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Friday, December 31, 2010

Michael Wilkins, Every Time - 767

Every pitcher starts off with a no-hitter. It was a thought Michael Wilkins knew well. In August 1989, Wilkins almost finished off with a no-hitter, but lost his bid with a late single, The Schenectady Gazette wrote.

"I think about it every time," Wilkins, a member of the AA London Tigers, told The Gazette after the game at nearby Albany. "But usually by the first inning, you've given up a base hit and it's over. Tonight, I got through the second, then the third."

In the eight-inning game, he got into the eighth, before giving up his hit. He also did it without getting ahead on a batter in the first five innings. "I kept going into the dugout laughing," Wilkins added to The Gazette. "I didn't know how I was doing it."

Wilkins got to think about throwing no-hitters through AA London in the Tigers system, then AA San Antonio and AAA Albuquerque. But Wilkins would never find himself taking a major league mound, thinking of throwing a no-hitter there. His career would end after seven seasons, without making the majors.

Wilkins' professional career began in 1987, drafted by the Tigers in the 17th round out of Lamar University. He played that year at rookie league Bristol, going 2-7 with a 5.70 ERA.

The next year, at single-A Fayetteville, Wilkins improved. He posted a 14-9 record, with a sub-3 ERA. In 1989, he split time between single-A Lakeland, then made AA London in time for his no-hit bid that August.

Going into 1989, Lakeland Manager John Lipon praised his pitching staff, including Wilkins. "Wilkins has good control," Lipon told The Lakeland Ledger that April.

In addition to the near no-hitter at London, Wilkins also threw a seven-inning four-hitter against Albany in July. Wilkins remained at London for 1990, posting an even better 13-5 record, with a 2.42 ERA. His record was helped by a seven-inning, five-hit shutout in April against Canton. He also had three shutouts, to lead the league.

In October, however, Wilkins was off to the Dodgers system, traded for fellow pitcher Mike Munoz. Munoz had already seen time in the majors, and would see time in 12 seasons before his career ended in 2000.

Wilkins would play 1991 back at AA, at San Antonio. He also would lose the edge he had at London. He went 6-6 with a 4.30 ERA. The next season, Wilkins was promoted to AAA Albuquerque. He was also moved mainly to relief. In 46 appearances, he posted a 3.57 ERA.

By 1993, Wilkins returned to the Eastern League with the Indians at Canton. He started five games, presumably thinking of no-hitters in each. But they were his final games, his career ending short of the majors.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 357/880 - 40.6%
Players/Coaches Featured:
364
Made the Majors:
246 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:
118-32%
-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:
103
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
97

1986 Topps: Learning from Ted

In some ways, Dave Engle's youth was a typical one. His family would pile into a trailer for the summer and see the United States.

In other ways, Engle's youth wasn't a typical youth wasn't so typical. Engles' father grew up in San Diego with one Ted Williams. The family's ultimate destination on those yearly trips was Massachusetts and Ted Williams' baseball school, The Toledo Blade wrote in 1984.

"Ted was there the whole summer when I was younger," Engle, in his fourth big-league season, told The Blade. "I learned a lot from Ted. I'm still learning from him. He's like a second father."

Engle went on to play nine seasons in the majors for the Twins, Tigers, Expos and Brewers. His 1986 Topps card, which came in my third 1986 Topps Christmas pack, was his final card for the Twins. He was traded to the Tigers that January.

This third 1986 Topps pack yielded no Hall of Famers. But, more importantly, it yielded two CMC set members. It also yielded another two future major league managers and another Pirate to have his autograph examined.

The first CMC set member in the pack was Darryl Motley. In 1986, Motley was fresh off the Royals' win in the 1985 World Series. Motley hit a home run in Game 7 to set the Royals off to victory. He also caught the final out. I covered Motley back in August.

I have yet to cover Bob Shirley, pitching coach for the 1990 Syracuse Chiefs. Shirley, a first-round pick in 1976, was in his 10th of 11 seasons in 1986. After 1987, Shirley went on to a brief coaching career, managing at short-season St. Catherines, moving on to coach at Syracuse in 1990.

The two future managers were Clint Hurdle and Mike Hargrove. Hurdle played 1986 with the Cardinals and had only three more games after that. Hurdle went on to manage eight seasons with the Rockies. He took over the Pirates in November, taking over for CMC set member John Russell.

