Shawn O'Connell threw hard in high school, saw 4 seasons

The San Francisco Examiner ran through the area's top potential draft picks in late May 1989 and, there at the end under "Sleepers and Question Marks," was high schooler Shawn O'Connell.

The pitcher out of Campolindo High School had gone 6-5 and "throws hard enough to bear watching," The Examiner wrote.

O'Connell did get taken in that draft and he eventually signed and turned pro.  His pro career lasted parts of four seasons.  He topped out at single-A.

O'Connell's career began that year in 1989, taken by the Orioles in the 38th round of the draft out of Campolindo High in Moraga, Ca.

O'Connell didn't make it to the field with the Orioles, though, until the next year, 1990, at rookie Bluefield. He saw 18 games in relief and went 1-1, with a save and an 8.16 ERA.

He returned to Bluefield for 1991. He threw two hitless relief innings that July. He earned a save that August.

For 1992, he moved to single-A Kane County. Early that April, he admitted to his new manager Joel Youngblood to getting tired on the mound in an outing where he gave up two runs in three innings, The South Bend Tribune wrote. Youngblood wasn't impressed.

"I went out and  asked him, 'Are you tired?'" Youngblood told The Tribune afterward. "He said, 'Yeah.' I said, "You've only thrown 39 pitches. I throw 200 every day (in batting practice).'"

That May, O'Connell entered a game in the 10th inning and saw seven batters over two innings for the win. Overall, O'Connell saw 22 relief outings, with a 9.71 ERA. The Orioles released him in July. 

O'Connell signed on with independent Sioux Falls for 1993, but his time there proved brief. He saw a single game to end his career.

• San Francisco Examiner, May 30, 1989: Bay Area's Top Draftees
• South Bend Tribune, April 12, 1992: S.B. Sox

More: The 1990 Bluefield Orioles

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,442
Made the Majors:1,423-32.0
Never Made Majors:3,019-68.0%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

German Paredes got hot Bluefield start, saw two seasons

New Orioles farmhand German Paredes started strong for rookie Bluefield in 1990, The Baltimore Evening Sun wrote.

Paredes picked up six RBIs in the team's first three games and went 8 for 22 over the club's first six contests, The Evening Sun wrote.

Paredes, however, couldn't keep it up. He ended the year with a still-respectable .266 average in 60 games. But he saw just one more campaign. He topped out at single-A.

Paredes' career began that year in 1990, signed by the Orioles as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic.

Paredes started with the Orioles at rookie Bluefield. He went 3 for 5 in that opener, with three RBI. He then hit a in a game soon after, one of six he hit on the year. He hit another two-run home run in a July game. He hit .his .266 in 60 games on the year.

For 1991, he went to single-A Kane County. He saw just 21 games. He hit .171 to end his career.

• Baltimore Evening Sun, June 29, 1990: German Paredes

More: The 1990 Bluefield Orioles

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,441
Made the Majors:1,423-32.0
Never Made Majors:3,018-68.0%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Mike Wiley started and relieved over two pro seasons

Kane County's Mike Wiley made the move from relief to starting in 1991 and found success The Appleton Post-Crescent wrote.

He won five games in eight starts by late July his fifth a 5-2 victory over Appleton, The Post-Crescent wrote.

"He's been in the rotation a few weeks, and he's done a great job," Kane County manager Bob Miscik told The Post-Crescent afterward. "He changes speeds well, throws strikes and doesn't do anything to beat himself."

Wiley went on that run in his second season as a pro. That season, however, also proved his last. He topped out at single-A.

Wiley's career began in 1990, taken by the Orioles in the 41st round of the draft out of Connors State College in Oklahoma.

Wiley started with the Orioles at rookie Bluefield. He went 5-2, with a 3.84 ERA over 11 games, nine starts. He picked up his first win in a late June game.

Wiley then moved to single-A Kane County for 1991. He went 5.2 innings of relief in a May game for his second win of the year. He went 5-4 overall, with a 2.43 ERA in 23 outings, nine starts.

Wiley had been slated to return for 1992. In November 1991, he served as a caddie at a Maryland golf club for Vice President Dan Quayle, The Baltimore Evening Sun wrote. The paper also added that Wiley was headed for Frederick in 1992, but Wiley did not play. His season at Kane County marked his last.

• Appleton Post-Crescent, July 27, 1991: Foxes fall prey to Cougars

More: The 1990 Bluefield Orioles

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,440
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,017-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

1990 Bluefield Orioles player profiles, Baltimore

Features on each member of the 1990 Bluefield Orioles, rookie affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, as included in that year's team set. 

Bluefield Orioles (6)

1. Matt Anderson couldn't wait to turn pro, saw six seasons, 10/8/11
2. Mattie Asencio joined Wausau Dominicans, saw 2 seasons, 7/1/21
3. Shawn O'Connell threw hard in high school, saw 4 seasons, 10/21/24
4. German Paredes got hot Bluefield start, saw two seasons, 10/20/24
5. Keith Schmidt hit 1st Kane County home run, saw 6 seasons, 1/25/16
6. Mike Wiley started and relieved over two pro seasons, 10/19/24

1990 Johnson City Cardinals player profiles, St. Louis

Features on each member of the 1990 Johnson City Cardinals, rookie affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, as included in that year's team set. 

