He was 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall and he weighed 180 pounds (82 kilograms).\n', '

Even before entering professional baseball, Folkers was a highly touted athlete. He attended both Ellsworth Community College and Parsons College, and was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 1966 draft. Deciding not to sign, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets in 1967 at different times. The White Sox chose him in the third round, while the Mets took him in the first. The 20th pick overall of the secondary phase draft of 1967, Folkers decided to sign with the Mets.\n', '

Folkers saw a large amount of success in the minors. From 1967 to 1970, for example, his earned run average in a minor league season never rose above 3.19. In 1968, he had perhaps the best season of his entire professional career: Although his record wasn\'t too outstanding (13–9), he posted an ERA of 2.41 in 27 games, striking out 142 and walking only 48 in 168 innings.\n', '

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