Leo Perez, Good One - 865

Leo Perez' season at single-A Beloit in 1988 was a good one.

The Brewers farmhand went 10-8 in the Midwest League, starting 17 games. His ERA, though, was sterling, posting a 2.05 mark with 124 strikeouts in 122.2 innings of work.

It was enough to get him on the Brewers' 40-man roster going into spring training 1989. But, for Perez, it wasn't enough to get him to the majors.

Perez played in four seasons of affiliated ball, never getting above high A.

Perez' career began in 1987, signed by the Brewers out of his native Mexico. Perez played that first season at single-A Stockton. He got into two games in relief, giving up four earned runs in 4.1 innings of work.

In 1988, he hit single-A Beloit, having that season where he gave up 28 earned runs, including six home runs, in those 122 innings of work.

He also had five complete games, tying for the league lead. He also lead the Midwest League in strikeouts, wins and ERA.

That season in 1988 also proved to be Perez' only complete season. Going into 1989, Perez reported knee soreness. Recovered enough to play, Perez went 1.1 innings in one spring game, not giving up a run.

But, during the season, Perez returned to Stockton. He also only got five starts, without a decision. He got another five starts at Stockton in 1990, then two outings back in rookie ball in 1991, finishing out his affiliated career.

Perez was later credited with playing in the Mexican League, including from 2000 to 2003, playing mainly with Cordoba and spending time with Veracruz.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 596/880 - 67.7%
Players/Coaches Featured: 607
Made the Majors: 407 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:200-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 174
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 130

Mark Razook, Legion Ball - 756

It wasn't so much his high school play that got Mark Razook a scholarship at Cal-State Fullerton, The Los Angeles Times wrote in 1986.

It was Razook's play in American Legion ball, The Times wrote.

"If I wasn't playing Legion ball, I wouldn't be where I'm at now," Razook told The Times. "I would've gone to a junior college and tried to get drafted out of there."

Instead, he went to Fullerton and was drafted from there, taken by the Mariners in the 16th round of the 1988 draft.

Razook's success in American Legion ball and at Fullerton, though, was short-lived. He spent only three seasons in the pros, getting to AA Williamsport, but his career ended before he could get any higher.

Razook was taken by the Mariners as his Fullerton team vied for the 1988 College World Series title. Fullerton was eliminated from contention in the second-to-last game by Stanford. In that game, Razook scored his team's first run, but struck out later to end the game.

Earlier in his college career, Razook hit two home runs in one February 1987 game, leading Fullerton to a 9-7 win over Cal. He repeated that feat that May, with two home runs against the University of the Pacific.

In March 1986, Razook recorded two hits and two RBIs in a Fullerton win. He also played a summer of 1987 in Alaska.

Days after Fullerton's loss to Stanford in June 1988, Razook signed with the Mariners.

With the Mariners, Razook started at single-A Wausau, hitting just .199 in 63 games. He hit two home runs and knocked in 22.

He returned for 22 more games at Wausau in 1989, hitting .265 in 68 at bats. Moved up to AA Williamsport for 77 games, though, Razook hit just .238.

In 1990, what would turn out to be his final year in the pros, Razook played back at Williamsport. He also platooned much of the year at short, getting into 88 games. In that time, though, he hit just .171, with two home runs, ending is career.

• Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1986: A Summer of Seasoning

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 595/880 - 67.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 606
Made the Majors: 407 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:199-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 174
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 130

Target Extreme Repack: Biggest Adjustment

Taken by the Astros in the second round in 1985, out of high school, Bert Hunter had trouble adjusting to the pros.

By 1988, his fourth season, Hunter was still in single-A, at Osceola. He hadn't hit higher than .262.

"Wooden bats are the biggest adjustment I've had to make," Hunter told The Orlando Sentinel that June. ''But it's starting to come around. For a while, it was a rude awakening. So was pitching.''

At Osceola that year, though, he would hit .233. He would also play through 1993, marking nine seasons as a pro, never hitting much better. He got brief looks at AAA, but he never got a look at the majors.

Hunter's 1991 Line Drive card came in that Target Extreme Repack, the one with the crazy sealed 2007 Topps Update pack. Hunter played 1990 at the Astros' AA team in Columbus. Members of that team made the larger CMC set that year, but Hunter did not.

Other, actual members of the CMC set in the pack were Mike Perez, Bob Sebra, Reggie Jefferson and Travis Fryman.

The Mike Perez in the repack was his 1992 Donruss The Rookies card. In 1992, Perez was actually coming off his second season with time in the majors. He debuted with 13 outings with the Cardinals in 1990 and came back for 14 more in 1991.

He made the Donruss rookies set actually posting a worse ERA in 1991 than he did in 1990, 5.82 to 3.95. Donruss notes on the card back that Perez led the American Association in saves in 1990, earning his call up to St. Louis. At single-A Springfield in 1987, Perez saved 41 games, then a minor league record. Perez has yet to be featured here.

