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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Gordon Dillard, Bounced by Canseco - 2


Perhaps Orioles manager Frank Robinson didn't have any patience that day. Perhaps he was trying to save his rookie pitcher. Maybe it was the three hits and four walks in 2.2 innings.

Five days earlier, Gordon Dillard pitched a perfect third of an inning. But one two-run home run this day, Aug. 17, 1988, off the bat of Jose Canseco and Dillard's first major league start came to an abrupt end, yanked in a 2-2 tie. The move that day, like many moves for the Orioles that year, didn't go well. They went on to lose 10-4.

The next day Dillard was optioned to AAA Rochester.

By 1989, Dillard was with the Phillies' system, having been traded in December with Ken Howell for Phil Bradley. He got in five games that May for four total innings. On May 7, he took part in a shutout, getting the final out in the seventh. But in his other 3.2 innings, he gave up three runs, closing the book on his major league career.

This year, 1990, was Dillard's final year of five in affiliated ball. He pitched in 11.1 innings that year for the Bisons, gave up only one run, unearned. By 1991, he was playing in his hometown of Salinas, Ca. for the Spurs of the California League. He went 5-7 with a 4.80 ERA in his final season of pro ball.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 35/880 - 4.0%
Major Leaguers: 19 - 54%
Never Made the Majors: 16 - 46%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 11

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Robert Moore, Non-Starter - 127

Check out the redone Robert Moore post added Feb. 3, 2011

Going into spring training in 1986, Giants manager Roger Craig had 10 pitchers from which to choose five starters.

The list included such names as Atlee Hammaker, Juan Berenguer and an aging Vida Blue. The list also included Bobby Moore.

Moore, known here by his proper name Robert, had been a September call-up in 1985, called up to the big club a day after AAA Phoenix was eliminated from the Pacific Coast League playoffs.

The call-up was Moore's first in a decade in the minors. He was drafted in the 11th round of the 1976 draft by the Athletics. In 1983, he came through AA Glens Falls, NY, with the White Sox organization. Four years later, he would return to AA Glens Falls, but with the Tigers organization.

It had been a serviceable September. Moore pitched 16.2 innings in 11 relief appearances. He even got to bat twice, going 0-2. He walked 10, struckout 10 and gave up six runs for a 3.24 ERA.

But whatever happened in spring training 1986 Craig and the Giants went elsewhere. Moore didn't make the big club that year or again. He took 1988 off, playing 1989 at Nuevo Laredo, according to the back of his CMC card. He returned to organized ball in 1990, here for the Nashville Sounds.

His time in Nashville would be rocky. On May 8, he came into a game, getting the first out. He then proceeded to give up seven hits and nine runs before finally being lifted. Later, he was with the Midland Angels.

Four years passed and Moore showed up again for a 14th season, for two stints in independent ball and he was done.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 34/880 - 3.9%
Major Leaguers: 18 - 53%
Never Made the Majors: 16 - 47%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 11

Friday, January 29, 2010

Scott Little, Bottom of the 17th - 25

Check out the revisited Scott Little feature from November 2011: Scott Little, Each Chance

A sacrifice fly can be an exciting play. A fly ball to deep right field and the runner on third hustles home ahead of the throw. Or races home only to be gunned down. For Scott Little, both scenarios - one with a hand directly from Little - helped lead to the bottom of the 17th inning and Little's one and only major league hit.

Drafted in the seventh round of the 1984 draft by the Mets, Little had spent parts of six seasons in the minors working toward this day. He made the Pirates' organization in 1987, traded along with fellow CMC setter Al Pedrique for utility man Bill Almon.

He made the Pirates' AAA club in Buffalo in 1988 and, finally, the big club in late july 1989.

By Aug. 6, Little had only been in two games, coming to bat twice and making outs twice. On this day, it was again looking like his services would not be needed.

The Pirates were down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth when Barry Bonds launched a deep fly to right off Cubs closer Mitch Williams. Rafael Belliard tagged and scored, helping send the game to extras, according to the Baseball-Reference play by play.

Little wouldn't get his chance until the 14th. And what a chance it was. Runners on second and third, two outs. A base hit would win the game. Little struck out.

But nobody else could do much better. In the top of the 16th, it looked like the Cubs might take the lead. With Mark Grace on third, Shaun Dunston launched another ball to right. Little was there for the catch, rifling it home to beat Grace to the plate and preserve the tie and give himself one more chance at bat.

In the bottom of the 17th, with a runner on first, Little smacked the first pitch he saw to left. It dropped. The game, along with Little's major league career, would end one inning later, with a Pirates win on a Jeff King home run.

Little would go on to play two more seasons with Buffalo, never getting anther call-up. But his baseball career wasn't done. He went straight from the clubhouse to the manager's office, taking the helm of the Pirates' South Atlantic League team in Augusta, Ga.

More recently, he managed the Harrisburg Senators in 2007 and the Frisco RoughRiders in 2008 and 2009. With the RoughRiders, he won Texas League Manager of the Year honors for his first campaign.

In a 1992 interview with his hometown newspaper, the Southeast Missourian, Little described his view of baseball.

"There's only one way to play the game," Little told the paper during his first year managing. "I've seen players give tremendous effort when they're playing well, but then turn around and not hustle when things aren't going well."

Little's effort on that August day in 1989 got him a major league hit.

To read the entire 1992 interview, click here: http://news.google.com/newspapers

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 33/880 - 3.8%
Major Leaguers: 17 - 52%
Never Made the Majors: 16 - 48%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 10

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Minor League Moves: Farewell to Oneonta


When I convinced my wife back in August to make the Thursday night trip down the Interstate to Oneonta, NY, I knew there was a chance the Tigers' short-season team might move. But everything said that chance would be after 2010.

