001 Topps #741

Topps spent about a decade and a half featuring the previous season's top draft picks in its flagship set. It was enough of a hit-or-miss proposition when they stuck to first-rounders - the inaugural #1 Draft Pick subset in 1989 included Robin Ventura and Andy Benes, but also had flops like Willie Ansley and Ty Griffin. But the company relaxed its own criteria, and so we have this two-player card with 2000 Orioles' third-rounder Tommy Arko and Cardinals' eighth-rounder Dan Moylan, neither of whom ever reached the major leagues.

Arko was a high school catcher from Abilene, Texas who never hit for average in six seasons in the Baltimore farm system (.204 career AVG), but was willing to take a walk (.304 career OBP). In 2002, he flashed some power, swatting 14 home runs in just 57 games at Rookie-level Bluefield. But he was held homerless in a 22-game stint at Delmarva that season, collecting only eight hits in 63 at-bats (.127).  Tommy never rose above high-A Frederick, totaling 64 games played in three seasons. Early in 2005, he was off to another slow start (.143/.206/.349 in 19 games) when he walked away from baseball at 22. It's almost like baseball is an incredibly difficult game to play or something.