Bob Sebra appeared on his 1987 card coming off his second season in the majors. He went on to pitch in six big league seasons. His last came in 1990. His last pitch started a brawl. Sebra was featured here in June 2011.

His Topps card includes his stats back to 1983, his first season in the pros. Topps also goes back to 1982, noting he played that year in the Alaskan Summer League. Also, on April 17, 1976, Topps notes, Mike Schmidt hit four home runs in one game.

Reggie Jefferson appeared on his 1992 Donruss Triple Play card after his first season with time in the majors. Jefferson played 1991 between Cincinnati and Cleveland. He got into five games with the Reds before 26 games with the Indians.

Jefferson appeared in the CMC set as a member of the AAA Nashville Sounds. He was featured here in July 2010. The back of his Triple Play has this quote attributed to Jefferson: Always believe in yourself. If you believe you can accomplish something, go and do it."

Then there's Travis Fryman on his 2003 Donruss card. The card came as Fryman had already announced his retirement, announcing it in August 2002. As such, the card back includes his entire major league record, back to his debut in 1990.

Fryman debuted the year he appeared in the CMC set as a member of the AAA Toledo Mud Hens. He was featured here in September 2011.

The last card for now is another member of a CMC set, the other obvious one to come out of the Target Extreme Repack. It's Mike Huff, on his actual CMC card. Huff has yet to be featured here.

• Orlando Sentinel, June 5, 1988: Success Eluding Astros' Hunter

395 - Travis Fryman, Blue Collar, 9/28/11
147 - Reggie Jefferson, Inopportune Times, 7/9/10
136 - Bob Sebra, On Purpose, 6/22/11

Ricky Torres, Long Reliever - 218

Ricky Torres took over for the starter in the third inning. He then went on to eat 6.1 innings for AA Albany-Colonie in that 1988 contest, giving up just four hits and one run.

He also picked up the win.

"Ricky shut them down after that inning, and that's what a long reliever is supposed to do," Albany-Colonie manager Stump Merrill told The Schenectady Gazette. "If we had to go to the bullpen again, we'd be in trouble for a few days."

Torres shut them down that June, one of 19 games Torres got into that year at Albany. He ultimately posted a 3.52 ERA, and he returned to Albany in 1989.

Torres ultimately made it to AAA Columbus in 1990, but, in a career that saw time in eight seasons, Torres never made the majors.

Torres' career began in 1984, signed by the Yankees that year as an undrafted free agent. He played that first season at single-A Greensboro, going 8-4 as a starter, with a 3.69 ERA.

He played 1985 at short-season Oneonta and at single-A Fort Lauderdale. Between them, Torres went 7-7, with a 4.81 ERA.

That June, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote about Torres' strikeout work. He ultimately used his slider to punch out 107 in 92.1 innings of work. Though he threw that slider well, team officials tried to get him to work on his other pitches.

"We have to try to make him get more confidence in his fastball," Fort Lauderdale pitching coach Bill Monbouquette told The Sun-Sentinel. "We're also teaching him a sinker, which he can throw, but he won't with a couple of guys on. He's got to gain confidence."

Torres also got a single game at AA Albany in 1985, returning to Albany in 1987. In the meantime, he pitched back at Fort Lauderdale and single-A Prince William.

It was in 1987 that Torres moved from starting to relieving. He got into 51 games that year between Albany and Prince William, just one of those outings a start. He picked up eight saves for Prince William, getting his sixth in an early July outing.

Torres returned to Albany in 1989, getting into 24 outings, splitting between starting and relieving. He started 11 games. He went 6-4, with a 2.66 ERA.

That year, Torres also roomed with fellow Albany players Oscar Azocar and Bernie Williams. Williams recalled years later that Torres had the car of the three. Torres was also the cook.

"He was a great cook," Williams recalled in 2004 to BaseballFans.net. "He cooked Latin food mostly, rice and beans, shrimp, seafood. We would barbecue after the games, too, sometimes at 11 or 12 at night."

Torres got just one more season with the Yankees, 30 outings between Albany and AAA Columbus. He is recorded as returning to the pros in 1995, getting 32 outings, 11 starts, with the Expos at AAA Ottawa, ending his career.

Back in 1989, as Torres split his time between starting and relieving, Torres waited through four rainouts to start a game in May, filling in for an injured Mike Christopher. He ended up going 5.1 innings in the seven-inning double-header contest.

"Right now, I like relieving," Torres told The Gazette. "And I know Christopher is about ready. Relieving is a tough situation. You have to throw strikes, and there's usually people on base."

