The Greatest 21 Days: 1990 CMC

Scott Livingstone, Would Hit - 393

2012-01-27T22:46:00.001-05:00

After three seasons as a Tiger, Scott Livingstone was on his way to San Diego in May 1994.

The move not only put Livingstone in new surroundings, but it also gave him the prospect of more playing time.

"I'm ecstatic," Livingstone told The Associated Press. "I think I'm going to get the chance to show myself. I've often wondered what would happen if I got 600 at-bats."

Livingstone had gotten some good time in the majors to that point. In one season, 1992, he'd gotten 354 at bats, hitting .282. But Livingstone wouldn't approach that number, much less 600, again.

Livingstone ended up playing in eight major league seasons, getting just over 1,500 at bats total.

Livingstone's career began in 1988, taken by the Tigers in the second round of the draft, out of Texas A&M. At Texas A&M the previous year, Livingstone played for Team USA in the Pan American Games.

With the Tigers, Livingstone started at single-A Lakeland. He moved to AA London in 1989 then AAA Toledo in 1990.

In July 1991, he made Detroit. Livingstone got into 44 games with the Tigers that year, hitting .291. He also hit two home runs, his first major league home run coming in an early August game.

"I haven't had a lot of chances to practice my homer trot," Livingstone told The AP afterward. "I just don't hit a lot of homers like Cecil (Fielder) or (Lloyd) Moseby."

Going into 1992, Livingstone just looked for a roster spot, with young Travis Fryman getting preference at third. That was also the year he got his most playing time, getting 112 games at third. Fryman played the year at short.

Livingstone got into another 98 games in 1993, hitting .293. Mid-year, though, Tigers manager Sparky Anderson moved Fryman to third. Livingstone moved to DH.

By spring 1994, Fryman was firmly entrenched at third for the Tigers and Livingstone was fighting for playing time.

"All Scott Livingstone will ever do is hit," Anderson told The AP that spring. "If he was anywhere else, he would play and he would hit. But, he's here, and I can't play him."

That May, Livingstone was off to the Padres, in a three-player deal. He got into 57 games for San Diego, 180 at bats. The next season, he got into 99 games and 196 at bats. He also hit .337 that year.

His final full year with the Padres came in 1996 with 102 games. That May, Livingstone used a pinch-hit single to win a game at Montreal.

Two more seasons, though, and Livingstone was done. He played 1997 between the Padres and the Cardinals. He played 1998 with the Expos, getting into 76 games, hitting just .209.

By the time Livingstone was with the Expos, though, he was largely a pinch-hitter, something Livingstone realized.

"That's my job," Livingstone told The AP after a June win where he knocked in the go-ahead run with a pinch-hit double. "I pinch-hit most of the time. I try and prepare myself to be ready, and fortunately I was looking for the knuckle-curveball."

It was his last year in the majors. Livingstone's playing career ended two seasons later, at AAA with the Rangers.

Oxnard Press-Courier, Associated Press, Aug. 2, 1991: Fielder carries Tigers
Toledo Blade, Associated Press, March 14, 1994: Livingstone keeps smiling
Ludington Daily News, Associated Press, May 11, 1994: Tigers swap Livingstone to Padres
CBSNews.com, Associated Press, June 27, 1998: Expos Beat Birds 3-1

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 666/880 - 75.7%
Players/Coaches Featured: 677
Made the Majors: 457 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:220-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 198-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

George Bonilla, College Records - 531

2012-01-26T19:00:00.000-05:00

George Bonilla still appears in the UC Santa Barbara record book.

His 10 wins for the team in 1985 still rank tied for fourth best in school history. His 89 strikeouts rank tied for seventh. His 18 starts and 8 complete games both rank second.

In April, Bonilla threw a complete-game, four-hitter.

For his career, which lasted just two seasons at Santa Barbara after coming out of junior college, Bonilla's 18 wins is still tied for 10th.

Bonilla took that career with Santa Barbara to the Giants, signing as a 14th round draft pick that year in 1985. Bonilla, though, couldn't take it to the majors. In a professional career that spanned six seasons, he made it to AAA, but no higher.

Before heading to Santa Barbara, Bonilla pitched at Saddleback College. Over two seasons there, Bonilla pitched well enough to make the school's athletic Hall of Fame.

Bonilla spent his first year as a pro with the Giants at short-season Everett, going 4-6, with a 4.12 ERA. In an August game, Bonilla left in the seventh with a lead, but got a no-decision.

He moved to single-A Clinton in 1986, switching to generally relief. In 39 outings, he posted a 2.45 ERA, the first of four Bonilla seasons with a sub-3 ERA.

At single-A Fresno in 1987, Bonilla topped 100 strikeouts, with 102 in 120 innings of work. He moved to AA Shreveport for 1988, posting another 2.65 ERA. Then it was back to Shreveport for 1989 and a 2.88 ERA.

For 1990, Bonilla hit AAA for the first time, what would be his only time. At Phoenix, he got into 36 games in relief. His ERA, though, jumped to 5.09. Nine more outings at Shreveport and Bonilla's career was done, short of the majors.

UC Santa Barbara: Record Book

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 665/880 - 75.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 676
Made the Majors: 456 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:220-32%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 197
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Roy Silver, Most Impressed - 116

2012-01-25T19:00:00.001-05:00

Between raking the infield and cleaning the toilets, the player listened.

In turn, Roy Silver, of The Winning Inning Baseball Academy in Clearwater, Fla., talked to the player about the possibilities, if only the player - Josh Hamilton - stayed clean, Silver recalled to The Associated Press in 2011.

"Him being an All-Star and doing the things that he has done physically are not the things that I'm most impressed with," Silver told The AP. "What I'm most impressed with is his growth as a man."

It was Silver, a former player and coach in the Cardinals system, who reached out to Hamilton, as Hamilton made his early attempts to stay clean, and attempt his comeback from drug and alcohol addiction, according to The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

From there, at Silver's baseball academy, Hamilton's slow progress back began.

Silver's own progress toward that point began as a player himself, signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Silver, though, would never make the majors himself, playing from 1984 through 1991, but he would go on to mold them as a manager and coach in the minors, and with his baseball academy, co-owned with trainer Randy Holland.

Silver began his own career in rookie ball, at Johnson City. There, Silver hit .294, earning a trip to single-A Savannah for 1985. At single-A St. Petersburg in 1986, Silver hit .294. That September, Silver hit a playoff home run, the ball bouncing off the top of the wall.

Silver made AA Arkansas in 1987 and got a look at AAA Louisville in 1988. Two years later, Silver got 88 games at Louisville, hitting .248 with four home runs. His playing career, though, ended the next year, with 23 games at single-A Savannah.

His playing career over, Silver turned to coaching. By 1993, he was managing the Cardinals rookie league team in Arizona. In 1995 and 1996, he was at single-A Peoria.

In 1996, Silver saw three of his players arrested, The Peoria Journal-Star wrote. Silver reacted strongly.

"Baseball is a privilege," Silver told The Journal-Star then, according to a 2008 article. "Sports are a privilege. Nobody has to play sports. If people don't follow rules, you take the privilege away."

By 1998, Silver had opened The Winning Inning with Holland. One of their first students happened to be future Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan, according to The Palm Beach Post.

With Coglan, too, Silver and Holland worked to help him through tough times. With Coghlan, though, it was the death of his father in a car accident 2001, The Post wrote.

Called by Coghlan's mother, the two dropped everything to go and see the young Coghlan. "There was a lot of anger, a lot of tears," Silver recalled to The Post in 2010.

It was in 2005 that Silver reached out to Hamlton, after he read a newspaper article where Hamilton asked for another opportunity and someone to talk to, The Herald-Tribune wrote.

Silver offered that, along with hard work both on the field and off it.

The Winning Inning has been described as Christian based. On its Web site, only an offered Bible study suggests that.

The site is likewise also modest about its most famous players, Hamilton and Coghlan. Both are listed in alumni under "other players," each with only a name and team. Hamilton is listed as third-to-last on that list and Coghlan second-to-last.

Hamilton, though, in his book Beyond Belief, is more direct about what Silver and co-owner of The Winning Inning, Holland, gave him.

"Without you guys, I would not be the man I am today," Hamilton wrote. "Thank you for all you have done for me."

Sarasota Herald-Tribune, May 28, 2008: Silver lining in life that went sour
Peoria Journal-Star, July 25, 2008: Baseball's black eye
Palm Beach Post, Feb. 15, 2010: Florida Marlins' Chris Coghlan lost his dad, but had plenty of father figures to guide him
Austin American-Statesman, Associated Press, March 25, 2011: Josh Hamilton's reward not money or awards
Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back, 2008: Page VIII

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 664/880 - 75.5%
Players/Coaches Featured: 675
Made the Majors: 456 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:219-32%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 197
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Tommy Greene, Country Hardball - 296

2012-01-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

Tommy Greene had a rough first inning in that April 1992 game. But he bore down and, by the time he was done, gave up just two hits over seven innings, picking up the win.

Phillies manager Jim Fregosi later told The Philadelphia Inquirer it was a matter of the young right-hander going at hitters.

"Tommy's still a thrower," Fregosi told The Inquirer. "His best stuff is his hard fastball and slider. That's what he has to get hitters out with.

"But sometimes younger players want to be pitchers too soon," Frigosi added to the paper. "They throw to spots. He had to pitch through that."

Green was in his fourth season with time in the majors that year. The thrower, though, had already achieved the year before what most pitchers only dream of: a major league no-hitter.

Greene's career began in 1985, taken by the Braves in the first round of the draft, out of Whiteville High School in North Carolina.

He started at rookie Pulaski, hitting AA Greenville in 1987 then AAA Richmond in 1988.

By September 1989, he was in Atlanta. He started four games there, going 1-2 with a 4.10 ERA. His one win was a complete-game shutout and three-hitter.

"He's in a good spot," Braves pitching coach Bruce Dal Canton told The Wilmington Star-News afterward. "He was a No. 1 pick. He's showing he can pitch in the major leagues. He's definitely in the picture next year."

Greene returned for 15 outings in 1990, starting 9 of them. He pitched those games between the Braves and the Phillies, sent to Philadelphia to complete the Dale Murphy deal.

It was on May 23, 1991 that Greene threw his no-hitter, at Olympic Stadium on Montreal. It was his second start of the year. Greene ended the game himself, fielding a comebacker and flipping the ball to first.

"I think I really got into a groove around the third inning, but I actually felt pretty good all day," Greene told reporters afterward. "I realized about the sixth inning what was going on, but you can't really think about it. You have to just do your job."

Greene ended up going 13-7 for the Phillies in 1991 in 27 starts. But problems with his shoulder limited his 1992 season and his season two years later. In between, Greene went 16-4 with the Phillies in 1993, helping them to the World Series.

Greene's shoulder problems persisted. By April 1995, the hurler dubbed by The Inquirer a "country-hardballer," knew changes needed to be made for him to remain in the majors.

"What I got is what it is," Greene told The Inquirer after a poor spring outing. "I've just got to make some adjustments and go out there and pitch. If I go out there and throw strikes and get ahead of guys, which I didn't do today, I feel like I can make them swing the bat. I'm happy with that.

Greene, though, only got into 11 games that year, losing five and winning none. After spending a limited 1996 back in the minors, Greene returned to the majors in 1997 for two final outings with the Astros, ending his career.

Wilmington Star-News, Sept. 23, 1989: Greene's shutout gets raves from Braves, Part 2
New York Times, May 24, 1991: From Sub to Sublime: No-Hitter for Phillies' Greene
Philadelphia Inquirer, April 24, 1992: Phillies End Trip On A Win
Philadelphia Inquirer, April 19, 1995: Tommy Greene Is Contemplating His Fastball, And His Future

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 663/880 - 75.3%
Players/Coaches Featured: 674
Made the Majors: 456 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:218-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 197-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Sterling Hitchcock, Great Way - 822

2012-01-23T22:45:00.000-05:00

The Yankees were within striking distance of the division lead in late-August 1993 and they turned to their young left hander Sterling Hitchock to keep it that way.

Hitchcock responded by throwing seven scoreless and picking up the win, his first in the majors.

"It's a lot of fun to look around, see the guys excited, and know the importance of what's going on here," Hitchcock told The Associated Press. "A win is a win, but a win in the middle of a pennant race - it's a great way to get your first one."

Hitchcock would go on to get 73 other major league wins in a career that spanned 13 seasons. He would also get some of the biggest wins in San Diego's limited playoff history.

Hitchcock's career began in 1989, taken by the Yankees in the ninth round of the draft out of Seffner High School in Florida.

He played that first season in the rookie Gulf Coast League, going 9-1, with a 1.64 ERA. He moved to single-A Greensboro for 1990. He made AA Albany-Colonie by 1992.

That September in 1992, Hitchcock also debuted in The Bronx. He started three games for the Yankees, going 0-2, with an 8.31 ERA. In his debut, though, he went six innings, giving up just one earned run and getting a no-decision.

"I was impressed with his stuff," Yankees Manager Buck Showalter told The New York Times afterward. "He didn't seem in awe or intimidated by the situation. He could easily have come out of the outing without giving up any runs."

Hitchcock got six starts, including that first win, in 1993. In 1994, Hitchcock got 23 outings while experimenting as a reliever.

Over the next five seasons Hitchcock returned to starting. He also got no fewer than 27 starts in a season. In 1995, his last year with the Yankees, Hitchcock went 11-10, with a 4.70 ERA.

Traded to the Mariners for 1996 in the Tino Martinez deal, Hitchcock went 13-9, with a 5.35 ERA. Hitchcock then got traded again, to the Padres.

He went 10-11 in 1997, then 9-7 in 1998. But it was the 1998 post-season where Hitchcock made his name with the Padres. He picked up a win in the NLDS, then two in the NLCS. In the NLCS, Hitchcock pitched in 10 innings, giving up one earned run. He also won series MVP honors.

"I can't explain it," Hitchcock told The AP as the Padres prepared for the World Series. "I was able to kick it up a notch with my intensity. It really isn't anything that I've done, but this whole team battling and playing well together."

In the World Series, though, both Hitchcock and the Padres went without a win. Hitchcock, though, would get his World Series win three years later, back with the team that drafted him, the Yankees. Hitchcock picked up the win in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series.

Hitchcock played in three more seasons, finishing in 2004 with the Padres again. Injuries, though, forced him out that September.

"This is not the way you want to go out, obviously," Hitchcock told The AP after announcing his retirement. "There are very few who get to choose the way they want to go out."

New York Times, Sept. 12, 1992: Hitchcock Plays a Role in a Who-won-it
New London Day, Associated Press, Aug. 27, 1993: Sterling indeed, Part 2
CNNSI.com, Associated Press, Oct. 15, 1998: 'Buzz saw'
ESPN.com, Associated Press, Sept. 4, 2004: Pitcher has Sterling moments with Padres

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 662/880 - 75.2%
Players/Coaches Featured: 673
Made the Majors: 455 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:218-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 196-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Greg Mayberry, Game Ended - 409

2012-01-22T19:00:00.001-05:00

The bases loaded in the ninth of this spring game in 1990, the Dodgers called on reliever Greg Mayberry.

Up to bat was the Mets' Mike Marshall, who'd singled and tripled earlier. Mayberry got him to fly deep, but out, for a 5-4 Dodgers win.

"It shows you what the game is all about," Marshall told The Associated Press later. "I get up there with a chance to win it and even though I hit it hard, I ended the game."

Mayberry was going into his seventh season as a pro in 1990, a career that hadn't yet made the majors. Coming out of that spring training, Mayberry returned to the minors. It was his last season, his career ending without making the majors.

Mayberry's career began in 1984, taken by the Dodgers in the first round of the January draft out of Ferrum College.

He played that first year largely at rookie league Great Falls, going 7-5, with a 3.18 ERA in 14 starts.

Mayberry moved to single-A Vero Beach for 1985, going 11-4. He also got an 8-start look at AA San Antonio, going 2-4.

Going into 1986, The Los Angeles Times referred to Mayberry as "highly regarded." That spring, he walked the bases loaded, but then got himself out of the inning, The Times wrote.

Mayberry, though, would play abbreviated seasons in both 1986 and 1987, starting three games for San Antonio in 1986 and getting into six for Albuquerque in 1987.

Mayberry's apparent struggles continued into 1988, back at single-A Vero Beach. He got into 13 games there, starting four.

He got back on track in 1989, playing again between San Antonio and Albuquerque. He went 12-10 between them, with a 4.27 ERA. That December, Mayberry was even thought of has having a chance to be taken by another team in the Rule 5 draft.

But Mayberry ended up staying with the Dodgers, playing 32 final outings at Albuquerque, ending his career.

Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1986: Dodger Notebook
Oxnard Press-Courier, Associated Press, March 30, 1990: Samuel stars for Dodgers

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 661/880 - 75.1%
Players/Coaches Featured: 672
Made the Majors: 454 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:218-32%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 195
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Luis Medina, Really Fun - 468

2012-01-21T23:59:00.001-05:00

Luis Medina led off top of the seventh, the score still tied at zero. Against the Angels' Chuck Finley, and in Medina's native Southern California, Medina hit one out, giving his Indians a 1-0 lead in a game they would win by the same score.

"It was my first game here in front of the home crowd," Medina told The Los Angeles Times afterward. "It was really a lot of fun."

Medina hit that home run in front of the home crowd, his 10th homer in his 43rd major league appearance. It would also be his final home run in the majors. Medina played in just three more games for the Indians that year and five more two seasons later, marking the extent of his big league career.

Medina's career began in 1985, taken by the Indians in the ninth round of the draft, out of Arizona State. At Arizona State, the right-handed hitter experimented with switch-hitting his last year after a forearm injury.

The renewed right-hander played his first year as a pro at short-season Batavia, hitting .266 with 12 home runs. He moved to single-A Waterloo for 1986, hitting .317, with 35 home runs.

He continued hitting over .300 at AA Williamsport in 1987 and at AAA Colorado Springs in 1988. In 19888, Medina also earned his first look at the majors, as a September call-up.

With that call up, Indians manager Doc Edwards got a chance to see in action the player The Associated Press called "the most prized prospect" in the Indians system.

"When I saw him in spring training, I knew he had some talent," Edwards told The AP. "When he hits the ball, it jumps off his bat. But I won't know how much progress he has made until I see him against major league pitching."

In 16 games against major league pitching to finish out that season, Medina hit .255 with six home runs. He also struck out 18 times. One of those home runs came in another 1-0 game, one where his home run also broke up a no-hit bid.

Medina returned for another 30 games with the Indians in 1989, but his average dropped to .205. In 1990, he didn't see any time in Cleveland, playing just 94 games at Colorado Springs.

