Tony Blasucci won praise upon AA promotion, passed in 2014

 Tony Blasucci earned his promotion to AA Birmingham in late July 1987, posting nine saves and a 2.31 ERA.

The promotion left officials with his old team, single-A Daytona Beach only able to praise him and try and fill the hole left by his departure.

"We just knew if we were leading, 5-4, in the eighth inning," Daytona Beach owner Blake Cullen told The Orlando Sentinel of Blasucci, "that we were going to win."

But, while Blasucci would see himself promoted to AA, and later AAA, he would never see himself promoted to the majors.

Blasucci's career began in 1983, taken by the Pirates in the first round of the June draft out of Florida State University.

He played his first year at short-season Watertown, going 1-7 in 14 starts, with a 3.84 ERA. From there, Blasucci moved to single-A Macon and Prince William, posting an ERA of 5.54 between them.

He returned to Prince William for an abbreviated one-game season in 1985, and a longer, but still abbreviated 1986, with seven outings between Prince William and short-season Tri-Cities, marking his last season in the Pirates system.

The Greatest 21 Days caught up with Tony Blasucci in January 2012, read the three-part interview: Tony Blasucci, Pumped Up

That promotion to Birmingham in 1987 marked Blasucci's first time spent above single-A, in his first year in the White Sox system.

The promotion came after a stretch with single-A Daytona Beach where Blasucci saved four games in the span of one week. In that fourth save, The Sentinel wrote, Blasucci came in with the bases loaded in the eighth, coming up with a strike out to end the frame.

At Birmingham that year, Blasucci continued that good pitching, posting an ERA of 2.70 in 12 outings.

Going into 1988, Blasucci was even mentioned by The Chicago Tribune as among a group competing for a bullpen job in Chicago. But Blasucci spent the year largely back at AA Birmingham.

He did get a look at AAA with Vancouver, not allowing a run in two innings of work there. Between the two, Blasucci posted a stellar 0.74 ERA in 24 total outings.

In 1989, Blasucci spent 26 games at Vancouver and another 13 back at Birmingham. He picked up nine saves between them, five at Birmingham and four at Vancouver. His fourth at Birmingham was a four-out save in May. At Vancouver, though, he posted an ERA of 3.75, unable to get a call up to the White Sox.

Blasucci's final year in pro ball was his next one, 1990. Signing with the Mariners, Blasucci started off the season at AAA Calgary, striking out eight in four innings of work April 9. But it wasn't enough, he spent the year between Calgary and AA Williamsport, posting an ERA of 4.15 on the season to end his career.

Blasucci passed away May 28, 2014, from injuries suffered in a boating accident.

Updated June 2014 with news of his passing

• Orlando Sentinel, July 17, 1987: Bertolani, Pitching Lead Admirals, 3-0
• Orlando Sentinel, Aug. 2, 1987: Admirals' Ship Not Sunk Yet

More: The 1990 Calgary Cannons

1990 CMC Tally 
Cards Featured: 480/880 - 54.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 491
Made the Majors: 328 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:163-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 114

Steve Lankard, His Personality - 152

Steve Lankard's knee was "just like corn bread, just pieces, just pieces all over the place," he told The Los Angeles Times.

With days left to go in the 1988 season, the pitcher had taken a ball hard off his kneecap. Surgery put the knee back together, but the comeback was a difficult one.

"I know Lank and his personality," Lankard's pitching coach the next year at AA Tulsa Jeff Andrews told The Times. "I knew that if anybody could come back, he would be the one. For him to be throwing when I talked to him in January was nothing short of a miracle."

Though Lankard came back for 1989, getting into 35 games at Tulsa and 10 more at AAA Oklahoma City, his comeback didn't last. He returned to Oklahoma City for 1990, but got into just 12 games, ending his career.

Lankard's professional career began in 1985, selected by the Rangers in the 20th round of the draft out of Long Beach State.

He played that first professional season between the Rangers' rookie Gulf Coast League team and single-A Burlington. Between them, he posted an ERA of 1.19.

Lankard moved to single-A Salem and his ERA moved to 5.12, he also had a record of 9-9. In 1987, Lankard pitched in the Florida State League, at Charlotte. He went 9-7 in 66 relief appearances, with an ERA back down to 2.44.

Lankard also made the Florida State League all-star team, picking up 17 saves on the year.

He played 1988 at AA Tulsa, going 4-3 with a 3.78 ERA, before that late-season knee injury. Coming back, Lankard got into 35 games with Tulsa in 1989, with an ERA of 3.12.

By mid-July,though, Lankard was in Oklahoma City, playing at AAA, telling The Times where was no way he was going to quit. He also had advice for others looking to play in the game.

