Congrats to Brian McCann, Trainer

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Congrats to Brian McCann, trainer, on having the same name as the 2010 All-Star MVP.

Read all about the earlier Brian McCann's career (the trainer) as the trainer for the Iowa Cubs and other minor league teams from his April Greatest 21 Days review.

It's got to be tough to have had a good career in baseball, albeit as a trainer, then another baseball guy comes along, with the same name, and has a big-name career years later.

100 - Brian McCann, Trainer's Goal, 4/15/10

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Interview Part 3: Tom Gamboa, Strange Deal

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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...
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Walter Roy, Rookie Roommate - 2349

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Read the March 2015 interview: Walter Roy, Gung-Ho The first couple roommates for Javier Lopez didn't work out . Then he moved in with Walter Roy , and another teammate. The group was rounded out by Roy's wife. The two were at rookie Pulaski that year and the move for Lopez forced the Puerto Rican-native out of his comfort zone, Lopez wrote years later in his book "Behind the Plate. " "I had to learn English living with them," Lopez wrote . "Walter's wife was there, too. She was a very sweet lady, and she talked to me all the time, taught me a lot." Lopez went on from there to a major league career that spanned 15 seasons. Roy's career ended the next year at single-A Burlington . Roy's career began in 1989, signed by the Braves as an undrafted free agent out of Saginaw Valley State University and Mott Community College. At Pulaski, the pitcher Roy got into 14 games, starting two. He went 2-1, with a 2.12 ERA . He also struc...
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Ruben Cruz played four seasons, made high-A with Astros

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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 ...
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A to Z: 1990 Minor League Players, Baseball Profiles

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What happened to your favorite minor league team in 1990? Find out here. Since late 2009, the players of 1990 have been featured at Greatest21Days.com, one at a time. Here, they've been ordered here alphabetically.  Every player has a story. With the help of contemporaneous newspaper articles, find that story here. Most recent players added Dec. 1, 2024 List of 1990 minor league players featured, in alphabetical order: Total: 4,457 A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z A  -  Bill Abare  got big hit at Dunedin, saw three pro seasons , 10/31/13  -  Glenn Abbott  saw bigs over decade, later turned coach , 7/27/14  -  Kurt Abbott 's first ML hit went for homer, saw 9 seasons , 3/22/15  -  Kyle Abbott  saw time in four major league seasons, Japan , 10/4/17  -  Paul Abbott  returned from injuries, made 11 ML seasons , 5/23/11...
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Jim Murphy played, became author, motivational speaker

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Jim Murphy took the field for the independent Surrey Glaciers in 1995 and hardly seemed to miss a step as he resumed his pro baseball career, according to The Langley Advance . He did so as he went 3 for 4 with a home run in the team's first pre-season game, The Advance wrote .  Murphy's play at Surrey came as he attended graduate school at the University of British Columbia. It was there that he started his new career, one as an author and motivational speaking . Murphy's baseball career began in 1988, taken by the Cubs in the 13th round of the draft out of Portland State University . Murphy started with the Cubs at short-season Geneva. He hit .229 in 67 games there with four home runs. Murphy tried a bit of a trick play that June, according to The Chicago Tribune , by pretending to catch a ball over the fence. Murphy moved to single-A Charleston for 1989. He hit .225 over 113 games. For 1990, he played between single-A Peoria and high-A Winston S...
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Henry Mercedes signed with the Athletics as a catcher out of his native Dominican Republic. He immediately ran into difficulties, according to The Associated Press . That's because the catcher Mercedes didn't know English, The AP wrote . "I wanted to return to my country," Mercedes told The AP in July 1996. "I think there are a lot of players that went through the same situation." Mercedes eventually got over those language issues. He also went on to a long career as a pro . That career included time in five major league seasons. Mercedes was originally signed by the Athletics in 1987. He first hit the field in the United States in 1988, playing in the rookie Arizona League. He made single-A Madison and Modesto in 1989. For 1990, he played most of the year at Madison. He played the rest, 12 games, at AAA Tacoma . He hit .224 overall on the year. He debuted in Oakland in April 1992. He got into nine games for Oakland, picking up four hits in f...
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