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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

John Wehner, In The Dirt - 788

The Pirates new third baseman John Wehner dove one way, throwing across the diamond to get the out. Later, another Wehner dive started a Pirates double play, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote.

It was enough for Wehner, only recently called up to the majors that year in 1991, to impress Pirates manager Jim Leyland.

"It's only his second game," Leyland told The Post-Gazette, "and I don't want to go overboard, but he sure played great tonight ... He'll put his nose in the dirt."

Wehner played well enough to go on to see time in a total of 11 major league seasons. In that time, Wehner took that defensive play to every position on the field except pitcher, earning the title of utility player.

The Pittsburgh native has since gone on to add the position of broadcaster to his resume, serving in that capacity for his hometown Pirates since 2005.

Wehner's career began in 1988, taken by the Pirates in the seventh round of the draft, out of Indiana University.

He started at short-season Watertown that year, hitting single-A Salem the next and then AA Harrisburg in 1990. It was in 1991 that he first made AAA Buffalo and debuted with the Pirates.

With the Pirates in 1991, Wehner got into 37 games, hitting .340 in 106 at bats. Back problems, though, ended his season, according to The Post-Gazette.

Wehner played those games in 1991 exclusively at third. Going into 1992, though, Wehner won the job as the Pirates utility man. He was just happy to get the shot, he told The Post-Gazette.

"A year ago now, I was just hoping to get to Triple A, have a good year and get called up in September," Wehner told The Post-Gazette. "I never thought I'd be in this position this soon. But I think the opportunity's there, and I want to fill that void."

Wehner played in 55 games that year, and three separate positions. His average, though, dropped to .179. He returned for 29 games and five positions in 1993 and two games in 1994.

Wehner stayed with the Pirates through 1996, playing catcher for the first time, one game, in 1995.

For 1997, Wehner signed with the Marlins, playing 44 games for the eventual world champions. He returned to Pittsburgh in 1999, the first of three final seasons with time in the majors.

In his second-to-last season, Wehner put his mark on his hometown Three Rivers Stadium, hitting the final home run there and making the final out.

His playing career over, Wehner served to years as hitting coach for AA Altoona. In 2005, he was named a Pirates broadcaster, a position he is continuing into 2012. He works all road games and some at home.

At the end of his first season as a broadcaster, Wehner analyzed his own performance to The Post-Gazette, wondering if he brought too much of his Pittsburgh roots to the booth.

"It's much different than anything I've done before," Wehner told The Post-Gazette. "I talk like I'm from the streets of Pittsburgh, and I don't know how well that goes over. The whole Pittsburghese thing is something I've got to work on."
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
670/880 - 76.1%
Players/Coaches Featured:
681
Made the Majors:
460 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
221-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
199-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

Monday, January 30, 2012

Scott Pose, Knew It - 696

Scott Pose made his major league debut four years earlier, serving as the very first batter of the Florida Marlins franchise - and providing the debut game-saver.

But, after appearing in 14 more games with the Marlins that year, he didn't get back to the majors for another four seasons, getting back with the Yankees in 1997. He also made the most of his return, knocking in two crucial runs in his first start back.


"I've been waiting a long time for this," Pose told The New York Times after that May 1997 win. "There are times when I didn't think I'd get there. I persevered. I knew it would come."

That year in 1997 also marked his ninth as a pro, along with his second with time in the majors. Pose went on to play in five more seasons, two more with time in the majors.

Pose's career began in 1989, taken by the Reds in the 34th round of the draft, out of the University of Arkansas.

He started at rookie-league Billings in 1989, hitting .352. He moved to single-A Charleston in 1990. For 1991, he made AA Chattanooga, getting a brief look at AAA Nashville.

Pose played 1992 back at Chattanooga, his average hitting .342 on the year. He also hit well enough for another team to take notice, the Marlins. That December, Marlins took him in the Rule 5 draft.

Going into spring 1993, Pose had to earn a spot on the Florida roster and he did. He hit .382 on the spring, the best on the new team.

Pose not only made the team, but was placed at the top of the order in the Marlins' first-ever lineup. Pose was even caught by surprise, he told The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

In that first game, Pose picked up his first big-league hit and his first big-league game-saving catch. The Marlins up by two in the seventh, Pose made a Willie Mays-style catch to preserve the Florida lead.

"When I heard that ovation, I checked behind me," Pose told The Sun-Sentinel afterward of his catch. "I didn't realize it was for me at first."