"I would say, 'You've been told ever since you started playing the game, to have fun. If it's not fun, then get out of the game,' " Lankard told The Times. "Work your butt off and strive for your goals."

Lankard's final year was his next, with 12 outings at Oklahoma City. He posted an ERA of 5.13 and he was done.

• Los Angeles Times, May 9, 1989: Lankard Makes Pitch at Comeback
• Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1989: They Could Provide Some Major League Advice ... Just Ask

1990 CMC TallyCards Featured: 479/880 - 54.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 490Made the Majors: 328 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:162-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 114

Tom LeVasseur came to play each day over six seasons; Made AAA, ended short of bigs

Tom LeVasseur amassed a 15-game hitting streak his in his first pro year at short-season Spokane. He'd also done well in the field.

Both prompted praise from his manager Rob Picciolo, according to The Spokane Chronicle.

"He's been so consistent physically and as far as emotional leadership on the team goes," Picciolo told The Chronicle. "Every day he comes to play. He performs well every day. I'll take him as far as any shortstop in the league."

LeVasseur came to play for six professional seasons, but he never was able to come to play in the majors. He got as high as AAA, and he also got to play in Italy, but he never got to play in the bigs.

LeVasseur did go on to teach those qualities to younger players, as both a coach and manager in the minors.

LeVasseur's professional career began that year in 1986, selected by the Padres in the 8th round of the draft out of San Diego State University.

With San Diego State that May, LeVasseur helped the Aztecs to a 2-1 win over Hawaii with a sacrifice fly.

"I didn't want to pull the trigger until I got something I could hit in the air," LeVasseur told The Los Angeles Times after that Aztec win. "As soon as I hit it, I knew it was deep enough."

LeVasseur spent his first professional year at short-season Spokane. There, he hit .372 in 53 games, including that 15-game hitting streak. That was despite being out three weeks with a finger injury.

He moved to single-A Reno for 1987, hitting 3.275 with 48 RBI. He stayed at single-A Riverside for 1988, then moved to AA Wichita for 1989. At Wichita, LeVasseur hit .270.

But, with a move to AAA Las Vegas in 1990, that average plummeted to .218. It was his last year in affiliated ball until 1994. In the meantime, he played in Italy.

He returned with the Mariners in 1994, playing at AAA Calgery and coaching, The Times wrote. For 1995, he was managing in the Arizona Rookie League. It was starting at the bottom for LeVasseur.

"This is the heart of the game," LeVasseur told The Times of his first managerial gig. "There are no fundamentals here. Anyone who had a command of the fundamentals wouldn't be here."

LeVasseur managed two years in the rookie league, two more at single-A Clinton, then two at high-A Rancho Cucamonga. He's also spent time as a scout.

What happened to the rest of the 1990 Las Vegas Stars? Find out

• Los Angeles Times, May 10, 1986: SDSU Beats Hawaii, 2-1, in the Ninth
• Spokane Chronicle, Aug. 27, 1986: Tribe stages home finale, Part 2
• Los Angeles Times, July 28, 1995: Management Decision

1990 CMC Tally

Cards Featured: 479/880 - 54.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 490

Made the Majors: 328 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:162-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 114

Ballgames and Space Shuttles

The space shuttle Endeavor takes off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., May 16, 2011, as seen from the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville.

See that picture right there? I have the Florida Marlins, the baseball scheduling gods and a friend's wedding shower to thank for that.

That's the space shuttle Endeavor taking off from Cape Canaveral May 16. My wife and I got to see it take off from nearby Titusville, fulfilling a childhood dream to see a shuttle take off. Before I was into baseball as a kid, I was into space.

And it's something I never would have seen, had it not been for the Marlins getting their agreement with the City of Miami for their new stadium, and the baseball schedulers getting the Cubs to Florida when they were.

This is the first opportunity I've had to recount our recent vacation. We spent May 14 to May 21 in The Sunshine State, packing all sorts of adventures into our short week there. For blog purposes, we hit hit three ball games, a Cubs-Marlins-Streaker game and two in the Florida State League.

A sign at Tutusville.

At the games, we saw three CMC set members at work, though I was unable to set up any interviews. I'll get some pictures and some accounts of those up sometime here.

But, for now, I'll just recount how we happened to be in Florida to see what is to be the second-to-last ever launch of a space shuttle.

The reason we were there was for the Marlins. They're building their new stadium there, set to open next year. That leaves this year as the last for the old stadium, Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphins/Land Shark/Sun Life Stadium.

Now, the Marlins stadium is no baseball cathedral by any means, as I'll get into more in depth in a separate post. But it was home to two World Series winners and I'd even gotten to see one of those clinchers, the 2003 clincher at Yankee Stadium.

