Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Samir Jarad was good enough to see two pro seasons, just not necessarily good enough (or healthy?) to spend much time on the field. Jarad's career proved limited to just six games across those two seasons .  He played all six of those games in the rookie Gulf Coast League. Jarad's career began in 1990, signed by the Astros as an undrafted free agent. Baseball stat sites lack references to his college or home origins. In fact, the limited nature of Jarad's career appears to have contributed to the lack of information about it.  Google searches, as well as searches at Newspapers.com, uncover no extra references to Jarad's brief career, including anything that fits with him prior to him turning pro. Jarad's first season consisted of a single game spent as a 19-year-old in the GCL. He's credited with three plate appearances, no hits and one strikeout. He isn't credited as playing in the field. From that brief appearance, Jarad appears to have still had enoug...

Brevard Community College's Kevin Rinaldi got the win in this March 1989 game, despite one of his weaknesses - the first inning, according to Florida Today . Rinaldi went six innings, giving up five runs in the process, but still got the 8-5 victory, Florida Today wrote . "If he ever gets out of the first inning, he usually does a good job," Brevard head coach Ernie Rosseau told Florida Today . "He just has trouble in that first inning." Rinaldi went on to turn pro later that year. His pro career lasted two seasons. He topped out at single-A. Rinaldi's career began that year, signed by the Astros as an undrafted free agent out of Brevard Community College. At Brevard, he struck out six while giving up five hits in a February win, then struck out 11 in another that month. Shortly after, Florida Today featured Rinaldi in a brief spotlight. In it, he counted his career goal as making the majors. He also identified Paul Molitor as a relative, though not how...

The Orlando Sentinel assessed the high-A Osceola Astros' first half in 1992, singling out several players, including Ruben Cruz . Cruz was hitting .258 by mid-June and had knocked in 31 runs, The Sentinel wrote . "There has been a new star every day," Osceola manager Sal Butera told The Sentinel of the group. Cruz hit in that season in his third campaign as a pro. He would see just one more . He topped out there at high-A Osceola. Cruz' career began in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 45th round of the draft out of his native Puerto Rico . He played his first season largely in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw 39 games. He also saw one game at high-A Osceola. He hit .254 on the year. Cruz then moved to single-A Burlington for 1991. He hit a home run in a July game, a three-run triple in another that month, then a  pinch-hit home run in an August contest. Overall, Cruz got into 114 games for Burlington in 1991 and hit .278, with eight home runs . Cruz played ...

Jorge Correa 's playing career didn't go very far, cut short by injury after three seasons. His post-playing career has gone far enough that he heads his own baseball instruction academy , with an Instagram following of more than 90,000. Correa's playing career began in 1990, taken by the Astros in the ninth round of the draft out of Miami Senior High School . At Miami High, Correa earned honorable mention all-county in 1988. He pitched a no-hitter in an April 1990 game as he struck out 11. He started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . The pitcher saw nine games, eight starts. He went 1-3, with a 6.13 ERA. He then returned to the GCL for 14 outings, 11 starts in 1991. He went 5-3, with a 3.48 ERA that year. Correa then made it to short-season Auburn for 1992, but his season proved brief. In six relief outings, 5.2 innings, he gave up 13 earned runs. He picked up a win in relief in a June game. But an injury helped end his career. That season marked his ...

Doug Kemp 's pro career proved brief. He's recorded as playing in just three games. But he may have gone on to continue in the game, as a minor league stadium general manager. A Doug Kemp, credited as attending the same school the player Kemp is credited as turning general manager at the home field of the Clearwater Threshers.  The player Doug Kemp's career began and ended in 1990, signed by the Astros as a free agent out of the University of Houston. The pitcher saw three games for the rookie Gulf Coast League Astros. In 3.2 innings, he gave up three walks and one earned run. Those numbers marked the extent of his pro career . Kemp may have gone on to settle in Clearwater, though a direct connection could not be located - as in a reference that the Clearwater Kemp played baseball or played with the Astros. But the two Kemps are both listed as from the University of Houston. And the baseball Kemp is also listed with ties to Florida, as in born in Fort Pierce . (Though th...

After Brian Bennett 's first season in the minors in the Gulf Coast League, the scout that drafted him had good things to say to Bennett's hometown Palm Desert Post . The scout, Ross Sapp, told The Post that Bennett had improved his defense and his catching. He just had to work on his hitting. "He has a great desire for the game," Sapp told The Post . "He gives 120 percent all the time. That desire will carry him a long ways." For Bennett, he ultimately saw four pro seasons . He topped out at single A. Bennett's career began in 1987, taken by the Astros in the fifth round of the secondary phase of the previous June's draft out of the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California. Bennett eventually signed in early June 1987, after playing at San Bernardino County College, The Desert Sun wrote . "Mostly just relief knowing I can play baseball and not try to stay in school and do other things," Bennett told The Sun of his feelings on s...