Pose, though, got into just 15 total games for the Marlins that year, getting just eight hits in 41 at bats.

By the start of the 1994 season, Pose was with the Brewers, signing as a free agent. He played the season at AAA New Orleans. He played 1995 between the Dodgers and Twins systems, both at AAA, then 1996 with the Blue Jays at Syracuse.

With the Yankees in 1997, Pose returned to the majors. He got into 54 games in all, hitting .218. In mid-June, returning to Florida with the visiting team, Pose told The Sun-Sentinel he knew his slot on the roster was tenuous.

"I'm as day to day as you can get," Pose told The Sun-Sentinel. "As long as there's a uniform in my locker, I'll put it on and be ready to play."

Pose went on to play in two more major league seasons, both with the Royals. He got into 86 games for Kansas City in 1999 and 47 in 2000, finishing out his big league career. He finished out his professional career in 2002, at AAA with the Rangers and the Dodgers.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
669/880 - 76.0%
Players/Coaches Featured:
680
Made the Majors:
459 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
221-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
198
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

Tony Blasucci Interview, Part 1: Pumped Up

Tony Blasucci early in his career, with the Pirates organization. (Tony Blasucci Photo)

Part 1: Pumped Up | Part 2: First Thing | Part 3: Hard Work

June 2014: I had the opportunity to speak with Tony Blasucci in January 2012 and tell his story here. A friend of Tony's informed me that Tony passed away May 28, 2014, from injuries suffered in a boating accident. Tony's obituary: Anthony "Tony" Blasucci.

January 2012 interview:
Tony Blasucci disagreed with the Pirates assessment.

After four mostly unproductive seasons as a starter, the Pirates released Blasucci in spring 1987. That landed Blasucci on the doorstep of the White Sox camp, the left-hander looking for a tryout and a chance to prove that Pittsburgh assessment wrong.

"They brought me into the batting cage, I'll never forget it," Blasucci recalled recently, "I was very, very pumped up. My adrenaline was flowing. I threw the ball very well. I threw the ball hard."

He pitched well enough to get an invitation to camp, one with no guarantees. By the time the spring was out, Blasucci was a White Sox minor leaguer, having a career year.

And, while he never made the majors, within a year, Blasucci had himself in position to be competing for a big league job.

Blasucci spoke to The Greatest 21 Days by phone recently from his Florida home, speaking about his days growing up in southern Florida, to early, injury-induced position changes from pitcher to outfield and back to pitcher again, and seeing a big league stadium for the first time as he signed his first professional contract.

Blasucci also touched on his early struggles in the minors, as a starter, struggles that gave way to successes with his new team and a new role, as a reliever.

Palm Beach Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller in May 2011 at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. Tony Blasucci went to spring training games as a youth in southern Florida.

Blasucci ultimately made it to AAA for parts of three seasons, but he never could take that final step to the majors.

All the while, Blasucci's family was there to support him, including his wife, college sweetheart Kris.

Now, it's Blasucci who is there supporting his sons in their endeavors. With his youngest, now a freshman in high school, that support shows as the left-hander returns to the mound, throwing batting practice for his son.

Blasucci's path to his eight seasons as a pro began at the age of 7 or 8, he recalled. His father loved the game and passed that long to him.

Blasucci also played football then. But, by high school, Blasucci had quit the other game to concentrate on baseball.

By high school, though, Blasucci had also quit pitching, in favor of playing the outfield. An elbow strain, suffered playing baseball in middle school, didn't require surgery, but it did lead a doctor to recommend he take time off from the game. More importantly, the doctor also recommended he no longer pitch.

Pitching, though, was what Blasucci wanted to do.

"At that point, I was crushed, obviously," Blasucci said. "I was pretty upset. But, basically, all my focus turned to being the best center fielder and hitter that I could be."

Blasucci was the best centerfielder and hitter he could be through high school and into junior college, Broward County Community College. He also started as a center fielder after moving to Florida State.

But he left Florida State as a pitcher.

That happened on a throw from center, Blasucci recalled. It was the arm strength they saw, something that could translate well to pitching. That he was left-handed also didn't hurt.

"I figured I had nothing to lose," Blasucci said. "If my arm couldn't handle it, then so be it."

Brevard County Manatees pitcher Nick Bucci delivers to the plate at Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla. in May 2011. The Florida State League's Digital Domain Park opened in 1988, the year after Tony Blasucci played in the league with the Daytona Beach Admirals.

But, despite the doctor's early suggestion, his arm could handle it.

