1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft

{{Short description|Major League Baseball expansion draft}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox sports draft

| name = 1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft

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| sport = Baseball

| date = October 10, 1961

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| first = Eddie Bressoud (Houston Colt .45s)

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| overall = 45 (plus three selections in 1963)

| prev = 1960

| next = 1968

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The 1961 MLB Expansion Draft was held by Major League Baseball on October 10, 1961, to fill the rosters of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt .45s, the new franchises which would enter the league in the 1962 season. The pool of players out of which they could select was limited to the existing National League ballclubs.{{cite news|title=Mets, Colts Pay $3,650,000 For 45 Players: New York Lands Hodges, Bouchee, Bell and Craig|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H8VHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J_8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1146,4667739&dq=mets+expansion+draft&hl=en|access-date=November 28, 2015|agency=Associated Press (AP)|newspaper=Meriden Record|date=October 11, 1961|location=Meriden-Wallingford, Connecticut|page=4}}

Due to the poor performance of the Mets and Colt .45s after two seasons, another draft was held for the teams. The other existing National League clubs made four players from their 40-man roster available at $30,000 apiece. Only eight players could be selected between the two clubs.{{Cite web |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9soqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gc0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=891,2117500&dq=jack-fisher+claude-raymond&hl=en |title = The Palm Beach Post - Google News Archive Search |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124124338/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9soqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gc0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=891,2117500&dq=jack-fisher+claude-raymond&hl=en |archive-date=24 January 2013 |url-status=dead}}