Joe Andrzejewski, Some Days - 3

Joe Andrzejewski assessed his performances to The Baltimore Sun in August 1991.

In a word, those performances were erratic, he told The Sun.

"Some days, I go out there and pitch great," Andrzejewski told The Sun. "Other days, I go up there and I'll constantly be behind the hitters, and they won't really hit me hard. I'll just walk a lot of people. I commit suicide out there."

Andrzejewski pitched that year, his fourth year as a pro, with short-season Erie. That season also proved to be his last. Andrzejewski made it as high as single-A.

Andrzejewski's career began in 1988, taken by the Brewers in the third round of the draft out of Chesapeake High School in Maryland.

Andrzejewski started with the Brewers at rookie Helena. He got into a single game in 1988. He then returned to Helena the next year. In 11 games, 10 starts, Andrzejewski went 3-2, with a 6.13 ERA. In July, Andrzejewski combined with two relievers to strike out 16.

He moved to single-A Beloit for 1990. He got into 24 games that year, starting 19. He went 6-9, with a 5.61 ERA.

In one game that summer with Beloit, a sharp line drive to his face led Andrzejewski to be carted off the field. He even had the imprint of stitches on his face, William Albert Allard wrote in his book "Portraits of America." Checked out at the hospital, Andrzejewski returned to the team later that night.

Andrzejewski then moved to short-season co-op Erie for 1991. He got into 16 games, starting seven. He went 1-5, with a 7.02 ERA, ending his career.

• Baltimore Sun, Aug. 18, 1991: Andrzejewski Is Having Wild Time - And Hates It
• Portraits of America, William Albert Allard: Page 119

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured: 2,660
Made the Majors:1,027-38.6%
Never Made Majors:1,633-61.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 426
10+ Seasons in the Minors:261

Leon Glenn, Two Doubles - 17

Leon Glenn started strong on his call up to AAA New Orleans in June 1994, according to The Louisville Courier-Journal.

He did so by doubling in his first two at bats, The Courier-Journal wrote. He doubled in runs in both the first and the third innings.

While Glenn did well enough in that first game at AAA, he didn't do well enough to get that next call up to the bigs. Glenn played nine seasons as a pro. He never made the majors.

Glenn's career began in 1988, taken by the Brewers in the 13th round of the draft out of Texas State University.

Glenn started with the Brewers in the rookie Arizona League. He got into 55 games there that year and another 51 there in his second campaign. Glenn won the league triple crown both years. He it .340 his first year and .382 his second.

Glenn also briefly saw rookie Helena in 1989 before moving to single-A Beloit and returning to Helena for 1990. His average dropped to .211 that year over 107 games.

He played 1991 between Beloit and short-season Bend, then 1992 and 1993 at high-A Stockton. He led Stockton with 27 doubles in 1993. He hit one of his 15 1993 home runs in an August game, a two-run shot against San Bernardino.

Glenn debuted at both AA El Paso and AAA New Orleans for 1994. With New Orleans, Glenn singled and scored in an August game and walked and scored in a September game.

Glenn moved to the Angels system and AA Midland for 1995 and 1996. He singled and scored in a May 1995 game and knocked a two-run homer run in a May 1996 contest. Overall, Glenn .254 in 1995 and .213 in 1996, ending his career.

• Louisville Courier-Journal, June 28, 1994: Z's Sparks stops Birds

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured: 2,659
Made the Majors:1,027-38.6%
Never Made Majors:1,632-61.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 426
10+ Seasons in the Minors:261

Daven Bond, Perfect Fit - 14

Originally published July 4, 2016

Colorado Christian University got itself a new softball coach in Daven Bond. They actually got their first-ever softball coach in Bond.

University athletic director Darren Richie told the school's site his pleasure in getting a coach like bond to start the school's softball program.

"He brings a vast knowledge of the game and is a perfect fit for CCU," Richie told CCUCougars.com that February. "His playing experience at the highest levels combined with a proven successful coaching career show that he is the coach we need to build a competitive softball program that will immediately experience success in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference."

Bond's playing experience consisted of seven seasons as a pro. He never made the majors, but he did make AAA with the Yankees in 1991. He then went on to a coaching career that led him to CCU in 2011, a head coaching job he continues to hold in 2016.

Bond's playing career began in 1986, taken by the Astros in the 14th round of the draft out of Colorado Mesa University.

Bond started with the Astros at short-season Auburn. He went 3-3, with a 3.64 ERA. He moved to single-A Asheville for 1987, picking up six saves. His sixth save on the year came in July on two scoreless innings of work.