Working with his pitching coach Mike McLeod, Blasucci showcased enough talent for the Pirates to select him in the June secondary draft, after less than a season on the mound.

But, after wanting to be a pitcher at the start, Blasucci got to prefer the outfield and playing every day. "I always wanted to be on the field," he recalled.

In the long run, though, he knew pitching was the best choice for his career.

Blasucci still had a year of eligibility left when the Pirates selected him that June. But he had passed up two prior draft selections.

Before the Pirates signed him, they made sure and have their doctors check out his arm, to makre sure it could hold up. They checked it and gave their approval.

The whole process happened in Pittsburgh and Blasucci got to see Three River Stadium. A native of Florida, Blasucci had been to spring training games, but he'd never been to a big league park.

Blasucci called the Three Rivers part of the trip "quite an experience."

"It was pretty amazing, especially being a Florida boy and really not ever being in a professional stadium, baseball stadium," Blasucci said. "I met with the president of the Pirates, if I'm not mistaken. It was pretty crazy."

Blasucci then started his professional career.


Part 1: Pumped Up | Part 2: First Thing | Part 3: Hard Work

Go to Part 2: Tony Blasucci, First Thing

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Jeff Wetherby made the bigs with the Braves in 1989, then fought to get back; Saw eight pro seasons


Two years earlier, Jeff Wetherby was in the majors. Now, in September 1991, Wetherby wasn't sure if he could continue.

The former major leaguer was playing then at AA Jacksonville with the Mariners. That was after losing playing time at AAA with the Orioles and essentially quitting the game, The Los Angeles Times wrote.

"The whole thing has pretty much been a brutal year for me," Wetherby told The Times. "It's been up and down the last two years, the biggest roller-coaster ride I have ever been on."

Wetherby would come back in 1992, but he still wouldn't return to the majors. His 52 games played - 48 at-bats - with the Braves in 1989 proved to be the extent of his big league career.

Wetherby's career began in 1985, taken by the Braves in the 21st round of the draft, out of the University of Southern California.

He spent his first season between the rookie Gulf Coast League and single-A Durham. He then split his second season between Durham and single-A Sumter. He hit .298 that second season.

Wetherby hit AA Greenville for 1987, hitting .303, then AAA Richmond in 1988, hitting .269. In one game for Richmond that year, he scored four runs on three hits.

Wetherby also injured his middle finger in the second game of the 1988 season, but it didn't heal properly as Wetherby played through it, The Times wrote. "They say I'm an over-aggressive player," Wetherby told The Times, "but that's the way I've always played so I can't help it."

After starting 1989 back at Richmond, Wetherby made Atlanta in June due to an injury to Gerald Perry. He stayed up for much of the rest of the year.

By late July, Wetherby had gotten into 20 games for the Braves, The Houston Chronicle wrote. But he had yet to start. The Chronicle noted his last start was that spring.

Wetherby got his first start July 28. In 55 games, he got just one more. In 48 total at-bats for the Braves that year, Wetherby hit just .208.

The next spring, Wetherby found himself traded to the Indians, and starting the season at AAA Colorado. He played the season there. He moved to the Orioles for 1991, playing at AAA Rochester, finishing out the year with the Mariners at AA Jacksonville.

At AAA Calgary in July 1992, Wetherby was still looking to get back to the majors.

"It seems like light years have passed," Wetherby told The Times. "I guess I'll always remember it, but I want it back. I can play (in the major leagues) again."

Wetherby didn't get back. It was his final season. He has since gone on to a post-playing career in baseball, as a scout.

To The Times in 1999, as a scout for the Tigers, Wetherby told of the mileage on his car. He'd bought it new in 1994. Five years later, it had 196,000 miles on it.

"It's interesting work," Wetherby told The Times, "and it keeps me in the game."
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
668/880 - 75.9%
Players/Coaches Featured:
679
Made the Majors:
458 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
221-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
198
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

94-95 Fleer Excel Stash: New Want List

Oklahoma's Bucky Buckles did poorly in his first College World Series outing, The McCook Daily Gazette wrote.

His second outing, though, was enough for the win. He went the final three innings, giving up just one single in the Sooners win, The Daily Gazette wrote.

"The other night, things just weren't going good," Buckles told The Daily Gazette. "But tonight, I felt comfortable all the time."

Buckles was taken that same month in the seventh round of the draft by the Rangers. But, in a career that spanned eight seasons, he would never make the majors.