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 22, 1985: Slider Makes Torres Yanks' Strikeout King
• Schenectady Gazette, July 28, 1988: A-C Yanks Score Eight in First; Roll to 15-8 Win Over Williamsport
• Schenectady Gazette, May 18, 1989: Torres Finally Makes First Start, Helps A-C Yanks Split
• BaseballFans.net, June 10, 2004: Bernie's Come A Long Way

1990 CMC Tally 
Cards Featured: 595/880 - 67.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 606 
Made the Majors: 407 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:199-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 174
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 130

Target Extreme Repack: No Power Pitcher

Sent from one independent team to another, Hut Smith had a brief layoff. Then he helped pitch his new team, the Allentown Ambassadors, to a win in July 1999.

"I'm not a power pitcher, so I knew the layoff wouldn't bother my velocity," Smith told The Allentown Morning Call. "I got a little tired toward the end, but other than that I was hitting my spots."

Smith was in his first season of independent ball, going on to pitch in a total of 12 professional seasons. Smith, though, never made the majors, getting as high as AA, but no higher.

Smith's 1992 Classic Four Sport card was included in my Target Extreme Value repack, the one where I got that crazy unopened 2007 Topps Update pack.

Smith's Classic Four Sport card marks him being drafted by Baltimore 100th overall in 1992. Also included in the pack was another Four Sport card, that of Steve Montgomery.

Montgomery went on to have a more successful career, getting taken 83rd overall by St. Louis. Montgomery got into parts of four major league seasons, with Oakland, Philadelphia and San Diego.

There were also several CMC set members in the repack, including Jeff Bittiger, Juan Bell, Scott Livingstone and Gary Varsho.

Jeff Bittiger appeared in the 1990 CMC set the year after he appeared in the 1989 Topps set. He also appeared in the CMC set after his major league career was already over. Bittiger played parts of four big league seasons, from 1986 to 1989.

He got into 33 major league games, 25 of those came in 1988 with the White Sox.

The back of his Topps card includes his complete minor league history, dating back to 1980 at Little Falls. It also notes he was co-MVP at AA Jackson in 1982. The other MVP that year was Darryl Strawberry, Topps notes. Bittiger was featured here in May 2011.

Juan Bell played parts of six seasons in the majors. He also played much of 1990 at AAA Rochester, getting into the CMC set. In 1992, when he was featured on this Score card, Bell was coming off a season where he played in 100 games for the Orioles, but one where he hit just .172.

Bell's 1992 Score card back gets into his family relation quickly. Juan, it reads, "is no match for his big brother, George of the Cubs, with a bat but he more than holds his own with his glove." A shortstop by trade, Bell filled in in 1992 for an injured Billy Ripken at second. Score also notes that Bell hit well in one 11-game stretch, hitting .382. Bell has yet to be featured here.

Scott Livingstone ended up playing professionally through 2000. He played in the majors through 1998. His 1992 Fleer Ultra card marked his first season in the majors, where he got into 44 games with Detroit, hitting .291.

His Ultra card back includes two pictures, a portrait and one of him leaving the batters box, running to first. As it is with Ultra, there is no text, only pedigree information and one year of stats. Livingstone has yet to be featured here.

Gary Varsho's 1989 Topps card marks his first major league season the year before. Varsho got into 46 games that year, hitting .274. In 1989, he got into 61, hitting .194. Varsho got into the CMC set starting 1990 back at AAA Iowa.

Varsho ended up getting into eight major league seasons. His Topps card highlights his AA work in 1985 and 1986. Varsho lead the Eastern League in stolen bases in 1986, and got five hits in one game against Glens Falls. Varsho was featured here in March 2011.

By the way, there were also two other CMC set members in the repack. It was easy to spot. That's because they were actual CMC set cards. Here's Steve Carter, featured here in August 2010.

• Allentown Morning Call, July 19, 1999: 'Hut' Smith's Debut A Winner For Ambassadors

404 - Jeff Bittiger, Pretty Confident, 5/16/11
22 - Steve Carter, Felt Good, 8/13/10
96 - Gary Varsho, Playing Home, 3/6/11

George Hinshaw, Believing In - 542

Playing at AAA Las Vegas in 1985, George Hinshaw told The Los Angeles Times in 1985 he was not so fond of the Nevada city, mainly its reputation.

"Vegas wasn't built on winners, y' know," Hinshaw told The Times. "I learned my lessons on gambling when I played at Reno. Made $280 every two weeks. It would be foolish to risk losing that."

Maybe it was that. Or maybe it was that Hinshaw was in his third full season playing for the AAA Stars, having gotten all of 13 games in San Diego. And, in a career that spanned a decade and got him to Japan, those 13 games would be Hinshaw's only games in the majors.

Hinshaw's career began in 1980, taken by the Padres in the 11th round, out of the University of La Verne. He played that first year at short-season Walla Walla, hitting .287, with three home runs.

Hinshaw arrived at single-A Reno in 1981, hitting .371, with 25 home runs. He moved to AA Amarillo the next year, hitting .297, with 18 home runs.

It was also in 1982 that Hinshaw debuted in the majors, with six games and 15 at bats with San Diego. He got four hits with one RBI.