We had a great visit. Built in 1940, the Tigers' home Damaschke Field, was your quintessential old ballpark, bleachers and very few box seats. We had box seats just down from the Tigers' dugout, with players and coaches walking back and forth right in front of us. Tigers' hitting coach Luis Quinones even sampled some of our neighbors popcorn and we offered him some of our ice cream. He declined.

We were glad we made the trip. Now I'm really glad we did. It was announced today that the Oneonta Tigers have moved to Norwich, Conn., completing the minor league domino effect that began in 2008 with the Braves moving their AAA team from Richmond. Norwich lost the Defenders to Richmond in September, now Oneonta the closest pro-city to Cooperstown, has lost its team to Norwich.

When we heard the Defenders had moved to Virginia, I was upset because, had I known they were leaving, I would have targeted them for a final game in 2009. Of course, that might have left Oneonta for 2010.

Now we're glad we didn't. We got to see one of the final games at a nice old ballpark and we got to offer a former major leaguer some ice cream.

To read the full MiLB story on the move, click here: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com

Rafael Montalvo, Near Moonlight - 488

Check out the revisited Rafael Montalvo feature from November 2011: Rafael Montalvo, Brief Chance

The listing the morning of April 18, 1986 was brief. Five days earlier, Rafael Montalvo had been called in to pitch the eighth inning in what would be one-plus innings of work. It was a respectable outing, he faced six batters, giving up one run. But on the 18th, announced to the world in that morning's transactions listing, Montalvo was sent down to AAA.

He wouldn't return.

When I started this blog, one of the movies I referenced was Field of Dreams and the character Moonlight Graham. Graham was based on a real-life player who played in a single game in 1905, put in as a defensive replacement and never getting to bat. We've already seen one player who played on only two major league games, Brian Brady. Montalvo is our first from the 1990 CMC set whose major league resume consists of only a single contest.

A native of Puerto Rico, Montalvo was signed by the Dodgers in 1980 as a free agent. He spent his first four minor league seasons in rookie and single-A ball. He made AAA in 1984, the first of eight seasons where he would see action at the minors' top level.

But in all those years, April 1986 would see his only call-up. He made one final bid in 1995, coming back after a three-year hiatus. Montalvo agreed to be a replacement player for the Dodgers. The strike over, Montalvo pitched 49 games for Albuquerque and his time in major league-affiliated ball was over.

Montalvo went on to a decade coaching in the minors, all in the Rays organization. Five of those years were spent with the Hudson Valley Renegades, from 2002-2004 and 2007 and 2008.

In 2003, a reporter for the Times Herald Record in nearby Middletown, NY, featured a pitcher, Dallas Haught, who chose to spend two years on a Mormon mission at the expense of a pro baseball career. The reporter likened Haught to Moonlight Graham, both finding callings somewhere other than baseball. Haught would play in only five games that summer, the only professional games he recorded.

But Haught wasn't the only person in the article that could fairly be likened to Graham.

Near the end of the article, with no mention of Montalvo's past, the reporter describes Haught taking the bullpen mound for a pitching session watched over by Renegades pitching coach and former major league ballplayer Rafael Montalvo.

To read the entire feature on Dallas Haught, A Second Calling, click here: http://archive.recordonline.com/archive/2003/07/26/jrhaught.htm

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 32/880 - 3.6%
Major Leaguers: 16 - 50%
Never Made the Majors: 16 - 50%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 10

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Doug Gogolewski and the demise of Heritage Park - 730


(Also check out the redone Dec. 1 entry:
Doug Gogolewski, Closed for Mariano)

Doug Gogolewski had already played three seasons in the minors by 1990. He would be up to AA Albany again, in 1992 and 1993. But his 1990 trip was a brief one.

He pitched five games then, posting an abysmal ERA of 13.81. His Albany coaches were getting frustrated.

"He's got the ability to compete at this level," Yankee manager Rick Down told the Schenectady Daily Gazette after his final outing before being shipped back to Advanced A Fort Lauderdale. "I don't believe it's mechanical."

Whatever it was, Gogolewski would get it figured out, by 1993, he would finally make AAA Columbus, posting a respectable 4.41 ERA in 29 games. But he never made New York. Three more games in the Giants' organization in 1994 and he was done.

On a side note, the Albany Yankees played near here at Heritage Park in Colonie, leaving here in 1994. Heritage Park would go on to be used by the independent league Diamond Dogs until 2002. The contents of the park were sold in 2005, it was finally demolished last year. But in March 2008, I stopped by and snapped a few photos of what was left. The outfield wall was was gone, but still there was the faded scoreboard - the same scoreboard behind Gogolewski on his card. Compare below.

Heritage Park 1990



Heritage Park 2008



1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 31/880 - 3.5%
Major Leaguers: 15 - 48%
Never Made the Majors: 16 - 52%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 9

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Jose Mota, All Star Announcer - 516

For a more-in-depth feature on Jose Mota from July 2011, click here: Jose Mota, Special Day

The 2007 All Star Game in San Francisco marked Jose Mota's fifth, not as a player, but as a broadcaster. He'll more than likely notch another All Star Game this summer when the team he broadcasts for, the Angels, hosts 81st Mid-Summer Classic in Anaheim.

The son of long-time Dodger Manny Mota and brother of fellow CMC setter Andy Mota, Jose Mota was drafted by the White Sox in the second round of the 1985 draft. He would make stops in the Rangers, Dodgers and Athletics organizations before landing with the Padres and the Las Vegas Stars for 1990.

It was with the Padres that Mota made the majors, for 17 games in 1991. He went on to the Royals, upping his career game total to 19 in 1995. He also tried his hand at replacement ball that spring. He played one more season at AAA Omaha before retiring as a player.