Hargrove had played his final game by the time his 1986 Topps card went out. He played 12 seasons in the majors, 1985 was his last. I remember having his 1985 Topps card as a kid, one of the only 1985 cards I had for the longest time. Hargrove managed for 16 seasons in the majors, for the Indians, Orioles and Mariners.

This is the Pirates Leaders card, with Rick Rhoden on the front. I've always found the 1986 Topps leaders cards a little odd, like a dream cloud. Rhoden was the dean of the Pirates, the back reads, with continuous service since June 10, 1980. He played with the Pirates through 1986, after which he was traded to the Yankees.

Rhoden was among the Pirates whose autographs were examined by The Pittsburgh Press in May 1986, by a handwriting examiner.

Rhoden's signature signaled he had a sense of humor and was refined, analyzer Louis Ciancio told The Press.

"Rick shows some indecision in his life," Ciancio told The Press. "He's not as settled as he'd like to be. He has a lot of pride. If you touch that man's pride, you're in a lot of trouble."
1986 Topps Pack 3
22 Duane Walker
43 Dave Engle
116 Brook Jacoby
136 Mike Hargrove
213 Bob Shirley
259 Dan Pasqua
332 Darryl Motley
428 Max Venable
438 Clint Hurdle
447 Jerry Don Gleaton
559 Tommy Dunbar
588 Steve Lake
664 Tim Corcoran
756 Pirates Leaders
757 Darrell Porter

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Mario Monico set college records at Hawaii, saw 6 seasons

Mario Monico 1990 Denver Zephyrs cardA quarter century after he played there, Mario Monico, one of the program's "most prolific hitters," is still a record holder at the University of Hawaii, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser wrote in September 2010.

He has the school's highest batting average at .367, most total bases at 433 and most walks at 240, The Star-Advertiser wrote. He also had 10 RBIs in a single game in 1985, also still a record.

Though it might have been hyperbole, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin recalled in 1997 that Monico was so good he "could hit a ball bearing with a No. 2 pencil."

Given that start, Monico was selected in the 12th round of the 1985 draft by the Brewers. But, after six seasons as a professional, Monico's career ended, short of the majors.

Monico started his career with the Brewers in 1985 at single-A Beloit, hitting .284. He spent the next two seasons at single-A Stockton, hitting .315 and .293 respectively.

In April 1986, Monico hit a two-run single for Stockton. In June, he hit a three-run home run against Modesto, and off former University of Hawaii teammate Bruce Walton, The Modesto Bee wrote.

In August 1987, Monaco cleared the bases with a double. He also hit solo home run that game, capping off a 6-12 hitting run., The Bee wrote.

He didn't make AA until 1988, at El Paso. There, he put up a stellar .342 average with a career-high eight home runs. In July 1988, The Milwaukee Journal attributed Monico's success and other Brewers' prospects' success in El Paso to the ballpark there. By that time, Monico was hitting .352 with 39 RBIs.

Monico continued his hitting in 1989 at El Paso, earning a promotion to AAA Denver. At Denver in 1989, Monico hit a cooler .266 in 72 games.

Monico remained at Denver for 1990, knocking in two runs in an early April game. They were among 38 runs he knocked in that year. He also hit .263, but that year turned out to be his last. He didn't make the majors.

In 1997, The Star-Bulletin used Monico as an example of a Hawaii-native who was good, but never got the call. The paper was arguing for the Mets to bring up another native Hawaiian, Benny Agbayani. Agbayani finally got called up the next season and played in parts of five.

Monico now coaches with the Hawaii Island Movers, a team of collegiate baseball players. He is also now watching his son Jordan Monico play ball, though mainly football. Jordan Monico plays on the University of Hawaii football team, according to The Star-Advertiser.

Jordan told The Star-Advertiser that his father "was supportive in everything I did and was there to work with me, lifting weights, running, giving me pointers."
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 356/880 - 40.5%
Players/Coaches Featured:
363
Made the Majors:
246 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:
117-32%
-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:
103
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
97

Dollar Tree Packs: Starting Hot

Terry Leach started off 1987 hot. Mainly a reliever, he hadn't won more than six games in four prior seasons - total.

But in 1987, he switched to starting in early June, already with three wins, and by early July he had won his seventh game. All of that against no losses.

"I'm just happy to be where I am right now," Leach told The Associated Press after that game. "Things couldn't be better. I didn't think it (the winning streak) would last as long as this."