Hinshaw returned to the minors for 1983, his first season at AAA Las Vegas. He hit .283, with 16 home runs. He also earned his second trip to the majors.

Hinshaw got 7 hits in 16 at bats. Four of those hits came in the same game, Oct. 1. His fourth hit of that game against the Braves proved the game-winner, in the 10th inning. His final major league came came the next day.

After playing the next two seasons at Las Vegas, Hinshaw moved to the Indians and the Reds systems in 1986. He moved to the Reds in June. Between the two, Hinshaw hit .278.

He moved on to the Dodgers system in 1987, playing at AAA Albuquerque. He hit .338 that year and .340 back at AAA in 1988, without seeing Los Angeles.

Then came Hinshaw's move to Japan. He played there for 1989. In Japan, Hinshaw was known by his first name, George. His last name, The Japan Times wrote, could be read as "bad business." Hinshaw hit .294, with eight home runs with the Chunichi Dragons.

Hinshaw returned for one more season in the minors, in 1990, with the Giants at AAA Phoenix.

After three seasons off, Hinshaw returned as a player in 1994, playing in Taiwan. He played there through 1997, finally ending his professional career.

Hinshaw has since become a coach in high school and college. He's also done work with the MLB Urban Youth Academy, at one point taking a team of youth to Japan.

More recently, Hinshaw has served as head coach of the Los Angeles City College baseball team. There, Hinshaw has worked to rebuild the program. In February 2009, his second season as coach, Hinshaw described to The Los Angeles Wave how he was going to do that.

"What we have here is a bunch of castoffs, guys who have been shuffled around," Hinshaw told The Wave. "The first thing we have to do is get them believing in themselves."

• Tuscaloosa News, Associated Press, Oct. 2, 1983: Hinshaw a thorn in Braves' side
• Los Angeles Times, July 12, 1985: In the 100-degree Heat of Triple-A Las Vegas
• Los Angeles Wave, Feb. 5, 2009: Rebuilding from the ground up

1990 CMC TallyCards Featured: 595/880 - 67.6%
Players/Coaches Featured: 606Made the Majors: 407 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:199-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 174
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 130-X

Theo Shaw, Like A Kid - 447

Theo Shaw was like a kid, he told The Chicago Tribune that July in 1985. After a injury-induced try at being a position player, the team doctor told him he didn't have to be a position player anymore.

He was ready to pitch again.

"I was walking so fast to get to the car that I was running," Shaw told The Tribune. "I couldn't wait to get back here. It's worked out for me and now I'm loving it."

Shaw returned to the mound and pitched five more seasons as a pro, part of a career that spanned 11. Though he continued pitching, Shaw never had the opportunity to pitch in the majors.

Shaw's career began in 1980, taken by the Royals in the 16th round out of Proviso East High in Illinois.

Shaw pitched that first year with the Royals rookie Gulf Coast League team, going 5-7, with a 3.39 ERA. He picked up a win in the fall instructional league that October, giving up three unearned runs over five innings.

Shaw split 1981 between single-A Charleston and single-A Fort Myers. He went 8-3 between them, with a 2.56 ERA. That September, described as the Fort Myers ace, Shaw gave up just one hit in seven innings, before allowing a run and taking the loss in the eighth.

Shaw moved on to AA Jacksonville in 1982, Shaw went 7-5, with a with a 2.80 ERA. He returned to Jacksonville in 1983, going 5-7, with a 4.43 ERA.

It was in 1983, according to The Tribune, that Shaw suffered the injury that plagued him over the next two seasons, injuring his elbow on a pitch. The injuries amounted to two stress fractures.

He went on to pitch in 1984, but he pitched poorly. Shaw made AAA Omaha, starting 18 games. But he went 3-10, with an ERA of 8.63.

Shaw then spent his season as a position player. Shaw got into 80 games, hitting .204.

Back on the mound in 1986, Shaw nearly returned to form and he returned to AAA. At Omaha, Shaw went 5-9, posting a 3.84 ERA. In June, he tossed a five-hitter.

Shaw moved to relief in 1987. He also moved back to AA, at Memphis. In 45 outings, Shaw had a 5.57 ERA. It was his final season with the Royals.

Shaw spent 1988 in the Indians system, then joined the Mariners in 1989. His final season as a pro came in 1990, with the Mariners at AAA Calgary. He went 6-9, with a 5.62 ERA in 23 starts.

His playing days over, Shaw spent several years in the minors as a coach, at Eugene, Spokane, Delmarva and, in 1997, West Palm Beach.

At Eugene in 1994, Shaw watched over a pair of young pitchers, working with them to improve their command, The Eugene Register-Guard wrote. And Shaw saw improvement.

"They have to get their pitches over to be effective," Shaw told The Register-Guard, "and that's what they're doing."