Johnson City Cardinals (32)

1. Hector Alberro tried pitching comeback, then came injury, 10/15/24
2. Joe Aversa played multiple positions over 8 pro seasons, 10/12/24
3. Scott Baker made bigs for single game, 8/10/24
4. Harrison Ball hit balls hard, played single pro season, 10/17/24
5. Duff Brumley got feet wet in majors, 9/14/24
6. Kevin Carpenter suffered broken jaw, played one season, 9/18/24
7. Joe Cunningham gained minors experience, 8/23/24
8. Jerry Davis kept head up in 3 seasons, 8/9/24
9. Mark DeJohn used baseball knowledge over nearly 5 decades, 9/29/24
10. John Dempsey had good teacher, his dad, saw 6 seasons, AA, 9/16/24
11. Tremayne Donald provided excitement over 4 pro seasons, 10/6/24
12. Tracey Ealy did job over 7 pro seasons, 9/7/24
13. Ben Ellsworth showed great HS power, 8/29/24
14. Ron French hit ball well sometimes, 9/5/24
15. Mike Gaddie trained in minors, at WKU, 8/28/24
16. Cecilio Gonzalez impressed in 2 seasons, 8/17/24
17. Aaron Holbert made majors twice, nine seasons apart, 9/17/24
18. Tim Jordan did what he could over seven pro seasons, 10/10/24
19. John Kelly got outs over 8 pro seasons, 8/30/24
20. George Kissell taught 'The Cardinals Way' over 6+ decades, 9/29/24
21. Jose Lopez took good arm to three pro seasons, single-A, 9/21/24
22. Jeremy McGarity played decade as pro, then became pastor, 9/19/24
23. Bob Milliken played, then coached decades with Cardinals, 10/5/24
24. Dave Norris saw 2 seasons in Cardinals system, single-A, 10/8/24
25. Sean Page took chance to two seasons, 8/15/24
26. Beto Rodriguez adapted over 2 seasons, 8/11/24
27. Manuel Rodriguez pitched in 3 seasons, 8/13/24
28. Craig Ruyak got chance, 1 pro season, 8/24/24
29. Frank Speek woke up, saw 3 pro seasons, made single-A, 9/14/24
30. Jim Spivey took temperament, work ethic to pros, 2 seasons, 10/13/24
31. Brian Sullivan got drafted into pros, then came injury, 10/14/24
32. Tom Urbani worked to earn confidence over 4 ML seasons, 9/25/24

Harrison Ball hit balls hard, played single pro season

Johnson City's Harrison Ball picked up a home run late in this June 1990 game, one that he indicated later he thought made up for an earlier missed homer, The Johnson City Press wrote.

"I hit one 420 feet into center field at Elizabethton Sunday night, but it was caught," Ball told The Press. "I'm happy that I hit the ball well. I think we're all getting together better now and we should start winning some games."

Ball hit that home run in his first season as a pro. That season, however, also proved to be his last season as a pro. He saw 66 games that year, the extent of his pro career.

Ball's career began and ended that year in 1990, taken by the Cardinals in the 30th round  of the draft out of Rollins College in Florida. Ball was also referred to as Harry Ball.

With the Cardinals, Ball was assigned to rookie Johnson City. That July, Ball hit another one deep, but it was caught at the wall. In the same game, he had a bases-loaded line drive caught, The Press wrote.

"I guess this is a game of inches," Ball told The Press after that game. "It's kind of how the season has gone for us and me. If I could have gotten that ball up a little higher with the bases loaded, two runs would have sored and it would have been a whole different ballgame."

Ball then picked up two hits in a late-July game. Overall, Ball got into those 66 games. He hit .200 to end his career.

• Johnson City Press, June 26, 1990: Cards
• Johnson City Press, July 29, 1990: Henry keeps Twins rolling

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,439
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,016-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Hector Alberro tried pitching comeback, then came injury

Johnson City Cardinals hurler Hector Alberro had a brief night this game in early July 1990, but he still got the win, The Kingsport Times-News wrote.

Alberro threw five pitches for two outs in relief as Johnson City took the lead and the 3-1 win, The Times-News wrote.

For Alberro, whatever celebrations there were that night would be brief. He soon had to leave a game with a shoulder injury, an injury that appeared to end his career after two seasons.

Alberro's career began in 1987, signed by the Brewers as a free agent out of his native Puerto Rico.

With the Brewers, Alberro started as an infielder, at rookie Helena and single-A Beloit. He saw 19 games at Helena and hit .243, and 75 games at Beloit, where he hit .189.

He had an RBI groundout for Beloit in an April game, then an RBI double in a June game there. At Helena in July, he singled, stole second and scored in one game, where he went 3 for 5.

But that season proved his only campaign with the Brewers. He then isn't credited with playing in 1988 or 1989. Then, for 1990, he signed with the Cardinals as a previously released free agent. 

Alberro also returned as a pitcher. He ended up getting into five games in relief.  He went 5.1 innings and gave up three earned. In what appeared to be his final game, he was forced to leave with a shoulder injury. That season proved his last as a pro.

• Kingsport Times-News, July 7, 1990: Johnson City 3, Princeton 1

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,438
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,015-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356