Keith Kaub, Could Drive - 2704

Keith Kaub hit for both power and average in 1988 for Cal State-Fullerton, helping his Titans to the College World Series, according to The Los Angeles Times.

His power came in the form of 20 home runs. His average came in at .347. Kaub was clear to The Times on which one he preferred.

"I'm not here to hit singles," Kaub told The Times. "I'm looking for a pitch up, a pitch I can drive."

Kaub soon turned pro, but he was unable to fully take that power and average with him. Playing in the Expos system, Kaub could only muster a total of 26 home runs and a .222 average over just three professional seasons, the extent of his professional career.

Kaub's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Expos in the 28th round of the draft, out of Fullerton. Kaub went to Fullerton out of Golden West College.

At Golden West, Kaub helped his team to an April 1985 win with a three-run home run. In an April 1986 game, Kaub went 5 for 6 for Golden West, hitting two home runs.

Moving on to Fullerton, Kaub continued hitting home runs. He hit a three-run shot in an April 1988 game. That home run was also a walk-off, hit with one out in the bottom of the ninth.

"This was one of the biggest hits of my career," Kaub told The Times after that game. "I was guessing a slider and just looking to hit the ball hard."

In late-May, Kaub had another two-home run effort, in the NCAA's South Regional.

With the Expos, Kaub started at short-season Jamestown. Over 61 games, Kaub hit .273, with eight home runs. In early July, Kaub was hitting .289. He was optimistic about his future, according to The Times.

"Maybe they (the Expos) have been surprised," Kaub told The Times. "I've heard I've gotten good reports in Montreal. I still have to improve. I'm only playing single A. It's going to take a couple of years to make the majors."

Kaub, though, played just two more seasons. He played at single-A Rockford in 1989, but hit just .183, but hit 11 home runs. He returned to Rockford for 1990, but couldn't hit much better. In 42 games, he hit just .200, ending his career.

• Los Angeles Times, April 2, 1988: Kaub's Home Run Completes Fullerton's Rally
• Los Angeles Times, June 9, 1988: Kaub Filling His Role as the Titans' Big Man
• Los Angeles Times, July 7, 1988: Former Titan Caffrey Feeling Better in Double A

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,397
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.2%
Never Made Majors: 668-47.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

John Thoden, Clutch Games - 2686

North Carolina head coach Mike Roberts knew how much his ace John Thoden meant to his club in 1989.

What he meant was 11 wins to no losses, the 11th a regional win in late-May over Nicholls State.

"We wouldn't be in this regional if not for the many clutch games he has won for us," Roberts told a regional newspaper service. "He was the right pitcher for us against Nicholls."

Thoden went on from North Carolina to have the opportunity to win clutch games in the pros. His pro career, though, lasted only five seasons. He never got the chance to win a clutch game above AA.

Thoden's pro career began in 1989, taken by the Expos in the 11th round out of North Carolina.

At North Carolina, Thoden put together that stellar 1989 season. He went 12-1 over 19 starts, leading the Tar Heels to a College World Series birth. The previous summer, Thoden pitched in the Cape Cod League, going 9-1 and later making the league Hall of Fame.

In the win that sent North Carolina to the College World Series, Thoden threw a complete game, six-hitter, according to The Associated Press.

"We felt that John Thoden was the man we wanted to pitch in the final," Roberts told The AP afterward. "Some people second-guessed us and that gave us a little bit of go."

With the Expos, Thoden started at single-A Jamestown, playing a single game. He moved to single-A Rockford for 1990, also seeing high-A West Palm Beach. Between them, he went 7-8, with a 2.77 ERA.

Thoden returned to West Palm Beach for 1991, going 5-1 over 11 starts, with a 2.22 ERA. He also saw five starts at AA Harrisburg, with a 2.59 ERA, but not recording a decision. It was his final year in the Expos system.

For 1992, Thoden moved to independent Salt Lake City. He went 9-3 over 15 starts. He also posted a 1.79 ERA. In mid-August, Thoden threw a complete-game shutout, according to The Deseret News.