I mention Buckles here because, before yesterday, I had never heard of him. But I go from that, to picking up two cards of his on the same day. I showed one of them Saturday, his 1995 Topps Prospects card I got in a pack I picked up at my local card shop.

The other Buckles card I got was in a large stash of 94-95 Fleer Excel minor league cards. The stash, which the cool shop guy let me have for next to nothing, was well cared for. The cards were in order, with a few cards missing, 24 by my count.

I suspected some of the key cards were missing. Thumbing through the stash, that was mostly true, though some key cards remained. Johnny Damon was there.

After checking Ebay, some of the missing cards were identified, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Nomar Garciaparra.

I'm not sure what I'll do with these cards. Maybe they'll be incorporated into a future version of this blog. The CMC set should be finishing up this October. I was thinking of going with the 1991 Classic set, though, if I'm inclined to continue.

But it would be nice to complete this set. From this stash comes an actual want list. It's 24 cards long.

Here's the missing card list, if anyone has any to offer:
1, 10 (Nomar Garciaparra), 41, 54, 59, 90, 92, 95, 97 (Derek Jeter), 99, 101 (Andy Pettitte), 102 (Mariano Rivera), 104, 113, 144, 193, 226, 228, 232, 260, 262, 298, 299, 300

This is another set that I remember from when I was younger. I actually got nine of the cards autographed back in the day. So that's cool.

Here's another card from the stash. It's Chris Weinke, player on the Knoxville Smokies. Weinke, of course, would go on to win the Heisman Trophy as quarterback of Florida State five years later in 2000.

There appears to be little, if any, overlap with the CMC set from five years earlier. But Weinke has some connection to the set, to Toledo trainer Steve McInerney.

Weinke played at AAA Syracuse in 1995, where McInerney was also trainer. I interviewed McInerney in November at his office and McInerney still has a photo of himself with Weinke in his office.

By the way, watch for my latest interview Monday, with former minor leaguer Tony Blasucci.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Todd Crosby chose college, then saw 7 pro seasons, made AAA

Todd Crosby 1990 Louisville Redbirds card

Todd Crosby didn't have many options out of high school, but he did have options.

The Padres chose him in the fourth round of the 1983 draft. The University of Hawaii wanted him on a scholarship. Crosby chose Hawaii.

"I want to play pro baseball," Crosby told The Los Angeles Times two years later, "but I felt Hawaii was the best opportunity for me at that point. It was the only real college opportunity I felt I had. I don't regret a single thing."

Crosby got his second opportunity to play pro ball in 1986, taken by the Phillies in the fifth round of the draft. Crosby, though, never got the opportunity to play ball in the majors.

Crosby went to Hawaii out of El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, Ca. It was at El Camino that Crosby caught the eye of the Padres, with his "excellent defensive skills, single-A Spokane GM George Gross told The Spokane Spokesman-Review.

Crosby, though, didn't play for the Padres, or Spokane, instead going to Hawaii. With Hawaii, Crosby got four hits in one May 1986 game against San Diego State. That year Crosby also won All-Western Athletic Conference honors.

Crosby's college career also took him to Korea in 1985, with the U.S. national baseball team. In the July series in Seoul, Crosby was named MVP.

Crosby also made his way to Alaska, playing summer ball. There, his glove was also praised, The Anchorage Daily News including him as a major league prospect. He also just got more playing time.

"That's one of the things that helped the most," Crosby told The Daily News. "You've got to keep playing. We stayed sharp up there."

As a pro, Crosby started in Florida, at single-A Clearwater. There, Crosby hit .243 in 54 games. He moved to single-A Spartanburg in 1987, then got a look at AA Reading in 1988. At Reading, Crosby hit .293 in 33 games.

After that look at AA, Crosby returned to single-A St. Petersburg for 1989, moving to the Cardinals system. He hit .258 there. Crosby then made the jump to AAA Louisville for 1990, hitting .294, with four home runs.

Crosby returned to Louisville for 1991. He played just one more season beyond that, with the Giants in 1992. He played at AA Shreveport and 14 games at AAA Phoenix, ending his career.
Todd Crosby 1990 Louisville Redbirds card
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
667/880 - 75.8%
Players/Coaches Featured:
678
Made the Majors:
457 - 67%
Never Made the Majors:
221-33%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
198
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

1995 Topps: Dual Honors

Scott Gentile told The Hartford Courant in 1992 that his invitation to the U.S. Olympic baseball trials that year was honor.