Medina's once promising major league career ended the next season with just five final games and 16 at bats. Medina got just one hit. His playing career ended the next season, playing with the Royals at AAA Omaha.

Medina has gone on to a long post-playing career as a scout and as special assistant to the general manager. Medina served as a scout with the Diamondbacks, special assistant with the Royals.

By 2006, he was back with the Royals, making Rule 5 draft recommendations. His recommendation that year: Joakim Soria. In the December 2011 Rule 5 draft, Medina recommended a Boston minor leaguer named Cesar Cabral, The Kansas City Star wrote.

"Louis thinks (Cabral) is better than a minor-league Rule 5 guy," Gene Watson, Royals coordinator for professional scouting, told The Star. "He's got arm strength. He attacks hitters. Louie thinks he’s got a chance to be a major-league prospect."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/08/3308803/royals-pick-reliever-cesar-cabral.html#storylink=cpy

Youngstown Vindicator, Associated Press, Sept. 2, 1988: Indians open home series tonight against Chisox
Toledo Blade, Associated Press, Oct. 2, 1988: Sellers loses no-hitter, game, but figures he was 'clincher'
Los Angeles Times, June 8, 1989: Forget Past Swoons, For Swindell, June's His Month to Bloom
Kansas City Star, Dec. 8, 2011: Royals pick reliever in Rule 5 draft before trading him to Yankees

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 660/880 - 75.0%
Players/Coaches Featured: 671
Made the Majors: 454 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:217-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 195
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Jim Steels, Just Glad - 65

2012-01-20T19:00:00.001-05:00

As his major league debut approached, Jim Steels told The Los Angeles Times he was just glad to be there.

He was also just trying to figure out what he should do when he finally got his first major league at bat, he told The Times in April 1987.

"Should I bunt or swing for the downs?" Steels asked The Times. I don't want to strike out, of course, but--shoot--I just hope I can walk to the plate without dropping my bat."

Steels ended up doing what he didn't want to do: strikeout. He had to wait two more days for his first big league hit.

For Steels, though, big league hits would be hard to come by. In three seasons with time in the majors, Steels got just 24 hits in 133 total at bats.

Steels' career began back in 1979, taken by the Padres in the 8th round of the draft out of Santa Maria High in California.

He played that first year in 1980 at single-A Reno, hitting .302. He moved to AA Amarillo for 1981 then AAA Hawaii in 1982.

But Steels couldn't make that last jump to the majors until five years later. He played 1985 and 1986 completely at AAA Las Vegas.

Steels missed out on a call-up in September 1986, The Times wrote. But, going into 187, he had a chance to make the team. Steels didn't care how.

"I like playing center field," Steels told The Times. "It's easier than playing the corners because you can get a read on balls. I wouldn't mind playing left or right, though. I'll play anywhere to make the team."

Steels did make the team, getting into 62 games, but hitting only.191. In mid-April, Steels didn't need a hit, he just needed a walk. He drew that walk, with the bases loaded, tying the game.

Coming back for 1988, with the Rangers, Steels got into 36 games, hitting just .189. He did pick up three RBIs in one May game. For 1989, Steels signed with the Giants, getting into 13 games.

Going into 1990, Steels was with the Expos, looking for another stint in the bigs. But it got off to a disappointing start, according to his teammate that year at AAA Indianapolis, Steve Fireovid, wrote that an Expos coach who should have known Steels got his first name wrong, calling him Walter, after he wasn't invited to big league camp.

"We joke about it, but it has to hurt James some," Fireovid wrote in his book "The 26th Man," "He's working as hard as any of the millionaires, and he's an unknown, literally. Walter Steels. That stinks."

Steels played just 71 games at Indianapolis in 1990, without seeing Montreal, ending his career.

Los Angeles Times, March 7, 1987: Steels Hits Game-Winner, Stakes Claim With Padres
Los Angeles Times, April 6, 1987: Opening Day Arrives for Padre Rookies
The 26th Man: One Minor League Pitcher's Pursuit of a Dream: Page 33

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 659/880 - 74.9%
Players/Coaches Featured: 670
Made the Majors: 453 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:217-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 195
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Tony Perezchica, Good Range - 547

2012-01-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

Tony Perezchica had a hit in the game, his major league debut, but what caught his manager's attention was his sacrifice fly - the game-winning sacrifice fly.

With injuries that September, Giants manager Roger Craig told The Associated Press he might just get a closer look at the young infielder by keeping him in the lineup.

"He was swinging the tee bat well," Giants manager Roger Craig told The AP afterward. "He's got good range and agility. He's a good-looking ballplayer."

Perezchica, though, ended up getting into just six more games that year. That hit ended up being his only hit in eight at bats. His next big league hit wouldn't come until 1990. By the time his career was over, Perezchica would have just 23.

Perezchica's route to those 23 big league hits began in 1984, selected by the Giants in the third round of the draft out of Palm Springs High in California.

He played his first year at short-season Everett, hitting .193. He moved to single-A Clinton for 1985, then single-A Fresno for 1986.

Perezchica made AA Shreveport for 1987, hitting .319 on the year, with 11 home runs. He made AAA Phoenix the next season, hitting .306. He also got that look with the Giants in September.

Going into spring training 1989, Perezchica believed he was ready for the majors. He just needed to win a spot, McClatchy News Service wrote. Giants hitting instructor Dusty Baker, though, warned that, if Perezchica were sent back down, he needed to stay sharp.

"I'm not going to say he's going back down; that's not my decision to make," Baker told McClatchy. "But if he does, he has to know that his time will come. That's just a part of the game. It might be here. It might be somewhere else. But his time will come. He's proved he can hit major-league pitching."

Perezchica didn't make the team that year, sent back to AAA. Perezchica's batting average also suffered. After hitting over .300 the two previous seasons, at AA and AAA, Perezchica's averaged dropped to .231.

He returned to AAA for most of 1990, as well, getting four games with the Giants in San Francisco. Perezchica had his biggest year in 1991. He got into 40 games between the Giants and the Indians, taken of waivers by Cleveland in August.

That June, with the Giants, Perezchica got thrown out at the plate trying to score the game-tying run against the Cubs. Later that month, though, he used a single to knock in the tying run.

In July, he got married. Perezchica had planned to get married earlier, but his call up to San Francisco got in the way, The Baltimore Sun wrote.

Perezchica finished out his major league career in 1992 with 18 more games with the Indians. He played in the minors through 1995, moving to the Yankees organization for 1994.

Perezchica has gone on to a long career as a coach, manager and instructor in the minors. In 2002, he served as hitting coach for the Norwich Navigators.

In April 2002, Perezchica's Navigators lost a game 5 to 2. Perezchica, serving then as interim manager, thought his team could have done better.

"April, spring training, whenever, this can't happen," Perezchica told The New London Day. "These guys should be better., and they are going to get better. We made a lot of mistakes that we shouldn't have."

Albany Herald, Associated Press, Sept. 8, 1988: Glavine Gets 1st Route Job
Lodi News-Sentinel, McClatchy News Service, March 20, 1989: Perezchica wants chance with Giants
New London Day, April 9, 2002: Winless Navigators stumble to a loss at New Britain

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 659/880 - 74.9%
Players/Coaches Featured: 670
Made the Majors: 453 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:217-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 195
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140

Ted Williams, Steal Bases - 759

2012-01-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Not that they could really be confused, this Ted Williams explained to The Beaver County Times in spring 1995 the differences between him and the other Ted Williams.

"I'm a different kind of Ted Williams," Williams told The Times that March, "Ted Williams was probably the greatest hitter of all time. Had the greatest vision of any hitter and his record speaks for itself. I'll never be close to being in his class as a hitter. But I do one thing he didn't, and that's steal bases."

In a career that spanned a decade, the base stealer Williams stole a total of 368 bases, including topping 70 in a season twice.

But, while the other Williams focused more on hitting than stealing, the other Williams still stole more in the majors. This Ted Williams never stole a base in the bigs.

Williams' minor league career began in 1986, taken by the Mariners in the 8th round, out of the University of Alabama.

Williams played that first year at short-season Bellingham, hitting .246 and stealing 51 bases. He stole one of those bases in an August game, knocking in one.

Williams moved to single-A Wausau in 1987 then single-A San Bernardino for 1988. He stole 74 bases at Wausau, then followed that with 71 at San Bernardino. In the California League All-Star game that year, though, Williams showed some power, hitting a three-run home run.

Williams made AA Williamsport in 1989, his stolen bases dropping to 37. He got his first look at AAA the next season, with 43 games at Calgary. He didn't get a full year at AAA until 1992, his last in the Mariners system.

After a year with the Tigers at AA and AAA, Williams moved to independent Duluth and Winnipeg for 1994.

For 1995, Williams returned for replacement ball with the Pirates, traded toward the end to the Royals.

"This could be a good opportunity for me," Williams told The Associated Press after the trade. "I appreciate the Pirates giving me a chance."

Williams' career, though, ended that year. He played one game with the Royals at AA Wichita and played out the year at independent Moose Jaw.

Beaver County Times, March 13, 1995: Pinch-hit home run fails to save Pirates
Toledo Blade, March 29, 1995: Are dreams about to end?

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 658/880 - 74.8%
Players/Coaches Featured: 669
Made the Majors: 452 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:217-32%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 195
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 140-X

Tim Casey, His Best - 589

2012-01-17T19:00:00.002-05:00

It was something Tim Casey tried not to think about, he told The Los Angeles Times in 1985.

But, as with any minor league ball player, the possibility was always there that he could be released.

"You have to resign yourself to the fact that all you can do is your best," Casey told The Times. "Maybe it's good enough and maybe it's not."

Casey was good enough to stay with his organization, the Brewers into 1988, his fifth season. He would go on to play in seven professional seasons. Casey, though, was never good enough to make the majors, making it to AAA, but no higher.

Casey's career began in 1984, taken by the Brewers in the ninth round of the draft out of the University of Portland.

Casey played his first season at rookie Paintsville, hitting .282 with 18 home runs. At Paintsville, Casey also caught the eye of Brewers farm director Bruce Manno.

"He's got better than average power. He's very strong," Manno told The Milwaukee Journal. "We'll take a look at him in instructional league."

Casey moved to single-A Stockton in 1985, his average dropping to .204. He stole 23 bases, hitting 14 home runs. Casey returned to Stockton for 1986, then hit AA El Paso in 1987.

Casey moved to the Oakland system in 1989, playing at AA Huntsville. He hit .249 in 72 games, breaking up a no-hit bid in August.

Casey then got his only look at AAA to start 1990, playing at AAA Tacoma. But he hit just .149 in 48 games. He signed on with the Astros for the second half, playing back at AA in Columbus, Ga. He hit .175. Casey returned for replacement ball with the Marlins five years later, finally ending his career.

Milwaukee Journal, Sept. 13, 1984: Power: Don't look to Brewer farm teams
Los Angeles Times, Aug. 23, 1985: Season of Hope

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 657/880 - 74.7%
Players/Coaches Featured: 668
Made the Majors: 452 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:216-32%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 195
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Von Joshua, Playing Regularly - Playing Days

2012-01-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

Coming off a career season, one spent as a full-time starter in the majors, Von Joshua told Baseball Digest he knew what made it possible.

Not only had he'd gotten into 129 games with the Giants the previous year, in 1975, he hit .318.

"All I know is that playing regularly gave me my timing as a hitter," Joshua told Baseball Digest that December. "I'll admit, I didn't expect to have quite this good of year overall. But I did expect to hit .300 and I didn't anticipate any trouble in the field."

Joshua was coming off his sixth season with time in the majors that year. He went on to play in four more, never quite matching his success with the Giants in 1975.

His playing days over, Joshua has gone on to a long career as a coach in the minors, and in the majors, most recently with the AAA Iowa Cubs in 2011.

Joshua's career began in 1967, signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent out of California.

He played that first year at short-season Tri-City and single-A Santa Barbara. He moved to AA Albuquerque in 1968, then AAA Spokane in 1969.

In 1969, Joshua also debuted with Los Angeles as a September call-up. He got into 14 games for the Dodgers, getting 8 at bats. He got two hits.

He returned to the Dodgers for a more-extended stay in 1970, 72 games. He hit .266 with one home run. In May, he singled and tripled in an 8-1 win, knocking in the go-ahead run.

Joshua, though, got into just 11 games for the Dodgers the next year. In 1972, he didn't make the majors at all, playing the year at AAA Albuquerque.

Joshua got more regular time in 1973 and 1974, getting into 75 games and 81 games respectively. He also hit .252 and .234.

In 1974, Joshua also got time in the World Series. He appeared in four games, getting an at bat in each, but he didn't get a hit.

Taken off waivers by the Giants for 1975, Joshua had that breakout season. He stayed with them through mid-1976, when he was purchased by the Brewers.

Between the Giants and the Brewers, Joshua got into 149 games in 1976, hitting .266. He returned to the Brewers for 1977. He isn't recorded as playing in 1978, but played in two more major league seasons.

In 1979, he returned to the Dodgers. In 1980, his final year, he played in 53 games with the Padres.

By 1984, Joshua had started his post-playing career, as an instructor with the team that first signed him, the Dodgers.

Read about Joshua's long coaching career: Von Joshua, Physics of the Swing, July 31, 2010

St. Petersburg Times, Associated Press, May 25, 1970: Joshua Knocks Down Braves
Baseball Digest, December 1975: Greatest Theft of the '75 Season

Scott Service, Well-Traveled - 234

2012-01-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

In his 18th professional season in 2003, Scott Service told MLB.com he'd like to have a dollar for each mile he'd driven from team to team.

By the point, his 11th season with time in the majors, nine different major league clubs alone had benefited from his services.

"I've been well-traveled," Service told MLB.com, "but I've got over five years in the Majors. It's been 18 years. It's been a hard 18 years, but I wouldn't change a thing."

Service's career finally ended the next year, his 12th year in the majors, with the Diamondbacks. Service's first stop, though, was with Philadelphia, in 1988, the team that first signed him.

The Phillies signed Service in 1985 as an undrafted free agent, out of Aiken High School in Cincinnati. His first year came in 1986, with Service playing for three different teams in just his first year, Utica, Clearwater and Spartanburg.

He hit AA Reading in 1987, then made AAA Maine and major league Philadelphia in 1988. With the big club in September, Service got into five games in relief, giving up one earned run in 5.1 innings of work.

Service, though, didn't make it back to the majors until 1992. In the meantime, he played at AAA Scranton and Indianapolis.

Service returned to the majors in 1992, with five more relief appearances with the Expos. In seven innings, he gave up 11 runs.

Going into 1993, Service looked to have a more permanent role on a major league club. In camp with his hometown team, the Reds. By then, Service was working on a forkball.

"There are a lot of guys here who are big and strong," Service told reporters that spring. "But I think, given a few breaks, I can earn a spot."

Service did make the Reds that year, getting into 26 games in relief. Mid-year, he packed his bags again, taken off waivers by the Rockies. He got into three games with them.

For 1994, he was back with the Reds, for six games. Then 28 games with the Giants in 1995 and 34 with the Reds again in 1996.

That July, Service made his first major league start, the second game of a double-header. He went five innings, giving up three runs.

"You've really got to slow it down and pace yourself as a starter," Service told reporters later. "As a reliever you can come in and throw 9-10 pitches an inning and get out of it. As a starter, you're going to be facing these guys 2-3 times."

That start ended up being Service's only major league start. He moved to the Royals in 1997, staying with them through 1999. In his two full seasons in Kansas City, Service got into 73 and 68 games.

Service then got into 20 games with Oakland in 2000, then didn't get back to the majors until 2003 with the Blue Jays. He finished out his career in 2004, with the Diamondbacks.

Reading Eagle, news services, Feb. 26, 1993: Red Sox waive Clark; he's sure to get a job
Reading Eagle, news services, July 23, 1996: Howard, Service help Reds sweep Phillies
MLB.com, June 18, 2003: Jays notes

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 656/880 - 74.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 667
Made the Majors: 452 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:215-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 195-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

CMC Starting Lineups (More Than I Thought)

2012-01-16T16:00:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, while digging around for a gift list I might give my wife for my birthday and for Christmas, I started thinking about the old Starting Lineup figures.

I actually started thinking about it over the summer, when I came across this Curt Schilling McFarlane figure. It's not a Starting Lineup, but it is a CMC set member in plastic form.

Regarding actual Starting Lineups, I have three Andre Dawsons gracing the top of our TV cabinet. They've been up there for a few years now, all three of them ones I still had from my youth. Each represents one of the first three years of the figures, Dawson starting his swing, ending it and running to make a catch.

Related to this blog, I knew there were a few CMC set members who were so honored. There were the big names, like Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell and Juan Gonzalez.

But I got to thinking, how many, exactly, were immortalized with their own plastic baseball action figure? And which ones would I ask my wife to get me?

The answer, surprising quite a few, at least a few more than I expected. Looking around online for checklists, I found lists for each year from the first year, 1988, through 1998.

In that span, by my count, a total of 40 different CMC set members had their own Starting Lineup figures.

There were those obvious ones. But there were also the more obscure players, ones that you wouldn't assume would have their own figure.

The first year, in 1988, both Ozzie Virgil and the White Sox' Greg Walker got their own figures. Walker even gone a second one, in 1989, with Mickey Brantley and Pete Stanicek.

Later, Tommy Greene, Scott Cooper, Jeff Manto and even Troy Neel got their own figures.

I was planning on asking for one or two of the more obscure players. But then I stopped by that local card shop. Right there in the dollar bin were Starting Lineups of two of the more well-known CMC set members, Frank Thomas and Juan Gonzalez.

For a dollar apiece, I couldn't ask for any other figures. As I mentioned earlier, I believe it was safe to say that I was the only person in the country to receive a Juan Gonzalez Starting Lineup this past Christmas and was happy to receive it.

Below I've included a full list of the CMC set members and the first or only year they appeared in a Starting Lineup. I've also included links to their features here, if they have been featured already.

1988: Ozzie Virgil, Greg Walker
1989: Mickey Brantley, Pete Stanicek
1990: Ben McDonald
1991: Kevin Maas, David Justice
1992: Juan Gonzalez, Brian McRae, Frank Thomas, Steve Avery
1993: Jeff Bagwell, Travis Fryman, Juan Guzman, Ray Lankford
1994: Derek Bell, Tommy Greene, Chris Hoiles, Darryl Kile, Chuck Knblauch, Orlando Merced, Tim Salmon, Curt Schilling
1995: Moises Alou, Jeff Conine, Scott Cooper, Bob Hamelin, Ryan Klesko, Troy Neel
1996: Vinny Castilla, Wil Cordero, Brian Hunter, Jeff Manto, Edgar Martinez, Denny Neagle
1997: Tino Martinez, Reggie Sanders, Bernie Williams
1998: Mickey Morandini, Ed Sprague

Keith Hughes, Some Enthusiasm - 375

2012-01-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

It took Keith Hughes 10 tries, but, in late June 1987, he finally got his first major league hit. And he made it count, just before his scheduled return to the minors.

Coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth, with two on, Hughes smacked a two-run double against the Pirates, breaking a 4-4 tie, giving his Phillies enough to hold on for the win.

"Now I can go back with some enthusiasm under my belt," Hughes told reporters afterward, referring to his impending trip back to AAA, according to The Beaver County Times, "some enthusiasm, instead of an 0 for my stay."

Hughes ultimately played in 41 major league games that year, 31 after the Pirates game. He also got 19 more major league hits, ending with a .250 average.

Hughes would see time in only three more major league seasons, ending in 1993. His playing career, though, and attempts to get back to the bigs, wouldn't end for two more seasons.

Hughes' playing career began in 1981, signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent, out of Conestoga High in Pennsylvania.

Hughes started playing in 1982, at short-season Bend. He moved to single-A Spartanburg in 1983, then AA Reading in 1984. In mid-1984, the Phillies sent Hughes and another player to the Yankees for Shane Rawley.

With the Yankees, Hughes got a brief look at AAA Columbus in 1985 and another one in 1986. In May 1987, Hughes got a brief look at the Bronx, but went 0 for 4 in four games.

He arrived back with the Phillies after another trade, one that sent Mike Easler to the Yankees for Hughes and another player. His first hit came in his sixth game and sixth plate appearance with the Phillies.

After continuing with several appearances in July, Hughes was back in Philadelphia as a September call-up. On Sept. 18, he got three hits in one game.

"The kid keeps making contact," Phillies manager Lee Elia told the Philadelphia Inquirer after that game. "When you put the ball into play consistently like he does, something good can happen."

Another trade in spring 1988 landed Hughes with the Orioles, a team where he got into another 41 games. Hughes joined the big club in Baltimore as the team tried to break out of it's record losing streak.

He went 7 for 12 in his first five games, prompting his new manager Frank Robinson to tell The Associated Press that Hughes "swings a nice bat. He's a sound hitter and he's good defensively."

Hughes, though, finished his 41 games that year with a .194 average. He didn't make the big club in 1989 and for 1990, found himself traded to the Mets. He got in eight games with New York that year.

He then went through the Yankees, Twins and Reds systems, before getting three final games in the majors, with Cincinnati, in 1993.

Hughes played 1994 in Mexico, then, for spring 1995, signed on with the Royals, playing replacement ball. The strike over, Hughes returned to AAA, at Omaha, ending his career.

A religious man, Hughes reflected on his career in 1998, telling The Inquirer he hoped one day to enter the ministry. Then, though, he worked as a scout for the Royals.

"It's been God's plan unfolding,'' Hughes told The Inquirer. "From that one day I went to the tryout camp all the way through, it was 14 years. I could have been released at any time because I didn't put up great numbers.''

Beaver County Times, staff and wire reports, June 30, 1987: Bucs stumble back into basement after losses
Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 19, 1987: Phils Sleepwalk Through A 6-3 Loss To Expos
Washington Observer-Reporter, Associated Press, May 5, 1988: Tweety Birds
Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 4, 1995: Conestoga Grad Sets Sights On Returning To Majors
Philadelphia Inquirer, July 7, 1998: He Scouts Other Dreamers

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 655/880 - 74.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 666
Made the Majors: 451 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:215-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 194
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Luis Gonzalez, One Hit - 760

2012-01-14T21:52:00.001-05:00

Closing out the 1993 season, Luis Gonzalez needed one hit to reach a milestone.

In only his third full season in the majors, Gonzalez had a .300 batting average within reach and he got it, a single putting him over the top.

"To hit .299 would have been a good year," Gonzalez told The Chicago Tribune the next spring, "but .300 sticks out a lot better when you've finished your career and look back."

While that hit in 1993 put Gonzalez at the .300 mark, a mark he would reach four more times in his career, it's another hit, achieved on the biggest of stages and the biggest of moments, that is the Gonzalez hit that would come to stick out most.

Gonzalez' road to that moment, though, began in 1988, taken by the Astros in the fourth round of the draft, out of the University of South Alabama.

Gonzalez spent his first two seasons at single-A, moving to AA Columbus in year three. By the end of year three, Gonzalez was in Houston.

That first September with the Astros, Gonzalez got into 12 games, getting four hits in 21 at bats. He didn't look back. In 1991, Gonzalez got into 137 games with the Astros, hitting .254. He got into another 122 in 1992, hitting .243. Then came hit first .300 season in 1993.

By that July, Gonzalez was on a roll, arriving at Chicago's Wrigley Field, a place where he always seemed to hit well, he told The Tribune. In one game, he hit two home runs.

"I feel comfortable and confident here," Gonzalez told The Tribune afterward. "My rookie year, I got a couple of hits off Greg Maddux here, and that turned around my whole season."

By the end of June 1995, Gonzalez was with the Cubs, traded there by the Astros in a three-player deal. He stayed with the Cubs through 1996. For 1997, Gonzalez was back with the Astros, hitting .258 on the year. In May and June, though, he rattled off a 23-game hitting streak.

After a season with Detroit, Gonzalez arrived with the Diamondbacks, the team for which he would have his best seasons, including his four other .300 seasons.

In 1999, his first year in Arizona, Gonzalez hit .336, with 26 home runs. In July, he got his first All Star nod. In an August game, he knocked in four runs on four hits.

"A day like today," Gonzalez told The Associated Press after that game, "every time I came to the plate, I had runners in scoring position. When I have that, I just try to hit the ball hard in play."

In June 2000, he did that a little better. He hit for the cycle, on his way to a .311 average on the season.

Gonzalez became an All Star again in 2001, part of a season where he hit .325, with 57 home runs. His previous home run high was 31, the year before.

Gonzalez led the Diamondbacks all the way to the World Series. In Game 1, he went 2 for 5, with a home run, helping Arizona to a 9-1 win.

In Game 7, a bloop single was all Gonzalez needed. And he got it off none other than the Yankees' Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth, knocking in the game-winning and series-winning run.

"Stepping up to the plate there in the ninth inning, that's what everybody dreams about," Gonzalez told reporters afterward. "A key situation to drive in the winning run in the World Series, against one of the best relievers in all of baseball. I choked up (on the bat) and to be honest with you that was the first time I did it all year."

Gonzalez went on to play five more seasons with the Diamondbacks, seven more overall. He was an All Star three more times, making five All Star selections overall. He last played in 2008.

He formally announced his retirement in August 2009. He has since gone on to spend time as a Diamondbacks broadcaster.

"I still feel I can play. It just didn't happen," Gonzalez told reporters then. "So this is a bittersweet day or me. It's tough to close the book on something you love to do.

Chicago Tribune, July 11, 1993: Astro Trio Puts On Sweeping Performance
Chicago Tribune, March 25, 1994: Spring training report
Norwalk Hour, Associated Press, Aug. 30, 1999: Mets tumble in Arizona
CNNSI.com, Nov. 5, 2001: MLB Scoreboard

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 654/880 - 74.3%
Players/Coaches Featured: 665
Made the Majors: 450 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:215-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 194-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Gar Millay, Good Ballplayer - 168

2012-01-13T21:15:00.000-05:00

Over his three years at the University of Arizona, Gar Millay started every game. In his last game, one in which he hit a two-run home run, his team won the College World Series.

''I swear to God, I think about it everyday when I'm walking on the beach and all,'' Millay told The Orlando Sentinel in August 1986, having turned pro and signed with the Rangers. ''I think about what a lucky thing it was to have won a game like that and play on a team with those guys.''

A native of San Diego, Millay signed with the Rangers that year, taken by the team in the 28th round of the June 1986 draft. In addition to hitting that home run in the 1986 championship game, Millay hit two home runs in a regular season 1985 game.

Millay played that first season at single-A Daytona Beach, hitting .259, with three home runs and 27 RBIs.

He hit AA Tulsa for 28 games his second season, playing the rest back in the Florida State League. Between the two, he hit .261, with 13 home runs.

Millay moved up to AA Tulsa full time in 1988, also getting an 18-game look at AAA Oklahoma City. He hit .249 with 10 home runs.

It was Tulsa again for 1989, then AAA Oklahoma City for 1990. He hit .257 for the 89ers that year. In June, the outfielder even tried his hand at pitching, giving up two runs in an inning of work.

Millay played for Oklahoma City again in 1991, what would be his final year as a pro. He hit just .233 over 93 games, falling short of the majors.

Millay returned to his hometown after his playing days were done, he and his wife having three children.

In July 2011, though, at the age of 46, he passed away after a battle with brain cancer.

Speaking in January 2011, as Millay's battle with cancer went on, Millay teammate and roommate at Arizona Steve Strong recalled Millay to The Arizona Daily Star as a great teammate who would do anything for anyone.

"He was such a good ballplayer; he hit a home run against Florida State in that championship game and wasn't influenced by the pressure," Strong told The Daily Star. He was always up to a situation of that magnitude."

Orlando Sentinel, Aug. 3, 1986: Millay Works To Find A Home On The Rangers
Arizona Daily Star, Jan. 27, 2011: Success continues for 1986 champions

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 653/880 - 74.2%
Players/Coaches Featured: 664
Made the Majors: 449 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:215-32%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 193
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Tim Stargill, Team MVP - 859

2012-01-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

For each of Tim Stargell's first three seasons as a pro, he won MVP honors of his respective team, according to The Seattle Times.

He won team MVP honors in his third season, 1990, at San Bernardino with as season that included 17 home runs, 96 RBIs and a season-capping grand slam, The Times wrote.

His career, though, lasted just one more season, with Stargell making it to AA Jacksonville. But Stargell, the nephew of Hall of Famer Willie Stargell, could get no higher.

Stargell's career began in 1988, taken by the Mariners in the 33rd round of the draft, out of Southern University.

At Southern, Stargell hit .349, with six home runs and 25 RBIs, according to The Associated Press.

Stargell spent his first year as a pro at short-season Bellingham, hitting .279, with six home runs and 22 stolen bases. In one August game, Stargell knocked in two on a triple.

Stargell moved to single-A Wausau and San Bernardino in 1989, playing the majority of his games at Wausau. There, Stargell hit .278 with 12 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Then came his season at San Bernardino in 1990. By 1991, Stargell earned his shot at AA, moving up to Jacksonville.

At Jacksonville, Stargell hit three home runs in 62 games. He hit one of those home runs in a May game. Stargell, though, also hit just .185, stealing eight bases. He didn't return for a fifth season.

Seattle Times, Sept. 2, 1990: Stargell Ends MVP Season In Grand Style

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 652/880 - 74.1%
Players/Coaches Featured: 663
Made the Majors: 449 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:214-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 193
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Card Shop Haul, Kind Of: 1991 Line Drive

2012-01-12T16:00:00.000-05:00

When I was going through this cool local card shop last month, looking for Christmas gifts my wife could get me, I also spotted some stuff Night Owl might like. Namely, I spotted a bunch of cheap 1975 Topps minis.

I couldn't leave them sit. So I rescued them and sent them off to someone who would love them. In return, Night Owl sent me back a stack of 1991 Line Drive minor league cards.

I don't really have a defined want list, so minor league cards fill the bill. These Line Drive cards are cool because they're from the year after the CMC set. A good half the small stack was in the CMC set a year earlier, a commentary on their careers, in that they're still in the minors.

At least one of them had taken a step back. Rafael DeLima appeared in the 1990 CMC set as a member of the AAA Portand Beavers. It was his second season at AAA.

In 1991, though, DeLima was back at AA Orlando. He played parts of just two more seasons after that, never making the majors. I featured DeLima in September 2011.
Bruce Crabbe remained at AAA Richmond for 1991, his eighth season as a professional. He made AAA for the first time in 1990. He'd stay at AAA through 1992, ending his career without making the majors.

He's gone on to a long post-playing career as a coach, manager and coordinator in the minors. I featured him in March 2011.
Mike Dalton changed organizations for 1991. In the CMC set, he was a member of the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox. In 1991, he moved to the Toledo Mud Hens.

His year with the Mud Hens was also the year Dalton made the majors. He pitched in four games, the extent of his major league career in a professional career that lasted 11 seasons. Dalton's feature here came in March 2011.
Eddie Dixon is another player from this stack that never made the majors. In 1991, he returned to the AAA Indianapolis Indians, the team he was with in the CMC set.

Dixon played professionally for 10 seasons, playing at AAA in parts of five of those seasons. He's also recorded as playing briefly in 2001 at independent Albany, seven years after he last played. His feature here came in August 2010.
Jerry Goff was a teammate of Dixon both years in Indianapolis. Goff, though, made the majors in 1990, getting into 52 games. He also made the majors in parts of five more seasons, though his big league career amounted to appearances in a total of 90 games.

Goff's feature here came in July 2011. Turns out, after his playing days, Goff went on to be a firefighter.
Doug Jennings in 1991 was coming off three-straight seasons where he saw time in the majors. He returned to the majors in 1991, for eight games. After that, Jennings played in 42 final games in 1993, ending his big league career. Jennings' feature here came in July 2010.

290 - Bruce Crabbe, Not Kidding, 3/22/11
275 - Mike Dalton, Excellent Control, 3/20/11
60 - Eddie Dixon, Chance to Pitch, 8/23/10
574 - Rafael DeLima, Not Typical, 9/6/11
63 - Jerry Goff, Dreamt It, 7/21/11
595 - Doug Jennings, More At-Bats, 7/16/10

Jerry Willard, Another Shot - 650

2012-01-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

Without a team and with a hurt back, Jerry Willard thought his time in baseball might be done.

He'd spent parts of four seasons in the majors. In 1988, though, he tried a season without the game, he told The Associated Press years later.

"I started to work a 9-to-5 job in construction and other things, and I knew it wasn't for me," Willard told The AP. "I thought I'd give it another shot."

Willard gave it another shot. By October 1991, Willard found himself not only playing in a World Series, but winning a World Series game with a ninth-inning, walk-off sacrifice fly.

Willard's path to that game began more than a decade earlier, signed by the Phillies as an undrafted free agent. He played his first season the next year, at short-season Central Oregon, hitting .368 in 65 games.

The left-handed hitting catcher stayed in the Phillies system through 1982, one of five players sent to the Indians for Von Hayes. Williard played 1983 at AAA Charlotte. He played 1984 in Cleveland.

In 87 games with the Indians that year, Williard hit .224 with 10 home runs. He returned for another 104 games in 1985, hitting .270 with seven home runs. In August 1985, Willard knocked in three runs in a game. He knocked in 33 others on the year.

"I know I haven't contributed much, so I was glad to finally do something to help this team win," Willard told UPI after that three-RBI outing. "But I can do more."

Released by the Indians going into 1986, Willard signed with the Athletics. He got into 75 games that year, hitting .267. For 1987, though, he got into just seven games.

That year away from the game in 1988 and Willard returned in 1989 with the White Sox. He played largely at AAA Vancouver, returning there in 1990. He also returned to the majors in 1990, for all of three games.

Willard made the Braves in 1991, though for only 17 regular season games. But he did make the post-season roster, a left-handed hitter off the bench. He went 0-1 in the NLCS. In the World Series, he went 0-0, his only plate appearance that game-winning sacrifice fly.

"I wasn't nervous at all," Willard told Knight-Ridder after that Game 4 win. "I was smiling the whole time. I was nervous after I hit it, wondering if it was deep enough to score the run, but when I got up there, I didn't feel nervous or pressure at all."

Despite the sac-fly, though, Willard's time with the Braves lasted only into the next July, when he was granted free agency. He played 47 games in the majors that year, split between the Braves and the Expos.

Back with the Braves for 1993, Willard played the season at AAA Richmond. In 1994, after signing with the Mariners, Willard got six final games in the majors. His career finally ended for good in 1995, at AAA Tacoma.

In May 1994, in one of his final six games, Willard had one last big shot with a pinch-hit, three-run, game-winning home run to help the Mariners to a 10-7 win. It was his last big league hit.

"It can't get any better than that, it really can't," Willard told The AP. "It's a great feeling, it really is. I can't describe it. It's something I'll never forget for the rest of my life."

Bryan Times, UPI, Aug. 24, 1985: Indians winners
Bangor Daily News, Associated Press, Oct. 25, 1991: Slim hopes often kept Atlanta sub Jerry Willard going
Spokane Spokesman-Review, Knight-Ridder, Oct. 25, 1991: Willard delivered when he got chance
Oxnard Press-Courier, Associated Press, May 16, 1994: Williard still has his bite

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 651/880 - 74.0%
Players/Coaches Featured: 662
Made the Majors: 449 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 193-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Chris Jelic, All Worthwhile - 369

2012-01-10T22:58:00.001-05:00

Chris Jelic had been to spring training twice in his four-year professional career, he told The Houston Chronicle in December 1988.

He saw the lifestyle of the big league players and it was that didn't seem so bad.

"I'm struggling now, sure," Jelic told The Chronicle. "But what's a little struggling if I make the big leagues? That would make it all worthwhile."

Jelic struggled through two more full seasons in the minors, before finally making it to the bigs. He made it for all of four games, getting a single hit.

That hit was a home run.

Jelic's path to that one major league hit began in 1985, taken by the Royals in the second round of the draft out of the University of Pittsburgh.

At Pittsburgh, Jelic played baseball. But he also played football, serving as the starting punter, but also as a backup quarterback. He fought for the starting quarterback job then later came in as quarterback. He threw for 170 yards in one October 1984 game, 17 for 34.

Jelic started at short-season Eugene, hitting .313. He moved to single-A Fort Myers in 1986. For 1987, Jelic arrived in the Mets organization, part of the David Cone trade.

The catcher hit AA Jackson that year for 50 games. He returned for another 88 in 1988. That year, though, Jelic ran into a nagging shoulder injury, an injury that would force him from behind the plate and drop his average at one point to .221 by late June.

Jelic finished 1988 with a .209 average. By 1989, Jelic was an infielder, a position change that took pressure off of his shoulder.

He ended that season hitting .257, earning a promotion for 1990 to AAA Tidewater. With Tidewater, Jelic improved his average further, to .306. He also earned a spot as a September call-up to the Mets.

