Whenever I read about a new pitching phenom at the high school or even college level, I am reminded about a similar prospect from the early 1970s.

Texas high-schooler David Clyde did what only a handful of pitchers had ever done. He went straight from the high school baseball diamond to a major league team without spending any prior time in the minors. The 18-year-old Clyde literally emerged from his high school graduation stage and found himself on the major-league stage in his major-league debut a few weeks later.

But Clyde ultimately did not live up to the expectations set for him at the professional level.

The left-handed pitcher out of Westchester High School in Houston, possessing a major-league-caliber fastball, was the first overall pick in the1973 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. He had just completed his senior season with an astonishing 18-0 record, striking out 328 batters in 148 innings.

Desperate to boost its sagging home field attendance, Rangers ownership decided to put Clyde on the major-league roster immediately, rather than sending him to the minors to get acclimated to professional baseball.

Clyde made his major-league debut with the Rangers at Arlington Stadium on June 27, only 20 days since he had last pitched in a high school game. Mired in last place in their division, the Rangers did their best to promote the game and generate interest in their new blue-chip talent. The pre-game hype was effective. In a Wednesday afternoon game, the Rangers sold out the stadium with over 35,000 fans, whereas they had averaged only 10,000 in previous home games.

Clyde drew the starting assignment against the Minnesota Twins. After walking the first two batters, he struck out the side in the first inning. The second inning was just as shaky for the young lefty. He walked four more and gave up a two-run homer to Mike Adams. Further damage was prevented by two Twins runners being caught stealing.

The youngster regained his composure over the next three innings, as he faced only one batter over the minimum. He was pulled from the game after the fifth, with the Rangers leading 4-2. Clyde hadn’t disappointed the crowd, since the homer was the only hit he gave up. He walked seven batters altogether but compensated with eight strikeouts.

The rest of Clyde’s season wasn’t as promising. He finished with a 4-8 win-loss record and 5.01 ERA in 18 starts. Yet the Rangers continued to draw good crowds in his home outings. While he fell short of producing more wins for the Rangers, he was paying off at the turnstile.

Clyde’s results weren’t much better in 1974. He struggled with developing an off-speed pitch to go along with his fastball. He compiled a 3-9 record and 4.38 ERA in 28 games.

During the following three seasons, he spent most of his time in the minors and on the injured list. The Rangers eventually gave up on their once-promising star by trading him to the Cleveland Indians, where he had similarly disappointing results.

After a season in the Houston Astros minor-league organization in 1981, Clyde was out of baseball at age 26. In fairness to Clyde, he was thrust into an improbable success scenario at the start of his career. Yet he is largely remembered for his inability to translate his prep superiority into a productive pro career.

Clyde wasn’t the first high-school pitcher to jump directly to the big leagues. Here’s a look at others who skipped the minors in their professional debuts. Unlike Clyde, several of them produced lengthy, successful careers.

In 1936 Bob Feller signed with the Cleveland Indians at age 17 while still in high school. The Iowa farm boy possessed an unusual fastball for a teenager, earning him the nickname “Rapid Robert.” He went on to post a Hall of Fame career, despite missing three entire seasons during World War II.

Joe Nuxhall was only 15 years old when he pitched a game for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944. When professional baseball was struggling to get players during the war, Nuxhall was pressed into service on the baseball diamond. He finished out his high school academic requirements while playing in the minors. He eventually made his way back to the big-league Reds in 1952 and played another 15 seasons.

Mike McCormick went straight from Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, CA to the New York Giants as a 17-year-old in 1956, signing for a $50,000 bonus. He was the Cy Young Award winner in 1967 and went on to win 138 games in 16 seasons.

In 1978 the Oakland A’s selected two high school pitchers in the first round of the MLB draft --Mike Morgan, the fourth overall pick, and Tim Conroy, the 20th selection. In a publicity stunt, A’s owner Charlie Finley had both pitchers start their professional careers with the major-league team. However, both were quickly relegated to the minors without making a good impression. Morgan went on to play 22 major-league seasons, while Conroy played sparingly in seven seasons. They are the last two high school players to go directly to the majors.