Leach went on to post an 11-1 record with the Mets that year, with a 3.22 ERA. His career would continue through 1993, playing with the Mets, Royals, Twins and White Sox in a career that spanned a total of 11 seasons.

Leach's 1992 Upper Deck card came in one of my Dollar Tree repacks I picked up a few weeks ago. I figured I'd go back to a Dollar Tree pack after a few days of Christmas '86 Topps and '87 Donruss packs.
Leach's Upper Deck card shows his side-arm pitching motion, his right knee almost hitting the mound after release.
This Dollar Tree pack didn't uncover any members of the CMC set, but there was a player who was traded for two members. There was also just one Hall of Famer, appearing on a Topps archives quadracard from Bazooka. The card itself appears to be from 1992.

The Hall of Famer was Duke Snider. Snider appeared on the card, along with fellow 1953 Topps set members Monte Irvin, Bobo Newsom and Wes Westrum.

Irvin played eight seasons in the majors, mostly with the Giants, previously playing in the Negro Leagues and served in the Army during World War II, according to his Baseball-Reference Bullpen page.

Newsom is described on his Bullpen page as "one of baseball's colorful characters." He also played until he was 45. Westrum played 11 seasons for the Giants, going on to manage the Mets and the San Francisco Giants. Westrum was also the subject of a Night Owl post last month related to Westrum's 1956 Topps card and a note written on the card front.

Snider, of course, played for the Dodgers for 18 seasons, making the Hall of Fame in 1980.

The guy traded for a couple CMC set members was Harold Baines. Baines was sent to the Athletics in August 1990 for two players to be named. Those players were CMC set members Joe Bitker and Scott Chiamparino.

Baines' card back notes his uniform number was retired by the White Sox in 1989 after 10 seasons. He played until 2001.

Mike Jackson and Joe Hesketh just have interesting blurbs on the backs of their cards. On the back of Jackson's 1988 Topps offering we learn that his hobbies included swimming, dancing and fishing.

Hesketh's blurb on his 1991 Topps card shows his dedication to his family and his team. According to Topps, Hesketh flew to Florida for the birth of his son Aug. 3, 1988. He then flew back to Pittsburgh, where his Expos were playing the Pirates. Hesketh pitched the eighth inning.

I've gotten two of these particular repack packs, a foil pack containing 15 mixed up cards. I've gotten one of these Baseball America prospect cards in each. Apparently, they're the "Rookie minor league cards in every pack" referenced on the wrapper.

This guy, Ryan Anderson, was selected in the first round of the 1997 draft, his card back reads. He also reached 99 mph on the radar gun in his first season in the minors. Anderson reached AAA for the Mariners in 2000, but didn't reach the majors.

According to USA Today, in an article linked off of Baseball Reference's Bullpen, shoulder injuries ended his bid for the majors. Anderson instead brought his heat elsewhere, the paper wrote, to the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, a cooking school.

"This is the Harvard and Yale of culinary, and I'm loving it," Anderson told USA Today in June 2006. "My focus isn't on baseball anymore."

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Troy Neel, Another Name - 469

The Athletics were playing out the string in September 1993, but they were still doing some damage and playing spoiler. On Sept. 9, Oakland and Troy Neel contributed to a Blue Jays six-game losing streak, beating Toronto by a score of 7-4.

"Nobody likes to be called a spoiler," Neel told The Associated Press after the game. "It means you're out of it. We're not trying to be spoilers. We're trying to salvage something out of a pretty dismal season."

Neel himself was called a lot of things in his professional career that spanned more than a decade, and afterward. He was a prospect and a journeyman. He was also called a long-time star in Japan.

But Neel is perhaps best known today by another name: "Deadbeat Dad." Neel amassed more than $700,000 in child support debts owed for his two children in his home state of Texas, all while owning his own private island in the South Pacific.

Neel's career began in 1986, signing with the Indians out of Texas A&M University. He made AA Canton in 1989 and AAA Colorado Springs in 1990. In January 1991, Neel arrived in the Oakland, traded for Larry Arndt.

With the Athletics, Neel was back in AA for 1991 at Huntsville. He returned to AAA the next season, and made Oakland. Neel debuted with the big club in May 1992, playing in 24 games for Oakland that season, hitting .264.

In 1993, he stayed up almost the entire season, hitting .290 in 123 games. He also hit 19 home runs and garnered some Rookie of the Year votes. He came in seventh.