With the Mets, though, Jelic didn't debut until Sept. 30. He got into just four games, with 11 at bats. Against the Pittsburgh Pirates, in Pittsburgh, Jelic homered for his only major league hit.

Jelic returned to AAA in 1991, with the Padres, staying in the San Diego organization through 1993. He didn't make it back to the majors.

After that home run against the Pirates, though, Jelic found it perfect.

"The last game, my last at-bat and in my hometown," Jelic told The Associated Press, only meaning to reference the season, "you couldn't write a better script."

Houston Chronicle, Dec. 11, 1988: The Dream/Players chase major-league hopes in minors
Spokane Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, Oct. 4, 1990: Viola gets No. 20 as Mets beat Pirates

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 650/880 - 73.9%
Players/Coaches Featured: 661
Made the Majors: 448 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 192
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Card Shop Haul: Claude Osteen

2012-01-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Barry Larkin, voted into the Hall of Fame yesterday. Also, nice to see CMC set members Jeff Bagwell and Edgar Martinez making progress and Bernie Williams getting enough votes to stay on for next year.

Claude Osteen got votes for the Hall of Fame, two of them in 1981, according to Baseball-Reference. I featured Osteen's playing days Saturday. It was a long-delayed feature. His coaching days came a year and a half ago.

I realized I hadn't returned to write about the other half of his career when turning to the Osteen cards I recently picked up for Christmas and elsewhere.

I actually referenced his 1960 Topps offering in that feature. The card back has a nice assessment of his time in high school, "one of the greatest high school athletes in Cincinnati history."

I didn't really mean to pick up two of Osteen's 1972 Topps offerings. I saw one, put it in the pile. I saw the second, put it in the pile, too. They're both in similar rough shape.

The card back includes Osteen's complete stats, majors and minors, back to 1957. The trivia question concerns the 1904 Tigers, how many tie games they played. I said eight. Apparently the answer is 10.

This 1967 Topps Rookie Stars card found its way into the stack because it included another Osteen, Darrell Osteen. I wasn't sure, but I thought he might be related to Claude, considering Claude's two sons also played baseball.

There appears to be no relation, though. Darrell Osteen ended up playing parts of four seasons in the majors, with the Reds and Athletics. Lee May, though, had a considerably longer career, 18 seasons. He played his last game in 1982.

This John Kennedy card is here for the same reason anybody picks up his card, the name. I also picked it up, though, because I thought it would be cool to have a Pilots card.

Kennedy actually played parts of 12 seasons in the majors. He was also, it turns out, a teammate of Claude Osteen's for five seasons. He was even involved in the same trade, sent with Osteen to the Dodgers.

Also, in 1962, Topps notes, Kennedy homered in his first big league at bat.

Finally, here's Von Joshua's 1980 Topps card. I include this here because he is included on Osteen's CMC card.

Also, it turns out, I was anticipating writing about Joshua's 10-season major league playing career at some point and I never have. Maybe I'll get to that this weekend.

Wayne Kirby, His Time - 425

2012-01-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

Wayne Kirby made the majors in 1991, in his ninth year as a professional. Two years later, in his 11th season, Kirby was a major league regular for the Indians, hitting .330 by mid-June and providing solid defense from the outfield.

"I don't regret being down there that long," Kirby told The Chicago Tribune. "but this is my time. I'm relaxed. I'm confident."

Kirby ended that season with a .269 average. But he also ended it as a major leaguer, playing the rest of the season with the big club. By the time Kirby's career was over, his first eight seasons in the minors turned into eight seasons with time in the majors.

Kirby's career began in 1983, taken by the Dodgers in the 13th round of the January draft. He played his first year in rookie ball and the next four largely in single-A.

Kirby got his first look at AA in 1987 at San Antonio then AAA Albuquerque in 1989. He hit .342 in in 78 AAA games in 1989. His first full season at AAA came in 1990, with Kirby hitting .278.

In that time, Kirby stole no fewer than 23 bases in a single season. One year, in 1987, Kirby stole 62 between single-A Bakersfield and AA San Antonio.

For 1991, Kirby signed with the Indians, the team that would bring him to the majors. Kirby played that year at AAA Colorado Springs. He debuted with the Indians that September.

"This is what I've been working for," Kirby told The Newport News Daily Press after his call-up. "I'm sure (manager Mike Hargrove) will mix me somewhere, doing a little pinch-running, pinch-hitting and play some outfield or infield. This break gives me an added boost to my career, and I plan to be the best I can when they call on me.''

In 21 games with Cleveland to finish out that year, Kirby hit .209. He returned for 21 more games in 1992, hitting .167.

In 1993, though, he was a regular. In early June, Kirby gunned down a runner at the plate, then knocked in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly.

"If the bat's not working, I try to do anything else I can to help us win," Kirby told The Associated Press after that June game.

Kirby ended the season with that .269 average in 131 games. He also stole 17 bases.

Kirby got into 78 games in 1994 and 101 in 1995. In mid-1996, Kirby returned to the team that drafted him, taken off waivers by the Dodgers. He finished out his major league career in 1998, with the Mets.

Kirby continued to play in the minors into 2001, in the Padres and Orioles systems. He last playing in the independent Western League.

His playing days over, Kirby has continued in baseball as a coach. He started in 2002 as a coach for single-A Lake County. By 2011, he was a coach in the majors, the first base coach with the Orioles.

Newport News Daily Press, Sept. 13, 1991: Free Swinger Makes It
Toledo Blade, Associated Press, June 6, 1993: Indians' Kirby tough on Twins
Chicago Tribune, June 13, 1993: AL report

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 649/880 - 73.8%
Players/Coaches Featured: 660
Made the Majors: 447 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 192-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Mike Laga, First One - 548

2012-01-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

Mike Laga got his first hit out of the way the day before. Now, in his third game as a major leaguer, Laga got his first home run out of the way, into the upper deck of Tiger Stadium.

"Balls fly out of this park pretty good," Laga told The Associated Press after that September 1982 game. "The first one, though, is the one you dream about. Hopefully there are many more to come."

For Laga, there were just 15 more. But he hit those in a major league career that spanned nearly a decade, with Laga playing with the Tigers, Cardinals and Giants.

Laga, though, never got into more than 41 major league games in a single season. Toward the end of his career, Laga also played two seasons in Japan, hitting 32 home runs there.

Laga's career began in 1980, taken in the first round of the January draft by the Tigers, out of Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Laga started that first season at single-A Lakeland, hitting .273 with 12 home runs. At AA Birmingham in 1981, he hit .289, with 31 home runs.

He earned his first call-up that year in 1982, after a season where he hit 34 home runs at AAA Evansville, with an average of .250.

With the Tigers in 1982, Laga got into 27 games, hitting a total of three home runs and batting .261. Over the next three seasons, Laga returned to the majors each year, but got into no more than 12 games each year.

By 1986, though, after a spring where Laga hit six home runs, he stayed with the big club for the start of the year. The Associated Press noted his success at AAA - more than 100 home runs in four years, but also 449 strikeouts in that time.

"It's a funny business, baseball," Laga told The AP. "I've done everything I can do to make this team. It's a little frustrating, but I hate to complain."

Laga stuck with the Tigers through mid-May, getting into 15 games. He hit three home runs, but had an average of just .200. By September, Laga was a Cardinal, sent there to complete a four-player deal from August.

With the Cardinals in September, Laga got into 18 more games, hitting .217 with three home runs. Laga also, according to legend, hit one out of the old Busch Stadium on Sept. 15, hitting it foul but out.

Laga got into 17 games for the Cardinals in 1987, then 41 in 1988. He hit .138 in 1987 and just .130 in 1988.

For 1989, Laga signed with the Giants, getting two more looks at the majors, 17 games in 1989 and 23 in 1990. In September 1989, Laga was 4 for 9 in one stretch, hitting in runs with each of his four hits.

"My role," Laga told The AP after one game, "pure and simple, is to pinch hit and drive in runs."

For his final two seasons, Laga moved to Japan, playing with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. More recently, Laga has continued his involvement in baseball, in youth baseball. Laga serves as honorary chairman of Mike Laga Youth Baseball in Northampton, Mass.

Ludington Daily News, Associated Press, Sept. 4, 1982: Rookie Homers As Tigers Win
Lewiston Journal, Associated Press, March 24, 1986: Laga gains spot with Tigers
Kentucky New Era, Associated Press, Sept. 19, 1989: Dodger runs, not hits problem for Hershiser
Daily Hampshire Gazette, April 5, 2007: 'Dice-K' mania touches Valley

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 648/880 - 73.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 659
Made the Majors: 446 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 191-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Jeff Bagwell, Good Numbers - 739

2012-01-07T19:00:00.005-05:00

The Red Sox minor leaguer played well the previous season, but his prospects for advancement were slim. A third baseman, he had at least three players ahead of him, one of them being Hall of Famer and longtime Boston third baseman Wade Boggs.

There just didn't seem to be room for Jeff Bagwell, The Patriot Ledger News Service wrote in spring 1990.

"I really don't worry about anybody else," Bagwell told the news service. "I do what I have to do. If I keep putting good numbers on the board, something's going to happen."

The minor leaguer did keep put up numbers and something did happen. He got traded to the Astros and became a Houston legend.

Now, all the numbers Bagwell continued put up have him in a good position to become a Hall of Famer himself, if not in the 2012 balloting, in the coming years.

Bagwell's career, though, began with the Red Sox, taken in the fourth round of the 1989 draft, out of the University of Hartford.

He played his first year mostly at single-A Winter Haven, hitting .310. In 1990, he moved to AA New Britain, near his Connecticut hometown. He also hit even better, .333.

Then, in late August, the Red Sox felt they needed the Astros' reliever Larry Anderson, offering a third baseman in exchange - Scott Cooper, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote later. The Astros, though, wanted - and got - Bagwell.

"I was just looking for a chance to play everyday at the major-league level," Bagwell told The Sun-Sentinel in 1993. "The only way to gain experience is play everyday at the major-league level."

In 1991, Bagwell gained experience, and then some. He also moved to first base.

In an early glimpse at the player he would become, Bagwell hit a game-winning home run in just his sixth major league outing. To the Associated Press afterward, Bagwell called that shot a "confidence builder."

He played the entire season with the Astros, hitting .294, with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs. He also won National League Rookie of the Year honors.

"I never thought I'd do that well," Bagwell told The Associated Press after winning the rookie honors. "I got lucky. I got a chance to play and that was the main thing. After you get the chance, you've got to do well."

And Bagwell continued to do well. He hit .273 his second season, .320 his third. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, Bagwell hit .368 with 39 home runs and 116 RBIs, all in just 110 total games. His 1994 numbers earned him another title, MVP.

Bagwell played in a similar number of games in 1995, thanks to a broken hand, an injury that had happened before. But he still hit .290, with 21 home runs.

From 1996 through 2000, five seasons, Bagwell hit under .300 just once, .286 in 1997. He also hit more than 30 home runs each year from 1996 through 2003, hitting more than 40 three times.

In 1997, though, as the debate over the now-banned androstenedione raged, Bagwell admitted to to The Houston Chronicle that he used it, according to Sports Illustrated. Bagwell also later told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch he didn't use it long and didn't believe it helped him hit home runs, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Bagwell, though, has consistently denied using steroids.

In April 1999, Bagwell hit three home runs in one game, the second time he had achieved that feat. The first time came in 1994.

By 2003, he and teammate Craig Biggio had already been immortalized in statues outside Minute Maid Park, even though both were still playing.

Injuries, though, including a nagging shoulder injury, led to the end of Bagwell's career in 2005. The injuries also meant Bagwell could only play a limited role in his team's run to the 2005 World Series.

In 15 seasons, hit .297, 449 home runs, 1,529 RBIs and 202 stolen bases. He was a four-time All-Star, and won a Gold Glove.

In 2011, his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, Bagwell received 41.7 percent of the vote, numbers thought depressed by steroids speculation, according to AOLNews. Bagwell told reporters that such speculation was "ridiculous," according to the site.

"I'm just thank thankful," Bagwell told reporters then, "I'm even on the ballot, and we'll go on from here."

Nashua Telegraph, Patriot Ledger News Service, March 14, 1990: Bagwell follows his own pace
Spokane Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, April 16, 1991: Rookie lives out dreams with game-winning blow
Greene County Observer-Reporter, Associated Press, Nov. 7, 1991: Bagwell tops Merced for NL rookie honors
Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 29, 1993: Move To Astros Was Bagwell's Big Break
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 22, 1999: Astros' Bagwell bags three homer day
AOLNews.com, Jan. 5, 2011: Jeff Bagwell Shrugs Off Hall of Fame Snub

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 647/880 - 73.5%
Players/Coaches Featured: 658
Made the Majors: 445 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 190-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Claude Osteen, Good Control - Playing Days

2012-01-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

The Dodgers down two games to none, Los Angeles needed a good outing from their No. 3 starter Claude Osteen.

What the Dodgers got in that third game of the 1965 World Series was a complete-game, shutout, with Osteen mastering the Twins on five hits.

"I just feel I know how to pitch to them," the former American Leaguer told The Associated Press after that Game 3 victory. "Except for Zoilo Versalles, all the hits they got off me were on bad pitches. When I got the ball where I was supposed to, they didn't hit me."

Osteen ended up starting three World Series games in his two-decade-long major league career, giving up just two earned runs over 21 innings.

Over that career, Osteen played in a total of 18 seasons, debuting with the Reds in 1957 before his 18th birthday. By the time his playing career was over in 1975, Osteen had amassed four wins short of 200 - winning one more than he lost.

He also went on to a long career as a coach, where he spent time as pitching coach for the Cardinals, Phillies, Rangers and Dodgers. He also saw two sons go on to play pro ball.

Osteen's career began that year in 1957, signed by the Reds out of Reading High School in Reading, Oh.

Coming out of Reading, Osteen was labeled a sensation, The AP wrote, with six other teams vying for his services. He led his high school team to the state title the year before, going 16-0, with a 0.13 ERA, according to his 1960 Topps baseball card.

Still a month short of his 18th birthday, the Reds put Osteen on the mound immediately. The team hoped the hometown hurler could stick without going to the minors. Osteen got into three games, giving up one earned run in four innings before finishing out the season at AA Nashville.

Osteen played the next season between Class B Wenatchee and AAA Seattle. He returned to the majors for 1959 for two games back with the Reds.

By mid-1961, Osteen was on his way to the Senators, traded there for a player to be named and cash. Osteen got his first regular playing time in 1962, starting 22 games for Washington. He started another 29 in 1963 and 36 in 1964.

That 1964 season saw Osteen go 15-13, with a 3.33 ERA. It was enough for the Dodgers to take interest, picking him up for 1965 in a seven-player deal.

With the Dodgers, Osteen went 15-15, with a 2.79 ERA, helping the Dodgers to the World Series championship. In 1966, he kept it up. He went 17-15, with a 2.85 ERA.

He also had another stellar World Series performance, with one mistake. Osteen went seven innings in Game 3 of the 1966 World Series. He gave up just one run to the Orioles, on a Paul Blair home run. He also took the loss, 1-0.

"I felt I got it exactly where I wanted it," Osteen told The Associated Press of that Blair home run. "Maybe down a little more would have been better. But Blair went out and got the ball."

Osteen made his first of three All-Star teams in 1967, picking up another 17 wins. He also made All-Star teams in 1970 and 1973. He got his first of two 20-win seasons in 1969, his second came in 1972.

Osteen went on to pitch through 1975, ending with a career record of 196-195. In 1970, Osteen picked up his eighth win on that season with a 5-0 decision over the Pirates.

"I really enjoyed this game," Osteen told UPI afterward. "I felt like I had the best control I had all year. And when I have good control, it's fun to pitch."

For Osteen's coaching career, go to Claude Osteen, So Many Scenarios

Milwaukee Sentinel, Associated Press, July 3, 1957: Reds Sign Ace Prep Pitcher
Montreal Gazette, Associated Press, Oct. 11, 1965: Osteen Had A Curve Saturday, Pascual Didn't
Florence Times, Associated Press, Oct. 9, 1966: Osteen Says Home Run The Breaks
Jeannette News-Dispatch, UPI, June 5, 1970: Osteen Enjoys 8th Win

Jim Lewis, Relief Pitcher - 509

2012-01-06T22:21:00.000-05:00

The way Jim Lewis saw it, he was a natural to be a relief pitcher, he told The Baltimore Sun in spring 1992.

"I'm one of those guys who got lucky and got a good arm that can bounce back," Lewis told The Sun, as he prepared to battle for an Orioles bullpen spot. "I like throwing every day. I really like being a relief pitcher."

Lewis was going into his eighth season as a professional relief pitcher that year. In only one of those seasons, 1991 with the Padres, had Lewis seen time relieving in the majors. He wouldn't get back.

Lewis started relieving his first season as a pro, in 1985. He played that year at short-season Spokane, having been taken by the Padres in the fifth round of the June draft, out of Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fl.

Lewis started six games for Spokane, nearly half of the 13 starts he'd get in his eight-season career. He also relieved in 14 games, for an overall ERA of 3.88.

Lewis, though, played the next three seasons in single-A, at Charleston, Reno and Riverside. He made AA Wichita in 1989, picking up 18 saves, with a 2.70 ERA. At AAA Las Vegas in 1990, Lewis' ERA went up to 4.55.

In 1991, though, Lewis returned to Las Vegas. He also made San Diego. He debuted with the Padres in August. Over 12 outings that lasted through the end of the seasons, Lewis pitched 13 innings, giving up six earned runs.

Lewis' debut marked a 1-2-3 ninth. He also gave up two home runs, one of them a grand slam to Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg in September.

That off-season, the Padres dealt Lewis to the Orioles in a four-player deal. That spring with the Orioles, Lewis picked up three saves, with a 0.84 ERA over seven games. But it was back to AAA, at Rochester.

At Rochester, pitched in 33 games, starting two. It was his final year as a pro, his career ending after eight seasons with 12 games played in the majors.

Baltimore Sun, March 3, 1992: Lewis aims to crowd into bullpen spot

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 646/880 - 73.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 657
Made the Majors: 444 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 189
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Card Shop Haul: Aurelio Rodriguez

2012-01-06T16:00:00.004-05:00

One of the coolest thing about doing this blog learning about some of these players that I never paid any attention to before.

There are the players that were players in 1990, either working their way up or working their way back. And there are the coaches and managers, many of whom were former players themselves.

Going through the card shop stacks at that cool local shop last month, picking out my Christmas presents, I was constantly amazed by the names that instantly caught my notice, because they were names from this blog.

With some other cards that I've stored away, waiting for the opportunity to post them, I think I'll go through, as time permits, in groups from one player or two.

