For the next week or two

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For the next week or two, this should be my last regular post. My mother, who always shared my love of baseball and the Chicago Cubs, passed away today at the age of 68. I hope to be writing about the game we both loved again soon. -Steve, The Greatest 21 Days - 12/20/11

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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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Edwin Valentin saw 3 seasons, single-A, from Puerto Rico

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Edwin Valentin had a good night in this early April 1990 game, according to The Asheville Times .  Valentin went 3 for 5 and knocked in two runs in the 19-6 Asheville win, The Times wrote . Valentin had that night at the outset of his third pro season . It also proved to be his last. He topped out at single-A. Valentin's career began in 1988, signed by the Astros as a free agent out of his native Puerto Rico . Valentin was also credited as Ed Valentin. Valentin started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw nine games and hit .292. He moved to short-season Auburn for 1989. He got into 57 games there and hit .214. He also had 12 RBI and seven stolen bases. For 1990, he started at single-A Asheville. He singled and scored in a mid-April game. He ended up getting into 15 games by early May. He went 11 for 45, a .244 average. He then got his release . That season marked his last as a pro . Asheville Times, April 8, 1990: Tourists Rip Rainbows More:  The 1990 ...
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Bryan Foster improved enough for 5 pro seasons, high-A

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Newly minted Brewers minor leaguer Bryan Foster got limited playing time early at rookie Helena in 1986, but the Indianapolis-area product looked past that, he told The Indianapolis Star that July. "I'm learning an awful lot," Foster told The Star then. "It's disappointing that I don't get to play more, but I'm improving. Just working out every day, taking infield practice and B.P. helps." Foster eventually improved enough to make five pro seasons with the Brewers and Astros . He topped out a high-A. Foster's career began in 1986, taken by the Brewers in the eighth round of the draft out of North Central High School in Indianapolis. At North Central, Foster drew high praise from his coach Tom Bradley the month before the draft, as the coach told The Star of the college and professional scouts watching him. "He's the most outstanding shortstop in the state," Bradley told The Star . "He is an all-around ball player. He is e...
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T.J. Lucin hoped to be FMLBBP, saw 2 seasons, single-A

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T.J. Lucin 's main goal was so ingrained in his playing that he wrote it on each piece of equipment he had - "FMLBBP," The Berwyn Life wrote upon his selection by the Astros in the 1989 draft. The abbreviation stood for "future major league baseball player," The Life wrote . "It's something I've always dreamed of," Lucin told The Life . "In the past, I've done it, but I wasn't so outward about it." Lucin took a big step toward that goal with his selection that June. But he couldn't sustain his momentum. Lucin ended up playing two seasons . He topped out at single-A. Lucin's career began that June, taken by the Astros in the 21st round of the draft out of Morton College in Illinois. Lucin was also credited by his given first name, Anthony Lucin. Lucin arrived at Morton after transferring from Pima Community College in Arizona, as the team needed a catcher. He homered in a May 1989 game for Morton. As Morton prepared...
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Interview Part 1: Chad Swanson, Good Pitches

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Chad Swanson gave up his first professional home run at Beloit's Pohlman Field in 1987. Photo is of Pohlman in 2014. (Greatest 21 Days) Part 1: Good Pitches | Part 2: Midwest Kid The pitch was probably four inches off the plate and about six off the ground. Throwing it was new Kenosha Twin Chad Swanson , who was just starting his professional career. The player he was facing: Future major leaguer and then-Beloit Brewer Greg Vaughn . "He swung, let go with his right hand and hit it out to the opposite field," Swanson recalled recently to The Greatest 21 Days. "I thought if I give up home runs on pitches like that, I better never throw a strike," Swanson added laughing. He went on to throw enough good pitches for a professional career that spanned four seasons. He never saw AA, but he did see The Chicago Tribune. Swanson made The Tribune for a prank he and a teammate pulled on two umpires, locking the umps in their hotel room using nothing but...
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1990 CMC Pre-Rookie Set

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Features of each member of the 1990 CMC Pre-Rookie Set. Click the names to read about the players. Features were posted from 2010 to 2012. Cards Featured in the 1990 CMC set: 880 Players/Coaches Featured: 891 Number Who Made the Majors: 608 Never Made the Majors: 283 5+ Seasons in the Majors: 271 10+ Seasons in the Minors: 163 1990 CMC Pre-Rookie Set 1 - Stan Belinda , No Comparison, 9/22/11 2 - Gordon Dillard , Reasonable Success, 5/1/11 3 - Terry Collins , Life in Baseball, 2/7/12 4 - Mark Huismann , Way To Break In, 7/28/10 5 - Hugh Kemp , Big Story, 10/24/10, Interview 6 - Scott Medvin , Best Shot, 3/9/11 7 - Vicente Palacios , He Did, 9/8/11 8 - Rick Reed , Another Chance, 12/19/10 9 - Mark Ross , Got to Stay, 7/8/11 10 - Dorn Taylor , As Good, 6/21/12 11 - Mike York , New Start, 10/21/11 12 - Jeff Richardson , Family Man, 1/27/11 13 - Dann Bilardello , Big Moment, 6/24/10, Interview 14 - Tom Prince , Clean Hit, 4/2/10 15 - Danny Sheaffer , Uniform t...
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Mike Frauenhoffer helped his college to three NAIA World Series appearances; Saw single pro season

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The 1990 season underway, The Great Falls Tribune asked the rookie league Dodgers, including Mike Frauenhoffer , about their greatest thrill. Frauenhoffer looked to his college accomplishments for his: "Three NAIA World Series appearances," his Tribune entry read . While he appeared in those three series for the College of St. Francis, Frauenhoffer's professional appearances proved limited. He played that one season at Great Falls and got into 41 games , marking the extent of his pro career. Frauenhoffer's pro career began and ended that year in 1990, signed by the Dodgers out of the the College of St. Francis in Illinois. At St. Francis, Frauenhoffer helped his school to those NAIA appearances and helped them in the appearances.  He hit .375 in 1989 and helped eliminate IUPUI with an 11th inning single. In the 1990 tournament, he led the field with 20 assists. He also knocked in two runs in one series win and three in another off a tripl...
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