• Daytona Beach Morning Journal, Sept. 5, 1981: Astros One Game Away
  
• Chicago Tribune, July 29, 1985: Hope Springs Eternal For Proviso's Shaw
• Eugene Register-Guard, July 27, 1994: Ems' pitchers blank Rockies in 6-0 victory, Part 2

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 594/880 - 67.5%
Players/Coaches Featured: 605
Made the Majors: 406 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:199-33%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 174
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 129-X

Russ Swan, Threw Strikes - 532

Russ Swan picked up his first major league win in June 1990. He also almost picked up a no-hitter.

The Mariners starter got into the eighth inning against the Tigers before giving up the first hit to Cecil Fielder. Seattle ended up winning 5-2.

"I've been really wild and really hurting myself," Swan told The Associated Press afterward. "Tonight, I finally stopped worrying about throwing strikes and just did it."

Swan was in his second season in the majors, having picked up two starts the previous August with the Giants. He went on to pitch in six big league campaigns, his last coming in 1994.

Swan's professional career began in 1986, taken by the Giants in the ninth round of the draft, out of Texas A&M University.

Swan played that year between short-season Everett and single-A Clinton. He went 8-3, with a 2.61 ERA between them.

In 1989, Swan hit AA Shreveport for the first time, then AAA Phoenix. Then, in August, big league injuries landed Swan in San Francisco. For the Giants, Swan got two starts, giving up eight earned runs in 6.2 innings.

He debuted Aug. 3, two hours after arriving on the plane from Phoenix. He'd even missed his first flight, but made the game in time to be told he was starting that night, The Los Angeles Times wrote.

"I walk in the dugout, and (Manager) Roger (Craig) says, 'Hurry up,' and I said, 'What?' " Swan told The Times. "When they called me up, I didn't even know whether I would be a starter or a reliever. And now I'm starting. It was a shock."

Swan ended up going five innings, giving up three earned runs and taking the loss. Five days later, Swan went just 1.2 innings, giving up three home runs to the Reds.

"They were hitting everything," Swan told The Associated Press. "I hope this doesn't hurt me, because I know I can pitch here. I just have to get ahead in the count and keep the ball down."

After two more outings with the Giants in early 1990, Swan was sent to the Mariners in his home state of Washington. With that first win, Swan went 2-3 in 11 outings with Seattle, eight of them starts. Turned reliever in 1991, Swan got into 63 games with a 3.43 ERA.

He got 55 more outings in 1992, nine of them starts. He went 3-10, with a 4.74 ERA on the season. He began the year as a starter, but early troubles sent him back to the bullpen. He ended up picking up nine saves.

Swan finished out his big league career with 23 outings back in Seattle in 1993, then 12 in 1994 with the Indians. He continued playing in the minors through 1996, ending his professional career.

Swan went on to be a coach in the Rockies system and for Washington State University. Swan, though, passed away in 2006 from a fall.

• Los Angeles Times, Aug. 4, 1989: Dodgers' 6-3 Victory Caps Off a Rough Day for Giant Rookie Swan
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Aug. 4, 1989: Giant errors hurt Swan's debut in Major Leagues
  
• Portsmouth Daily Times, Associated Press, Aug. 9, 1989: Reds thump Giants
  
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, June 11, 1990: From ugly duck to graceful Swan
• ESPN.com, Associated Press, May 1, 2006: Former reliever Swan dies from injuries from fall

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 593/880 - 67.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 604
Made the Majors: 406 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:198-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 174-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 128

Scott Lawrenson, Saved A Life - 687

Mets bullpen coach Rick Waits had trouble breathing in one spring 2003 game. Mets trainer Scott Lawrenson quickly recognized what was going on, The New York Daily News wrote.

Waits was having a heart attack. And Lawrenson was credited by The Daily News with getting emergency crews there, saving Waits' life.

"He had been complaining of some chest pain before," Lawrenson told The Daily News. "It didn't take an awful lot of thinking to figure out what to do."

Lawrenson was going into his third year as the Mets' head athletic trainer in 2003. He became the top trainer in the organization, working with the top players in Flushing, having started with the organization back in 1986.

Lawrenson served as trainer that first year at rookie Kingsport, joining the Mets as a graduate of Liberty University. Lawrenson moved to the Lynchburg Mets in the Carolina League, then St. Lucie in 1988 and Jackson in 1989.

For 1990, Lawrenson became trainer at AAA Tidewater. By 1996, Lawrenson was the Mets' fitness coordinator. By 1998, Lawrence was assistant trainer with the top club, watching over Mike Piazza after the catcher suffered a mid-season mild concussion.

During the 1999 NLCS, Piazza suffered his fourth mild concussion in a year and a half. Lawrenson told The Daily News Piazza could continue playing, the concussions hadn't been severe.

"What he did was no more dangerous than an outfielder diving for a ball and having his head jostling around," Lawrenson told The Daily News. "It's the same damage."

Lawrenson became head trainer in 2001. In February 2003, Lawrenson talked to The Westchester Journal News about one of the less visible parts of his job, ensuring his players and coaches wear sunscreen.