Helping get Neel some recognition were back-to-back games in July, where he hit two home runs in each game. He got four hits and seven RBIs in one game and three hits in the other.

"The ball hasn't gotten any bigger, but it seems like it has," Neel told The Associated Press after the second two-homer game . "You hope it lasts, but there's always something to humble you in this game. You can't go out there and hit a home run every time."

Neel stayed with the Athletics through the shortened 1994 season, hitting .266 and another 15 home runs. Early that year, Neel's Athletics went on a 12-game losing streak, broken May 1 with an 8-1 win over the Yankees. Neel went 2-5 with four RBIs in the game.

"When I came in (to the clubhouse) I asked where the champagne was," Neel told The AP after the game. "I was waiting for somebody to pop one. We're just glad it clicked today."

Neel didn't return to the majors after that year. Instead, he went to Japan, playing there with the Orix BlueWave for six seasons. Neel hit .264 with 136 home runs over his time with Orix. In 1996, his team won the Pacific League title and the Japan Series, Neel hitting 32 home runs to lead the league that year, according to The Japan Times.

Neel attempted to extend his career in Korea in 2001, but poor hitting and a barroom brawl ended that, The Japan Times wrote. Soon after, he made the Texas list of Most Wanted Deadbeat Dads. By February 2002, he owed $220,000. That number eventually topped $700,000.

It started growing in 1998, when he was ordered to pay $5,000 in child support. But Neel didn't pay. Instead, he moved to the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, purchasing his own 16-acre island, The AP wrote.

Law enforcement finally caught up with him in December 2008, the U.S. Marshals arresting him at Los Angeles International Airport.

The next May, Neel pleaded guilty and faced two years in state prison. He also later reached a settlement with his ex-wife, agreeing to pay a fraction of what he owed, $116,000.

"After retiring from professional sports, Neel had the financial resources to purchase an island resort in the South Pacific – but he failed to support his children," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a statement after Neel's May 2009 plea. "Today’s guilty plea marks an important chapter in the state’s lengthy effort to hold Troy Neel accountable for violating the law.”

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 355/880 - 40.3%
Players/Coaches Featured:
362
Made the Majors:
246 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
116-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
103
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
97

1987 Donruss: Pitchers and Anniversaries

Just a note at the start of today's pack post. This week marks the one-year anniversary of the start of this blog. The first post went up Dec. 28, 2009, with the first CMC card going up one year ago today. A year in and I'm just over 40 percent complete.

Now for this afternoon's post: 1987 Donruss Pack 2:

Greg Maddux and Ed Correa were born in the same month, April 1986, Maddux the older of the two by 15 days.

By early 1987, Correa had had the better early run. He had already amassed 13 major league wins, against 14 losses. Maddux had just two, against four losses.

Correa, his major league career ending soon after from arm problems, wouldn't stay ahead of the future Hall of Famer Maddux. Maddux finished ahead in the wins race by about 339.

But, in April 1987, the day before turning 21 April 29, Correa flashed his own brilliance, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Yankees before fatigue got to him. The no-hit bid was broken up with one out by a single from Willie Randolph.

"I knew I was throwing a no-hitter," Correa told reporters afterward. "At the end, though, I felt like I was running a little bit out of gas. I didn't know how many pitches I had thrown. When you are tired you can sometimes push yourself to the end, but I felt like I was running out."

While Maddux' and Correa's careers went in different directions in 1987, they reunited in my second Christmas pack of 1987 Donruss.

With the Maddux, it's nice to get a key card in the set out of the way early on. He also marks a future Hall of Famer in a pack that included two current Hall of Famers.

There's Gary Carter and Steve Carlton. Carter was fresh off his World Series win with the Mets. Carlton was nearing the end of his 24-season Hall of Fame career. He played with Cleveland and Minnesota in 1987 before wrapping his career with four appearances with the Twins in 1988.

As for CMC set members, there were two. Well, three if you count the two cards of Dwight Lowry included in the pack. The Lowrys appeared back-to-back in the pack and mark the first doubles from the box.

Lowry appeared in the CMC set as a member of the Indianapolis Indians in the Expos system. I have yet to cover Lowry, or the other CMC set member in the pack, but Lowry had already played his final game in the majors by 1990. He had played in parts of four seasons, his last game coming in 1988.