Aurelio Rodriguez is one of those former players that I never really heard of before doing this blog. I featured him here back in March 2011. He earned a card in the CMC set as a coach for the Toledo Mud Hens in 1990.

Rodriguez ended up playing in 17 big league seasons. He also went on to a coaching career, one that was cut short in 2000 with Rodriguez' death as the result of a car-pedestrian accident.

I've picked up at least four Rodriguez cards, three of them in this haul. One of them was that 1973 Topps Rodriguez above. The 1973 photo, of course, was taken at Yankee Stadium. There's also a guy in the on-deck circle behind Rodriguez who snuck into the photo.

The card back provides Rodriguez' stats back to 1965, when Rodriguez played in his native Mexicoe with Fresnillo and Jalisco. He then made the majors in 1967, with the Angels. Topps also notes a three-run Rodriguez home run that sent the Tigers to victory Oct. 1, 1972, helping the Tigers to the AL East crown.

Rodriguez was still with the Tigers by 1977, actually staying with them through 1979. Rodriguez played in 128 games for the Tigers in 1976, with a .240 average and eight home runs.

Topps, though, felt it had to reach back to 1975 to find a Rodriguez highlight, noting that Rodriguez hit a "Grand Slammer" July 19, 1975.

By 1980, Rodriguez was with the Yankees, getting on this 1981 Fleer card. This card actually came in a pack of 1981 Fleer I picked up in Cooperstown in 2010. I include it here because I can.

Rodriguez' career was winding down by the time his 1982 Topps card came out. He'd played in just 27 games with the Yankees in 1981. But he returned for 118 games in 1982 with the White Sox, before his final year in 1983 with the White Sox and the Orioles.

Also by 1982, Rodriguez' career was so long that Topps didn't have room for anything on the card back other than his stats, 1967 through 1981.

Ryan Bowen, Hard Luck - 603

2012-01-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

Ryan Bowan's major league debut in 1991 appeared to start off well, holding the Cardinals hitless for five innings.

But he also gave up two runs, on a balk and a sacrifice fly. He then went on to lose the no-hitter in the sixth, Bowen ultimately giving up six runs, The Associated Press wrote.

"That's the way they do it in the majors," Bowen told The AP. "That's why they make millions of dollars."

Bowen went on to pitch in five major league seasons, earning a reputation as a hard-luck pitcher. That reputation was no more so apparent than as Bowen pitched as a member of the inaugural starting rotation of the Florida Marlins.

Bowen's career began in 1986, taken by the Astros in the first round of the draft out of Hanford High School in Hanford, Ca.

Bowen started at single-A Asheville, going 12-5, with a 4.04 ERA. Bowen made AA Columbus in 1989, then AAA TUcson in 1990. He made major league Houston that July in 1991.

With the Astros in 1991, Bowen started 13 games, going 6-4, with a 5.15 ERA. In September, Bowen threw seven innings of shutout ball, before being lifted after a double in the eighth. He went on to get a no decision in the Astros loss.

Bowen returned to the Astros for 1992, starting nine games. But he also went without a win, going 0-7, with a 10.96 ERA. The performance was enough for the Astros to leave him unprotected in that November's expansion draft and enough for the Marlins to select him.

With the Marlins, Bowen earned a spot in the first Marlins rotation. He went 8-12 on the season, with a 4.42 ERA. In May, Bowen threw the team's first complete-game shutout, taking down the Cardinals. It ended up being the only complete-game shutout of his career.

"It feels good to finish something you started," Bowen told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel afterward. "I'm not talking about a complete game. It's the opportunity to go and get asked to finish what you started, to have them say 'Bo, go out and get the last out,' after the way the team fought hard all night."

Days earlier, Bowen had gone eight innings, giving up just one first-inning run. He also took the loss, 1-0.

At one point that year, though, he picked up only one win in 10-straight starts. That stretch was something he told The Sun-Sentinel in July he wasn't too concerned about.

"If you harp on wins and losses you'll drive yourself crazy," Bowen told The Sun-Sentinel after finally getting another win in July. "I'd rather harp on pitching well."

Bowen, though, returned for just eight starts in 1994, going 1-5. In seven of those starts, into early May, Bowen failed to get a win. His only win came in August.

Going into 1995, Bowen tried to overcome an injury suffered playing basketball in the off-season. The injury required reconstructive knee surgery. Bowen didn't return to the majors until September, getting four final outings and picking up two wins to no losses.

Bowen played two more seasons in the minors, and a third in independent ball, ending his career without returning to the majors.

Bonham Daily Favorite, Associated Press, July 23, 1991: St. Louis birds bury Astros
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 16, 1993: Bowen's Work Is, At Last, Complete
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 20, 1993: Marlins Top Rockies 3-1

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 645/880 - 73.3%
Players/Coaches Featured: 656
Made the Majors: 443 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 189-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Christmas Haul: Managers, Stances and Numbers

2012-01-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

One of the coolest sequences I've run into in my two years doing this blog centers around Rick Lancellotti.

I interviewed him almost a year ago, in February. He was a great interview, lots of great stories. One of his bigger stories centered around his manager in 1982 with San Diego, Dick Williams, on Lancellotti's first trip to the majors.

I won't go into the story in detail (You can read it again here) but, quickly, the story centered around the old school manager Williams coming down hard on Lancellotti for being late to a medical session, no matter the cause, the day after Lancellotti made a game-saving catch.

Williams never started Lancellotti again. It was a great story by itself, one that was a big part of Lancellotti's career, but a tiny part of Williams' Hall of Fame career.

The timing of the Lancellotti interview, though, couldn't have been more perfect. That June, Lancellotti happened to get an invitation to take part in the Hall of Fame Classic in Cooperstown. The manager was the very same Dick Williams.

That back story was something I never would have known without this blog. And that was the very last opportunity for anyone to know it. (The Lancellotti Postscript) Less than two weeks later, Williams was gone.

I bring this up because I picked up a couple of Williams' older cards in my Christmas Haul. I picked up his 1957 Topps offering, with him as a player for the Orioles. I also picked up his 1972 Topps card, with Williams in his new role as manager of the Oakland A's.

Williams' 1957 card back notes that the previous season marked his first time as a regular in the majors. He'd previously been a part-time big leaguer. He was also among the top American League "flychasers" on the year.

Then there's the 1972 Dick Williams. That came with the big crease through the middle. Williams was coming off a year in 1971 where he won AL Manager of the Year honors, Topps notes. He would go on to win another honor in 1972, a World Series title.

I'm putting these two cards together, not only because they are from the same team, but also because they have the same stance. I actually picked out the Milt Pappas card because 1972 was the year that Pappas threw his no-hitter, the one that was also a near-perfect game.

Pappas' card back also includes the tidbit that the Reds traded for Pappas, asking who they traded in exchange. The answer is Frank Robinson. The trade, though, wasn't straight-up as the card implies. The Orioles also sent two other, though lesser-known, players for the future Hall of Famer Robinson.

Andre Rodgers was in the middle of an 11-season major league career in 1964. He was also coming off the season in which he would get the most playing time. He got into 150 games with the Cubs in 1963, but hit only .229.

Rodgers' card back includes a couple items worth note. For some reason, the magic coin question relates to the Phillies. Who lead the team in hitting. Thanks to Baseball-Reference, I don't have to take a coin to the card. The answer is center fielder Tony Gonzalez.

The other interesting thing wasn't originally on the card. It's those two penned-in numbers: 18 and 7. Curious, I checked Baseball-Reference again for the Rodgers' uniform number in 1963 and 1964. Rodgers' number was, indeed, 18.

While it isn't clear exactly what significance the 7 had for whoever wrote on the card back, Rodgers did eventually wear No. 7. In 1967, he played his final 47 games in the majors with the Pirates. In that time, he's listed as wearing No. 7.

Milt Cuyler, Ran Into - 398

2012-01-04T20:44:00.001-05:00

Milt Cuyler broke for third base, stopped, then broke again.

He made it, ultimately scoring the go-ahead run in that April 1991 contest. But his manager Sparky Anderson wasn't happy that Cuyler hesitated, UPI wrote.

"I thought I had a bad jump, but I know now I should never back down," Cuyler told UPI afterward. "I'll run into some mistakes, but I'll run out of some, too."

In 1991, Cuyler ran himself into a total of 41 steals. He also ran himself into third place in the Rookie of the Year balloting.

Before his career was out, Cuyler had played in a total of eight major league seasons. He has since gone on to a long career as a coach in the minors.

Cuyler's career began in 1986, taken by the Tigers in the second round, out of Southwest High School in Macon, Ga.

Cuyler played that first year at rookie Bristol, hitting .230. He played the next two seasons at single-A, before making AA London and AAA Toledo in 1989. Cuyler returned to Toledo in 1990, debuting in Detroit that September.

At Toledo in 1990, Cuyler hit .258, stealing 52 bases. In Detroit that September, Cuyler got into 19 games. He hit .255, stealing one base.

In 1991, though, Cuyler made Detroit to stay. He got into 154 total games. He also hit three home runs. His first came in May, a grand slam.

"I was on second base when it went into the stands, because I was looking to get a triple," Cuyler told The Associated Press. "I wasn't even thinking about a homer."

Cuyler returned in 1992 for another 89 games. His average, though, dropped to .241. His steals dropped to just eight.

He also started the year in a slump. His manager had to suggest a different stance, crouching more, something that helped lead to two singles, The AP wrote.

In 1993, though, Cuyler's batting average dropped again, to .213 in 82 games. He hit .241 in 1994, but in just 48 games. In late July 1994, though, Cuyler went 3 for 4 in one game, with a home run.

His next year with the Tigers was his final year with them. In 1995, Cuyler hit .205 in 41 games. He signed for 1996 with the Red Sox.

By June 1996, Cuyler was still working. He earned the Red Sox starting centerfield job through his defensive work, The Hartford Courant wrote. He also earned it through simple hard work.

"My goal was just to make the team," Cuyler told The Courant. "I thank God they gave me the opportunity. But now I have to work even harder. I can't think about what I did yesterday because that's over."

It was Cuyler's last significant time in the majors. He got into 50 games for the Red Sox that year, hitting .200. He returned for seven more games in 1998, with the Rangers, ending his major league career.

Cuyler played one more year in the minors, in affiliated ball, and two more in independent ball, ending his playing days.

Cuyler, though, started a coaching career has spanned a decade and included time as a hitting coach in the Gulf Coast League with the Twins. He is set to return to the GCL in 2012, teaching outfield and base running.

Bryan Times, UPI, April 9, 1991: Tigers spank Yankees
Owosso Argus-Press, Associated Press, May 20, 1991: Eight is enough
Hartford Courant, June 1, 1996: Cuyler Finds New Way To Hit

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 644/880 - 73.2%
Players/Coaches Featured: 655
Made the Majors: 442 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:213-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 188-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Christmas Haul: More cool early action shots

2012-01-04T15:00:00.001-05:00

More from the Christmas Haul means more of the great early 70s action cards.

Waiting for the throw home that apparently came too late is the Royals' Fran Healy, as documented on the card. The guy sliding past him is opposing catcher Thurman Munson.

Healy was coming off of his best year to that point in 1974. In 1973, got into 95 games with the Royals. In 1974, he got into 139. Healy played in four more seasons, but never again in more than 56 games.

Topps focuses on Healy's early career on the card back, noting his team's American Legion championship and his All-Star honors at AA Pawtucket in 1967.

This has to be one of the easier photos to date of these early action shots. The Healy-Munson card could have been a few different plays. This one, though, given the scoreboard, can only be one play.

As others have figured out previously, including The Hardball Times in March 2011, this is from Aug. 16, 1970, Cookie Rojas turning a double play in the bottom of the sixth. That's Ron Woods trying to break it up.

On the card back, Topps notes Rojas not only could play second, but he could play most other positions, too. On top of that, he could also pinch-hit and do it well, Topps wrote.

Here's one more cool early action shot that I came across. Tito Fuentes is bowling over the second-baseman. It's not entirely clear to me who the opposing team is. I'm betting Houston. But count the players. There's five people in the shot.

It's too bad none of the other players have their numbers showing.

On the card back, Topps notes that Fuentes had the fewest strikeouts in Giants history in 1971. Topps also notes in the cartoon that "fans holler 'go-go' when Tito reaches base." presumably they did just that before the photo on the card.

Jeff Satzinger, Errant Pitch - 158

2012-01-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

Orlando still lost, but Jeff Satzinger helped his team make it close.

He did so, a teammate told The Orlando Sentinel afterward, through an errant pitch that hit the opposing batter, sparking a brawl.

''The brawl helped us because we were down at the time,'' teammate Terry Jorgensen told The Sentinel. ''We weren't enthusiastic, and it seemed we were just going through the motions.''

While Satzinger helped spark his AA team that day in 1989, he never was able to help spark a team in the majors. Satzinger pitched professionally for eight seasons, making it as high as AAA, but never made the majors.

Satzinger's career in 1983, taken by the Pirates in the eighth round of the draft out of Coon Rapids High School in Minnesota.

Satzinger played that first year in the rookie Gulf Coast League, moving to short-season Watertown in 1984. He continued with the Pirates at single-A through 1986, playing at Macon. All the while Satzinger served as a starter.

For 1987, Satzinger remained in single-A. But he moved to the system of his home state Twins and turned reliever. After a season at Kenosha, where he posted a 3.87 ERA, Satzinger made it to AA for the first time, at Orlando.

In spring 1988, Satzinger got playing time, pitching a scoreless inning in mid-March before being sent to Orlando. With Orlando, Satzinger's ERA increased to 5.46 in 56 outings. Satzinger, though, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in June.

Satzinger returned to Orlando for 1989, with a slightly improved ERA of 4.57. He also picked up eight saves, his final save a two-inning outing in late August.

Satzinger made it to AAA for the first and only time in 1990, moving to the Rangers system. At AAA Oklahoma City, Satzinger posted a 5.13 ERA in 23 outings before being traded mid-year to the Braves. With the Braves, Satzinger returned to AA, at Greenville, ending his career.

Satzinger has gone on to continue his involvement in baseball, though. In 2002, Satzinger was one of several former players to work with former Twin Dan Gladden on a baseball camp. More recently, Satzinger is listed as a coach working with young players with the Andover Baseball Association in Minnesota.

Orlando Sentinel, April 10, 1989: Battling O-Twins Lose, 11-9

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 643/880 - 73.1%
Players/Coaches Featured: 654
Made the Majors: 441 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:213-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 187
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Christmas Haul: Added Players and Added Goatees

2012-01-03T13:00:00.001-05:00

When I was going through the stacks of cards at this cool local card shop last month, I was looking for CMC set members my wife could buy me for Christmas. There was a lot of good older stuff for cheap. Not necessarily the best condition, but what do you expect for cheap?

With Bob Miller's 1971 Topps cards above, I got fun for cheap.

I spotted both the clean-shaven and goateed Miller and couldn't pass them up. These kinds of cards are great. The stories these kinds of cards could tell, the indignities these cards went through at the hands of the children that loved them.

The kid that decided Miller needed a goatee did so only on the front of that card. The photo on the back is unaltered.

By the time 1971 came around, Miller had been in the majors probably longer than the kid had been around. Topps notes Miller's first major league game as coming in 1957.

Topps also notes that Miller appeared in three World Series games up to that point, without giving up a run. In 1971, Miller returned to the World Series, with the Pirates. He pitched in three games in that series, giving up two earned runs in 4.2 innings of work.

Before I get to the CMC set member cards that I picked up for Christmas, I'll first post some other cards that I spotted. I'm sure a few of these have been discussed previously, being that each of them has an interesting early action shot.

This is Steve Carlton's 1973 Topps card. It has that good photo of Carlton and his catcher. I think I also picked up the card because Carlton's pitching coach in 1972 and through 1978, was CMC set member Ray Rippelmeyer.

As for the card, Carlton's card mate, in theory, would be easy to pick out. His uniform number, 6, is plainly seen. But, according to Wikipedia, where I go to figure out uniform numbers, the Phillies had two catchers in 1972 with the number 6. In fact, they were traded for each other.

The first, Tim McCarver, started the season with the Phillies before being traded to the Expos for catcher John Bateman. McCarver caught 45 games for the Phillies that year, Bateman caught 82.

Without closer examination, I would guess this No. 6 is Bateman. Carlton was 6 feet, 4 inches tall. Bateman was 6 feet, 3. McCarver, however, was 6 feet flat. The catcher in the photo seems like he is closer to Carlton's height. (Phungo pondered this same question in 2010, without coming to a conclusion)

This third card is also from the 1973 set, that of Jack Brohamer. It also features a second player, appearing to be the Orioles' Bobby Grich. I see the 1973 Topps blog covered it last June.

Tony over there concluded the photo was from May 28, 1972, finding that Grich tagged Brohamer in the top of the third inning. That play also caught my eye, before I saw Tony's post.

I suppose all I can say as that that play is likely the one. Baseball Reference's account of the game has that play as a double play from the second baseman to the first baseman. That could mean Grich touched second, or that he tagged Brohamer. But, after looking at the rest of the Indians-Orioles box scores from 1972, I can't find a better one.

Eric Fox, Smoked It - 592

2012-01-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

Opposing manager Sparky Anderson could only tip his cap to Oakland's Eric Fox and the shot hit by Fox that opening day in 1993.

The Fox home run made a perilous one-run, eighth-inning Oakland lead into a five-run, insurmountable eighth-inning lead.

"It was a good ball game until the kid hit the grand slam," Anderson told The Associated Press after the game. "He didn't hit a cheap one. He smoked it."

That opening day home run ended up being one of only five Fox hit in his major league career, a career that spanned four seasons. His first major league home run also marked his first major league hit.

Fox' career began in 1986, taken by the Mariners in the first round of the January draft out of Cal State Fresno.

He played his first year at single-A Salinas, hitting .260, with five home runs and 41 stolen bases. He played the next two seasons at AA, with Chattanooga and Vermont, hitting .266 in 1987 and .251 in 1988.

Before spring 1989 was out, Fox was released. He soon signed with the Athletics, though, the team that would bring him to the majors three years later.

Fox played that year back at AA, at Huntsville, moving to AAA Tacoma in 1990 and remaining there for 1991.

Before his call-up to Oakland in July 1992, though, Fox was back at AA. His call-up was the result of injuries on the big league team, the AP wrote.

In his third game with an at bat, Fox got his first hit: His first home run, off Toronto's Juan Guzman. The home run came after Fox used a pool game to predict to another player he later learned was David Wells that he'd get his first hit off Guzman, The Los Angeles Times wrote.