But his career in baseball would be far from over. He worked for Fox' Game of the Week, providing Spanish announcing in 1997. In 2002, he joined the Angels' broadcast booth in time for their championship season. With the Angels, he has worked both the Spanish radio broadcasts and the English television games. He can often be heard in games with his signature calls "Raht neow!" for enthusiasm and pronouncing player names with an exaggerated accent.

For the 2007 All Star Game, he worked the American League dugout for Fox.

"This is a great honor," Mota told MLB.com of his 2007 All Star Game work. "The All-Star Game has great meaning, especially being in San Francisco, where my dad started his career with the Giants."

Mota has also had some movie work. He is the second member of the CMC set to have a role in the 1999 Kevin Costner movie For the Love of the Game.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 30/880 - 3.4%
Major Leaguers: 15 - 50%
Never Made the Majors: 15 - 50%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 9

Monday, January 25, 2010

Mark Riggins, Ankiel's Coach - 679

(Also check out the redone entry from Nov. 18: Mark Riggins, Teaching Pitching)

Last Monday, I wrote about 1990 CMC set member Jose Offerman and his troubles in the Dominican Republic. I jumped ahead to his card, as opposed to regularly picking random cards, because the topic was on everybody's mind. Today's card is random, and, as it turns out, topical.

Mark Riggins spent five seasons as a pitcher in the minors, many more since as a coach and instructor. He even made St. Louis in 1995 as a pitching coach under manager Joe Torre. But what he may be remembered for is the comeback of Rick Ankiel, who this past weekend signed a $3.2 million contract with the Royals.

Ankiel was runner-up to the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2000, but inexplicably lost all control during the playoffs. Riggins spent 35 days with Ankiel after his disasterous showing that fall.

As the Cardinals' then-roving pitching instructor, Riggins continued working with Ankiel until September 2004, when Ankiel returned to the majors. Ankiel appeared in five games that month, with an ERA of 5.40.

"Me, I was extremely pleased with the way he threw," Riggins told MLB.com after an August 2004 appearance prior to Ankiel's call-up. "He had good velocity, good control and he was composed. For getting out there the first time, this was an outstanding night for him."

Ankiel, of course, switched to outfield the next spring, making it back for a break-out 2007. Ankiel also faced questions that fall about another source of help on his 2004 comeback: HGH, which Ankiel would admit using, but, he said, it was on doctor's orders.

Riggins spent nearly three decades working in the Cardinals' system, a string he broke in 2007. He was named in November 2007 as the rival Cubs' minor league pitching coordinator.

To read a New York Times article about Ankiel's 2001 progress with Riggins click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/12. Another from St. Louis Sports Online.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 29/880 - 3.3%
Major Leaguers: 14 - 48%
Never Made the Majors: 15 - 52%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Phil Clark, Scrapper - 400

(Also check out the redone Dec. 5 entry, Phil Clark, Bat Took Him)

As we saw a couple days ago with Mark Meleski, it's not unheard of to have two members of the 1990 CMC set hanging out with each other today. Forget two, how about three?

Today's player, Phil Clark, is the first of three members of the 1990 CMC set all coaching or managing the same minor league team for 2010, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Clark is also another first round draft pick, one that took a little longer to make the majors and one that hung around a little longer than others we've seen.

Clark was drafted 18th overall in 1986 by the Tigers. He made it to AA London in 1989 and by 1990 he was with AAA Toledo. He made the big club May 27, 1992, playing in 23 games that year and hitting .407. The next year was his best in the majors. After being picked up off waivers by San Diego, Clark played in 102 games that year, hitting .313.

Perhaps his best seasons, however, came in Japan. In 1997, he signed on with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, hitting 23 home runs and batting .331, second only to Ichiro Suzuki. He stayed on in Japan until 2000. Eleven games in 2002 for the Nashua Pride and his playing days were over.

These days, Clark is a coach for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the NY-Penn League. The pitching coach and manager? Ken Rowe and Travis Fryman, both fellow members of the 1990 CMC set.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 28/880 - 3.2%
Major Leaguers: 14 - 50%
Never Made the Majors: 14 - 50%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 6
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Roger Salkeld, Better Late... - 858


For a more in-depth feature on Roger Salkeld from July 2011, click here: Roger Salkeld, Through Injury

Roger Salkeld arrived in the Mariners' bullpen in the second inning and Goose Gossage, playing his final games in his Hall of Fame career, wasn't pleased. After getting the go-ahead from the coach, Gossage tried to set the former first-round draft pick straight, according to an account in the Seattle Times.

"Rog, let me ask you a question," Gossage began, the paper wrote. "I've been in the big leagues 25 years. I can't remember which year you won the Cy Young Award."

Salkeld never did win much in the majors, he barely won 10 games. But, however late he got there, he still got there.

Salkeld was drafted third overall by the Mariners in 1989 out of Saugus High, near Los Angeles. He had a fastball that terrorized fellow teenagers. With that fastball, he struck out 406 batters in just 266 innings.

He made steady progress in the minors until 1992, when a sore shoulder kept him off the diamond all year. Surgery that fall was expected to keep him out for 1993, as well. But Salkeld came back by mid-summer and got the call-up to Seattle by September.

He played in three games that year, 13 the next. After no call-ups in 1995, he spent his final year in the majors with the Reds, pitching in 29 games. He played parts of four more seasons in the minors, never getting back.

One Web site, SeattleSportsNet.com, pegged Salkeld Seattle's sixth worst draft bust of all time.