The other CMC set member in the pack was Ed Olwine. Olwine had also played his final game in the majors by 1990. His last game in a three-season career came in 1988 and his last season as a player came in 1990.

I'm including Wayne Krenchicki here not so much because of his playing career, but because he has gone on to a long career in coaching. He's also a player that I got an autograph of back in the day, when he managed the Midwest League Beloit Brewers team in 1994.
My autographed 1985 Topps Krenchicki.
My 1987 Topps autographed Krenchicki.
Just to wrap this post up, this is Bob Walk. Walk is not among the players I have autographs from. But if I did, I would know that he is someone who was self assured, at least according to The Pittsburgh Press' handwriting analysis of several Pirates' signatures from 1986.

"He projects confidence," handwriting analyzer Louis Ciancio told The Press. "When he walks on that field, he's in control."
1987 Donruss Pack 2
36 Greg Maddux
57 Ed Correa
68 Rick Sutcliffe
69 Gary Carter
136 Don Slaught
203 Bob Walk
226 Chris Codiroli
271 George Bell
338 Dwight Lowry
338 Dwight Lowry
360 Ed Whitson
406 Wayne Krenchicki
540 Bob Forsch
560 Ed Olwine
617 Steve Carlton
Puzzle 4-6 Center of Clemente's Name 6/63

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Paul Wilmet, Playing Days - 85

Read the March 2013 interview: Paul Wilmet, So Focused

The Pirates were more than satisfied with their find of Paul Wilmet in 1987. Purchased from the Cardinals in May, Wilmet went on to impress at single-A Salem, posting an ERA of 0.50 in 22 relief appearances. He continued that success in the Florida instructional league.

That off season, Wilmet was being called a prospect and Pittsburgh pitching coach Ray Miller wanted to see Wilmet and his fork ball close up that spring, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He compared the pitch to another Pirate player.

"Wilmet has a fork ball that breaks more than Jeff Robinson's," Miller told The Post-Gazette in November 1987. "It might not be as hard, but it's a tremendous late-breaking pitch. He overmatched em' (in Florida.)"

Wilmet didn't make Pittsburgh in 1988, but he did make the majors the next year, after signing with Texas. He pitched in three games for the Rangers that year, what would be the extent of his big league career.

After playing baseball, Wilmet's playing days have continued, only now he's playing a guitar in Nashville.

Wilmet's baseball career began in 1981, signed by the Mets out of Des Moines Area Community College. Wilmet split that year between short-season Little Falls and single-A Lynchburg, posting an ERA of 1.85 at Little Falls, but 4.91 at Lynchburg.

Wilmet didn't make AA until 1985, nine games at Arkansas. By then, he was with the Cardinals system. He spent 1986 back at single-A, with Springfield. He pitched well, going 9-4 with a 2.15 ERA.

That year with Springfield, Wilmet set a Midwest League record with 29 saves. He also garnered national accolades, winning the national minor league Rolaids Relief Man Award.

He started 1987 at AA Arkansas, before being sent to the Pirates in mid-May. Wilmet saw five unsuccessful appearances at AA Harrisburg, before seeing those 22 very successful appearances with single-A Salem.

Wilmet split 1988 between Harrisburg and AAA Buffalo, posting sub-2 ERAs at both stops. He had eight saves with Harrisburg by late June. Wilmet signed with the Rangers for 1989, starting at AAA Oklahoma City. He got his call up in late July.

Wilmet debuted for the Rangers July 25 and he debuted well. He got two outs in the Rangers loss, striking out one. He also put his mark in the Rangers record books, albeit with a small contribution to a larger cause. Wilmet's one strike out added to 17 others Ranger pitchers punched out on the night, a team record for strike outs in one night. Fourteen of those came from starter Nolan Ryan.

Wilmet got two more outs three days later, but also gave up three earned runs. His third and final outing came July 29, one inning and one earned run.

Wilmet moved on to the Cubs system in 1990, pitching in 25 games at AAA Iowa with an ERA of 4.09. It was his final year playing baseball.

In July 1990, The Pittsburgh Press noted that Wilmet and other members of the Buffalo Bisons had previously sung the National Anthem. The Press also noted their renditions suggested a career in music, not baseball.

Wilmet has gone on to a career in music, according to his MySpace page, singing country, pop and R&B in Nashville. A YouTube video of him singing is below.