He'd made the cut to 40, from an original group of 90. Coming from Western Connecticut State, he also ended up being the only player from a Division III school to make that next group vying for an Olympic spot.

"It's uncommon for a Division III guy, especially one from New England where the season is so short, to be regarded so highly," Olympic team pitching coach Brad Kelley told The Courant. "Forget all those Division I, III labels. Scott is not a common pitcher. He's one of those special ones, who has a chance to go all the way to Barcelona."

Three years later, as a member of the Expos system, Gentile was honored as the single-A prospect on a 1995 Topps Prospects card. Neither honor, though, went further. Gentile never made the Olympics. He also never made the majors.

Gentile's 1995 Prospects card came in a pack of 1995 Topps that I picked up today at my local card shop. Gentile was one of two prospects on the card never to make the majors. Bucky Buckles, a 7th round pick from 1994, never made it higher than AA.

Elsewhere in the pack were three CMC set members and an interesting fact that I hope is still accurate regarding players who go by their initials. I hope it's still accurate because I'm not going to go check to see if it is.

Kent Mercker's card was there, with the pitcher in mid-throw. The back includes a completely inaccurate prediction from Mercker before an April 1994 game. Mercker apparently told his catcher Javy Lopez before that April 8 game that he was going to throw a perfect game.

"Almost!" the card back reads, "Instead, Kent Mercker tossed a no-hitter for his first career complete game." (Mercker's September 2011 G21D feature)

Scott Cooper is in mid-swing on his card. His card back also focuses on his 1994 April. That month, Cooper hit seven home runs. He previously hit only 14 in 295 major league games, Topps notes. Cooper has yet to be featured here.

By the time Kevin Rogers' 1995 Topps came out, his major league career was already over. That was because of a blood clot in his shoulder. Topps notes that he lost much of 1994 to the clot. Once he was well, Rogers tried a comeback, but he never got back to the majors. (His August 2011 G21D feature)

Finally, that piece of Topps trivia. According to Topps, in 1994, B.J. Surhoff had amassed enough major league games played to have played the most for a player whose first name consists of initials.

The player he surpassed? J.C. Martin.

I was kidding. I just checked it. Yes, it's still a record.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Scott Livingstone, Would Hit - 393

After three seasons as a Tiger, Scott Livingstone was on his way to San Diego in May 1994.

The move not only put Livingstone in new surroundings, but it also gave him the prospect of more playing time.

"I'm ecstatic," Livingstone told The Associated Press. "I think I'm going to get the chance to show myself. I've often wondered what would happen if I got 600 at-bats."

Livingstone had gotten some good time in the majors to that point. In one season, 1992, he'd gotten 354 at bats, hitting .282. But Livingstone wouldn't approach that number, much less 600, again.

Livingstone ended up playing in eight major league seasons, getting just over 1,500 at bats total.

Livingstone's career began in 1988, taken by the Tigers in the second round of the draft, out of Texas A&M. At Texas A&M the previous year, Livingstone played for Team USA in the Pan American Games.

With the Tigers, Livingstone started at single-A Lakeland. He moved to AA London in 1989 then AAA Toledo in 1990.

In July 1991, he made Detroit. Livingstone got into 44 games with the Tigers that year, hitting .291. He also hit two home runs, his first major league home run coming in an early August game.

"I haven't had a lot of chances to practice my homer trot," Livingstone told The AP afterward. "I just don't hit a lot of homers like Cecil (Fielder) or (Lloyd) Moseby."

Going into 1992, Livingstone just looked for a roster spot, with young Travis Fryman getting preference at third. That was also the year he got his most playing time, getting 112 games at third. Fryman played the year at short.

Livingstone got into another 98 games in 1993, hitting .293. Mid-year, though, Tigers manager Sparky Anderson moved Fryman to third. Livingstone moved to DH.

By spring 1994, Fryman was firmly entrenched at third for the Tigers and Livingstone was fighting for playing time.

"All Scott Livingstone will ever do is hit," Anderson told The AP that spring. "If he was anywhere else, he would play and he would hit. But, he's here, and I can't play him."

That May, Livingstone was off to the Padres, in a three-player deal. He got into 57 games for San Diego, 180 at bats. The next season, he got into 99 games and 196 at bats. He also hit .337 that year.

His final full year with the Padres came in 1996 with 102 games. That May, Livingstone used a pinch-hit single to win a game at Montreal.

Two more seasons, though, and Livingstone was done. He played 1997 between the Padres and the Cardinals. He played 1998 with the Expos, getting into 76 games, hitting just .209.