Salkeld accomplished something else by making it to the majors. He became the second Salkeld to play in the big leagues. His grandfather Bill Salkeld, a catcher, played parts of six seasons in the bigs, from 1945 to 1950.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 27/880 - 3.1%
Major Leaguers: 13 - 48%
Never Made the Majors: 14 - 52%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 5
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Friday, January 22, 2010

Jeff Peterek, Signing Deals - 26

Check out the revisited Jeff Peterek feature from November 2011: Jeff Peterek, Great Game

Jeff Peterek signed a deal with the Brewers as an amateur free agent in 1985. After one brief stint in the majors and later arm problems, Peterek would go on to sign other kinds of deals, but still as an agent, a real estate agent.

Peterek began his minor league career in Beloit, with the Brewers' single-A club. By 1988, he was at AAA Denver with the Zephyrs. By Aug. 14, 1989, he was in Milwaukee. By Sept. 22, he major league career was done.

Peterek pitched in a total of seven games for the Brewers, striking out 16 and putting up a 4.02 ERA. He would return to the minors for 1990, but would pitch in only 15 more games.

In nine games for Denver in 1990, arm problems contributed to a 6.82 ERA. He was released by May 25. The next year, his final year, he returned, signing on with the Braves. But in six games, he posted a 4.38 ERA and he was done.

In 2003, Peterek was honored by one of the colleges he attended and played for, installed a member of the Lake Michigan College Hall of Fame. Peterek played there from 1980 to 1982. His seven games for the Brewers count him as the only player from the college to make the big leagues.

He was last reported as a real estate agent south of the college in Union Pier.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 26/880 - 2.9%
Major Leaguers: 12 - 46%
Never Made the Majors: 14 - 54%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 5
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Mark Meleski, Private Coach - 259


This is an old post concerning Mark Meleski.

For the newer feature on Mark Meleski from June 2011, with more research, click here:
Mark Meleski, Season Openers

Old Post: Mark Meleski had a brief six-season career as a player in minor league baseball. His career managing, coaching and teaching the game privately has lasted much longer.

Meleski was drafted by the Indians in 1978, but his pro-baseball career wouldn't begin until 1981, after a successful stint in college at Virginia. He spent six seasons in the Red Sox' system, never getting above AA New Britain. When he finally made it to AAA Pawtucket, it was not as a player, but as a coach. (You can tell he's a hitting coach here because he's holding a bat)

Meleski equaled his playing days, spending six seasons in Pawtucket, then two more helming the Red Sox' Carolina League team in Lynchburg. In all, he's managed six seasons for three teams, served as hitting coach nine seasons for four teams.

One of the teams he coached was the Richmond Braves, in 2001, in his hometown. He's still in his hometown, but more recently, he was giving private lessons. He and fellow former player (and member of the 1990 CMC set) Tracy Woodson started Richmond Baseball Instructors in 2004, according to CollegeBaseballInsider.com.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 25/880 - 2.8%
Major Leaguers: 11 - 44%
Never Made the Majors: 14 - 56%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 5
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Ricky Torres, Slider Thrower, Chef - 218

Check out the revisited Ricky Torres feature from October 2011: Ricky Torres, Long Reliever

When Ricky Torres played in the Florida State League in 1985, he struck out his share of batters. But a pitching coach would tell the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that Torres had a good slider, but one pitch wasn't going to get him to the big leagues.

Whether or not he got more than that slider, Ricky Torres would not get to the big leagues.

Torres, a native of Puerto Rico signed with the Yankees out of a try-out camp in 1984. He bounced around the Yankees' system from Fort Lauderdale to Oneonta to Albany, then finally Columbus.

Along the way, he played with - and cooked for - some notable players, among them Bernie Williams, who is also a member of the 1990 CMC set. The two shared an apartment in Troy, NY, along with Oscar Azocar, when the three played for the AA Albany Yankees.

It was Ricky who did the cooking, Williams said in a story on Baseballfans.net.

"(Ricky) was a great cook. He cooked Latin food mostly, rice and beans, shrimp, seafood. We would barbecue after the games, too, sometimes at 11 or 12 at night," Williams said. He recalled Torres buying a "very little car" that they used to get around.

Torres played 1990 between Albany and Columbus, his final year with the Yankees organization. Four years passed then Torres signed with the Expos during the strike shortened year of 1995, playing in 32 games with an ERA of 5.01 at AAA Ottawa. That would be his last year in organized ball.

These days Torres is apparently back in Puerto Rico. A post on SportGraphing.com had him signing cards last year.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 24/880 - 2.7%
Major Leaguers: 11 - 46%
Never Made the Majors: 13 - 54%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 5
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ray Ortiz, Two Titles, Zero Call-Ups - 864


Check out the updated feature on Ray Ortiz from July 2011:
Ray Ortiz, Winning Teams

Ray Ortiz would make his bid for two titles in 1990, the Orlando Sentinel wrote that summer, helping the Visalia Oaks on their way to first half championship, then the AA Orlando SunRays win the their first half. As for his ultimate goal, winning a spot on a major league roster, that goal would not be realized.

Ortiz was drafted by the Twins in 1989. He started in single-A Kenosha, advancing to advanced-A Visalia and Orlando in 1990. In all, Ortiz would spend five seasons in the Twins' system, making AAA Portland, but never breaking through to Minnesota.

By 1994, he'd been traded to the Giants, his hometown team. Sent the other way was Adell Davenport, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Davenport is another member of the 1990 CMC set.

The move gave him new hope, but the results were the same. By spring 1995, Ortiz had spent six seasons in the minors. That's when he returned to the Giants as a replacement player, hoping to make the replacement club in his home city.

"I don't think this is going to last much longer," Ortiz told the Chronicle in a March 23, 1995 article, two weeks before the strike would end, "but till it's over, I'll take advantage of every opportunity I can."