Read the March 2013 interview: Paul Wilmet, So Focused
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 354/880 - 40.2%
Players/Coaches Featured:
361
Made the Majors:
245 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
116-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
103
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
97


1986 Topps: Exercise Routines

Kevin Bass spent two months in the disabled list after breaking his leg in 1989, but he tried to put that time to good use - by lifting weights.

When he returned, he hit a grand slam to help his Astros over the Cubs by a score of 8-4.

"I lifted weights during the time off and it has made me feel a lot stronger," Bass told The Associated Press after that August game. "I am hitting balls that I haven't been able to hit in years."

Bass was actually credited with two home runs that day one in the third and the grand slam, the game winner, in the bottom of the ninth.

That game came three years after Bass' 1986 card came out. According to the back of Bass' 1986 Topps card, the first Astro to hit two home runs in a single inning was Lee May, who did it against those same Cubs April 29, 1974 in the sixth inning.

Atlee Hammaker had his own exercise routine. Hammaker was in the midst of a 10-9 season, but one where he posted a league-leading ERA of 2.25 in 1983. Sports Illustrated credited Hammaker's exercise regime for his success.

"Say you get yourself a Ferrari but it's not working quite right," Hammaker's trainer Gary Iacini told Sports Illustrated that July. "You put in new plugs and maybe a new transmission. That's the way we, Atlee and I, looked at his body—as a machine. We improved the parts, so now the machine is working fine. What you need next is a good driver. We've got one. Atlee now drives his own body."

Hammaker and Bass came in my second 1986 Topps Christmas pack. These two boxes I received, the 1986 Topps and 1987 Donruss boxes, are cool in that together they're two gifts. But individually, they're more like 72 separate gifts. This is the third overall that I've opened, 69 more gifts to go.

As for the regular categories of players I'm looking for, there were no Hall of Famers in the pack. There were also no CMC members. There were, however, two future major league managers, Ron Gardenhire and Jerry Narron. One of the future managers. Gardenhire, managed CMC members early on in his career at AA Orlando.

Gardenhire spent parts of five seasons in the majors as a player, all with the Mets. He was in his third year managing in the minors in 1990, helming the Twins' AA team in Orlando. He also oversaw the Orlando members of the CMC set.

Gardenhire, of course, would go on to manage the Twins in Minnesota, going into his 10th season there in 2011. Narron is not currently managing in the majors, but he managed five seasons there, three with the Reds and two with the Rangers. Narron's managerial career came after parts of eight seasons spent in the majors as a player.

These two guys helped in notable moments years before their 1986 Topps cards. Ray Burris helped the Expos to a win in the 1981 National League Championship Series, the team's only post-season birth. Larry McWilliams helped stop Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak three years earlier in 1978.

Burris played in a total of 15 major league seasons, playing for Montreal from 1981 to 1983. In 1981, he went 9-7 with a 3.05 ERA.

In the playoffs that year, also his only personal trip to the post season, Burris lost a game in the division series to Philadelphia but won Game 2 of the NLCS with a complete game shutout. Burris told reporters later he couldn't remember the last time he pitched that well.

Burris pitched well again in the deciding Game 5, eight innings and one run, but it wasn't enough to beat the Dodgers. The Expos and Burris didn't return to the post season again.

McWilliams' day came in 1978 as a rookie for Atlanta. McWilliams started the game that stopped Rose's streak. He walked Rose, stabbed a liner for an out and got Rose to ground out, according to The AP account of the Aug. 1, 1978 contest.

Rose was so impressed, he didn't even recognize McWilliams later, according to The AP account. But Rose said he would recognize the young hurler by the rotation on his pitch. When told McWilliams was sitting next to him, Rose slapped the table and turned to the hurler.

"Why did you catch that ball?" Rose asked, according to The AP account.

Rose quickly complimented McWilliams. The Braves won that day by a score of 16-4. "You don't need 16 runs, I'll tell you that."
1986 Topps Pack 2
106 Ray Burris
134 Carney Lansford
149 Brett Butler
223 Atlee Hammaker
274 Ron Gardenhire
360 Lloyd Moseby
425 Larry McWilliams
458 Kevin Bass
463 Jim Gott
489 Jim Winn
534 Jeff Calhoun
543 Jerry Narron
557 Gerald Perry
726 Orioles Leaders
738 Andre Robertson

Monday, December 27, 2010

Chuck McGrath made AAA with Cardinals, saw 7 seasons overall

Chuck McGrath 1990 Denver Zephyrs cardChuck McGrath pitched in 21 games for the Cardinals' AAA team at Louisville in 1989, starting 18 of them and posting an ERA of 3.63.