The walk to the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville for the morning launch.

We'd done the same thing in 2009, planning a trip so we could see a game in the final year of the Metrodome.

We set up the Florida trip last winter. I'd never been to Florida, my wife had lived there for a couple years when she was young. I wanted to go in early April, but that was out. That's where the friend's wedding shower came in. My wife had to go to that.

Then I looked at the schedule. Well, the Cubs, my favorite team, were in Miami May 18 and 19. That was the obvious second choice. That was when we scheduled the trip.

It was only after we scheduled it, and purchased the plane tickets, that I remembered the shuttle. We were going to be in the neighborhood of Cape Canveral. When was the next launch? In April.

Had I thought of that, probably would have ditched the Cubs' series and scheduled it for that week. Good thing I didn't. A scheduling conflict, and a equipment failure, delayed the launch all the way to May 16. The exact week we'd be there.

The shadow of the space shuttle's trail as seen across the low-hanging clouds from Titusville.

It was awesome.

I did have to trade a trip to see the Rays in Tampa for the launch. But that was fine. We just picked up an extra Florida State League game, at Port St. Lucie.

For more information, especially for the last launch in July, check out LaunchPhotography.com. I came across the site while researching our trip and it had everything to prepare us for what to expect.

David Rohde, Made Adjustments - 621

Debuting earlier in the year, David Rohde had one of his best games yet, going 3-for-3 against the Mets in a 1-0 Astros victory.

"I'm just glad I got a chance to get a few hits," Rohde told UPI after the game, "and hopefully I can keep going."

It was among Rohde's best outings, not only on the year, but of his career. In 59 games that year, Rohde only got 15 more major league hits. He'd only get five more after that.

Rohde's professional career began in 1986, taken by the Astros in the fifth round of the draft out of the University of Arizona. At Arizona, he'd been a walk-on, but had early injury problems, The Los Angeles Times wrote.

Still, he helped the Wildcats to the 1986 College World Series Championship. Speaking to The Times after Rohde made the majors in 1990, his college coach credited Rohde with helping the team win, the scout that signed him, recounted the hard working kid that he signed.

"It's just something I've had to do," Rohde told The Times of working hard. "I would have loved to just plan on playing in the major leagues, but I took it one step at a time. It's what I've done all along. You make adjustments along the way. Know your abilities. . . . Know your limitations."

He played his first pro year at short-season Auburn, hitting .261 with 28 stolen bases. He moved to AA Columbus in 1988, hitting .267 with four home runs. A late Rohde RBI single helped Columbus to an early June win that year. He also took up switch-hitting that year.

Rohde got his first look at AAA in 1989, spending half the year at Tucson. He got his first look at Houston out of the gate in 1990.

"Rohde's one guy who did what he had to do," Bob Watson, the Astros' assistant GM told The Orlando Sentinel after Rohde made the team. "He applied himself and had a good spring."

In 59 games for Houston that year, though, Rohde hit just .184. He had five RBIs and no home runs. In 1991, Rohde returned to Houston, but was used sparsely. He got into 29 games and hit even worse, .122.

That June, Houston sent Rohde back to Tucson. Rohde didn't mind.

"I wasn't doing much of anything up there," Rohde told The Times. "When you're playing once every three weeks, it's not a real fun situation."

After that year, Rohde only had five major league games left, with the Indians in 1992. The Astros sent him to Cleveland with Kenny Lofton in exchange for Eddie Taubensee and Willie Blair.

He played the rest of 1992 at AAA Colorado Springs and moved to the Pirates system for 1993 and 1994 at AAA Buffalo. Rohde played one more year at AAA with the Astros and he was done. That June, he saw the end coming, he told The Times.

"Houston would have to show some genuine interest in me," Rohde told The Times. "I enjoy playing here and probably wouldn't play anywhere else. Moving your family around is not worth it when you cannot see future benefits. And I've got another 30 years of my life to get some other things done."

• Orlando Sentinel, April 7, 1990: Rohde Makes Astros' Roster
  
• Ellensburg Daily Record, UPI, July 19, 1990: Astro's Scott outduels Viola
• Los Angeles Times, Aug. 8, 1990: After Taking Long Trip to Majors, Rohde Takes It a Game at a Time
• Los Angeles Times, Aug. 19, 1991: Minor League Notebook
• Los Angeles Times, June 13, 1995: Rohde Might Be Ready to Let the Sun Go Down on His Career

1990 CMC TallyCards Featured: 478/880 - 54.3%
Players/Coaches Featured: 489 
Made the Majors: 328 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:161-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 114

Clemente Acosta pitched over seven pro seasons, made AA

Brought into the game in the seventh inning of this May 1988 game, Clemente Acosta was still pitching in the ninth, his team up 9 to 2.