The strike over, Ortiz was returned to AAA Phoenix. He batted .242 in 66 games for the Firebirds, then made his way to the Lubbock Crickets of the independent Texas Louisiana League, played 34 more games then no more.

Read the entire March 1995 Chronicle article here: http://www2.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/1995/03/23/SPORTS15131.dtl

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 23/880 - 2.6%
Major Leaguers: 11 - 48%
Never Made the Majors: 12 - 52%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 5
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Monday, January 18, 2010

Jose Offerman, All-Star, Battler - 421

Check out the revisited Jose Offerman feature from October 2011: Jose Offerman, With His Bat

Today's player is a two-tome major league All Star, a battler who, in 15 big league seasons put an all-out assault on major league - and independent league - pitchers.

He's also our first to be banned from two separate leagues.

I've been doing those posts, taking random cards from the set and writing whatever I've found. I decided to take a departure today, and just go straight to card 421 and the guy everybody's been talking about, Jose Offerman.

Offerman, of course, has been in the news the last few years, for the wrong reasons. A 2007 bat attack in an independent Atlantic League game shocked the baseball world. It also got him charged with two felony counts of assault, a criminal case which ended in him getting probation and a $4.8 million civil suit filed against him.

The last two years he stayed out of trouble, playing for Veracruz in the Mexican League. His playing days finally over, Offerman became a manager for a winter league team in his native Dominican Republic. We've all seen how that's ended, this time with an umpire on the receiving end. His baseball career would have to be at or near its end. He was banned today for life from the league in his home country.

As for his playing days, his time in the minors was relatively brief, starting in 1988. By 1990, he was here, putting up an average of .321 with the Dukes. (If you see something in that last sentence, that was intentional. Likewise with the first paragraph, I apologize.)

But in 15 seasons, he played in 1,651 games, with a career average of .273 and stole 172 bases. He also was an All Star twice, in 1995 and 1999.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 22/880 - 2.5%
Major Leaguers: 11 - 50%
Never Made the Majors: 11 - 50%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 5
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

The full video of the umpire attack:


A video account of the 2007 bat attack:

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Mike Magnante, Moneyball to Algebra Class - 181

Check out the revisited Mike Magnante feature from June 2011: Mike Magnante, Numbers Man

Mike Magnante's career has been one defined by numbers - as a player whose career was revived and ended by the numbers and calculations of Moneyball and one that continues today with the numbers and calculations of a high school algebra teacher.

Magnante made his debut with the Royals April 22, 1991, after spending three seasons in the minors. He would be on a major league roster at some point every year through his final one in 2002.

His early numbers inexplicably favored mid-season action, in July and August and that's how managers used him. By 2000, Magnante had moved on to Houston, then Anaheim. That's when Billy Beane and his Moneyball machine zeroed in on him. The decision to finally let him go, when the Moneyball calculations went against him, is chronicled in Michael Lewis' book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.

Magnante pitched his final game July 29, 2002, having played in 12 major league seasons as a relief pitcher. He tossed in a total of 484 games and had a career ERA of 4.04.

These days, he's taking a different approach to numbers, as a high school algebra teacher near Los Angeles.

The Moneyball chapter dealing with Magnante can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/30/magazine/the-trading-desk.html?pagewanted=1
The book can be found here: Amazon.com

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 21/880
Major Leaguers: 10
Never Made the Majors: 11
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 4
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Rob Woodward, Rochester Red Wings - 303

Check out the updated feature on Rob Woodward from July 2011: Rob Woodward, Did Return

Rob Woodward can't be called the greatest Red Sox from New Hampshire and he couldn't be called the player fans most wanted to see at a charity softball game. But he can be called a major leaguer.

Rob Woodward's major league career consists of 24 appearances over four seasons, all of them behind him by the time he arrived in Rochester. Woodward was taken in the third round of the 1981 draft by the Red Sox, spending five seasons in the minors before making his debut as a 1985 September call-up. According to the Red Sox site Sons of Sam Horn, Woodward's career "Moment in the Sun" came that year with a nine-inning no-decision.

He pitched nine games each in 1986 and 1987. He impressed manager John McNamara in August 1987 with a six-inning plus no decision. (He did get eight decisions in his career, going 4-4). It was in 1986, with the Pawtucket Red Sox that Woodward pitched 27.2 scoreless innings, still a Paw Sox record.

His final call-up and final game came in September 1988. He arrived with the club Sept. 1, without a hint that he was on the roster. He didn't actually get into a game until more than three weeks later, Sept. 26. He got two out and gave up a run, his final appearance in the majors.

Woodward spent three more seasons in the minors, the final two in Baltimore's system in Rochester.

But when Woodward is remembered, it is for his time with the Red Sox. Baseball Digest's Jere Smith made Woodward, along with fellow CMC set member Phil Plantier, finalists for best Red Sox player ever from New Hampshire. (Kevin Romine won) Woodward also got the honor of being a former Red Sox player at a July 2007 charity softball game. When asked which former Red Sox player they most wanted to see, fans understandably bypassed Woodward for Oil Can Boyd.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 20/880
Major Leaguers: 9
Never Made the Majors: 11
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 3
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 8

Friday, January 15, 2010

Ray Rippelmeyer, Then and Then



This is one of those instances where you've never heard of a guy until recently, then you see him somewhere else later, noticing him when you wouldn't have before.

A couple weeks ago the random way-back generator spat out CMC card 150, Nashville Sounds pitching coach Ray Rippelmeyer, a former player with a memorable name and a short career.