"We were playing pool and I popped off," Fox told The Times. "I didn't know who he was. When I found out, I apologized and asked him not to tell Juan. I didn't want a fastball in the ribs."

By the time the month was out, Fox had hit another home run. This one proved a game-winner. Down 4-2 in the ninth, with two on, Fox hit a three-run shot to give the Athletics a win over the Twins.

"It was one of the most exciting moments of my career," Fox told The AP of that home run.

Days before that game, Fox picked up two hits in one inning, as Oakland batted around in an inning. Fox ended up getting into 51 games for Oakland that year. He hit three total home runs, stealing three bases. But he also hit just .238.

That opening day home run in 1993 proved to be his only home run that year. He also played in just 29 games, hitting .143.

Fox's final two seasons in the majors amounted to 26 games with Oakland in 1994 and 10 with Texas in 1995. Fox, though, played at AAA for two more seasons, in the Dodgers, Phillies and Orioles systems, ending his career.

His playing career over, Fox began a coaching career, one that is set to extend into 2012.

Fox started in 1998 as hitting coach with single-A Columbus in the Cleveland system. By 2002, he was manager at AA Portland. For 2012, Fox is set to be hitting coach at AA Harrisburg.

In 2002, as he took the reins of Portland, Fox explained his philosophy to The Lewiston Sun-Journal.

"From day one, I want them thinking about being in the postseason," Fox told The Sun-Journal. "I think in order to achieve something, you have to be able to picture it in your mind. I want them to have that vision."

Los Angeles Times, July 12, 1992: A's Moore Defeats Guzman, 3-1
Sonora Union Democrat, Associated Press, April 6, 1993: Fox slams Detroit, Part 2
Lewiston Sun-Journal, April 5, 2002: Dogs come together, keep playoffs in mind, Part 2

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 642/880 - 73.0%
Players/Coaches Featured: 653
Made the Majors: 441 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:212-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 187
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139

Christmas Haul 2012

2012-01-02T12:00:00.007-05:00

My haul for First Christmas 2012

I think it's safe to say that I am the only person in the United States this past week who received a Juan Gonzalez Starting Lineup and was happy to receive it.

I actually received both a Juan Gonzalez and a Frank Thomas Starting Lineup, both, of course, were members of the CMC set.

The Starting Lineups were part of my larger haul from what my wife and I billed as First Christmas 2012. For the background on that, read back a few posts. With that, we decided to wait until New Year's to open our presents.

It was worth the wait, mainly because I recently discovered a cool local card shop and spent an afternoon going through the place for my Christmas list. That's where I found the Starting Lineups, both in the dollar bin.

I also found the cool Classic travel edition game from 1990, also in the dollar bin. (I guess I'm cheap to buy for) That'll be fun to go through at some point here.

Also at the shop, I went through stacks and stacks of cards, finding some cool cards of CMC set members. And some packs, on my list were packs of 1992 Donruss The Rookies and 1990 Leaf. Both were there.

There was a 1987 Topps rack pack there, too. I had my wife get me a box three years ago now. This one was significant because one of the cards showing was a card I could never seem to pull from a pack as a kid, and also couldn't pull from that box. It's the Rafael Palmeiro Future Stars card.

Showing on the front? CMC set member Ronn Reynolds. (Reynolds' feature from March 2011)

Speaking of 1987 Topps, there's the 1987 Topps Traded set. That's cool because, while I was very familiar with the base set as a kid, I never actually had the traded set. So the cards are all new to me, except the Andre Dawson, his first appearance as a Cub. I definately had that as a kid.

And speaking of Dawson, my lovely wife went off the list and spotted an old Dawson Expos pin in the store, one that I missed. Picked that up, as well. I love her.

The last baseball thing for First Christmas: One of our roadtrips for 2012. That road trip is to Pawtucket. I gave my wife a list of holiday packages and she selected that one. Came with a baseball and a mini bat.

So that's my cool haul for First Christmas 2012. And, for eagle-eyed readers, I did also get a banana phone extension for my iPhone and bacon toothpaste. I asked for the first one. The second one was just a bonus.

Jack Hardy, His Job - 151

2012-01-01T19:00:00.003-05:00

Gearing up for a big game against the University of Miami in 1978, Biscayne College coach Red Berry wanted to make sure his starting pitcher Jack Hardy got his sleep, The Miami News wrote.

"I will," Hardy told The News of that conversation, "I'll go to sleep right after I get off work."

Hardy worked then at a local supermarket, The News wrote. By 1981, and for the next decade, Hardy worked at another job, as a professional baseball player.

And, for five games in 1989, Hardy's job was as a major leaguer.

Hardy's professional career began that year in 1981, taken by the White Sox in the 21st round of the draft, out of Biscayne.

He played that first year in the rookie Gulf Coast League, going 8-2, with a 2.35 ERA. In one late-August outing, Hardy went eight innings, striking out 10.

For 1982, Hardy made the jump to AA Glens Falls, picking up 11 wins to 8 losses. He even got a one-game look at AAA Edmonton.

A stint on the disabled list shortened Hardy's 1983 season. He came back in early August, going six innings for a win.

Hardy's first extended look at AAA didn't come until 1986, with 21 relief outings at Buffalo. His first full season there came in 1988, at AAA Vancouver.

Then, in May 1989, Hardy got his first and only look at the majors. Called up to the White Sox, Hardy got into five games in relief, totaling 12.1 innings. He gave up nine earned runs.

Hardy played just one more season. In 1990, he signed with the Rangers, playing the year at AAA Oklahoma City, ending his career.

Miami News, April 26, 1978: Miami-Biscayne: rivalry or rout?

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 641/880 - 72.8%
Players/Coaches Featured: 652
Made the Majors: 440 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:212-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 187
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 139-X

Jeff Fischer, Up and Down - 405

2011-12-31T17:24:00.000-05:00

Jeff Fischer just wanted to go five good innings to help his Florida Gators to the 1984 conference championship, he told The Gainesville Sun.

He helped his team to the championship and he did so by pitching a complete game.

"Man, I really felt good," Fischer told The Sun after the win. "I'd had an up-and-down year, and I just wanted to make sure tonight was on an up."

Fischer finished out his college career the next season, before being selected by the Expos in the seventh round of the draft.

He went on to make it up to the majors twice, over two seasons. But his stay up in the bigs both times was brief, Fisher's major league career ending up consisting of all of six outings.

Fischer started his professional career playing in his hometown, at single-A West Palm Beach, There, Fischer went 6-5, in 13 starts, with a 3.51 ERA.

Fisher told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel that August it was another "up and down" year for him. He spoke after a 2-1, complete-game win over Fort Lauderdale.

"It's been like consistent ping pong all year," Fischer told The Sun-Sentinel. "One good game, then a bad game. It was just my good night tonight. I am trying to break the habit."

Fischer hit AA Jacksonville in 1986, getting 11 starts there. He made AAA Indianapolis, then Montreal in 1987.

Fischer debuted with the Expos in June. He got two starts and two relief appearances. In 13.2 innings of work, Fischer gave up 13 earned runs and picked up a loss.

The call-up came in the middle of a bad stretch for Fischer at AAA, The Sun-Sentinel wrote.

"I was back in Indy before I knew it," Fischer told The Sun-Sentinel. "You can't pitch well in the big leagues if you're not pitching well in Triple-A. I did not have it together, and it showed."

Fischer returned to Indianapolis full time for 1988, going 13-8, with a 2.69 ERA. For 1989, though, the Expos traded Fischer to the Dodgers.

At Albuquerque that year, Fischer went 12-10, earning a call up to the Dodgers in September. With Los Angeles, Fischer got into two games, both in relief. He gave up five earned runs in 3.1 innings of work.

Going into 1990, though, Fischer had surgery on his shoulder, The Palm Beach Post wrote. He pitched in only eight more games, three at Albuquerque and five at single-A Vero Beach, ending his career.

Fischer went on to several years in the minors as a coach, including with West Palm Beach in 1995 and 1996.

Gainesville Sun, May 16, 1984: UF didn't let 3rd SEC title in 4 years escape its grasp
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Aug. 22, 1985: Expos Stay Alive In Southern Race
South Florida-Sun-Sentinel, March 14, 1989: Fischer Being Watched By (Dodger) Blue Eyes

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 640/880 - 72.7%
Players/Coaches Featured: 651
Made the Majors: 439 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:212-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 187
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 138

Brian Fisher, Good Idea - 626

2011-12-30T22:42:00.000-05:00

Arriving with the Pirates in 1987, Brian Fisher started off slowly in the bullpen, something Pirates brass realized.

So Pirates third base coach Gene Lamont suggested a new role for Fisher, as a starter, The New York Times wrote.

"They called me in the office and said: 'You're not really throwing well in the bullpen. Don Robinson is going to be the stopper and we know you don't want to be a long man so we're going to try you as a starter,'" Fisher recalled to The Times. "I liked the idea.''

Fisher ended up starting 26 games for Pittsburgh that year, going 11-9, with a 4.52 ERA. He went on to start games in four different major league seasons, pitching in seven.

Fisher's career began in 1980, taken in the second round of the draft by the Braves, out of Hinkley High School in Colorado.

Fisher made AA Savannah by 1983, then AAA Richmond by 1984. For 1985, Fisher arrived with the Yankees, in exchange for Rick Cerone.

Coming out of spring training 1985, Fisher left an impression. That impression was with Yankee manager Billy Martin, according to The Associated Press.

"I've been bragging on him for quite a bit," Martin told The AP after Fisher picked up his first major league save. "He's ready now."

Fisher rewarded Martin's confidence with 55 outings where he posted an ERA of 2.38, by far his best season. Fisher also picked up 14 saves. Fisher returned in 1986 for 62 more relief outings, going 9-5, with a 4.93 ERA and six saves.

For 1987, Fisher arrived with the Pirates in a six-player deal. The newly-minted starter had quick success. By June, he was shutting out the Cubs. In August, he shut out the Cubs again.

Fisher started 22 games for the Pirates in 1988. In 1989, though, he started just three, relieving in six. He was coming off knee and shoulder surgery, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote. He also gave up 15 earned runs in 17 innings.

At AAA Buffalo, Fisher only got into five games, starting all five. By 1990, he was in the Astros system, at AAA Tucson, getting a brief look at Houston. He moved to the Brewers at AAA Denver for 1991, then AAA with Cincinnati and Seattle in 1992.

With Seattle, Fisher returned to the majors for the first time since 1990, when he had four relief outings with the Astros. Fisher ultimately got into 22 games for the Mariners, starting 14. He'd finally made it back from his injuries of 1988 and 1989.

"There were times when I asked my body to do something and I knew how to do it, but it wouldn't respond," Fisher recalled to The AP that September after an eight-inning, five-hit outing. "Now it responds."

Fisher returned for one final season in 1993, but he didn't make it back to the majors. He pitched in 13 games at AAA Phoenix that year, ending his career.

New London Day, Associated Press, May 19, 1985: Rookie gives Yankees added help in bullpen, Part 2
New York Times, April 29, 1988: Fisher and Pirates Discover Success
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Feb. 18, 1989: Fisher recuperating slowly after surgery, Part 2
Lawrence Journal-World, Associated Press, Sept. 24, 1992: Fisher checks Royals, 6-1, as Mariners end 12-game skid

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 639/880 - 72.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 650
Made the Majors: 438 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:212-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 187-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 138

Beau Allred, Got It - 461

2011-12-29T12:31:00.000-05:00

Beau Allred thought he would catch it. It was just a matter of how far the ball would go, he told The Associated Press.

In this May 1991 game, Allred robbed the Yankees' Matt Nokes of a home run, climbing the wall to do it.

"I got close to the fence and thought it better come down fast," Allred told The AP. "I was able to jump and get it."

Allred was in his third season with time in the majors in 1991. But Allred's days jumping outfield walls in the majors were numbered. A month after that Yankees game, Allred had played his last big league contest.

Allred's career began in 1987, taken by the Indians in the 25th round of the draft, out of Lamar University.

He played that first year at rookie Burlington, hitting .341, with 10 home runs. He moved to single-A Kinston in 1988, then AA Canton-Akron in 1989.

In 1989, Allred also got his first look at AAA Colorado Springs and Cleveland.

Allred debuted with the Indians that September, getting into 13 games. He got six hits in 24 at bats. Allred returned for another four games with the Indians in 1990, getting three hits in 16 at bats.

One of those hits in 1990 was his first major league home run, off Roger Clemens. His second home run came in 1991, off Dennis Eckersley.

Going into 1991, the Indians believed Allred might get more opportunities if he added weight. Allred took the suggestion to heart, adding 20 pounds.

"I went from eating two meals a day to four meals a day," Allred told reporters. "And I wasn't picky. If it moved, I ate it. I ate everything from steak to hamburgers to green chili burritos."

Allred ultimately hit three home runs in 48 games in 1991, with an overall average of .232. One of the other home runs proved to be a game-winner.

Allred returned to AAA by the end of June. He didn't return to the majors. He played out the season at Colorado Springs, playing all of 1992 there. He moved with the Indians' AAA team to Charlotte in 1993. Allred then played 1994 with the Braves, at AAA Richmond, ending his career after eight seasons.

New London Day, wire reports, March 2, 1991: Beefing up
Meriden Record-Journal, Associated Press, May 21, 1991: Yanks lose two homers and ballgame

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 638/880 - 72.5%
Players/Coaches Featured: 649
Made the Majors: 437 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:212-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 186
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 138

Greg McMichael, Worked Out - 459

2011-12-28T21:58:00.000-05:00

Two seasons removed from knee surgery, Greg McMichael found himself in a perfect position to make his debut in the majors, with the Braves, not the Indians.

That's because the Indians, the team that drafted McMichael, released released him after the injury, The Associated Press wrote.

"They didn't think I would make it back," McMichael told The AP in spring 1993. "But it worked out well. I've never pitched better."

McMichael went on to pitch in 74 games for the Braves that year, saving 19. Three of those saves also sealed three of the Braves' final four wins and helped seal the National League West title for Atlanta.

He also went on to pitch in parts of eight major league seasons.

McMichael's career began in 1988, taken by the Indians in the seventh round of the draft, out of the University of Tennessee.

McMichael started at rookie Burlington and single-A Kinston. Working mainly as a starter, McMichael made it to AAA Colorado Springs in 1990, starting 12 games there for a 2-3 record.

The Indians, though, released McMichael at the close of spring 1991, after a knee injury. The Braves signed him days later, sending him back to single-A. At single-A Durham, McMichael moved to relief work, starting six games, relieving in 30.

In 1992, McMichael returned to AA and AAA, at Greenville and Richmond. In 1993, he made the majors.

Making the Braves for 1993, McMichael proved crucial in the Braves' stretch drive. In one late-season save, Sept. 29, McMichael got himself out of two bases-loaded jams, both of his own making.

"I just made it a little tough," McMichael told The AP afterward. "But that happens sometimes, maybe I was muscling up a little bit."

Overall, McMichael posted a 2.06 ERA in 91.2 innings. McMichael, though, couldn't bring that success to the playoffs. In four innings of work, he gave up three earned runs and picked up a loss.

McMichael returned to the Braves for the strike-shortened 1994, posting another 21 saves. McMichael, though, turned setup man, getting only 13 more saves in his career.

Though no longer a closer, McMichael still posted a 2.79 ERA in 67 outings in 1995, then a 3.22 ERA in 73 games in 1996.

For 1997, the Braves sent McMichael to the Mets. With the Mets, McMichael got into another 73 games, with a 2.98 ERA.

McMichael played into 2000, with the Mets, Dodgers, Athletics and then the Braves again. Injuries, though, took their toll. He got into 36 games in 1999 and just 15 in 2000. His career ended in late May, going on the disabled list for biceps tendinitis.

Waycross Journal-Herald, Associated Press, March 30, 1993: Rookie McMichael Has Looked Best Of Any Braves Pitcher
Meriden Record-Journal, Associated Press, Sept. 30, 1993: Braves regain lead in West

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 637/880 - 72.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 648
Made the Majors: 436 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:212-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 186-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 138

For the next week or two

2011-12-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

For the next week or two, this should be my last regular post. My mother, who always shared my love of baseball and the Chicago Cubs, passed away today at the age of 68. I hope to be writing about the game we both loved again soon. -Steve, The Greatest 21 Days - 12/20/11

Weston Weber, One Pitch - 582

2011-12-20T19:00:00.003-05:00

After 11 seasons, all spent in the minors, Weston Weber thought he might finally reach his goal of the majors in 1996, he told The Las Vegas Review-Journal later.

Then his career ended - on one pitch.

"I threw a pitch and I had severe pain in the back of my shoulder," Weber told The Review-Journal, which noted the diagnosis of a nerve impingement. "Every time I tried to throw a ball after that, it felt like somebody was shooting me."

Weber never did pitch competitively again. But he has since gone on to a sports-related career. That's golf-related.

Weber's baseball career began in 1986, taken by the Athletics in the 15th round, out of Mankato State.

Weber played that first year at short-season Medford. In 13 starts, he went 5-5, with a 3.44 ERA. That August, Weber went eight innings, giving up just two hits in what would be his fifth win.

Weber moved to single-A Madison in 1987, then single-A Modesto in 1988. Weber returned to Modesto in 1989, but he also got his first look at AA Huntsville.

His first look at AAA came in 1990 at Tacoma. By the end of the year, Weber was with his home state Twins, playing at AAA Portland.

Weber, though, was back in the Oakland system for 1991. He played through 1996, going through the Mariners and Padres systems. In 1996, his final season, Weber pitched in only seven games, all in relief.

The same year as his baseball career ended, his golf career began. Weber founded Southwest Greens, a company that specializes in synthetic golf greens for practice. He operated the company into 2008, according to a company Web site, when he sold corporate operations to a group led by another pitcher, John Smoltz.

Bend Bulletin, Aug. 28, 1986: Medford paddles Phillies
Las Vegas Review-Journal, April 2, 1998: Former professional pitcher turns to putting for a living

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 636/880 - 72.3%
Players/Coaches Featured: 647
Made the Majors: 435 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:212-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 185
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 138-X

Kash Beauchamp, Prepared Player - 544

2011-12-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

Kash Beauchamp described his selection in the 1982 January draft as like a dream realized, The Associated Press wrote.

But he still wasn't sure if he would sign.

"I'm not physically mature enough," the 19-year-old Beauchamp told The AP. "But if I have a good spring (in college), hit .400 and put on maybe 15 pounds, I might be ready to turn pro."

Beauchamp apparently did well that spring, because he did sign, starting a career that spanned more than a decade. But it was also a career that never saw the majors.