"We have six bottles of sunscreen on the counter and we go through them every couple of days," Lawrenson told The Journal News. "Most of the guys know what's at stake."

Lawrenson continued as head trainer for the Mets through 2004, when he was let go. More recently, Lawrenson has returned to his alma mater Liberty University, serving as associated athletic trainer covering baseball and men's soccer.

• New York Daily News, Oct. 17, 1999: For Mike, Beating Goes On
• USAToday, Westchester Journal News, Feb. 26, 2003: Skin cancer a major topic at spring training
  
• New York Daily News, March 10, 2003: Wakeup Call For Baseball Health Issues Spotlighted

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 593/880 - 67.4%
Players/Coaches Featured: 604
Made the Majors: 406 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:198-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 173
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 128

An (Apparently) Very Cool Christmas in October

Remember with you were a kid and couldn't wait to open all your presents Christmas morning?

Well, I think I may have set a record for waiting the longest to open one: 10 months.

And, apparently, it was well worth the wait.

The present was one of those "extreme value" repacks from Target. That's it in the picture above, in the bottom right of my overall 2010 Christmas haul. I'd pointed it out to my wife as a last-minute gift idea for me. They're cheap and they're fun. Lots of junk wax to find CMC players in.

I pointed out that particular repack because of the Mark Grace card on top, one that I'd never seen. I'm a Cubs fan.

But I didn't actually open the package until last weekend. I'd gotten other cards to blog about, then other cards came along and then there's just the main blog posts to keep up with. And it's not like a plastic-sealed package is easy to rip open.

Well, I finally got around to cutting the thing open this past weekend and I got the expected cool junk wax. And that pack of 2007 Topps Update.

I was sort of ambivalent about the Update pack. The chances of a CMC player being in a pack of 2007 cards was slim. One thing I didn't think of, but probably should have, there was a chance of some 2007 All Star cards. My wife and I attended the 2007 All-Star game in San Francisco. On our honeymoon. I know, my wife is awesome.

I was going to wait longer to open the pack. But then I decided to cut that thing open, too. Now, I didn't know much about 2007 Topps Update. But I did know one card. I'd purchased it for my wife a couple years ago. It's the Poley Walnuts card. In addition to being awesome, she loves squirrels.

What is the very top card in the pack? Poley Walnuts. Having purchased that card already, I knew right away that was a very awesome card to get in a sealed pack inside a repack.

The rest of the pack wasn't that exciting. In order after Mr. Walnuts: Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Duchscherer, Tulowitzki-Reyes Classic Combo and two All-Star cards, C.C. Sabathia and Orlando Hudson.

But, what are the odds of getting that Poley Walnuts in a pack? I was curious. So I Googled just that. I found this Cardboard Drunkie post. It didn't have the answer I was looking for. But it referenced the Walnuts card and a couple other shortprint gimmicks in 2007 Topps Update, including some Jacoby Ellsbury card.

Wait, didn't I just see that Jacoby Ellsbury card?

I checked the pack again. Yes, I did. The second card in the pack. Did I just get two of those crazy shortprints in a single pack shoved into a Target repack? I think I just did.

How crazy is that?

Now, I know people aren't clamoring to get 2007 Update shortprints in fall 2011, but I took a peak over at Ebay. And it looks like they actually still have value.

Since I already had the Poley Walnuts card, and I'm not terribly interested in Jacoby Ellsbury, I think that might be where these two cards end up. Unless somebody else here is interested and wants to offer something for trade.

I realize it's kind of tacky to open a gift, then turn around and sell it. But I checked, my awesome wife said it was OK.

Paul McClellan, Streak Extended - 528

Paul McClellan was just happy to be a part of the Giants' winning streak in 1991, the pitcher helping his team extend the streak to 11.

McClellan recorded the win in the Giants' 8-1 victory over the Reds Aug. 1. He did so by pitching a complete game, giving up just that single run.

"Everybody was asking me, what if I lose and kill the winning streak?" McClellan told The Associated Press later. "After the first couple innings I relaxed and we started swinging the bats. Everything worked out great."

The Giants winning street didn't last much longer, snapped the next night. McClellan's major league career didn't last much longer, either. His major league career ended with the season's end, McClellan getting 17 total big league outings.

McClellan's career began in 1986, taken by the Giants in the first round of the draft out of Sequoia High School in California.

McClellan played that first year at short-season Everett, getting 13 starts, going 5-4 with a 3.34 ERA. He hit single-A Clinton in 1987, then AA Shreveport in 1988. At Shreveport, McClellan went 10-12, with a 4.04 ERA.

In 1989, McClellan got his first look at AAA with nine starts at Phoenix. He returned to Phoenix in 1990, going just 7-16, with a 5.17 ERA. McClellan, though, still got a September call-up, debuting with San Francisco Sept. 2.

In four outings, one start, with the Giants that September, McClellan gave up 10 runs in 7.2 innings. He also picked up a loss.