That in mind, the wife and I went to the local mall tonight for a movie (Avatar). We walked right in the middle of a mall-wide card show and with a little time to waste before the movie. A couple seconds thumbing through a stack of 60s and 70s cards full of names I'd never heard of and I came across this, a very memorable name I had just heard of two weeks earlier.

It's a Ray Rippelmeyer's 1961 card stamped "rookie" with the back saying the Reds hoped he would be a big winner in '61. It's the very same Ray Rippelmeyer that would land in Nashville 29 years later (a possible rough landing that resulted with the transposed e and l in the middle of his name)

In 1961, Rippelmeyer ended up being a big winner, but not in Cincinnati, with the Reds' AAA club in Indianapolis. He wouldn't see any major league action until the next year, '62, after the Senators picked him up in the Rule 5 draft. He pitched in 18 games that year for Washington.

His major league career would end July 1, 1962. Ten days later, he was returned to the Reds. He played three more seasons in the minors, then switched his focus to coaching. That focus would lead him to the Nashville Sounds and the 1990 CMC set.

Adam Brown, Albuquerque Dukes - 416

Check out the revisited Adam Brown feature from October 2011: Adam Brown, Felt Invincible

Even though this set came out four years before baseball would return to labor strife, the set is rife with players whose stories would be intertwined in the strike. While the high-priced major leaguers took to the picket lines, minor leaguers, some of them who would never see the majors otherwise, had the choice: take the paycheck and the chance to play in the big leagues, or say no and go home.

Adam Brown was one of those who declined.

Brown signed with the Dodgers in 1986, drafted in the fourth round. He had injuries from the outset. The catcher batted .301 for rookie league Great Falls, but by that off season he was under the knife, getting Tommy John surgery. He missed all of 1987, returning the next year. By 1990, he was briefly at AAA Albuquerque, playing five games.

After two years in the Cubs' system, Brown found himself with the Reds in 1995. As the strike ground on, teams began signing up replacement players, offering big money, relatively, for those who crossed.

"I'm not only thinking about myself," Brown told the Dayton Daily News as spring training began in March 1995. "I have a 9-year-old son, Scott, who is a very good baseball player for his age. If I cross the line and play, how will he remember me?"

"What does money mean to me? A lot," Brown told the reporter later. "I ain't got none. One day we're all going to have to step back and find a job. But this isn't it, not being a scab."

Brown expected to go back home to Georgia when his playing days were done and work as an electrician. But the strike ended by early April 1995 and Brown returned. He played 77 games for AA Chattanooga in 1995, his ninth season in the minors. It was his last.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 19/880
Major Leaguers: 8
Never Made the Majors: 11
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 3
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 7

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Mike Benjamin, Phoenix Firebirds - 549

Check out the revisited Mike Benjamin post: Realistic Record, 5/19/11

By the time Mike Benjamin hit the 1990 CMC set, he had already seen 14 major league games with the Giants. By the time his major league career was over, he would see a good 800 or so more. Mike Benjamin is our first bona fide major leaguer. He is also our first bona fide successful little league coach.

Benjamin was drafted out of Arizona State by the Giants in the third round of the 1987 draft. It took him less than a year to get to the Giants' AAA club in Phoenix and two years to get a taste of the big leagues.

Baseball-Reference's Bullpen describes Benjamin as a "prototypical good field, no-hit" player, meaning he had a good glove, but a bad bat. He mainly played shortstop and third base, but he was game for nearly any position. In 1997, with the Red Sox, he even pitched an inning, giving up no runs and no hits.

Benjamin played for the Giants, Phillies, Red Sox and Pirates over 13 major league seasons. He topped 100 games played three times, twice for the Pirates. He played in 817 major league games, getting more than 2,100 plate appearances, garnering a career batting average of .229.

The year after his final major league season, Benjamin turned coach, to his son. He coached his son's little league team all the way to the 2003 Little League World Series, losing in the quarterfinals.

These days, Benjamin is returning to Arizona State, this time as a coach. He was named in December to the 2010 Sun Devils' staff.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 18/880
Major Leaguers: 8
Never Made the Majors: 10
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 3
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 7

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Johnny Ard, Orlando SunRays - 809


Johnny Ard was a first-round draft pick later traded for a Cy Young Award winner. But an arm injury would cut his career short of the major leagues.

Drafted 20th overall by the Twins in 1988, Ard had already spent two seasons in the minors by the time he reached Orlando's old-school Rays. His numbers were promising. He went 13-7 with a 3.29 ERA at Single-A Visalia, in Orlando in 1990 he went 12-9 with a 3.79 ERA.

It was in December 1990 that the Twins pitching prospect was traded for "bearded reliever" and 1987 NL Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian. Bedrosian went on to save just six games during the Twins' World Championship year. But the Giants got less.

In 1991 and 1992, Ard pitched between the Giants' AA Shreveport Captains and AAA Phoenix Firebirds, the latter year he posted a 4.46 ERA.

His pitching problems were blamed on tendinitis. "I knew it wasn't tendinitis, though" Ard told Baseball Weekly in 1996. "That gets better with time, and this didn't."

He underwent arthroscopic surgery, but was let go in 1993. When he finally felt ready to return in 1996, no one wanted him. He caught on with the independent Prairie League's Aberdeen Pheasants, pitching well. He went 9-4 with a 3.38 ERA. But it was his final year in organized baseball.

Read the full Baseball Weekly story on Ard's 1996 return here: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/sbbw1235.htm

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 17/880
Major Leaguers: 7
Never Made the Majors: 10
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 2
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 7

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Matt Anderson, Wausau Timbers - 872

Read the revisited Matt Anderson feature from October 2011: Matt Anderson, Grew Up

For a high school baseball prospect, the decision on whether to go to college or take up a big league club's offer is a big one. College can offer a scholarship and a chance to hone raw skills. A pro club can offer the lure of money and a quicker path to the big time.

