Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Jeff Fischer just wanted to go five good innings to help his Florida Gators to the 1984 conference championship, he told The Gainesville Sun . He helped his team to the championship and he did so by pitching a complete game . "Man, I really felt good," Fischer told The Sun after the win. "I'd had an up-and-down year, and I just wanted to make sure tonight was on an up." Fischer finished out his college career the next season, before being selected by the Expos in the seventh round of the draft. He went on to make it up to the majors twice, over two seasons. But his stay up in the bigs both times was brief, Fisher's major league career ending up consisting of all of six outings . Fischer started his professional career playing in his hometown, at single-A West Palm Beach , There, Fischer went 6-5, in 13 starts, with a 3.51 ERA. Fisher told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel that August it was another "up and down" year for him. He spoke ...

Arriving with the Pirates in 1987, Brian Fisher started off slowly in the bullpen, something Pirates brass realized . So Pirates third base coach Gene Lamont suggested a new role for Fisher, as a starter, The New York Times wrote . "They called me in the office and said: 'You're not really throwing well in the bullpen. Don Robinson is going to be the stopper and we know you don't want to be a long man so we're going to try you as a starter,'" Fisher recalled to The Times . "I liked the idea.'' Fisher ended up starting 26 games for Pittsburgh that year, going 11-9, with a 4.52 ERA . He went on to start games in four different major league seasons, pitching in seven. Fisher's career began in 1980, taken in the second round of the draft by the Braves, out of Hinkley High School in Colorado. Fisher made AA Savannah by 1983, then AAA Richmond by 1984. For 1985, Fisher arrived with the Yankees, in exchange for Rick Cerone . Co...

Beau Allred thought he would catch it. It was just a matter of how far the ball would go, he told The Associated Press . In this May 1991 game, Allred robbed the Yankees' Matt Nokes of a home run, climbing the wall to do it . "I got close to the fence and thought it better come down fast," Allred told The AP . "I was able to jump and get it." Allred was in his third season with time in the majors in 1991. But Allred's days jumping outfield walls in the majors were numbered. A month after that Yankees game, Allred had played his last big league contest . Allred's career began in 1987, taken by the Indians in the 25th round of the draft, out of Lamar University . He played that first year at rookie Burlington , hitting .341, with 10 home runs. He moved to single-A Kinston in 1988, then AA Canton-Akron in 1989. In 1989, Allred also got his first look at AAA Colorado Springs and Cleveland. Allred debuted with the Indians that September, gett...

Two seasons removed from knee surgery, Greg McMichael found himself in a perfect position to make his debut in the majors, with the Braves, not the Indians. That's because the Indians, the team that drafted McMichael, released him after the injury, The Associated Press wrote . "They didn't think I would make it back," McMichael told The AP in spring 1993. "But it worked out well. I've never pitched better." McMichael went on to pitch in 74 games for the Braves that year, saving 19. Three of those saves also sealed three of the Braves' final four wins and helped seal the National League West title for Atlanta. He also went on to pitch in parts of eight major league seasons . McMichael's career began in 1988, taken by the Indians in the seventh round of the draft, out of the University of Tennessee. McMichael started at rookie Burlington and single-A Kinston . Working mainly as a starter, McMichael made it to AAA Colorado Springs ...

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

After 11 seasons, all spent in the minors, Weston Weber thought he might finally reach his goal of the majors in 1996, he told The Las Vegas Review-Journal later. Then his career ended - on one pitch . "I threw a pitch and I had severe pain in the back of my shoulder," Weber told The Review-Journal , which noted the diagnosis of a nerve impingement. "Every time I tried to throw a ball after that, it felt like somebody was shooting me." Weber never did pitch competitively again . But he has since gone on to a sports-related career. That's golf-related. Weber's baseball career began in 1986, taken by the Athletics in the 15th round , out of Mankato State. Weber played that first year at short-season Medford. In 13 starts, he went 5-5, with a 3.44 ERA. That August, Weber went eight innings, giving up just two hits in what would be his fifth win. Weber moved to single-A Madison in 1987, then single-A Modesto in 1988. Weber returned to Modesto in...

Kash Beauchamp described his selection in the 1982 January draft as like a dream realized, The Associated Press wrote . But he still wasn't sure if he would sign . "I'm not physically mature enough," the 19-year-old Beauchamp told The AP . "But if I have a good spring (in college), hit .400 and put on maybe 15 pounds, I might be ready to turn pro." Beauchamp apparently did well that spring, because he did sign , starting a career that spanned more than a decade. But it was also a career that never saw the majors. The Blue Jays selected Beauchamp out of Bacone College in Oklahoma. He was also selected with Toronto hoping he would follow his father, Blue Jays AAA manager Jim Beauchamp , to the majors. Beauchamp played that first year at rookie-league Medicine Hat. He hit .318 with 48 RBIs. He also made the Pioneer League All-Star team . The Greatest 21 Days caught up with Kash Beauchamp in August 2013, read the four-part interview:   Kash Beaucham...

Tab Brown hadn't gotten a win in nine starts. Despite going six innings and giving up two earned runs, Brown didn't get one this May 1990 night either, The Sumter Item wrote . "Tab held us where we wanted to be for six innings," Sumter manager Ned Yost told The Item . "He did very well. I thought this was going to be Tab's first win." Brown ended up getting five wins that year for the single-A Sumter Braves. They were the last five wins of his brief three-season professional career . Brown's career began in 1989, taken by the Braves in the second round of the draft out of St. Xavier High School in Louisville. At St. Xavier, Brown had an RBI single, helping his team to within two wins of the state title . Brown played his first professional season at rookie league Pulaski, going 7-3 in 13 starts . He gave up 39 earned runs in 69 innings, for a 4.83 ERA. Moving to single-A Sumter in 1990, Brown went 5-7, with a 3.49 ERA. In July, though, h...

