Chris Alvarez played 9 seasons, hit AAA with Yankees, Tigers

Chris Alvarez knew he still had work to do at single-A in 1986, both as a hitter and a fielder, he told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

But the work he had done to that point, with his Fort Lauderdale manager Bucky Dent, got him to the league All-Star game, according to The Sun-Sentinel.

"I still have to work on a lot of things as an infielder," Alvarez told The Sun-Sentinel, "and (Dent) is a great coach to have. He was really a great infielder. But I still think my power is as a hitter. I do my best as a hitter."

Alvarez went on to use his hitting and infield skills in nine pro seasons, both in the U.S. and in Mexico. Alvarez, though, never made the majors.

Alvarez' career began in 1985, taken by the White Sox in the sixth round of the January draft, out of Miami-Dade College.

With the White Sox, Alvarez played that year in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .276, with five home runs.

For 1986, Alvarez moved to the Yankees, sent there with two other minor leaguers and Ron Hassey for Neil Allen and two others. There, Alvarez played at Fort Lauderdale, hitting .322 on the year and knocking in 90.

Alvarez moved up to AA Albany for 1987, getting 62 games there and hitting .305. He also saw 19 games at AAA Columbus.

Alvarez missed two weeks that June, due to a heel injury. He came back and knocked in two runs, according to The Schenectady Gazette.

"I had only hit about three times during the time I was out," Alvarez told The Gazette. "And I didn't feel real good. So what I tried to do was go the other way (to left field). I wanted to be aggressive, though."

From there, Alvarez had a limited 1988, getting into just 33 games between Albany and Columbus. He started 1989 at Columbus, moving mid-year to the Tigers and AAA Toledo in a trade. He hit five home runs on the year, one in a June game for Toledo.

Alvarez finished out his affiliated career in 1990, playing 60 games at AA London and four back at Toledo. Alvarez is recorded as finishing out his professional career with three seasons in Mexico.

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 28, 1986: Yanks' Alvarez Steady Play Paves Way To All-Star Game
• Schenectady Gazette, June 3, 1987: A-C Yanks Display Big Bats, Trounce Williamsport, 11-3

More: The 1990 London Tigers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,323
Made the Majors: 717 - 54.2%
Never Made Majors: 606-45.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 310
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 182