He returned to San Francisco in late July 1991, in time to pick up the seventh win in that 11-game winning streak. That win was a 3-0 decision against the Phillies July 27.

McClellan went seven innings in that game. He was only taken out due to calf tightness. As a base runner on third, McClellan was hit by a batted ball from Kevin Mitchell.

"I was able to keep pitching, but it was uncomfortable," McClellan told The AP. "It was tightening up. I'm just happy to do what I did. I was a lot more confident today than when I came up last year."

McClellan's later outings, though, weren't as good. In his third, Aug. 6, he went four innings, giving up seven runs. He had a similar outing Aug. 28, against the Cubs.

After a Sept. 12 outing where he gave up five runs in 4.2 innings against the Reds, McClellan told The AP he wasn't sure what was going on.

"I don't know what I'm doing out there," McClellan told The AP. "I'm better than today."

In all, McClellan got 12 starts in 1991, with one relief outing. He went 3-6, with a 4.56 ERA. His final outing came Oct. 6.

McClellan got 20 more outings in 1991 back at Phoenix. He then moved to the Brewers system for nine outings at AAA Denver. He's not recorded as playing in 1993 or 1994.

McClellan got three final starts at AAA New Orleans in 1995, ending his affiliated career. McClellan went on to finish out his career playing for the independent Sonoma County Crushers of the Western Baseball League.

• Albany Herald, Associated Press, July 28, 1991: Giant Duo Shuts Out Phillies
  
• Eugene Register-Guard, Associated Press, Aug. 2, 1991: Giants run their winning streak to 11
• Harlan Daily Enterprise, Associated Press, Sept. 13, 1991: Duncan leads Reds over Giants
• Milwaukee Sentinel, March 20, 1995: Selig hopeful talks will resume

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured: 592/880 - 67.3%
Players/Coaches Featured: 603 
Made the Majors: 405 - 67%-X
Never Made the Majors:198-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 173
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 128

Alan Cockrell loved baseball more, made 9 bigs games

For Alan Cockrell, the choice was an easy one.

The two-sport star at the University of Tennessee, quarterback of the Volunteers football team, signed with the San Francisco Giants in 1984. He simply loved baseball more.

"I'll always be a Big Orange fan," Cockrell told reporters after making his decision. "But how many people get to do something they truly love for a living? I'm playing something that's a lot easier on my body and something I truly enjoy."

Cockrell showed his love for baseball by playing it professionally for 13 seasons, getting into 1,423 games. Cockrell played all but the final nine - played more than a dozen years after signed with the Giants - in the minors.

Cockrell has continued in the game after his playing career ended, as a minor league manager and major league hitting coach. Most recently, Cockrell served as hitting coach for the Mariners in 2010.

Cockrell's professional career began that year in 1984, taken by the Giants in the first round of the draft out of Tennessee.

At Tennessee, Cockrell played both baseball and football. Cockrell was the starting quarterback on the football team in 1982 and 1983. For the baseball team, Cockrell was an All-American in 1984.

On the football field, Cockrell took his team to a 6-5-1 record in 1982, then a 9-3 mark in 1983. In spring 1984, with the baseball Volunteers, Cockrell hit four home runs in the span of four games.

With the Giants, Cockrell played that first season largely at single-A Fresno, hitting .215 in 61 games. In late July, Cockrell reaffirmed his choice of baseball over his final year as Tennessee quarterback.

To The Associated Press, Cockrell said he missed football, but there was no question he was happy with his decision.

"I chose to play this game," Cockrell told The AP, "and I'm glad I did. It's been a pretty good adjustment for me, but I haven't looked back. I felt it was the best opportunity in the world for myself and Paula, my wife. I had to jump at it."

Cockrell moved to AA Shreveport in 1985, remaining there for 1986. He hit .253 with 11 home runs his first year, and .258 with 14 home runs his second. The outfielder also struck out 137 times his first year there, the most in the league, and 126 his second.

Cockrell made AAA for the first time in 1987, at Phoenix. Then, in late 1988, Cockrell was traded to the Twins. He finished out the year at AAA Portland, returning there for 1989.

Traded to the Indians in April 1990, Cockrell had his best season yet, at AAA Colorado Springs. He hit .330 with 17 home runs. He also struck out only 68 times in 113 contests. But he also didn't make Cleveland.

Taken off waivers by the Mariners in spring 1991, Cockrell spent that season at AAA Calgary. He hit .290, with 11 home runs. That May, Cockrell posted six hits in one game, a 24-5 win over Tacoma. The six hits were a league record.

Cockrell moved back to the Indians system for 1992, then to the Rockies in 1994. He played his final three seasons at back at Colorado Springs.

Then, at the end of his final season, in 1996, Cockrell made the majors as a September call-up. He got into nine games, got to the plate nine times. He got two hits, one a double. And he hit one sacrifice fly.