"We had great offense and outstanding defense - balls hitting players' gloves and going to another player (for outs)," Thoden told The News after that win. "And it's a lot easier when you have a three-run lead in the first, as long as you keep your concentration."

Thoden played one more season, signing on with the independent St. Paul Saints for 1993. He went 6-4 over 15 starts for the Saints. He played well enough for the Marlins to purchase his contract a the end of the year, but he isn't recorded as returning for 1994.

• Lexington Dispatch, NYR Regional Newspapers, May 26, 1989: Tar Heels Top Nicholls State
• Mount Airy News, Associated Press, May 29, 1989: Tar Heels Headed To World Series
• Deseret News, Aug. 12, 1992: Thoden steps to plate, gives Traps 'complete' shutout of Medicine Hat

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,396
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.2%
Never Made Majors: 667-47.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Morris Madden, Not A Quitter - 340

Originally published Feb. 10, 2011

By 1984, Morris Madden was already in his sixth professional season. He was also still in single-A. It was enough for him to look at doing something else, Madden told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

It was his wife Sandra who kept him playing, he told the paper.

"She told me I wasn't a quitter," Madden told The Post-Gazette. "I had never quit anything, and I wasn't about to start being a quitter."

Madden spoke to The Post-Gazette in June 1989, the occasion being Madden was making his first major league start, 10 years after he first entered rookie ball.

Madden entered rookie ball with the Dodgers in 1979, selected in the 24th round of the draft out of Spartanburg Methodist College. He played that year at the Pioneer League's Lethbridge Dodgers.

He made AA for the first time in 1981, the first of four seasons in which Madden would bounce between single-A and AA. He split 1982 between single-A Lodi and AA San Antonio. At Lodi, he went 3-7, but posting a 2.60 ERA. In one stretch, he allowed five earned runs in four games, losing all four, The Lodi News-Sentinel wrote.

In 1984, the year he considered quitting, he played entirely at single-A Tampa, selected by the Reds from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 draft. He returned to Tampa for 1985, also playing that year at AA Vermont.

He didn't see AAA until 1987, after signing as a free agent with the Tigers. That was also the year he debuted in the majors, as a reliever. Madden got into two games that June, giving up three runs in 1.2 innings.

In one of those outings, Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson didn't want to use Madden, The Associated Press wrote. "I don't like to have kids learn to pitch in the bullpen," Anderson told The AP.

The Tigers traded Madden to the Pirates that August. He got into five games for Pittsburgh in 1988, amounting to 5.2 innings. He gave up no earned runs.

Going into the next spring, Madden had problems throwing strikes, The Pittsburgh Press wrote. But he pitched well at AAA Buffalo early, and was called up to Pittsburgh.

He got is first win days later in relief. Helping Madden get the victory against the Cardinals was an Ozzie Smith error, according to UPI.

"I've waited 10 years for this and I feel great," Madden told UPI afterward. "We were in it the whole way. When I went into the game and it was 3-2, I expected to win."

It was that June that Madden got his first start. In four innings of work that June 13, Madden gave up one earned run. In his next outing June 18, he gave up four earned runs in five innings. His starts came after a rash of Pittsburgh injuries.

"I think he's got a real future as a reliever," Pirates Manager Jim Leyland told reporters after the June 18 outing. "He's got the stuff to throw hard for a few innings, and he can come in and throw strikes."

Despite Leyland's prediction, Madden's future in the majors consisted of just one more game. He started June 23, gave up two earned runs and didn't record an out.

Madden played one more season, back with the Dodgers at AAA Albuquerque, ending his playing career. Madden is in 2013 as president of Carolinas Metro Inc. Baseball and Softball in the Charlotte area.

• Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Associated Press, June 11, 1987: Felder enjoys Detroit pitching
• Point Pleasant Register, UPI, April 19, 1989: Bucs Use Smith Error To Hand Madden First Win
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 13, 1989: Bucs' Madden makes first start tonight
• Allegheny Times, staff and wire reports, June 18, 1989: Bombs away

Bill Cramer, Home Run - 2698

Expos minor leaguer Bill Cramer wasn't a home run hitter. That could be seen in his first two professionals seasons, where he hit no home runs.