Acosta, however, was still in line for the save - by the end of the seventh, Augusta had only been up by a run.

So, after starting off the ninth by giving up a double and a walk, Acosta settled back in and finished off his fourth save of the year, The Charleston Sunday Post/Courier wrote.

Though still May, the save ended up being the final save Acosta would record on the year. It would also be the second to last save he would record in his professional career.

The Dominican reliever would switch to starter two years later, then back to relieving. But, regardless of how he pitched, Acosta would never made the majors.

Acosta's career began in 1986, having been signed by the Pirates. Referred to then by his given first name, Jose Acosta, Acosta pitched for the Pirates' Gulf Coast League team. There, he made 20 relief appearances, with an ERA of 2.82. He also saved five games.

For 1987, Acosta moved to short-season Watertown, starting three games and coming into 17 others in relief. He went 2-3, with an ERA of 1.32, saving six.

He hit Augusta in 1988, saving those four contests. In 33 total relief appearances, he had an ERA of 3.96. He returned to August for 1989, posting a 5.29 ERA and saving a single game. It was his last season with the Pirates organization.

By 1990, Acosta was in the Angels organization, and going by his middle name, Clemente. He played that year largely at single-A Palm Springs, as a starter. He went 10-10 in 26 starts, with an ERA of 4.40.

He even got a two-game look at AA Midland that year, going 1-0. He returned to Midland for 1991, but in 37 games, six starts, he went 0-6. He also had an ERA of 7.28.

Acosta saw one more season, 12 appearances at Midland and his career was done, short of the majors.

• Charleston Sunday Post/Courier, May 7, 1988: Large crowd witnesses 'Bows' collapse, Part 2

More: The 1990 Palm Springs Angels

1990 CMC Tally

Cards Featured: 477/880 - 54.2%
Players/Coaches Featured: 488

Made the Majors: 327 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:161-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 114

Sal Agostinelli played 10 seasons, then scouted, instructed

The Phillies got a late start in the rush for Latin American talent, The Reading Eagle wrote in 1998.

Helping them make up for that, though, was scout Sal Agostinelli, a former catcher.

"I like it a lot," Agostinelli told The Reading Eagle in April 1998 of his move to the scouting ranks. "If you see a player you like and you work hard, you can sign him right away. A lot of it is time and effort. The more players you see, the more chance you have to see a guy who might be a special kid."

Among the players Agostinelli is credited with signing is the Phillies current catcher and Panamanian product Carlos Ruiz, a player who would spend six seasons in the minors before breaking out as the big league starter.

As a player himself, Agostinelli would spend as many and more seasons in the minors, but Agostinelli would never make the make the majors.

Agostinelli's playing career began in 1983, taken by the Cardinals in the 22nd round out of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

Read the February 2013 interview: Sal Agostinelli, Got Close

He played that first year between rookie ball in Johnson City and short-season Erie, hitting .247 between them.

For 1984 and 1985, Agostinelli caught in single-A, at Savannah in 1984 and St. Petersburg in 1985. He hit .234 at Savannah and .270 at St. Petersburg. In early September 1985, an Agostinelli single helped start a two-run rally.

The catcher also worked with and, when they did well, praised his pitchers.

"Paul was getting everything over tonight," Agostinelli told The St. Petersburg Evening Independent of his pitcher Paul Cherry's performance in a 5-1 win. "The bottom line was the fact that he changed speeds well and kept them off balance. "

Agostinelli made AA for the first time in 1986, at Arkansas. He made AAA Louisville briefly in 1987 and again in 1988, but never made St. Louis.

By 1989, Agostinelli was with the Phillies, the team he remains with as a scout today. He played that year at AA Reading, then spent much of 1990 with the AAA club at Scranton. His final year came in 1991, shuttling between single-A Clearwater, Reading and Scranton.

By 1993, Agostinelli was a scout. He returned to Reading in that capacity for a series in July 1993. To The Eagle, Agostinelli said being a scout was simply another way to stay involved in the game he loved.

"Well, I tell you," Agostinelli told The Eagle. "I always really enjoyed the game. I just love the game. I just love to be out here. To tell you the truth, I just enjoy being anywhere watching baseball."

Agostinelli has continued as a scout with the Phillies, long since serving as the Phillies international scouting supervisor, signing the likes of Ruiz.

Agostinelli and his scouts first spotted Ruiz as a second baseman. They quickly realized he was really a catcher.

"We thought he was too small for an infielder," Agostinelli told The Philadelphia Inquirer in April 2009. "I saw he had a good arm, and I saw he could swing the bat. When you sign a guy, you hope that he has the intangibles."