Bond played at single-A Osceola for 1988 and 1989. He turned in a 3.62 ERA in 1989 mostly as a starter. He started 1990 at AA Columbus with the Astros, then moved to the Yankees and AA Albany mid-season in a trade.

At Albany, Bond went five innings in a late-July contest, giving up two earned for the win. He gave up another two earned, but in two innings of relief in August, taking the loss.

Bond moved to AAA Columbus in 1991, getting 32 outings, nine starts. He ended with a 5.70 ERA. He played his final pro season the next year with the Mariners at AA Jacksonville.

Bond soon got into coaching, including coaching softball. He started with the Colorado Stampede 18 Gold softball team in 1994 and long served as its coach.

At CCU, Bond took his first team to a 34-29 record and the Division II National Tournament. He also won co-conference coach of the year honors.

"The most surprising thing is how well we have done and the things that we have been able to accomplish on the field," Bond told the school's site after that season. "The girls have certainly exceeded any expectations that I had for our first year. I am so proud of them and how God is working in their lives. It has been an amazing year."

• CCUCougars.com, Feb. 3, 2011: Daven Bond named Colorado Christian softball coach
• CCU.edu, May 9, 2012: CCU Women's Softball Team Concludes Outstanding First Season

Charley Taylor, Fun Time - 21

Originally published Sept. 15, 2016

Charley Taylor expected his trip to Houston to be a great experience, he told MLB.com, and he looked forward to it.

After all, the Astros minor league pitching coach had spent the better part of a quarter century trying to shepherd young ball players on to the majors on top of spending seven early seasons trying to get there as a pitcher himself.

"To see this level certainly is exciting for me," Taylor told MLB.com as he prepared for his first look at the bigs. "I've dealt with some of these guys at the lower levels, and some at the Triple-A level, that I got to know last year. It's going to be a fun time."

Taylor's path to that point took him almost exclusively through the Astros system, coaching at single-A and AA. He even spent his time as a player in the Astros system, making it to AAA, but not the bigs.

Taylor's career began in 1969, taken by the Astros in the 24th round of the draft out of Eastern Kentucky University.

Taylor started with the Astros at short-season Williamsport. He moved to single-A Cocoa in 1970, then AA Columbus in 1972. He topped out at AAA Denver in 1974, playing his final season back at Columbus in 1975.

Taylor stayed in baseball, moving to the Reds front office. By 1982, he was back in the minors and back with the Astros. He served that year as pitching coach for single-A Asheville.

Taylor coached at Asheville and AA Columbus through 1990, then five seasons at AA Jackson. For 1996, the Astros named Taylor as pitching coach at AAA Tucson, joining expected manager Tim Tolman, according to The Tucson Citizen.

"Tim and Charley bring a great knowledge of the players with them," Toros general manager Mike Feder told The Citizen. "The nucleus of our ballclub will be from players who have played for those guys."

In 2001, Taylor arrived at single-A Lexington. He proceeded to stay there for eight seasons. More recently, he served as a coach for the Gulf Coast League Astros in 2012.

Taylor received high praise from one of his players in 2006. Tip Fairchild, who never did make the bigs, had perhaps the best run of his short career under Taylor that year at Lexington.

Speaking to The Lewiston Sun Journal of Taylor that June, Fairchild said, "I told my dad that if I make it to the big leagues, it's going to be because of this coach."

• Tucson Citizen, Dec. 12, 1995: Tolman, Taylor to fill coaching vacancies
• MLB.com, Sept. 19, 2005: Notes: Ensberg lends a hand
• Lewiston Sun Journal, June 12, 2006: Legend to Legend, Part 2

Tony Eusebio, Hit Anything - 5

Originally published Aug. 19, 2016

Tony Eusebio looked hit all the way in this June 1998 game, according to The Associated Press.

The result, according to The AP: A late two-run single that helped his Astros to a 4-3 win.

"In that situation, you hit anything that's around the plate," Eusebio told The AP. "You have an advantage. He might try to throw the fastball early. You don't let one get by and said, 'Hey, that's the one that I wanted.'"

Eusebio ended up hitting in nine major league seasons. In 2000, it seemed he didn't stop hitting. The catcher amassed a 24-game hitting streak over 51 days, then a franchise record.

Eusebio's career began in 1985, signed by the Astros as an amateur free agent out of his native Dominican Republic.

Eusebio played briefly for the Astros' Gulf Coast League team in 1985, then returned for 1987. He made single-A Osceola in 1988, AA Columbus in 1989 and then AAA Tucson in 1991.

He also first made Houston in 1991, getting into 10 games. He picked up two hits in 19 at bats.

Eusebio then spent 1992 and 1993 back in the minors. He returned to the bigs in 1994 and began to get regular playing time. He got into 55 games that year and hit .296.