By the time Livingstone was with the Expos, though, he was largely a pinch-hitter, something Livingstone realized.

"That's my job," Livingstone told The AP after a June win where he knocked in the go-ahead run with a pinch-hit double. "I pinch-hit most of the time. I try and prepare myself to be ready, and fortunately I was looking for the knuckle-curveball."

It was his last year in the majors. Livingstone's playing career ended two seasons later, at AAA with the Rangers.

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
666/880 - 75.7%
Players/Coaches Featured:
677
Made the Majors:
457 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
220-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
198-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

Thursday, January 26, 2012

George Bonilla made college record book, saw 6 pro seasons

George Bonilla 1990 Phoenix Firebirds card

George Bonilla still appears in the UC Santa Barbara record book.

His 10 wins for the team in 1985 still rank tied for fourth best in school history. His 89 strikeouts rank tied for seventh. His 18 starts and 8 complete games both rank second.

In April, Bonilla threw a complete-game, four-hitter.

For his career, which lasted just two seasons at Santa Barbara after coming out of junior college, Bonilla's 18 wins is still tied for 10th.

Bonilla took that career with Santa Barbara to the Giants, signing as a 14th round draft pick that year in 1985. Bonilla, though, couldn't take it to the majors. In a professional career that spanned six seasons, he made it to AAA, but no higher.

Before heading to Santa Barbara, Bonilla pitched at Saddleback College. Over two seasons there, Bonilla pitched well enough to make the school's athletic Hall of Fame.

Bonilla spent his first year as a pro with the Giants at short-season Everett, going 4-6, with a 4.12 ERA. In an August game, Bonilla left in the seventh with a lead, but got a no-decision.

He moved to single-A Clinton in 1986, switching to generally relief. In 39 outings, he posted a 2.45 ERA, the first of four Bonilla seasons with a sub-3 ERA.

At single-A Fresno in 1987, Bonilla topped 100 strikeouts, with 102 in 120 innings of work. He moved to AA Shreveport for 1988, posting another 2.65 ERA. Then it was back to Shreveport for 1989 and a 2.88 ERA.

For 1990, Bonilla hit AAA for the first time, what would be his only time. At Phoenix, he got into 36 games in relief. His ERA, though, jumped to 5.09. Nine more outings at Shreveport and Bonilla's career was done, short of the majors.
George Bonilla 1990 Phoenix Firebirds card
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
665/880 - 75.6%
Players/Coaches Featured:
676
Made the Majors:
456 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:
220-32%
-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:
197
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Roy Silver, Most Impressed - 116

Between raking the infield and cleaning the toilets, the player listened.

In turn, Roy Silver, of The Winning Inning Baseball Academy in Clearwater, Fla., talked to the player about the possibilities, if only the player - Josh Hamilton - stayed clean, Silver recalled to The Associated Press in 2011.

"Him being an All-Star and doing the things that he has done physically are not the things that I'm most impressed with," Silver told The AP. "What I'm most impressed with is his growth as a man."

It was Silver, a former player and coach in the Cardinals system, who reached out to Hamilton, as Hamilton made his early attempts to stay clean, and attempt his comeback from drug and alcohol addiction, according to The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

From there, at Silver's baseball academy, Hamilton's slow progress back began.

Silver's own progress toward that point began as a player himself, signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Silver, though, would never make the majors himself, playing from 1984 through 1991, but he would go on to mold them as a manager and coach in the minors, and with his baseball academy, co-owned with trainer Randy Holland.

Silver began his own career in rookie ball, at Johnson City. There, Silver hit .294, earning a trip to single-A Savannah for 1985. At single-A St. Petersburg in 1986, Silver hit .294. That September, Silver hit a playoff home run, the ball bouncing off the top of the wall.

Silver made AA Arkansas in 1987 and got a look at AAA Louisville in 1988. Two years later, Silver got 88 games at Louisville, hitting .248 with four home runs. His playing career, though, ended the next year, with 23 games at single-A Savannah.

His playing career over, Silver turned to coaching. By 1993, he was managing the Cardinals rookie league team in Arizona. In 1995 and 1996, he was at single-A Peoria.

In 1996, Silver saw three of his players arrested, The Peoria Journal-Star wrote. Silver reacted strongly.

"Baseball is a privilege," Silver told The Journal-Star then, according to a 2008 article. "Sports are a privilege. Nobody has to play sports. If people don't follow rules, you take the privilege away."