In addition to his scouting duties, Agostinelli also runs Sal Agostinelli's Long Island Baseball Academy in Kings Park, NY.

Read the February 2013 interview: Sal Agostinelli, Got Close

• St. Petersburg Evening Independent, Aug. 19, 1985: Paul Cherry kept his numbers together
• Reading Eagle, July 29, 1993: Sal Agostinelli is back again
• Reading Eagle, April 10, 1998: Agostinelli catches on as a scout
• Philadelphia Inquirer, April 4, 2009: Knowing staff catchers most important tool

More: The 1990 Scranton-Wilkes Barre Red Barons

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 476/880 - 54.1%
Players/Coaches Featured: 487 
Made the Majors: 327 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:160-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 114-X

Mike Loggins handled wall in college, saw 7 pro seasons, AAA

The Arkansas Razorbacks' original George Cole Field had a reputation, or at least its outfield wall did, according to author Nate Allen, with balls caroming off it "like a racquetball court."

The wall proved especially troublesome to young, incoming players not used to its quirks. Among those players, Allen wrote, was the freshman Mike Loggins.

"Playing that wall is like being sent to France," Loggins told Allen for Allen's book "More Tales from Hog Heaven." "And the only French you know is 'Oui, oui.'"

Loggins, however, soon learned how to handle that wall, and the outfield duties for the Razorbacks, earning All-American honors in 1985 and a third-round selection that year by the Royals.

But, while he was good enough to be selected high in the draft, and to make AAA for parts of five seasons, he was never good enough to be called up to the majors.

In that last year at Arkansas in 1985, Loggins helped eliminate top-ranked Stanford in the College World Series, sparking a rally with a lead-off double. In another series game, Loggins hit a two-run home run.

With the Royals, Loggins started at short-season Eugene, hitting .311 on the year with five home runs and 35 stolen bases. He had two hits in an early September game, and he made the league all-star team.

Loggins spent 1986 largely at single-A Fort Myers, hitting .307 with another 29 stolen bases. He also got a six-game look at AAA Omaha.

For 1987, Loggins spent the year at AA Memphis, hitting .282, with eight home runs and 17 stolen bases. He returned to AAA permanently for 1988, at Omaha.

In AAA, though Loggins' average dropped to .245. He got another 22 stolen bases and two home runs.

Loggins stayed with Omaha through 1990, hitting .264 in 1989 and .250 in 1990. In 1990, though, Loggins helped Omaha to the AAA Classic title, with a solo-home run in the championship game.

Loggins played just one more seasons, 25 games in 1991 with the Braves at AAA Richmond and his career was over.

Loggins did return one more time, though, in 1995 for replacement ball with the Royals. The replacement Royals, however, ran into trouble in a scrimmage against a college team, barely winning 3-1, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

Loggins told The Sentinel the game against the college team was almost a no-win situation for the replacement Royals.

"People are always going to have their opinions," Loggins told The Sentinel early that March. "Even if we beat them by 30 runs, people would have asked why didn't we beat them by more. All we can do is play to the best of our ability and let the chips fall where they may."

• Orlando Sentinel, March 3, 1995: Royals Rally Past Stetson, 3-1
  
• More Tales from Hog Heaven, 2004, Neal Allen: Page 159

More: The 1990 Omaha Royals

1990 CMC Tally

Cards Featured: 475/880 - 54.0%
Players/Coaches Featured: 486

Made the Majors: 327 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:159-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 113

Darrin Reichle, Rare Breed - 853

Pitching at single-A Charleston, S.C. in 1988, Darrin Reichle achieved a feat few pitchers achieve. Then he did it again.

He pitched a nine-inning no-hitter May 14, then a seven-inning no-hitter 16 days later.

"Darrin is big-league material," Reichle's pitching coach at Charleston, Gary Lance, told The Los Angeles Times later that year. "From what he's done already, and just watching him, you can't doubt that he's a rare breed."

While Reichle did a lot that year in 1988, his second season in the pros, Reichle didn't get to do much else. His was a career that spanned six seasons, getting as high as AA, but no higher.

Reichle's career began in 1987, selected by the Padres in the fourth round of the draft out of St. Leo University.

He played that first season at short-season Spokane and single-A Reno. At Spokane, Reichle went 4-1 in 10 starts, posting an ERA of 2.96. He picked up his loss in an early July contest, allowing the first three batters to score.

He got his second win days before, giving up three hits in six innings. His catcher in that game, Bob Lutticken, praised his pitcher afterward to The Spokane Spokesman-Review.

"He's a great pitcher," Lutticken told The Spokesman-Review. "I love catching him. He throws one of the 'heaviest' balls I've ever caught. It hurts my hand."