His playing career over, Cockrell first became a scout for the Rockies, then a manager in the minors. In 2001, he became the Rockies roving hitting instructor.

In 2002, he had a stint as the top club's hitting coach in Denver, returning to that job in 2007 and 2008. In between, Cockrell served as hitting coach at Colorado Springs.

"I was very fortunate to have the opportunity the first time, because it made me realize that I had a lot of things I needed to improve upon," Cockrell told MLB.com after returning to the Rockies as hitting coach for 2007. "I worked on myself, that was the first issue I needed to tackle, and as I became more confident and gained more experience, things just began to fall into place."

Cockrell became the hitting coach for the Mariners in 2009, continuing there until a team slump led to him being let go in May 2010.

In November 2009, as Mariners hitting coach, Cockrell returned to Tennessee, visiting his old baseball team. He also spoke to UTSports.com about his football background and how that prepared him for his baseball career.

"For me, the football background was big because of the exposure to 97,000-100,000 fans every week," Cockrell told UTSports.com. "That is similar to what you experience at the big league level on a daily basis and was a nice prelude to what I've been fortunate enough to do for the past 27 years."

• Lodi News-Sentinel, UPI, June 6, 1984: Giants sign Cockrell of Tennessee
• Palm Beach Post, July 28, 1984: Playing Minor League Baseball Proves a Big Hit With Cockrell
• CSTV.com, MLB.com, Nov. 7, 2006: Rockies tab former Vol Alan Cockrell as hitting coach
• UTSports.com, Nov. 19, 2009: Vol Baseball Gets Visit from Alan Cockrell
• ESPN.com, Associated Press, May 9, 2010: M's slump leads to 'inevitable' change

More: The 1990 Colorado Springs Sky Sox

1990 CMC Tally

Cards Featured: 591/880 - 67.2%
Players/Coaches Featured: 602

Made the Majors: 404 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:198-33%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 173
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 128

1988 Score: Hoping for Rain

David Palmer was pitching well, and hoping for rain.

Pitching for the Phillies, Palmer didn't allow a hit to a Cardinal batter until the sixth inning, the only hit he gave up in the 2-0 Philadelphia win.

"I was thinking if we could get some rain (after the fifth)," Palmer told The Associated Press, "I'd have another no-hitter."

That other no-hitter came four years earlier, with the Expos, the rain-shortened, perfect-game variety.

That earlier perfect game is referenced on the back of Palmer's 1988 Score card. The card came in a repack that's been sitting by my desk since a trip to Cooperstown over the summer.

The repack consisted solely of 1988 Score cards. I've also got several other regular packs over there that still have yet to be opened.

But this Score repack included two CMC set members and two future managers, one of the managers a near-miss CMC set member.

Floyd Rayford was in the CMC set as a coach for AAA Scranton. Rayford started his coaching career in 1990, after playing parts of seven seasons in the majors. Most recently, Rayford coached in 2011 at AAA Rochester. Rayford was featured here in November, both his playing days, and his coaching career.

Rayford's final season in the bigs was in 1987, making his 1988 cards his last. On the back of his Score card, Rayford is called "a versatile player who can fill in at catcher and third base." He also gave the Orioles a strong "rightanded" bat off the bench. The 1988 Score cards have a lot of text on the back, and with that come typos.

Dale Mohorcic debuted with the Rangers in 1986 at the age of 30, his Score card notes. He was the oldest rookie in Rangers history. He then went on to pitch in 13-straight games, Score notes.

Mohorcic ended up pitching in five major league seasons, his last coming in 1990. He made the CMC set as a member of the Indianapolis Indians. He has yet to be featured here.

Ron Roenicke's Brewers just got eliminated by the Cardinals in the NLCS. This is Roenicke on his 1988 Score card, playing for the other team the Cardinals beat, the Phillies.

Roenicke played eight seasons in the majors as a player, his last coming with 14 games in 1988 with the Reds. His big league managerial career started in 2011.

With the Phillies in 1987, Score called Roenicke "an ideal 24th man ... a switch-hitting handyman who played all three outfield positions in addition to pinch-hitting duties."

Then there's Terry Francona, who just concluded eight years as manager for the Red Sox. Before that, he spent four seasons as manager of the Phillies. His playing career lasted 10 seasons.

It looks like Francona just missed being in the CMC set himself. He got into just three big league games in 1990, all in April with the Brewers. He was released by the Brewers April 27, then signed by the Cardinals May 5.

Francona played out the rest of the season at AAA Louisville. From my experience, the AAA player lists and photo days seem to have taken place that first week in May. And Francona just missed being included.

By the way, Francona's 1988 Score card back has another typo, or more than a typo. In the text, Score inexplicably inserts the name "Steve" into the text, clearly wanting to say "Terry."

• Washington Observer-Reporter, Associated Press, Aug. 1, 1988: Cards labored during one-hitter by Palmer

248 - Floyd Rayford, Opposite Field, 11/25/10