The Blue Jays selected Beauchamp out of Bacone College in Oklahoma. He was also selected with Toronto hoping he would follow his father, Blue Jays AAA manager Jim Beauchamp, to the majors.

Beauchamp played that first year at rookie-league Medicine Hat. He hit .318 with 48 RBIs. He also made the Pioneer League All-Star team.

He moved to single-A Florence in 1983, then got his first, brief look at AA in 1984 at Knoxville. Beauchamp got his first time at AAA Syracuse in 1986.

With Syracuse, Beauchamp got into 55 games that year, hitting .263. He also hit seven home runs, one of them in a July game at Pawtucket.

Beauchamp, though, returned to Knoxville for 1987, playing 59 games that year. Early in 1988, he moved to the Braves system, playing at AA Greenville. He played 1989 at AAA Richmond, moving to the Giants system for 1990.

He returned for two more seasons in 1993 and 1994, essentially ending his playing career.

Beauchamp then began his coaching career, serving as hitting coach at AA Harrisburg in 1995. He got his first manager's job in 1998, at independent New Jersey. He then went through managing at Lincoln, Adirondack and Bangor.

In 2008, with the independent Wichita Wingnuts, Beauchamp was hit with a four-game suspension for a tirade that included showing the umpire his armpit.

"I regret it, I really do," Beauchamp told The Associated Press afterward. "I don't regret getting ejected and I don't regret trying to fire up my team, but I think I went too far, there's no doubt about it."

The year before, Beauchamp served as manager for the independent Anderson Joes in South Carolina. Talking to The Anderson Independent Mail, Beauchamp explained his job in the independent leagues.

"We've got to prepare these players to make the Major League level, the organizational level," Beauchamp told The Independent Mail. "If a player goes from this organization and walks on a Major League field 10 minutes before the game with headphones on, they're going to be called into the office and released immediately. That doesn't fly in a minor league system."

Regina Leader-Post, Associated Press, Jan. 13, 1982: Beauchamp joins Jays' fold
Anderson Independent Mail, July 19, 2007: Beauchamp new Joes' manager
ESPN.com, Associated Press, July 11, 2008: Minor league manager suspended four games for tirade

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 635/880 - 72.2%
Players/Coaches Featured: 646
Made the Majors: 435 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:211-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 185
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 137-X

Tab Brown, Brief Career - 828

2011-12-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

Tab Brown hadn't gotten a win in nine starts. Despite going six innings and giving up two earned runs, Brown didn't get one this May 1990 night either, The Sumter Item wrote.

"Tab held us where we wanted to be for six innings," Sumter manager Ned Yost told The Item. "He did very well. I thought this was going to be Tab's first win."

Brown ended up getting five wins that year for the single-A Sumter Braves. They were the last five wins of his brief three-season professional career.

Brown's career began in 1989, taken by the Braves in the second round of the draft out of St. Xavier High School in Louisville. At St. Xavier, Brown had an RBI single, helping his team to within two wins of the state title.

Brown played his first professional season at rookie league Pulaski, going 7-3 in 13 starts. He gave up 39 earned runs in 69 innings, for a 4.83 ERA.

Moving to single-A Sumter in 1990, Brown went 5-7, with a 3.49 ERA. In July, though, he nearly pitched a complete-game shoutout. Only a first inning error allowed a run to cross.

The error came on a toss to first, with Brown covering. First baseman Joseph Roble couldn't get it there to record the out, The Item wrote.

"Tab pitched very well tonight," Yost told The Item afterward. "In fact, that's a play where Roble should have taken it himself."

In all, Brown got 22 starts in 1990, striking out 69 and walking 43. Brown, though, didn't play at all in 1991. He returned in 1992 for three final starts, at single-A Macon. He went 0-2, giving up six earned runs in 10.2 innings of work, ending his career in single-A.

Sumter Item, May 20, 1990: Braves 'get even' with Augusta 5-4, Part 2
Sumter Item, July 6, 1990: Early error deprives Brown of 1st professional shutout, Part 2

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 634/880 - 72.1%
Players/Coaches Featured: 645
Made the Majors: 435 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:210-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 185
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 136

Tracy Woodson, His Chance - 652

2011-12-17T22:57:00.001-05:00

Tracy Woodson knew this was his chance, and he was trying to make the most of it.

In his first stint in the majors, filling in for veteran Dodger Bill Madlock in April 1987, Woodson hit his first major league home run. Woodson's home run, hit off Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, helped the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory.

"Right now I've got two or three weeks while Madlock's out, but if I keep hitting the ball, maybe they'll find somewhere to play me," Woodson told The Associated Press after that game. "I want that position when he retires, so I have to do what I can right now."

Woodson ended up staying with the Dodgers through the end of May. But, while Woodson didn't take over for Madlock, he did go on to play in five major league seasons and one World Series.

His final two seasons came after the frustrations of nearly three full seasons back in the minors, and after he'd already retired.

Woodson's career began in 1984, taken by the Dodgers in the third round of the draft, out of North Carolina State University.

He played his first two seasons at single-A Vero Beach, moving to AA San Antonio in 1986. At San Antonio, Woodson hit .269, with 18 home runs. He also earned consideration for the major league roster in 1987, making the team after Madlock's injury.

That first season with the Dodgers, Woodson got into 53 games. He hit .228 and that one home run. Returning for 1988, Woodson got into another 65 games and hit .249.

In July, Woodson got some advice from teammate Kirk Gibson, to hit the ball up the middle, The AP wrote. Woodson instead hit it to left, winning the game.

Woodson, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda told The AP after that game, "is going to be a good player. That's why we brought him up from Albuquerque, where he had fantastic numbers."

In October, it was Woodson who was talking about Gibson. Woodson anticipated Gibson's legendary pinch-hit appearance in Game 1, teammate Mickey Hatcher told The Los Angeles Times.

For his own part, Woodson himself appeared in four out of the five games. He got one at bat in each, without getting a hit.

In fact, Woodson didn't get another major league hit for three seasons. He played in just four games for the Dodgers in 1989, getting six at bats without a hit.

The Dodgers then sent Woodson to the White Sox for 1990. He played the season at AAA Vancouver. He signed with the Braves for 1991, playing that season at AAA Richmond.

Woodson then retired.

The Cardinals, though, still had interest in Woodson. After multiple calls, Woodson returned, The Times wrote. He also returned to the majors, getting into 31 games that year and 62 the next.

"My career was at the very bottom, as low as you can go," Woodson told The Times in August 1992 of his retirement. "But now I'm no longer scared to check the lineup card after going 0 for 4. Now I know I'm getting a chance."

In his 31 games for the Cardinals in 1992, Woodson hit .307 with 22 RBIs.

Coming out of that spring training, Woodson was sent down, though he hit well, The AP wrote. Woodson, though, was sent down with a message from manager Joe Torre.

"Joe told me I'd be back up," Woodson told The AP in August, "and I put those words in the back of my mind."

In his second year with the Cardinals, his last in the bigs, Woodson hit .208 in 77 at bats. Woodson, though, didn't stop playing until 1996, playing his last three seasons at AAA with the Cardinals, Yankees and Cubs.

Woodson then got right into coaching, serving as hitting coach with the AA Carolina Mudcats in 1997. He then moved to the manager's office for 1998, at short-season Erie.

By 2004, Woodson was manager at AAA Albuquerque. Since 2007, Woodson has work in college, serving as head coach of the Valparaiso Crusaders. He's also finished his own degree.

In 2010, the school extended Woodson's contract through 2014.

"Tracy has built our program into a Horizon League contender," Valpo director of athletics Mark LaBarbera said after the extension. "The baseball team continues to succeed both on the field and in the classroom, and this is a direct result of Coach Woodson's leadership. We are excited to know that he will be here for the next several years."

Ocala Star-Banner, Associated Press, April 14, 1987: Cresse's Advice Paid Off For Woodson, Los Angeles
Oxnard Press-Courier, Associated Press, July 16, 1988: Woodson's Hit Lifts Dodgers
Los Angeles Times, Oct. 24, 1988: Dodgers '88: A Season to Remember
Los Angeles Times, Aug. 29, 1992: The Dodgers' Blues Roll On
Southeast Missourian, Associated Press, Aug. 30, 1992: Woodson's glove helps save Cards
ValpoAthletics.com, July 7, 2010: Valpo's Woodson Signs Four-Year Contract Extension

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 633/880 - 71.9%
Players/Coaches Featured: 644
Made the Majors: 435 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:209-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 185-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 136

David Miller, Complete Game - 156

2011-12-16T19:00:00.002-05:00

Looking for his fourth win on the young season in 1989, David Miller went out and got it.

Pitching for AAA Oklahoma City, Miller threw a complete-game shutout against Columbus. He gave up eight hits and no walks to pick up the win, 2-0.

Miller went on to collect a total of nine wins for Oklahoma City that year, against 13 defeats. In his fourth professional season, Miller had made it to AAA.

Miller, though, never never got a chance to throw a shutout, or anything else, in the majors. His career ended the next season, back at AAA.

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Miller's career began in 1986, signing with the Braves. He played that first season between the rookie Gulf Coast League and the rookie Pulaski Braves.

Used mainly in relief that first year, Miller posted a 1.79 ERA on the season, and picked up eight saves.

Miller moved to single-A Durham in 1987 and turned starter. He went 15-9 in 27 starts, with an ERA of 3.59. That year earned him his first trip to AA in 1988, at Greenville, then his first trip to AAA later that year at Richmond.

At Greenville, Miller went 5-4 in 10 starts with a 2.50 ERA. At Richmond, he posted an 11-6 mark with a 4.12 ERA. In late August, he picked up his ninth win after a six-inning outing where he gave up one run.

Late in spring 1989, though, the Braves shipped Miller to the Rangers for a reliever. For the Braves that spring, Miller pitched five innings, exiting with a 7.49 ERA.

Miller went on to play those two seasons at AAA Oklahoma City. He went 9-13 his first season and 7-9 his second, ending his career after five years, short of the majors.

Portsmouth Daily Times, Associated Press, May 27, 1989: Miller tosses shutout at Clippers

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 632/880 - 71.8%
Players/Coaches Featured: 643
Made the Majors: 434 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:209-32%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 184
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 136

Armando Moreno, One Game - 19

2011-12-15T21:00:00.003-05:00

Armando Moreno got called up to the Pirates in 1990. It was understood at the outset, though, that the call would be brief, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote.

The reasoning, Pirates GM Larry Doughty told The Post-Gazette, was that the team needed a right-hander on the bench to face lefties from the Phillies.

"He's never been in the major leagues," Doughty told The Post-Gazette, "But he's a veteran."

As it ended up, Moreno never did play in the major leagues. Called up for that one game that August, Moreno remained on the bench for that game. The Pirates then returned him to the minors. He never got back.

The veteran Moreno was in his ninth professional season that year with the Pirates. His career started in 1982, signed by the Expos out of his native Puerto Rico.

He played that first season at rookie Calgary, hitting .338, with five home runs. He moved to single-A Gastonia in 1983, continuing that hitting at .327.

Moreno's first look at AA, though, saw a drop in his batting average. He hit just .230 at Jacksonville in 1984. He also stayed at Jacksonville through 1988 - five full seasons.

He hit .286 in 1985 and topped .300 again in 1986 at .311. He also hit 15 home runs that year. One of those home runs was a late-season game-winner against Orlando.

Morano made the Southern League All-Star team in 1988, hitting .305 by early July and leading the league. After that season, Morano finally made it to AAA, at Indianapolis. He hit .275 with Indianapolis in 1989, then signed with the Pirates for 1990.

With the Pirates, Morano played the year at AAA Buffalo, except for that one call up to Pittsburgh. At Buffalo, Morano hit .273, with 10 home runs. One of those home runs tied a game in early June.

Morano, though, played just one more season, in 1991, back at Buffalo, ending his career without playing a game in the majors.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 4, 1990: Bonds, Drabek honored

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 631/880 - 71.7%
Players/Coaches Featured: 642
Made the Majors: 434 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:208-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 184
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 136-X

Interview Part 3 of 3: Paul Noce, Right There

2011-12-15T11:31:00.001-05:00

Former Chicago Cub Paul Noce in November 2011.

This is the last of three parts of The Greatest 21 Days Paul Noce interview. For Part 1, go to Paul Noce, The Deal

This past summer, former Cub Paul Noce returned to Wrigley Field, the team taking care of him with front row tickets, right behind the third base coach.

He was there with his brothers from California and his boys. There, in the stands, Noce recalled it hitting him.

"I looked at shortstop and it was no more than 60 feet away," Noce told The Greatest 21 Days recently, a sense of awe filling his voice. "I'm looking at it, and I'm going, 'I played right there.'"

Noce ultimately played 70 games for the Cubs in 1987, 35 at shortstop and 35 at second base.

He also played 37 of those at Wrigley.

"That was exciting to be able to play for the Cubs in Wrigly Field," Noce said. "I don't take it lightly."

Noce sat down with The Greatest 21 Days recently at a Wendy's near his home in Michigan. Noce has spent much of the last two decades as a coach in college, at Hillsdale College in southern Michigan.

Montreal's Olympic Stadium in 2002, the Cubs playing the Expos. Paul Noce went 4 for 5 in a game at Olympic Stadium with the Cubs in 1987. Noce went on to play in the Montreal system in 1988.

Arriving in Chicago early that June in 1987, Noce started a season where he played in those 70 major league games with the Cubs. After that season, he only got into one more.

Much of that time Noce spent with the Cubs was spent filling in for injuries. In mid-June, Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg went down June 13 with a severe ankle sprain. He didn't come back until July 11. Then Shawon Dunston went down June 15 with a broken finger. He didn't return until Aug. 21.

Noce benefited from both, starting at second for Sandberg, then moving to short to fill in for Dunston when Sandberg came back.

When Sandberg went down, Noce thought another player would be put in, Manny Trillo. But it was Noce who was told to get loose.

"Especially when you're a guy who's not labeled a prospect, that label, that's how you get your breaks," Noce said.

Included in those 70 games was Noce's first big league hit, coming in his first outing. Before the month was out, he went 4 for 5 in a Cubs win at Montreal, pushing his average to .308.

The ball from Paul Noce's first major league home run.

On July 3, Noce hit is first major league home run, at home against San Francisco. It came in the seventh off Giants starter Kelly Downs and tied the game at 1.

It was a first-pitch, fastball that Noce put in the the basket in left field, Noce recalled.

"You throw me a first-pitch fastball and I'm swinging every time, just about," Noce said, adding a short time later, "I probably ran around the bases in probably 10 seconds."

As soon as he got back to the dugout, Noce remembered trying to make sure someone tracked down the ball. Whoever grabbed it, gave it back.

Noce's second home run came four days later, in the game where fellow Cub Andre Dawson got hit in the face by a pitch from Eric Show. Noce hit his home run and Dawson came up two batters later and was hit. There was talk that the pitch was intentional. Noce doesn't believe it was.

Except for a brief stint in late August, Noce stayed with Chicago through the end of the year.

He ended up getting 41 hits in 180 at bats, ending with a .228 average. Noce thought he had a good shot at making the Cubs again in 1988 as a utility player, but a change in leadership took the team in a different direction.

Cubs GM Dallas Green left. Green seemed to like Noce. New GM Jim Frey, though, looked elsewhere. Noce got sent down the last week of spring training.

Back at Iowa, Noce's playing time diminished. By July, Noce recalled asking for a trade. The Cubs obliged, sending him at the end of July to the Expos.

Noce played out the year at AAA Indianapolis. But they were meaningful games. The Indianapolis squad went on to win the American Association title and the overall AAA championship.

Paul Noce's 1988 Triple-A Classic Championship ring.

It was Noce's first championship and his first ring. He had come close one year at single-A Reno and at AA Pittsfield. But he hadn't won one before. "You always play for that ring," Noce said. "You want that ring."

Noce still has that ring from Indianapolis. Another ring, though, he never received.

While winning at AAA was good. Noce still worked at getting back to the majors. He didn't accomplish that until 1990, after two full seasons at AAA with three organizations, the Cubs, Expos and Mariners.

For 1990, Noce signed with the Reds. After another injury, Noce got his final call to the majors. This injury was to Reds star Eric Davis. He'd hurt his ankle. Noce was hitting well at AAA Nashville and the Reds called.

Noce spent eight days there. He only got into one game and got one at bat.

In his 10th season of professional ball, Noce said he knew it could be ending soon. The game was starting to be a job. He wasn't enjoying it as much.

So with this call up, Noce took time to enjoy it. "I was there early and I left late," Noce said.

Then, on May 17, Noce got his only at bat. He hit a line drive up the middle for a single.

Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark in 2010. Paul Noce got into one game with the Reds in 1990, at old Riverfront Stadium. He went 1 for 1.

On a team that went on to win the World Series, Noce technically had the distinction of having the highest batting average of any of them.

That fall, Noce recalled getting a $500 playoff share. He never did get a ring, though. He believes he can still petition for one, paying for it. He said he just might do that.

He'd get it just to have it. It also might look good recruiting, Noce added.

Sent back to AAA Nashville after Davis came back early, Noce's career ended in 1991, with the Giants at AAA Phoenix.

Noce spent two seasons with the Pirates as a roving instructor. He then arrived in Hillsdale, Michigan, to be the baseball coach Hillsdale College, a top academic school. He has been there since.

At Hillsdale, Noce sometimes references his playing days for a motivational story. But that doesn't happen often, he said. He makes it a point not to do that.

"To me," he said, "it's ancient history, kind of. I think it's special, I really do. But it's not who I am."

The California native settled in Michigan because that is where his wife Diane is from. The two met one year at spring training. She was there visiting a friend.

They now have three sons, Joshua, 21, Casey, 18, and Jesse, 13.

"It's a God thing," Noce said of his time in Michigan. "God wanted me there. He put me there and He's kept me there for 18 years. It's pretty cool."

Willie Smith, Turning Point - 207

2011-12-14T22:14:00.001-05:00

Going into his fourth professional season in 1989, Willie Smith was due for a career turning point, his manager at single-A the year before, Woody Huyke, told The Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

"He's made steady progress," Huyke told The Post-Gazette as Smith prepared for spring camp. "He's never stood still or gone backward. But now he'll start to get the message about what it takes to be a major leaguer."

Smith ultimately did have what it took to be a major leaguer. But that didn't come for another five years and after losing a season to shoulder surgery.

Smith's career began in 1986, with the 6-foot, 6-inch right-hander signed by the Pirates as an undrafted free agent, out of Savannah, Ga. Smith played that first year in the rookie Gulf Coast League, playing rookie ball and short-season ball in 1987.