In a four-game look Reno that year, Reichle had difficulties, giving up 19 runs in 12.1 innings. He also picked up three losses in four outings.

But then came 1988 and single-A Charleston, S.C., those two no-hitters and a hot start. Despite that start, the Padres chose to keep him in single-A. Team farm director Tom Romenesko told Reichle's hometown Orlando Sentinel he needed work.

"He's not ready to move up," Romenesko told The Sentinel. "If you look at the numbers he had at Reno last year after we moved him out of the rookie league, you'll know what I mean."

Reichle stayed at Charleston for the remainder of the season, going 10-3, with an ERA of 2.84. For 1989, though, he only moved to single-A Riverside. There, he went 10-10, with an ERA of 4.15.

And he returned to Riverside for 1990, starting just six games, going 0-2. It was in 1991 that Reichle saw his only time at AA. He went 4-3 in 14 starts, with a 5.02 ERA, finishing out his affiliated career.

One final season in independent ball in 1995, playing with Aberdeen in the Prairie League, and Reichle was done. He finished strong, picking up 14 wins in the independent circuit, with no losses.

• Spokane Spokesman-Review, July 3, 1987: Tribe explodes to rout Boise before crowd of 6,727, Part 2
• Orlando Sentinel, June 12, 1988: Padres Taking It Easy With Oviedo's Reichle
• Los Angeles Times, Aug. 26, 1988: Despite 2 No-Hitters, Reichle Will Proceed Slowly With Padres

1990 CMC Tally 
Cards Featured: 474/880 - 53.9%
Players/Coaches Featured: 485
Made the Majors: 327 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:158-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 113

Paul Abbott returned from injuries to have best ML seasons

Paul Abbott spent time in the majors in parts of four seasons, from 1990 through 1993. He didn't make it back to the majors for five more years, until 1998, injuries helping to conspire to keep him in the minors.

But he made it back. He returned with the Mariners in 1998, helping them make playoff runs in 2000 and 2001. In 2001, he recorded 17 wins to 4 losses.

"Coming back from those injuries taught me a lot," Abbott told The New York Daily News before his 2000 ALCS start. "(I don't take) things for granted."

Abbott ended up playing in parts of 11 major league seasons before his career was finally out in 2004. That year was also his 20th professional season, his start coming back in 1985, taken by the Twins in the third round of the draft.

Abbott played that first season at rookie Elizabethton. He spent the next three seasons in single-A, at Kenosha and Visalia. He made AA Orlando in 1989, then AAA Portland in 1990.

The Greatest 21 Days caught up with Paul Abbott in August 2011, read the two-part interview: Paul Abbott, First Half

He also made Minnesota in 1990, debuting Aug. 21. In that debut, Abbott went just three innings, giving up seven runs. He also walked five. The Twins lost 8-7.

"I got enough run support and I just couldn't capitalize," Abbott told The Associated Press afterward. "Obviously I was out of control at times. My whole career, it has been walks."

Abbott started seven games for the Twins that year, he lost five and won none. His ERA was 5.97. He returned to Minnesota for 1991, getting into 15 games, mostly in relief. He had six relief appearances with the Twins in 1992.

He signed with the Indians for 1993, starting five games. He got his next major league start five years later, in September 1998. In the meantime, he went through the Royals, Cubs and Padres systems. He landed with the Mariners for 1997.

It was Sept. 9, 1998 that Abbott got his next start and win. He went 5.2 innings and gave up two runs. It was his first win since July 12, 1991, The AP wrote.

"This was huge," Abbott told The AP after that win. "It's a monkey off my back. ... something I really needed to do. I was nervous, but I've been working too hard and come too far to beat myself."

Two years later, he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. On Sept. 3, 2000, Abbott didn't give up a hit until one out in the eighth.

"You always shoot for a no-hitter," Abbott told The AP after that performance. "Once you give up a hit, you shoot for a shutout. Then you shoot for a complete game. That's basically how you attack your game plan."

In 2001, Abbott posted an ERA of 4.25, but he also went 17-4. At one point, he won nine in a row. In the ALCS that year, Abbott pitched five no-hit innings against the Yankees in Game 4. But he also walked eight and picked up the loss.

Abbott returned to Seattle for 2002, but he only got into seven games, starting five. In those outings, he went just 1-3, with an ERA north of 11. He finished out his career with the Royals in 2003 and the Devil Rays and Phillies in 2004. He played one more year in independent ball in 2005, finishing out his career.

Abbott, however, is still in baseball, serving as a coach in the Golden Baseball League and, in 2011, as pitching coach for the short-season Lowell Spinners.