The Greatest 21 Days caught up with Tracy Woodson in April 2012, read the interview: Tracy Woodson, Hardest Part Tracy Woodson knew this was his chance, and he was trying to make the most of it . In his first stint in the majors, filling in for veteran Dodger Bill Madlock in April 1987, Woodson hit his first major league home run. Woodson's home run, hit off Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, helped the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory . "Right now I've got two or three weeks while Madlock's out, but if I keep hitting the ball, maybe they'll find somewhere to play me," Woodson told The Associated Press after that game. "I want that position when he retires, so I have to do what I can right now." Woodson ended up staying with the Dodgers through the end of May. But, while Woodson didn't take over for Madlock, he did go on to play in five major league seasons and one World Series . His final two seasons came after the frustrations of nearly three full...

Looking for his fourth win on the young season in 1989, David Miller went out and got it . Pitching for AAA Oklahoma City, Miller threw a complete-game shutout against Columbus. He gave up eight hits and no walks to pick up the win, 2-0. Miller went on to collect a total of nine wins for Oklahoma City that year, against 13 defeats. In his fourth professional season, Miller had made it to AAA. Miller, though, never never got a chance to throw a shutout, or anything else, in the majors. His career ended the next season, back at AAA. A native of Jacksonville , Fla., Miller's career began in 1986, signing with the Braves . He played that first season between the rookie Gulf Coast League and the rookie Pulaski Braves. Used mainly in relief that first year, Miller posted a 1.79 ERA on the season, and picked up eight saves. Miller moved to single-A Durham in 1987 and turned starter. He went 15-9 in 27 starts , with an ERA of 3.59. That year earned him his first trip to AA...

Armando Moreno got called up to the Pirates in 1990. It was understood at the outset, though, that the call would be brief, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote . The reasoning, Pirates GM Larry Doughty told The Post-Gazette , was that the team needed a right-hander on the bench to face lefties from the Phillies. "He's never been in the major leagues," Doughty told The Post-Gazette , "But he's a veteran." As it ended up, Moreno never did play in the major leagues. Called up for that one game that August, Moreno remained on the bench for that game. The Pirates then returned him to the minors. He never got back . The veteran Moreno was in his ninth professional season that year with the Pirates. His career started in 1982, signed by the Expos out of his native Puerto Rico . He played that first season at rookie Calgary, hitting .338, with five home runs . He moved to single-A Gastonia in 1983, continuing that hitting at .327. Moreno's first look...

Former Chicago Cub Paul Noce in November 2011. P art 1: The Deal | Part 2: Most Exciting   Part 3: Right There | Part 4: Card Story This past summer , former Cub Paul Noce returned to Wrigley Field, the team taking care of him with front row tickets, right behind the third base coach. He was there with his brothers from California and his boys. There, in the stands, Noce recalled it hitting him. "I looked at shortstop and it was no more than 60 feet away," Noce told The Greatest 21 Days recently, a sense of awe filling his voice. "I'm looking at it, and I'm going, 'I played right there.'" Noce ultimately played 70 games for the Cubs in 1987, 35 at shortstop and 35 at second base. He also played 37 of those at Wrigley. "That was exciting to be able to play for the Cubs in Wrigly Field," Noce said. "I don't take it lightly." Noce sat down with The Greatest 21 Days recently at a Wendy's near his home in ...

Going into his fourth professional season in 1989, Willie Smith was due for a career turning point, his manager at single-A the year before, Woody Huyke, told The Pittsburgh Post Gazette . "He's made steady progress," Huyke told The Post-Gazette as Smith prepared for spring camp. "He's never stood still or gone backward. But now he'll start to get the message about what it takes to be a major leaguer." Smith ultimately did have what it took to be a major leaguer. But that didn't come for another five years and after losing a season to shoulder surgery . Smith's career began in 1986, with the 6-foot, 6-inch right-hander signed by the Pirates as an undrafted free agent, out of Savannah, Ga. Smith played that first year in the rookie Gulf Coast League , playing rookie ball and short-season ball in 1987. At single-A Augusta in 1988, Smith posted a 2.98 ERA, while recording six saves in 30 outings. In 1989, it was single-A Salem and AA Harr...

Don Vesling tried to analyze his pitching to The Toledo Blade in 1989. He'd made it to AAA for the first time, but he'd also gotten wild. "I never had a problem with walks until I came here," Vesling told The Blade before a mid-August game. "I was trying to be too fine." Vesling ended up walking 33 in 71.1 innings of work for Toledo in 1989. He ended up doing well enough to return to Toledo in 1990. But Velsing didn't end up doing well enough to make the majors. Vesling's career began in 1987, taken by the Tigers in the 14th round of the draft, out of Eastern Michigan University. At Eastern Michigan, Vesling played baseball and football. On the football team, Vesling served as kicker, kicking the game-winning field goal in a September 1986 game against Akron. The previous October, Vesling kicked two field goals, and, as a wide-receiver, caught a touchdown pass . In baseball his final year, Vesling was the team's MVP . With the Tig...