The next year, McGrath signed with the Brewers, his new team hoping to use him and other new signees to shore up their upper minor league pitching staffs, The Milwaukee Journal wrote.

Slowed by knee problems, however, McGrath played across three levels in 1990, including 12 outings at AAA Denver, McGrath posted an ERA of 4.37 and a record of 6-5.

McGrath did not return for 1991, his career ending after seven seasons and without making the majors.

Most of McGrath's career was played in the Cardinals system. He was selected by St. Louis in the 17th round of the 1983 draft out of Brown University.

At Brown, McGrath played both football and baseball, becoming a second-team Division I-AA All-American at tackle. Before that, he played at the high school where his father John McGrath coached basketball.

McGrath played his first year at short-season Erie, going 3-9 with a 5.49 ERA. The next three seasons he spent at single-A, at Savannah, Springfield and St. Petersburg. He also moved from starter to reliever.

He posted ERAs of 3.25 and 3.44 as a starter at Savannah and Springfield. He moved to reliever in 1986 for St. Petersburg. Going into 1986, McGrath was tagged by The St. Petersburg Times as part of a suspect pitching staff.

"It's going to depend on pitching and what happens in relief," St. Petersburg Manager Dave Bilas told The Times. "Right there is going to tell the tale."

McGrath ended up lowering his ERA to 2.52 in 33 appearances, picking up one of two wins in a hitless July outing. He also helped St. Petersburg to the Florida State League playoffs.

McGrath helped pitch the St. Pete Cardinals to a playoff win, going three innings, striking out three and giving up only one hit, The South Florida Sun Sentinel wrote.

McGrath spent 1987 with AA Arkansas and then getting a one-game look AAA Louisville. Between them, McGrath went 13-6 with a 2.76 ERA.

After not playing in 1988, McGrath returned to AAA Louisville in 1989, pitching in 21 games there with a 3.63 ERA. He pitched four innings of shutout relief in a July game against Columbus then eight shutout innings as a starter in early August.

Signing with the Brewers for 1990, McGrath pitched one game at high-A Stockton, 13 at AA El Paso and 12 at AAA Denver, but he didn't make big league Milwaukee, his career ending short of the majors.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 353/880 - 40.1%
Players/Coaches Featured:
360
Made the Majors:
244 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:
116-32%
-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:
103
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
97

1987 Donruss: Fathers and No Hitters

David Palmer got off to a good start on April 22, 1984 for the Expos. In fact, it was a perfect start. Through five innings of work, Palmer hadn't let a runner reach base.

Then the rains came.

"I was trying to keep myself mentally ready," Palmer told reporters later. "I was telling myself 'Don't start celebrating.'"

The game eventually was called and Palmer owned the fourth rain-shortened perfect game in history. The rain-shortened perfect game is noted on the back of Palmer's 1987 Donruss card. The card was included in the first 1987 Donruss pack that came among the Christmas gifts from my lovely wife.

Speaking of no-hitters, according to Baseball Reference's Bullpen, that other guy up there, Alan Ashby, caught three no-hitters during his career, from Ken Forsch, Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott. Another player to catch a Nolan Ryan no-hitter? CMC set member John Russell.

There were no Hall of Famers in the pack. But there was one CMC set member: Ozzie Virgil. Virgil was an All Star in 1985, according to his card back. He also played in the 1983 World Series for the Phillies, going 1 for 2. His father, also Ozzie Virgil, played in the major leagues. And he led the Eastern League in RBIs in 1980.

Speaking of players whose father was also a player, here's Steve Trout. His father Paul "Dizzy" Trout. Steve Trout told The Chicago Tribune in 1988 about the only time his father got to see him pitch, in eighth grade. His father died in 1972

The elder Trout hid behind a tree, not wanting to make his son nervous.

"He didn't want me to know he was there," Steve Trout told The Tribune. "But I could see him. He had a big stomach and it was sticking out. He was bigger than the tree."

"I undertand now what a wonderful gesture it was," Trout continued later. "He wanted to watch one of his sons, but he's saying to himself, 'I don't want him to feel he has to do it for me.'"