The Greatest 21 Days caught up with Paul Abbott in August 2011, read the two-part interview: Paul Abbott, First Half

• Lawrence Journal-World, Associated Press, Aug. 22, 1990: Royals win marathon, 8-7, as Abbott, Campbell debut
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, Sept. 10, 1998: M's Abbott makes sure long wait was worth it
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, Sept. 4, 2000: Abbott pitches a gem for the M's, Part 2
• New York Daily News, Oct. 14, 2000: Postseason Just Dessert For Abbott

More: The 1990 Portland Beavers

1990 CMC Tally

Cards Featured: 474/880 - 53.9%
Players/Coaches Featured: 485

Made the Majors: 327 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:158-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 136-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 113

Dennis Powell got big-league pitcher label, saw 8 ML seasons

All Reds manager Pete Rose could do after Dennis Powell's August 1986 performance was compliment the opposing pitcher.

Powell went 7.2 innings that night, giving up three hits in his first start in four months.

"It just goes to show when you've got a big-league pitcher out there, you've got to score runs," Rose told The Associated Press after the game. "We didn't play well today."

That big-league pitcher was in his second season in the majors. He would go on to be a big-league pitcher in a total of eight, serving as both a starter and a reliever.

Powell's professional career began in 1983, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent 19-year-old. He played that year in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit AA San Antonio in 1984 then AAA Albuquerque in 1985.

He also made Los Angeles in 1985, getting into 16 games for the Dodgers that year, starting two. In those 16 games, Powell posted an ERA of 5.22. He made his first major league start July 28, giving up four runs in four innings.

Powell told The Los Angeles Times after that start that he believed his problem was that he kept falling behind in the count.

"But I remember what (minor league pitching instructor) Larry Sherry told me," Powell told The Times. "You've got to keep your head up. I'm in Los Angeles now. I wasn't nervous. I was looking forward to today and I'm looking forward to my next opportunity."

Powell got those two starting opportunities in 1985, then six more in 1986. In 1986, Powell also served as a reliever in 21 other games. In all, he went 2-7, with a 4.27 ERA.

For 1987, the Dodgers traded Powell to the Mariners. He stayed with the Mariners for three seasons, getting into 16 games his first year and 12 the next, mostly as reliever. In his third season, Powell got into 43, posting a 5.00 ERA.

Between the three seasons, Powell started six games, including a spot-start in May 1989 where he went four innings and gave up five runs. Powell told UPI after that May 1989 game he wasn't prepared for the start, he'd been told he was starting 90 minutes before taking the mound.

"You come to the park thinking differently," Powell told UPI after that 1989 start. "I didn't know how long I would last and I just wanted to do the best I could to keep us in the game."

Powell started 1990 with the Mariners, but was released by May. He signed that May 7 with the Brewers, sent to AAA Denver. He returned to the majors by June, getting into nine games for Milwaukee, starting seven.

He returned to the Mariners for 1991, spending the year at AAA. But he had two big league seasons yet to come, the two seasons where he saw his most work.

In 1992, Powell returned to Seattle, coming into 49 games as a reliever. He picked up four wins to two losses, with a 4.58 ERA. He picked up one of those 1992 wins in a late May relief appearance.

"I feel real important to the team," Powell told The AP after that win. "They're putting me in game situations. I'm happy to do what I'm doing, just helping the team."

Powell got into another 33 games in 1993, starting two of them. His ERA that year at 4.15. It was his final year in the majors. Powell pitched in 1994 at AAA Nashville, with the White Sox, then moved to Japan for a year with the Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan. He returned for five more outings in 1996 at AAA with the Orioles, ending his career.

• Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1985: Cubs Get Breaks, Snap Dodger Streak
  
• Madison Courier, Associated Press, Aug. 11, 1986: Powell hurls 3-hitter for LA
• Ellensburg Daily Record, UPI, May 30, 1989: Crippled M's fall to Yankees
• Ellensburg Daily Record, Associated Press, May 30, 1992: Powell turns corner, helps Mariners win

More: The 1990 Denver Zephyrs

1990 CMC Tally

Cards Featured: 473/880 - 53.8%
Players/Coaches Featured: 484

Made the Majors: 326 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:158-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 135-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 113

Rob Sepanek, Played For - 221

Taken in the sixth round of the 1984 draft by the Braves, Rob Sepanek was only given a year to prove that sixth round status.

He hit just .219 at single-A Anderson that year and the Braves gave him his release.

"I thought it wasn't enough time for them to make any kind of decision about me as far as being a prospect," Sepanek told The Schenectady Gazette in 1988. "After I was released, I wrote letters to to 12 or 15 clubs, hoping to catch on with someone."

That someone he caught on with was the Yankees. Sepanek went on to play six seasons with the Yankees, getting as high as AAA. But he never made the majors.