By 1998, Silver had opened The Winning Inning with Holland. One of their first students happened to be future Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan, according to The Palm Beach Post.

With Coglan, too, Silver and Holland worked to help him through tough times. With Coghlan, though, it was the death of his father in a car accident 2001, The Post wrote.

Called by Coghlan's mother, the two dropped everything to go and see the young Coghlan. "There was a lot of anger, a lot of tears," Silver recalled to The Post in 2010.

It was in 2005 that Silver reached out to Hamlton, after he read a newspaper article where Hamilton asked for another opportunity and someone to talk to, The Herald-Tribune wrote.

Silver offered that, along with hard work both on the field and off it.

The Winning Inning has been described as Christian based. On its Web site, only an offered Bible study suggests that.

The site is likewise also modest about its most famous players, Hamilton and Coghlan. Both are listed in alumni under "other players," each with only a name and team. Hamilton is listed as third-to-last on that list and Coghlan second-to-last.

Hamilton, though, in his book Beyond Belief, is more direct about what Silver and co-owner of The Winning Inning, Holland, gave him.

"Without you guys, I would not be the man I am today," Hamilton wrote. "Thank you for all you have done for me."

1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
664/880 - 75.5%
Players/Coaches Featured:
675
Made the Majors:
456 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:
219-32%
-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:
197
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Tommy Greene, Country Hardball - 296

Tommy Greene had a rough first inning in that April 1992 game. But he bore down and, by the time he was done, gave up just two hits over seven innings, picking up the win.

Phillies manager Jim Fregosi later told The Philadelphia Inquirer it was a matter of the young right-hander going at hitters.

"Tommy's still a thrower," Fregosi told The Inquirer. "His best stuff is his hard fastball and slider. That's what he has to get hitters out with.

"But sometimes younger players want to be pitchers too soon," Frigosi added to the paper. "They throw to spots. He had to pitch through that."

Green was in his fourth season with time in the majors that year. The thrower, though, had already achieved the year before what most pitchers only dream of: a major league no-hitter.

Greene's career began in 1985, taken by the Braves in the first round of the draft, out of Whiteville High School in North Carolina.

He started at rookie Pulaski, hitting AA Greenville in 1987 then AAA Richmond in 1988.
By September 1989, he was in Atlanta. He started four games there, going 1-2 with a 4.10 ERA. His one win was a complete-game shutout and three-hitter.

"He's in a good spot," Braves pitching coach Bruce Dal Canton told The Wilmington Star-News afterward. "He was a No. 1 pick. He's showing he can pitch in the major leagues. He's definitely in the picture next year."

Greene returned for 15 outings in 1990, starting 9 of them. He pitched those games between the Braves and the Phillies, sent to Philadelphia to complete the Dale Murphy deal.

It was on May 23, 1991 that Greene threw his no-hitter, at Olympic Stadium on Montreal. It was his second start of the year. Greene ended the game himself, fielding a comebacker and flipping the ball to first.

"I think I really got into a groove around the third inning, but I actually felt pretty good all day," Greene told reporters afterward. "I realized about the sixth inning what was going on, but you can't really think about it. You have to just do your job."

Greene ended up going 13-7 for the Phillies in 1991 in 27 starts. But problems with his shoulder limited his 1992 season and his season two years later. In between, Greene went 16-4 with the Phillies in 1993, helping them to the World Series.

Greene's shoulder problems persisted. By April 1995, the hurler dubbed by The Inquirer a "country-hardballer," knew changes needed to be made for him to remain in the majors.

"What I got is what it is," Greene told The Inquirer after a poor spring outing. "I've just got to make some adjustments and go out there and pitch. If I go out there and throw strikes and get ahead of guys, which I didn't do today, I feel like I can make them swing the bat. I'm happy with that.

Greene, though, only got into 11 games that year, losing five and winning none. After spending a limited 1996 back in the minors, Greene returned to the majors in 1997 for two final outings with the Astros, ending his career.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
663/880 - 75.3%
Players/Coaches Featured:
674
Made the Majors:
456 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
218-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
197-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

Monday, January 23, 2012

Sterling Hitchcock, Great Way - 822

The Yankees were within striking distance of the division lead in late-August 1993 and they turned to their young left hander Sterling Hitchock to keep it that way.

Hitchcock responded by throwing seven scoreless and picking up the win, his first in the majors.

"It's a lot of fun to look around, see the guys excited, and know the importance of what's going on here," Hitchcock told The Associated Press. "A win is a win, but a win in the middle of a pennant race - it's a great way to get your first one."