In his third professional season, though, Cramer finally got onto the home run board. On June 20, Cramer hit his first professional home run.

For Cramer, though, that's where his career home run total would stay. He finished out that season at high-A West Palm Beach, finishing out his brief career.

Cramer's career began in 1989, taken by the Expos in the 27th round of the draft, out of Cal State-Sacramento.

With the Expos, Cramer played his first season between the rookie Gulf Coast League and short-season Jamestown. At Jamestown, Cramer got into 31 games, hitting .229. He knocked in 14, scoring 16 runs.

Cramer moved to single-A Rockford for 1990. In 66 games, he hit just .158. He also picked up eight doubles and 12 RBI. The catcher also turned first-baseman, getting 36 games at first to 13 behind the plate.

For 1991, Cramer played at West Palm Beach, getting into 61 games and hitting .211. He hit another eight doubles, one knocking in two runs in a July game. He picked up another 33 games at first in 1991 to 15 at catcher. It was Cramer's final year as a pro.

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,395
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.3%
Never Made Majors: 666-47.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Sid Monge did his best as pitcher in bigs over decade, then turned to helping others do so as minors coach

Sid Monge came on in the ninth inning of this July 1979 contest for Cleveland and picked up the save.

But this safe was actually a save, one with no margin for error: Bases loaded, nobody out, Indians up 2-1. Monge responded by getting a pop-out, line-out and strikeout to end the game.

"You have to do what you do best," Monge told The St. Joseph News-Press afterward. "I had to go out and get them with my best stuff. I threw all fastballs. I spotted them in and out."

Monge picked up that save in his fifth season in the majors. He also picked it up in the season in which he became an All-Star.

Monge went on to play in the majors for a decade, not playing his final game until 1984. From there, he's gone on to a long career as a coach in the minors.

Monge's career in baseball began in 1970, taken by the Angels in the 24th round of the draft, out of Brawley Union High School in California.

With the Angels, Monge started at rookie Idaho Falls, making AA Shreveport for 1972 and then AAA Salt Lake City in 1975.

It was also in 1975 that Monge made his debut in the majors. With the Angels that September, Monge got into four games, two starts, with an ERA of 4.18.

From there, Monge got into at least 31 games each year through 1984. He stayed with the Angels into 1977, sent to the Indians in a May trade. In his first full year with Cleveland in 1978, Monge got into 48 games, with a 2.76 ERA.

In a May 1978 relief outing, Monge went 6.1 innings, giving up a single hit and no runs against the Yankees. He also picked up the win. He also struck out Reggie Jackson twice.

"I saw some great pitching tonight," Jackson told reporters afterward of Monge. "He threw hard and had a super breaking ball. I'm swinging a good bat, but the man did a job on me tonight."

In 1979, Monge came into his own. He got into a total of 76 games, a career high. He also put up a 2.40 ERA for the Indians and picked up a total of 19 saves. For that, he made his only All-Star team.

Monge played with the Indians through 1981, moving to the Phillies in 1982. He then ended his career with stints in San Diego and Detroit.

Over his 10 seasons in the majors, Monge went 49-40 and picked up a total of 56 saves. His career ERA ended at 3.53.

Monge soon turned to coaching. By 1989, he was with the Expos, coaching in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He moved to single-A Rockford for 1990. He then moved to the Tigers system and single-A Fayetteville for 1992.

In 1997, Monge is listed as pitching coach at AAA Las Vegas. He is last credited as coaching in 2007, at rookie Johnson City. He never made the majors as a coach.

In 2001, Monge also served as pitching coach at Johnson City, working with the young Cardinals prospects, and Rick Ankiel. Ankiel then was trying to get his pitching mechanics back after falling apart the previous post-season.

"Be on time, pay attention and work hard. I'm here to help you," ESPN The Magazine quoted Monge as telling his players as Monge turned to Ankiel to try and build his confidence. "You're gonna be named in the same breath as Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan. I'm here to help you, too."