Sepanek's career began that year in 1984, taken by the Braves out of Eastern Michigan University. He played that season at Anderson, hitting three home runs and knocking in 21.

For 1985, he was with the Yankees at short-season Oneonta, his average improving to .275. He also hit five home runs and moved to single-A Fort Lauderdale for 1986.

With Fort Lauderdale, Sepanek hit .261 with 10 home runs. He hit two of those home runs in one August game, helping the Fort Lauderdale Yankees to an 8-2 win.

In 1987, at single-A Prince William, Sepanek's home run total ballooned to 25. His batting average also increased to .306. A solo Sepanek home run in early August helped Prince William to an 8-3 win.

His 1987 performance earned Sepanek a promotion to AA Albany-Colonie for 1988. But his year was a short one. He only played in 24 games that year, hitting just .212.

With Albany in 1989, Sepanek hit .264, with another 22 home runs. He hit his 14th home run, a three-run shot, in late July.

But Sepanek only got one more year, making AAA Columbus for 45 games in 1990, the highest he would get. He played another 17 games with the Reds at AA Chattanooga, ending his career.

While Sepanek didn't make the majors, he did get to play in a minor league post season. In 1989, Sepanek helped Albany to its second-consecutive Eastern League championship.

"This is what you play all year for," Sepanek told The Gazette as the A-C Yankees moved on to the finals. "I'd be lying to you if I said we're not playing to win."

• Schenectady Gazette, April 16, 1988: Balk Rule Lengthens Games, Takes Away Bunt
• Schenectady Gazette, Sept. 6, 1989: A-C Opens Final Series In Harrisburg

1990 CMC TallyCards Featured: 472/880 - 53.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 483Made the Majors: 325 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:158-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 135
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 113

Mike DeButch, Didn't Complain - 366

The Greatest 21 Days caught up with Mike DeButch in November 2011, read the three-part interview: Mike DeButch, New Opportunities

Called up to AAA Tidewater from AA Jackson in 1989, Mike DeButch was told by the Mets they weren't sure how long he'd be there.

He ended up spending 95 games there.

"It could have been a short stay, depending on how quickly the guys in the big leagues healed. I just didn't know and that made it a little tough," DeButch told The Newport News Daily Press that June. "But I wasn't going to complain. I was surprised to get called up, but I wanted to contribute any way I could."

While DeButch got called up to AAA Tidewater in 1989, he would never get called up to the majors. He spent nine seasons in the minors, getting a total of 179 games at AAA, but he got no higher.

DeButch's career began in 1984, taken by the Padres in the 8th round out of Bradley University. At Bradley, DeButch did well enough to earn a plaque in the school's Hall of Fame.

DeButch played that first year at short-season Spokane. At Spokane, DeButch hit .238 with eight doubles. In August, DeButch smacked a two-run single, helping his team to an 8-5 win.

"I just tried to hit the ball hard when I came up," DeButch told The Spokane Spokesman-Review after that game. "I figured if I hit it hard, it would get into play somewhere."

DeButch made AA Beaumont in 1986, but returned to AA for 1987 and 1988. In mid-1988, DeButch joined the Mets system, sent to AA Jackson. It was in 1989, the DeButch made AAA for the first time, at Tidewater.

In July 1989 with Tidewater, DeButch knocked in three runs against Richmond. He had a total of 19 RBIs on the year for the Tides.

Returning to Tidewater for 1990, DeButch knocked the game-winner in a June game, on a squeeze play.

"Anytime you get do do something to win the game like that you feel good," DeButch told The Daily Press. "We battled today. Hopefully, we'll get some momentum going and get back into the race. We need to do the little things to win. The little things give us a chance."

DeButch played just two more seasons, an abbreviated two-game stint with the White Sox at AAA Vancouver in 1991 and then 95 games with the Tigers, at AA London in 1992.

But, back in 1989, DeButch was looking forward to a future where he made the majors. Being a utility player was fine with him, as long as he got there, he told The Daily Press.

"I just want a chance to get up there," DeButch told The Daily Press in late August. "Once I'm there, then maybe I can impress someone enough to get a look at one position. The thing is, though, you have to get there first."

• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Aug. 3, 1984: Five in the sixth lift Indians before 5,825
  
• Newport News Daily Press, June 15, 1989: Tides' DeButch Playing His Way Closer To Permanent Status
• Newport News Daily Press, Aug. 22, 1989: Small Tide Makes Large Waves With Versatility, Hitting Ability
• Newport News Daily Press, June 11, 1990: Tides Squeeze Out 6-5 Victory After Losing 10 of 14 Games

1990 CMC TallyCards Featured: 471/880 - 53.5%
Players/Coaches Featured: 482Made the Majors: 325 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:157-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 135
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 113