He hit two home runs in a June 1994 game, helping his team to a win againstt he Giants. He then picked up four hits and four RBI in a July 1994 game against the Cardinals.

Eusebio then got into an overall career-high 113 games in 1995. He hit .299. He continued with the Astros for 1996 to 1998, getting lesser playing time, including 66 games in 1998.

In April 1998, though, he played and hit the game-winning double in the ninth on an outside pitch, according to The AP.

"It was a good pitch for me, I like it out there," Eusebio told The AP afterward.

Eusebio got into 103 games in 1999, then 74 in 2000. His 2000 campaign also saw that hitting streak. He picked up his 23rd-consecutive game with a hit in late-August, hitting a double in Montreal to tie the club record.

''I didn't know the record streak for the Astros was 23 games,'' Eusebio told The AP afterward. ''When you play the game, you don't pay too much mind to it."

Eusebio returned for one more season, 2001. He got into 59 games, hitting .253, ending his career.

• Norwalk Hour, Associated Press, April 27, 1998: Franco suffers that sinking feeling
• CBSNews.com, Associated Press, June 3, 1998: Astros' 3-Run Seventh Stops Padres
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Associated Press, Aug. 28, 2000: Hot-hitting Eusebio propels Astros past Expos

Keith Fleming, Stayed In - 25

A 14th inning home run might have won this May 1986 regional game, but The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote afterward, Keith Fleming and his relief work made the win possible.

Fleming went six innings in relief, taking his team into that 14th inning to pick up the win, The Sun-Sentinel wrote.

"Fleming did a great job of relief for us," Georgia Tech coach Jim Morris told The Sun-Sentinel. "Keith ran into a little problem in the 10th inning, and when we talked to him, he told me he wanted to stay in and pitch. He's been here for four years, and when he tells me he wants to pitch, Keith Fleming is going to pitch."

Fleming went on from Georgia Tech to pitch in the pros. He got into five seasons, made AA, but didn't make it higher.

Fleming's career began in 1986, taken by the Brewers in the ninth round of the draft out of Georgia Tech.

Fleming won team pitcher of the year honors in 1986. He remains in the top 20 at the school for strikeouts per nine innings, appearances victories and strikeouts. His 21 saves is still second best. For his time at Georgia Tech, Fleming made the school's Hall of Fame in 1991.

With the Brewers, Fleming started at rookie Helena and single-A Stockton. He got into 27 games, saved seven and posted a 3.99 ERA.

He played all of 1987 at Stockton. He got into 51 games and dropped his ERA to 2.04. He went 6-7 overall, including losing seven-straight decisions at one point. He also saved 16.

Fleming made AA El Paso in 1988 getting into 35 games there, with a 4.08 ERA. He then returned to El Paso for parts of 1989 and 1990. A Fleming pitch in April 1990 started a fight.

He turned in an 8.15 ERA in 14 outings there in 1989 and a 7.03 mark over 18 outings in 1990, ending his career.

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 24, 1986: Georgia Tech Tops Navy 9-8 in 14 Innings

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured: 2,658
Made the Majors:1,027-38.6%
Never Made Majors:1,631-61.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 426
10+ Seasons in the Minors:261

Bernie Jenkins, Set In - 10

Originally published Aug. 24, 2016

As the spring wound down in 1995, Bernie Jenkins knew reality could set in, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

A judge's ruling put the start of the season in doubt for players like Jenkins, the replacement players.

"It will disappoint you, but we knew it when we got here," Jenkins, an outfielder for the replacement Giants, told The Chronicle.

Jenkins played with the Giants that spring after a six-season career that saw him make AA, but not the bigs. He extended his playing time that year, but did so briefly. He got into six regular-season games back at AA, ending his career.

Jenkins' career began in 1988, taken by the Astros in the seventh round of the draft out of St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

Jenkins started with the Astros at short-season Auburn. He hit .244 over 58 games. He got hit by a pitch and scored in an August game.

He moved to single-A Osceola for 1989, improving his average to .292 on the year. He singled and scored in a May game, going 3 for 4 in the game. Jenkins then played 1990 at AA Columbus and 1991 at AA Jackson. He hit .228 and .260.

Jenkins switched to the Reds system for 1992, playing between single-A Cedar Rapids and AA Chattanooga. He hit .291 on the year. He played his final full season in 1993 at Chattanooga. He singled in a run in an August game, and hit .252 overall.

After not playing in 1994, he returned for spring 1995 and then got into five final games at AA Shreveport, ending his career.

• San Francisco Chronicle, April 1, 1995: Replacement Players: End is Near