Trout also had two nicknames, according to Wikipedia, one of them being "Rainbow Trout."
The other guy there, Glenn Wilson, is interesting because of his nickname, which, according to Wikipedia, was Glennbo. That is because Wilson starred in a Phillies television ad in 1986 dressed as Rambo.

These last three featured cards are all pitchers. These two there, Chris Bosio and Curt Young, are both current major league pitching coaches. Young has served as the Athletics' pitching coach. In 2011, he'll be the Red Sox pitching coach. Chris Bosio served this past season as pitching coach for the Brewers.

The other pitcher is not thinking about being a coach. He's still thinking about pitching. It's the ageless Jamie Moyer. He just told The Seattle Times that, despite his Tommy John surgery, he's looking to return in 2012 - when he's almost 50.

"A lot of people have seen signs over the course of my career that I should quit or retire," Moyer told The Times recently. "In all honesty, I just don't feel like I'm ready to give it up. I feel I'm entitled to make my own decision."
1987 Donruss Pack 1
62 Glenn Wilson
66 Will Clark
67 Ozzie Virgil
102 Steve Balboni
164 Eric Show
196 Frank Viola
201 Steve Trout
315 Jamie Moyer
325 David Palmer
332 Alan Ashby
343 Rudy Law
344 Curt Young
421 Joe Sambito
460 Joey Meyer
477 Jim Traber
478 Chris Bosio
Puzzle 31-33; Clemente's right hand

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Jason Maas got big single-A hit; Made AAA in seven seasons

Jason Maas 1990 Columbus Clippers card

The Fort Lauderdale Yankees were vying for a spot in the Florida State League championship game in late August 1987 and Jason Maas wasn't in the lineup. That was actually part of Fort Lauderdale Manager Buck Showalter's plan. And it worked.

Put in as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning Aug. 29, Maas smacked a two-run double, putting Fort Lauderdale over the top and sending them to the championship series, The South Florida Sun Sentinel wrote.

"When you make out a lineup, you always try to leave people in the dugout who you have confidence in to deliver in a tight situation," Showalter told The Sun Sentinel of Maas. "And he certainly wasn't the only one."

While he helped single-A Fort Lauderdale that year, and would help Yankee teams as high as AAA Columbus, Mass would not make the Yankees in the Bronx or any other major league team.

He would retire in 1991, after seven seasons in the Yankees system, and not on good terms with his parent club.

Maas career began in 1985, selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the draft out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Maas' college days also took him to Alaska, where he played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in 1984.

Maas was taken a year ahead of his brother Kevin Maas, who was also selected by the Yankees. The two even played together at several points in their minor league careers.

Jason Maas started his Yankee career at short-season Oneonta in 1985, hitting .286 in 67 games. He moved to single-A Fort Lauderdale in 1986, his average dropping to .259.

Maas split 1987 between single-A Prince William and Fort Lauderdale, playing Fort Lauderdale into the championship series. Between the two, he hit .254. His time at Prince William, however, was the less successful of the two, hitting just ..197 in 45 games.

That June, for Fort Lauderdale, the Maas brothers combined for seven hits, four of them Jason's, in a 9-2 win over St. Petersburg, The Sun Sentinel wrote.

Jason Maas made AA Albany-Colonie in 1988, the first of two years he would spend with the Eastern League team. He hit .271 his first year and .296 the next.

In 1988, Maas again helped his team to the league finals, playing with the team the whole season, The Schenectady Gazette wrote. In July, Maas smacked three hits and knocked in five against Pittsfield.

Maas credited a winning series in mid-August with putting the A-C Yanks on course for the playoffs.

"We all started hitting, and for the first time, we all started thinking about the playoffs," Mass told The Gazette.

Maas made AAA Columbus in 1990, hitting .248 for the Clippers. But, while his brother had a break-out second half in the Bronx, Jason Maas stayed behind in the minors. And he returned to Columbus in 1991.

The second year at Columbus, Maas hit .352 in 30 games. But his career ended after a dispute with the big club. Maas asked for his release, not believing the Yankees were going to bring him up. The Yankees refused. Maas responded by retiring and making plans to go to college.

"They never treated him well," brother Kevin Maas told a reporter in early August. Kevin Maas also went into a slump after the dispute came to a head. "It's sad to see my brother end up on that type of note."
Jason Maas 1990 Columbus Clippers card
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 352/880 - 40.0%
Players/Coaches Featured:
359
Made the Majors:
244 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:
115-32%
-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:
103
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
97