As we saw the other day, a decision to go pro does not guarantee a lengthy or successful career. Matt Anderson was presented with the same decision, gave the same answer and had similar results.

In a June 1989 article in The Los Angeles Times, Anderson discussed the prospects. He had already signed a letter of intent to go to Cal State Northridge. But the Orioles drafted him in the fifth round.

His father Bud Anderson, who played four years in the Red Sox system without ever seeing Boston, told the reporter it would take a lot to get his son away from college.

"Our family is college oriented," the father told the paper. "I've heard of teams offering a bonus to be put in a trust toward a future college education and that would be a consideration. But, I really couldn't say how much of a bonus it would take."

The bonus was apparently enough. But the son ended up playing two more seasons than his father, still, he never made the majors.

Anderson pitched 42.2 innings for Wausau in 1990, posting a 4.43 ERA. The next year he went 13-9, after moving with the Wausau franchise to Kane County, Illinois.

It was the next year, with Frederick, that Anderson injured his shoulder. He returned to full duty by July 1994. He pitched 108 innings between the single A Albany Polecats and advanced A Frederick Keys. His career ended, never having gotten to AA.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 16/880
Major Leaguers: 7
Never Made the Majors: 9
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 2
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 7

Monday, January 11, 2010

Casey Waller, Reading Phillies - 775

Be sure and check out the revisited Casey Waller feature from October 2011: Casey Waller, Get Better

A good portion of Casey Waller's minor league career was spent in Pennsylvania in the Phillies' system. Here, he's starting his first of three years bouncing between AA Reading and AAA Scranton. He never made it to Philadelphia, but for the past few years the Virginia-native has been with another Pennsylvania team, managing a high school squad outside Williamsport.

Waller was drafted by the Phillies in the 11th round of the 1989 draft, the same round that the Reds took Trevor Hoffman. By 1990, the third baseman was with Reading. He never hit higher than .261 for a season. In 1993, his final year with the Phillies, he hit just .218.

The next year he was with the fledgling North Central League with the Brainerd Bears. He would return to the league in 1995, as a player-coach for the Minnesota Skeeters, playing 19 games before the league folded. But before that, he returned briefly to affiliated ball, playing 14 games for the Marlins' AA team the Portland Sea Dogs.

Waller played out 1995 and into 1996 with the Northern League's Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. These days, he's a high school coach, taking his team to its first Pennsylvania state title in its class in 2008 and winning himself local coach of the year honors.

"They understand their roles," Waller told a high school writer then. "Different guys stepped up each day and when you have a pitching staff like we do you're going to stay in most ball games. It was a total team effort."

Here he is after a game in June 2009:


1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 15/880
Major Leaguers: 7
Never Made the Majors: 8
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 2
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 7

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Vince Phillips, Albany Yankees - 782

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Read Vince Phillips' revisited post: Four Years, 5/2/11
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Having something in common with Darrell Evans and Jackie Robinson is definitely a good thing. Unfortunately for Vince Phillips, the common elements between them do not include "major leaguer."

Phillips graduated from Pasadena's John Muir High School in 1987, having quarterbacked the Mustangs the previous fall to a perfect 14-0 record, passing for over 2,000 yards. It was enough to get Phillips a scholarship offer from next-door USC. But, instead, he chose baseball, and a reported $130,000 signing bonus. That's categorized as "reported" because he was drafted by the Yankees in the 13th round, the sum seems high for someone drafted so low.

But it would apparently be a bad choice. Phillips played only four seasons in the minors, never getting above AA and never hitting better than .274. He also never showed any power. He hit only 17 home runs in four seasons.

His third and fourth years were spent with the Albany-Colonie Yankees. His final year, he led he Eastern League with 85 RBIs.

As for Phillips' link with Evans and Robinson, it was his high school. Evans, who played in the majors from 1969 to 1989, graduated from Muir High in 1965. Robinson graduated from the junior college that would become Muir High in 1936.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 14/880
Major Leaguers: 7
Never Made the Majors: 7
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 2
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 7

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Mark Ross, Buffalo Bisons - 9


This is about as good of spot as any to point out that the pictures in this set are pretty standard, or old-school, if you will. There's guys standing. Guys kneeling. Guys holding bats. Nothing fancy.

That is except for Mark Ross. Mark Ross is the first player depicted doing an actual baseball activity. He's throwing a ball. Or I assume it's a ball, you can't really tell. But he is a pitcher, after all. He's a pitcher that by this point had already been in the majors for brief stints over five seasons. He had also already spent more than a decade in the minors.

Ross was drafted in 1979 by the Astros, making it to Houston by Sept. 12, 1982. The relief pitcher tossed six innings over four games, giving up just one run. Over the next seven years, he got four more cups of coffee.

His final game was this season when the Pirates called him up and put him on the mound for 12.2 innings over nine games. In 42.1 total innings, Ross put up a career ERA of 3.83.

Ross hung on one more year in the minors, catching on with the Braves' AAA team in Richmond. His time with the Braves apparently left an impression. By 1996, he was serving as pitching coach for the Macon Braves, watching over such prospects as Bruce Chen and Jason Marquis.

These days, Ross is back with the team that drafted him, the Astros, helping them draft new players as area scout for the western region.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 13/880
Major Leaguers: 7
Never Made the Majors: 6
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 2
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 7

Friday, January 8, 2010

Dave Eiland, Columbus Clippers - 202

Be sure and check out the revisited Dave Eiland feature from September 2011: Dave Eiland, Part of the Game

While the player reviewed on the card a couple days ago could be found in Worcester, today's can be found in a not-so-out-of-the-way place in the Bronx. He's also the first with a lengthy major league career and the second to have garnered a spot in a movie.