• Eugene Register-Guard, wire services, May 18, 1978: Yankees help Cleveland pitcher's dream come true
• St. Joseph News-Press, July 20, 1979: Royals waste pitching
• ESPN The Magazine, Sept. 3, 2001: Lost and Found

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,394
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.3%
Never Made Majors: 665-47.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Steve Searcy, Positive Attitude - 149

Originally published Nov. 5, 2010

Steve Searcy went into spring 1993 believing he was going to make the Orioles, he told The Baltimore Sun. He wasn't going down to AAA.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere," Searcy told The Sun that February as spring training began. "That's not being cocky. If you come in and say I'm going to be starting at Rochester, you're beaten out of the box. I'm not going to be satisfied starting at Rochester. . . . I just feel you have to have a very positive attitude."

Searcy spoke as someone who needed to have a positive attitude, having already seen major league time in each of the previous five sometimes injury-plagued seasons. But he wouldn't see major league time this time or again. Searcy played that year, 16 games at AAA Rochester, the last professional games he played.

Searcy's career began in 1985, taken in the third round of the draft by the Tigers from the University of Tennessee. The left-hander started that year in rookie ball, but made AA Birmingham by year's end.

At AA again in 1986, this time at Glens Falls, Searcy went 11-6 with a 3.30 ERA. In 1987, he made AAA Toledo. That season, however, was injury shortened, a come-backer to the mound broke his knee-cap, according to The Toledo Blade.

But Searcy rehabbed well, going 13-7 at Toledo in 1988 with a 2.59 ERA, enough for league Pitcher of the Year honors. He earned his first major league call-up by the end of August. In two starts, he was 0-2 witha 5.63 ERA.

Going into 1989, he was seen as having a good shot at breaking the Tigers' starting rotation, according to The Ludington Daily News. Then injury struck again, this time arm problems. Those arm problems let to more rehab, but his arm was weakened.

It was an important injury for a pitcher like Searcy, The Daily News wrote.

"I'm not a pitcher that is going to nibble at the corners," Searcy told The Daily News. "I want to come at people. I just wasn't capable of doing that (while on rehab at Toledo) At one point, I wondered 'Why am I even trying? I'm not getting any better.' "

But he continued, and he returned to the Tigers by September and got is first win. He was also looking to return to the majors for 1990. He also returned to form in the eyes of the Tigers brass.

"He's back to being the prospect he was in 1987," Toledo manager Tom Gamboa told The Blade in May 1990. "His focus, his concentration from the first pitch to the last has been outstanding."

Searcy was 2-7 with a 4.66 ERA for the Tigers in 1990. He returned for 1991, worried that he wouldn't make it. Tigers manager Sparky Anderson was interested to finally learn whether Searcy could make it, according to The Associated Press.

"I have to find out one way or another if he's going to make it," Anderson told The AP that spring. "Now's the time."

Searcy pitched in 16 games for the Tigers that year, but it wasn't Searcy's time. He was 1-2 with an ERA over 8. By July, he was released. Picked up by the Phillies, Searcy pitched in another 18 games that year and 10 more in 1992, his final game coming June 1.

He signed on with the Orioles that next year, but his time in the majors was done. He didn't make it to Baltimore, ending his career in AAA.

• Toledo Blade, April 25, 1988: Hens' Searcy continues to rebound
• Ludington Daily News, Associated Press, Sept. 18, 1989: Searcy gets first win
• Ludington Daily News, Dec. 21, 1989: Searcy wants shot at making Tigers
• Toledo Blade, May 18, 1990: Hens' Searcy top prospect again
• Owosso Argus-Press, Associated Press, March 7, 1991: The future is now for slimmed-down Searcy
• Baltimore Sun, Feb. 23, 1993: Journeymen like prospects with O's

Carlos Carrasco played over 8 seasons, 4 at Salinas

Carlos Carrasco was a home run away from the cycle in his July 1990 game, just the wrong cycle, according to The Modesto Bee.