At single-A Augusta in 1988, Smith posted a 2.98 ERA, while recording six saves in 30 outings. In 1989, it was single-A Salem and AA Harrisburg. At Harrisburg, Smith got 12 outings, giving up five earned runs in 18.1 innings of work.

That December, Smith arrived in the Yankees system, in a three-player deal. In 1990, Smith got his first look at AAA, at Columbus. He got 33 outings there, picking up seven saves.

Smith also got time at AA Albany-Colonie in 1990. In 1991, all he saw was AA. Turning starter, he went 7-7, with a 4.15 ERA. Early that April, Smith went three innings in a start, giving up two runs before being pulled.

"I think he threw too many fastballs," Albany manager Dan Radison told The Reading Eagle. "Once he starts mixing up his pitches a little bit better, he'll be real good."

Smith moved to the Indians system in 1992, playing between AA Canton and AAA Colorado Springs. He then lost all of 1993 to shoulder surgery.

But Smith came back. For 1994, he signed with the Cardinals. He debuted in the majors April 25. He only got into seven more big league games.

With an injury to the Cardinals' designated closer Mike Perez, there was thought to give Smith a shot at closing. Smith, though, never got a save. In seven innings of work, Smith gave up seven earned runs. He also gave up four home runs, one of them to Bobby Bonilla May 8. Smith also picked up one win to one loss.

Sent back down upon Perez' return, Smith played out the season at AAA Louisville. There, Smith picked up 29 saves. It was enough for the Indians to sign Smith for 1995.

With the Indians, though, Smith didn't last through to the season. He ruptured a ligament in his throwing elbow in an exhibition game. The injury effectively ended Smith's career.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 1, 1989: Smith's heater in the mid-90s and counting, Part 2
Reading Eagle, April 12, 1991: Yankees rally past R-Phils, Part 2
Youngstown Vindicator, Associated Press, Nov. 19, 1994: Tribe signs Smith, trades 3 to Mets

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 630/880 - 71.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 641
Made the Majors: 433 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:208-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 184
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 135-X

Don Vesling, Too Fine - 378

2011-12-13T22:58:00.001-05:00

Don Vesling tried to analyze his pitching to The Toledo Blade in 1989. He'd made it to AAA for the first time, but he'd also gotten wild.

"I never had a problem with walks until I came here," Vesling told The Blade before a mid-August game. "I was trying to be too fine."

Vesling ended up walking 33 in 71.1 innings of work for Toledo in 1989. He ended up doing well enough to return to Toledo in 1990. But Velsing didn't end up doing well enough to make the majors.

Vesling's career began in 1987, taken by the Tigers in the 14th round of the draft, out of Eastern Michigan University.

At Eastern Michigan, Vesling played baseball and football. On the football team, Vesling served as kicker, kicking the game-winning field goal in a September 1986 game against Akron. The previous October, Vesling kicked two field goals, and, as a wide-receiver, caught a touchdown pass. In baseball his final year, Vesling was the team's MVP.

With the Tigers, Vesling played that first year at rookie Bristol, picking up a game at single-A Lakeland. Between them, Vesling went 6-2, with a 2.95 ERA. Vesling returned to Lakeland for the year in 1988, going 10-8, with a 3.14 ERA.

Vesling then started 1989 at AA London, going 5-4, with a 3.81 ERA. By late May, though, he led the league with a 1.13 mark. Vesling then got his first look at AAA Toledo. In his second outing, Vesling threw a seven-inning shutout.

Vesling played three more seasons, all in the minors. He played all of 1990 at AAA Toledo, splitting time between starting and relieving. In June, he went seven innings, giving up four hits.

Vesling's last two seasons were spent split between AA and AAA. He started 1991 at Toledo, before being sent back to AA in late May to make room for another pitcher. Vesling started 18 games at London, going 7-8, with a 4.49 ERA.

He started his final season in 1992 back at London, before arriving mid-year with the Padres, at AAA Las Vegas. Vesling ended his career with eight relief outings there, giving up three earned runs in 5.1 innings of work.

After his playing days were done, Vesling became a steel broker in Indiana. He was inducted in the Midview High School Hall of Fame in 2001. Vesling attended Midview in his hometown of Grafton, Ohio.

Toledo Blade, Aug. 13, 1989: Hens sweep Pawsox
Midview Athletic Hall of Fame, 2001: Don Vesling

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 629/880 - 71.5%
Players/Coaches Featured: 640
Made the Majors: 432 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:208-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 184
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 134

Interview Part 2 of 3: Paul Noce, Most Exciting

2011-12-13T12:00:00.009-05:00

Cubs photograph of Paul Noce in 1987, from Noce's collection.

This is Part 2 of The Greatest 21 Days Paul Noce interview. For Part 1, go to Paul Noce, The Deal

Getting treatment on a sore shoulder in the Iowa Cubs training room, Paul Noce could hear the phone ring in the next room over, the manager's office.

To the trainer, Noce joked the call was for him, Noce recalled recently. He was getting called to the majors, the joke continued.

As it turned out, it was. And he was.

Called into manager Larry Cox' office, Cox relayed the news: In his seventh professional season, Noce was going to the majors.

"It was great," Noce told The Greatest 21 Days recently. "It was phenomenal. It was one of the most exciting days of my life, as far as baseball is concerned."

Cox just had one question for Noce. Did he want to play that night at Iowa?

"I said 'heck, no,' " Noce recounted. "'I'm not even chancing it, man.' I said 'I'm going to pack and get in my car right now.'"

The next morning, Noce and his wife were in Chicago.

Noce sat down with The Greatest 21 Days recently at a Wendy's near his home in Michigan. Noce has spent much of the last two decades as a coach in college, at Hillsdale College in southern Michigan.

Arriving in Chicago early that June, Noce started a season where he played in 70 major league games with the Cubs. After that season, he only got into one more.

Wrigley Field in 2004. Paul Noce played 70 games with the Cubs in 1987. G21D Photo

What got Noce to Chicago that year could be traced back to a trade, and a willingness to be sent down before being called up.

Playing in the Padres system in early 1984, Noce hadn't gotten above single-A in three seasons. Then, he was starting his fourth there. He'd played at least a portion of each season at single-A Reno.

But then Noce got noticed by a scout for the Cubs. The scout liked Noce so much, he got the team to trade for him. With the new organization also came a new level.

The Cubs sent Noce straight to AA Midland. Noce went on to reward their confidence with a .288 season. He stole 12 bases and knocked in 29 runs. He continued progressing in 1985, making AAA Iowa, though his average suffered. He hit .225.

Noce credited his versatility in the field. At Midland, he played second, third and short. At Iowa, he did the same, adding outfield to the mix.

Wrigley Field in 1988. Paul Noce played at Wrigley the year before. G21D Photo

Then, after that season at AAA, and starting 1986 there, Noce accepted the demotion to AA Pittsfield. With the move, though, came the promise from Cubs farm director Jim Snyder, of regular playing time at one position.

Noce took full advantage, hitting .307. He also got an invited to 1987 spring camp. Noce then took advantage of that opportunity, making an impression. Cubs manager Gene Michael liked him. The coaches seemed to appreciate his play.

Noce lasted until the final cut of the spring, before being sent down.

"I knew then that I was going to make it, that I was going to have a chance," Noce said.

That chance came May 31, when the Cubs called Noce to the majors.

Noce called it a blessing to make the majors. After being told of his call up, Noce and his wife Diane headed east. From Des Moines, they stopped for the night in the Quad Cities.

Noce also recalled talking to his wife as they stopped, putting the experience in perspective.

"I remember telling her, 'whether I'm there one day, or 10 years,'" Noce recalled, " 'I made it.'"

Getting up the next morning, the couple finished the drive, arriving at Wrigley Field. He was in the game that afternoon.

Hitting eighth, Noce struckout his first at bat. He grounded out his second.

In his third, Noce singled to center for his first major league hit.

The ball from Paul Noce's first major league hit, June 1, 1987.

Noce recalled almost every hand that ball touched after it returned to the infield. Astros second baseman Bill Doran had it. Then umpire Doug Harvey.

Harvey tossed it into the dugout, where Cubs clubhouse manager Yosh Kawano recorded the feat directly on the ball: "1st Major League Hit Danny Darwin."

Noce also recalled the hand he shook at first base, congratulating him. That hand belonged to the Cubs' new first base coach Jim Snyder. It was the same Jim Snyder who proposed a year earlier for Noce to go back down to AA for regular playing time.

Noce has the game on tape, with Cubs announcers Harry Carry and Steve Stone calling the hit.

In particular, Noce highlighted Stone's comments. Stone commented on the future significance. Noce would be telling the story of that hit to his boys someday.

Noce had no kids then. He and his wife now have three, 13, 18, and 21. All three have watched their dad's first hit.

"I tell them, 'that's you he's talking about,'" Noce said, "'I'm going to tell you this story someday.'"

After that first hit, Noce's first major league home run was still to come.

Go to the final part: Paul Noce, Right There

Ray Ramirez, Mets Trainer - 174

2011-12-12T21:00:00.004-05:00

David Wright told the trainer he was fine. But Wright wasn't fine, The New York Times wrote.

Wright sat on the ground in this August 2009 contest, after getting hit in the head with a 93-mph fastball. Mets head trainer Ray Ramirez used a light to check Wright's eyes, The Times wrote.

Wright couldn't stay in the game, Ramirez told Wright, according to The Times. He likely had a concussion, an injury to which Wright ultimately lost two weeks of playing time.

Ramirez has been watching over Mets players as head trainer since 2004, part of a training career that goes back more than two decades.

Ramirez' career began in the 1980s, out of college. Ramirez earned his bachelor of science degree in physical education from Hostra University in 1982. He then got his masters in sports medicine from Long Island University four years later, according to his CMC card.

His training days, though, began in 1983, with the GCL Mets, moving to Little Falls for 1984 and Orlando by 1986. In 1987, he went to AAA, serving as trainer for the Oklahoma City 89ers, in the Rangers system. He remained there for 1990.

By 1994, Ramirez was with the big club, as Rangers assistant trainer, tending to an injury to Juan Gonzalez.

Ramirez stayed with the Rangers in that capacity through 2004. In 2003, Rangers GM John Hart credited the training staff that year, including Ramirez, with putting a bigger emphasis on learning players' past injuries, MLB.com wrote.

Ramirez that year went to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to work with players, MLB.com wrote.

For 2005, Ramirez moved to the Mets, making the jump to head athletic trainer. In the years since, he has watched over his share of Mets injuries.

That first year, Ramirez spent one night on a cot in a San Diego hospital, watching over Met Mike Cameron after a surgery. In 2008, he had to hold Ryan Church out of the lineup to ensure he was symptom free from a concussion. In 2011 he told Carlos Beltran he had conjunctivitis.

Ramirez is set to return to the Mets as head trainer for 2012.

MLB.com, Feb. 12, 2003: Rangers assess pitching health
New York Times, Aug. 15, 2009: Bad Dream for the Mets as Wright Goes Down

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 629/880 - 71.5%
Players/Coaches Featured: 640
Made the Majors: 432 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:208-32%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 184
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 134

Interview Part 1 of 3: Paul Noce, The Deal

2011-12-12T11:33:00.003-05:00

Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass., in August 2011. It was at Wahconah Park in 1986, as a member of the AA Pittsfield Cubs, that Paul Noce revived his career.

This is the first of three parts in The Greatest 21 Days interview with Paul Noce

The Cubs needed a shortstop and Paul Noce was the guy they believed could fill in.

Problem was, they needed the shortstop at AA Pittsfield, not major league Chicago. With a season already behind him at AAA, Noce was, perhaps understandably, reluctant to go.

With the offer from the Cubs' farm director, though, came the promise of regular playing time, something he wasn't getting at Iowa.

"I said, 'here's the deal,'" Noce recalled to The Greatest 21 Days recently of his conversation with then-Cubs farm director Jim Snyder, " 'I'm playing every day. I play every day, regardless. That's the deal, or I'm not going.' "

The decision wasn't a light one. Noce was in his sixth professional season. Time was passing and he wasn't in the majors. "I said, 'this will be my last shot,' " Noce recalled telling himself, "to see if I can ever make it to the big leagues."

Noce went down to AA, played every day, and had a career year. He hit .307 with 56 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

The next year, Noce was in the majors.

Noce sat down with The Greatest 21 Days recently at a Wendy's near his home in Michigan. Noce has spent much of the last two decades as a coach in college, at Hillsdale College in southern Michigan.

Paul Noce with the single-A Miami Marlins in 1983, a photo from Noce's personal collection.

Before that coaching career came a playing career that spanned 11 seasons, a career where Noce saw time in 71 major league games, 70 of those coming with the Cubs in 1987, the year after Pittsfield.

That year, Noce got his first major league hit and his first major league home run. He ended up with 41 total hits that year and three home runs.

His 71st and final game didn't come until three seasons later, with the Reds in 1990. In his only at bat, Noce got his final major league hit.

Noce's overall career in the game has spanned more than three decades. It's a career that began in California, growing up in a baseball family, son of a college coach.

Noce's father, John Noce, spent three decades himself as coach at San Mateo Junior College, ultimately becoming the winningest junior college coach in California. Before that, John Noce spent time as a player in the California League.

A team photo of the 1983 single-A Miami Marlins. Noce, center, split time that year between Miami and single-A Reno.

John Noce also coached in the Olympics, for Italy. Paul Noce followed his father there after his junior year in high school, playing baseball there.

"It's all we did," Noce said. "I have four brothers, almost all of them played. It's kind of what I always wanted to do and I was fortunate enough to do it, for a little bit. And I'm still fortunate enough now."

Noce played well enough in high school to be taken in the draft, in the 25th round by the Padres. But an offer of $500 a month sent Noce off to Washington State on scholarship.

Noce said he figured he got drafted once, he'd get drafted again. "I might as well go play and see if I get drafted higher," he said.

Noce did get drafted higher, after his junior year in 1981. He was again taken by the Padres, this time in the 14th round. This time, he signed.

An old newspaper photo of former Reno Padre Paul Noce, from Noce's collection. Noce played at single-A Reno for parts of four seasons.

Sent to short-season Walla Walla, Noce rapidly moved up to single-A Reno. He actually only spent a day at Walla Walla. An injury at Reno prompted Noce's move up.

Noce's stay at Reno, though, would be much longer, parts of three seasons.

Noce hit .269 his first year, .226 his second and .289 his third. His second year, he split time between Reno and single-A Salem. In his third, he split time between Reno and single-A Miami.

In his fourth season, Noce started again at Reno.

"I didn't really know what to think," Noce said of his stall at Reno. "I knew I was putting up decent numbers and I'm not moving."

The prospects were moving, though, Noce noticed. But he also recognized that was what happened with prospects. Noce wasn't a prospect.

"I always had to work extra hard," Noce said, "get some breaks. And I got a break."

That break came with getting noticed by a scout for the Cubs.

Go to Part 2: Paul Noce, Most Exciting

Mel Stottlemyre, Waited For - 182

2011-12-11T21:00:00.002-05:00

With 13 saves and a 1.55 ERA at AAA Omaha, Mel Stottlemyre, Jr., was a natural choice to get called up to Kansas City, when a spot opened in July 1990.

For Stottlemyre, the call couldn't come soon enough.

"I've been waiting for this a long time," Stottlemyre told The Associated Press.

Stottlemyre had waited until his sixth professional season to get that call. The call made him a major leaguer. It also made him the third major leaguer in his family, after father Mel Stottlemyre, Sr., and brother Todd Stottlemyre.

But, while he got there, the young Mel Stottlemyre couldn't match the success of his father and brother, each of whom had long playing careers in the majors. Mel Stottlemyre, Jr.'s major league career started and ended that year in 1990.

Mel Stottlemyre, Jr.'s, career began in 1985, taken by the Astros out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was also taken in the same January secondary draft as his brother Todd. Mel Jr. went third overall, Todd went first.

The father, then pitching coach with the Mets, compared his son's chances after that draft. Mel, Jr., being the older of the two, the father saw progressing faster.

"But Mel, being 21 and out of school, I would hope that within, say, three years, he'll be there, or on the doorstep," the father told The AP.

The younger Mel Stottlemyre started with the Astros at single-A Asheville. He went 5-4 in 13 starts, with a 2.75 ERA. He made AA for the first time in 1987, at Columbus.

Stottlemyre went 7-6 at Columbus, with a 4.29 ERA. Then, in late July, the Astros sent Stottlemyre to the Royals. Stottlemyre started 1988 back in AA, at Memphis. Stottlemyre, though, started just seven games on the season.

The next year, he started back at single-A, at Baseball City. In early June, Stottlemyre came into one game, overcoming two singles to get out of a jam, The Lakeland Ledger wrote.

"He was ready. He was just trying to get ahead" of the hitters, Baseball City manager Luis Silverio told The Ledger. "Then he settled down and started making his pitches."

Stottlemyre played the rest of the season back at Memphis. By 1990, he was at AAA Omaha. He got into 29 games in relief there, with those 13 saves and a 1.51 ERA. He also made the AAA All-Star team.

That year, Stottlemyre also got into 13 games with Kansas City, getting two starts. Overall, he posted a 4.88 ERA.

On July 29, Stottlemyre came in for a long-relief assignment, showing what he could do. He set down 14-straight batters at one point, before giving up a single, The AP wrote. He made his two starts in September. In the first one, he went seven innings, giving up just one hit and no runs. He also got a no decision.

It was Stottlemyre's final year as a player. He has since gone on to a career as a coach in the minors, and the majors. In 2009 and 2010, Stottlemyre returned to the majors, as pitching coach for the Diamondbacks. For 2011, and into 2012, Stottlemyre is serving as Arizona minor league pitching coordinator.

In April 2010, Stottlemyre worked with the Diamondbacks' Edwin Jackson, helping him become more methodical in his approach, The Arizona Republic wrote.

"That's something we talked about and worked on in his side (session) - improving his concentration and not trying to do too much too early in games," Stottlemyre told The Republic. "Basically, slow his mind and his body down and allow himself to make pitches and stay away from high pitch counts."

Pomeroy Daily Sentinel, Associated Press, Jan. 10, 1985: Baseball's winter draft commences
Lakeland Ledger, June 3, 1989: Royals hang on to beat Winter Haven
Junction City Daily Union, Associated Press, July 17, 1990: Saberhagen on disabled list
Arizona Republic, April 18, 2010: Arizona Diamondbacks' Edwin Jackson makes strides in latest start

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 628/880 - 71.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 639
Made the Majors: 431 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:208-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 184
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 134