Dave Eiland spent parts of 14 in the minors, the other parts of 10 in the majors. In 1990, he was named International League Pitcher of the Year. He spent nine years in the Yankees' system, his last three with the Devil Rays. He accumulated 373 innings and a career record of 12-27. He never stayed in the majors for a full season.

After retiring in 2000, Eiland he started a quick rise as pitching coach in the Yankees organization. By 2007, he was pitching coach for AAA Scranton, then it was on to Yankee Stadium as pitching coach

Eiland's past two seasons have been spent coaching the top pitchers in baseball in the Bronx.

Then there's his movie work. Eiland got screen time in the 1998 Kevin Costner movie For the Love of the Game. He played a relief pitcher.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 12/880
Major Leaguers: 6
Never Made the Majors: 6
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 1
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 5

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Austin Manahan, Augusta Pirates - 850

Be sure and check out the revisited Austin Manahan feature from February 2011: Austin Manahan, Struggled A Bit

Baseball-Reference's Bullpen describes today's player "one of a slew" of failed Pittsburgh Pirates draft picks since the 1980s. The Pirates drafted Austin Manahan 13th overall in the 1988 draft. He never made it above AA.

When the drafted Manahan, the Pirates thought they had their man. The Pirate scouts rated him the fifth-best player in the draft - 30 slots ahead of where Baseball America had him. Baseball drafts being what they are, even first-rounders aren't locks. Still, the Pirates haven't had many locks, or wins, in recent decades.

Of course, Tino Martinez was taken right behind Manahan. Way down in the seventh round lurked Jim Edmonds and Mark Grace.

Manahan is pictured here with the Augusta Pirates. He would arguably have his best stint in Georgia, batting .302 in 94 games. He stayed with Pittsburgh through the end of 1992. He'd drift through the Expos, Padres and Cubs organizations before hanging it up in 1995 after eight seasons in the minors.

These days, he's apparently still in his native Arizona. Back in 2008, he was looking for his cards to give his kids, signing cards in return for cards.

1/30/10
Edit: Looks like Minahan's now a sales director at a company that creates local business coupon packets directed to new homeowners, according to the blog Baseball Cards Come to Life!. Asked about his favorite cards, Minahan did not pick his CMC offering.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 11/880
Major Leaguers: 5
Never Made the Majors: 6
100+ Games in the Majors: 0
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 4

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Andre Dawson - Hall of Famer


New Hall of Famer Andre Dawson didn't spend long in the minors. He only played 186 games over two seasons before being called up to Montreal for good. One of his stops was the stadium pictured above, Stade Municipal. The photo was taken on our January 2009 trip to Quebec City, sadly there was no game that day.

But this is the same stadium where the future Hall of Famer played in 1976 with the Quebec Metros, the Expos AA affiliate. It only received a renovation when the current Quebec Capitales came to town in 1999. Dawson hit .357 in 40 games for the Metros. In fact, in each of his three minor league stops, in Quebec City, rookie Lethbridge, Alberta, and AAA Denver, Dawson never hit below .330.

By 1977, he was up to stay, winning the Rookie of the Year, on his way to the Hall of Fame.

I go through all that as a way to note the election of my favorite player as a kid, Andre Dawson. I became a fan later after he joined the Cubs and had his great year in 1987. I've always said I'd be there for his induction, the wife and I will be there July 25.

Anyway, back to CMC. It's interesting to note that there is one member of the CMC set that was on the HOF ballot this year for the first time. But, while his name is on the card, it's apparently not all his, according to the set checklist on OldBaseball.com. Edgar Martinez received 36 percent support this year, his first on the ballot. He played for Calgary in 1989. His name and stats are on the card. But the photo is apparently that of Tino Martinez, who himself had a good career and will be on next year's ballot. I'll get back to this card again when it comes around.

Roger LaFrancois, Vancouver Canadians - 671

(Be sure to check out my redone version of Roger LaFrancois' review. I redid it in preparation for a trip to Batavia, where LaFrancois is coaching for 2010)

There are a few ways to begin talking about today's player, actually a coach.

There is his all-too-brief eight-game stint in the majors. There's his years as a minor league coach and manager, including his continuing involvement in baseball as a coach on an independent league team. Then there's his name.

I think I'll start with his name: Roger LaFrancois.

Despite what his name and team here might suggest, Roger LaFrancois is not a native of Quebec, or even Canada. He's from Connecticut. But he is coaching here for the White Sox AAA affiliate the Vancouver Canadians and managed a couple years prior in the Expos system.

With that out of the way, LaFrancois spent the better parts of six seasons as a player, making the Carolina League All Star team in 1978 with Winston-Salem. He was drafted by the Red Sox in 1977, making it to the parent club May 27, 1982. His major league career ended Oct. 3 that year, having played only eight games, getting four hits in 10 at bats.

By 1988 LaFrancois was coaching, helming the New York-Penn League's Jamestown Expos, winning Manager of the Year. 1990 was his first of three years coaching the White Sox AAA teams. He's coached or managed with seven franchises since.

He's still listed as a coach for the independent Can-Am League Worcester Tornadoes. LaFrancois was the Red Sox backup catcher when he was with them. Their starting catcher that year, Rich Gedman, is the Tornadoes' manager. If LaFrancois is still in Worcester this coming season, we'll have to get this thing signed, either in Worcester, or in Pittsfield.

LaFrancois' profile with the Tornadoes: http://www.worcestertornadoes.com/tornadoes/coaches/index.html?staff_id=46

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Reviewed: 10/880
Major Leaguers: 5
Never Made the Majors: 5
100+ Games in the Majors: 0
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 4