Hitchcock would go on to get 73 other major league wins in a career that spanned 13 seasons. He would also get some of the biggest wins in San Diego's limited playoff history.

Hitchcock's career began in 1989, taken by the Yankees in the ninth round of the draft out of Seffner High School in Florida.

He played that first season in the rookie Gulf Coast League, going 9-1, with a 1.64 ERA. He moved to single-A Greensboro for 1990. He made AA Albany-Colonie by 1992.

That September in 1992, Hitchcock also debuted in The Bronx. He started three games for the Yankees, going 0-2, with an 8.31 ERA. In his debut, though, he went six innings, giving up just one earned run and getting a no-decision.

"I was impressed with his stuff," Yankees Manager Buck Showalter told The New York Times afterward. "He didn't seem in awe or intimidated by the situation. He could easily have come out of the outing without giving up any runs."

Hitchcock got six starts, including that first win, in 1993. In 1994, Hitchcock got 23 outings while experimenting as a reliever.

Over the next five seasons Hitchcock returned to starting. He also got no fewer than 27 starts in a season. In 1995, his last year with the Yankees, Hitchcock went 11-10, with a 4.70 ERA.

Traded to the Mariners for 1996 in the Tino Martinez deal, Hitchcock went 13-9, with a 5.35 ERA. Hitchcock then got traded again, to the Padres.

He went 10-11 in 1997, then 9-7 in 1998. But it was the 1998 post-season where Hitchcock made his name with the Padres. He picked up a win in the NLDS, then two in the NLCS. In the NLCS, Hitchcock pitched in 10 innings, giving up one earned run. He also won series MVP honors.

"I can't explain it," Hitchcock told The AP as the Padres prepared for the World Series. "I was able to kick it up a notch with my intensity. It really isn't anything that I've done, but this whole team battling and playing well together."

In the World Series, though, both Hitchcock and the Padres went without a win. Hitchcock, though, would get his World Series win three years later, back with the team that drafted him, the Yankees. Hitchcock picked up the win in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series.

Hitchcock played in three more seasons, finishing in 2004 with the Padres again. Injuries, though, forced him out that September.

"This is not the way you want to go out, obviously," Hitchcock told The AP after announcing his retirement. "There are very few who get to choose the way they want to go out."
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
662/880 - 75.2%
Players/Coaches Featured:
673
Made the Majors:
455 - 68%-X
Never Made the Majors:
218-32%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:
196-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Greg Mayberry, Game Ended - 409

The bases loaded in the ninth of this spring game in 1990, the Dodgers called on reliever Greg Mayberry.

Up to bat was the Mets' Mike Marshall, who'd singled and tripled earlier. Mayberry got him to fly deep, but out, for a 5-4 Dodgers win.

"It shows you what the game is all about," Marshall told The Associated Press later. "I get up there with a chance to win it and even though I hit it hard, I ended the game."

Mayberry was going into his seventh season as a pro in 1990, a career that hadn't yet made the majors. Coming out of that spring training, Mayberry returned to the minors. It was his last season, his career ending without making the majors.

Mayberry's career began in 1984, taken by the Dodgers in the first round of the January draft out of Ferrum College.

He played that first year largely at rookie league Great Falls, going 7-5, with a 3.18 ERA in 14 starts.

Mayberry moved to single-A Vero Beach for 1985, going 11-4. He also got an 8-start look at AA San Antonio, going 2-4.

Going into 1986, The Los Angeles Times referred to Mayberry as "highly regarded." That spring, he walked the bases loaded, but then got himself out of the inning, The Times wrote.

Mayberry, though, would play abbreviated seasons in both 1986 and 1987, starting three games for San Antonio in 1986 and getting into six for Albuquerque in 1987.

Mayberry's apparent struggles continued into 1988, back at single-A Vero Beach. He got into 13 games there, starting four.

He got back on track in 1989, playing again between San Antonio and Albuquerque. He went 12-10 between them, with a 4.27 ERA. That December, Mayberry was even thought of has having a chance to be taken by another team in the Rule 5 draft.

But Mayberry ended up staying with the Dodgers, playing 32 final outings at Albuquerque, ending his career.
1990 CMC Tally
Cards Featured:
661/880 - 75.1%
Players/Coaches Featured:
672
Made the Majors:
454 - 68%
Never Made the Majors:
218-32%
-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:
195
10+ Seasons in the Minors:
140