Carrasco was the pitcher and in this game, Modesto hitters took Carrasco for a total of five singles, three doubles and a triple, according to The Bee. Carrasco didn't make it out of the fifth.

That outing was one of 25 starts Carrasco had for the high-A Salinas Spurs in 1990, his fourth season as a pro. He ended up going 5-14 on the year. He also ended up never making AA.

Carrasco's professional career began in 1986, taken by the Dodgers in the first round of the secondary phase of the June draft. He was selected out of Gavilan College in California.

With the Dodgers, Carrasco played his first season with rookie Great Falls. In 13 outings, 12 starts, Carrasco went 4-4, with a 3.36 ERA.

He moved to single-A Bakersfield for 1988, getting 17 outings, seven starts. He went 0-4, with a 4.65 ERA. It was his final season in the Dodgers system.

Carrasco then moved to independent teams. For 1989, he played at independent Reno, going 6-6, over 28 outings, 17 starts.

For 1990, Carrasco signed with independent Salinas, recording that 5-14 record. He returned to Salinas for the next two seasons. He went 9-10 in 1991, with a 4.42 ERA. In 1992, he went 0-1, over nine outings, five starts.

Carrasco is recorded in playing in two more seasons, three years later in 1995 and then returning in 1997. In 1995, Carrasco is recorded as playing two games at independent Yuma. Then in 1997, he returned to Salinas, getting 19 final starts, ending his career.

• Modesto Bee, July 23, 1990: Modesto A's split with Salinas

More: The 1990 Salinas Spurs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,393
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.3%
Never Made Majors: 664-47.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

James Shevlin, Two Shevlins - 2727

When James Shevlin took the field for the Salinas Spurs in 1989, he became the second James Shevlin to take the field as a pro.

The first James Shevlin, known as Jimmy Shevlin, first took the field as a pro, nearly 60 years earlier, in 1931. Jimmy Shevlin started at single-A Albany and AA Toronto and played for nearly a decade.

That Jimmy Shevlin also played parts of three seasons in the majors, one season with Detroit and two with the Reds.

For James Shevlin, in 1989, his career was much shorter. The James Shevlin of 1989 also never made AA. (It's unclear if there is any relation between the two Shevlins)

James Shevlin's career began in 1989, signed by the independent Salinas Spurs as a free agent out of Massapequa, NY.

With the Spurs, Shevlin got into 31 games in 1989. He picked up 23 hits in 87 at bats, for a .264 average. He also picked up two doubles and knocked in six.

Shevlin returned to the Spurs for 1990, but his season was even shorter than his first. He got into just 19 games, getting nine hits in 54 at bats for a .167 average. Those 19 games were the final games of James Shevlin's career.

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,392
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.4%
Never Made Majors: 663-47.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Steven Bast, His Dream - 452

Originally published Aug. 27, 2011

Steven Bast partially realized the dream of many boys growing up, he played professional baseball.

For Bast, though, that wasn't his dream. His dream involved something else: Medicine.

"I always liked to play the game, but that wasn't ever my dream," Bast told his alma mater's news service at USC.edu in 1996. "I just always kinda used baseball as a stepping stone to get to where I wanted to go."

Where he wanted to go was to medical school, to become a doctor. And he achieved that, studying while pitching for the Red Sox in the minors over five seasons. He got his degrees then and later, but he never made the majors.

Bast's professional baseball career began in 1986, taken by the Red Sox in the fifth round, out of the University of Southern California. He'd been drafted by the Angels in the third round three years earlier, but he instead chose college then over the pros.

With USC, Bast was credited with being instrumental in an early March victory with a relief outing. The pitcher came in with two on in the fifth, setting down 11 straight.

His season as a reliever that year came after a season starting, and losing a school record 11 games, The Los Angeles Times wrote. "I'll do whatever it takes to win," Bast told The Times then. "I'm tired of all the losing."

With the Red Sox, Bast started at short-season Elmira, going 4-3 in 10 outings, with an ERA of 1.87. He also got a look at AA New Britain, going 1-3, with a 4.46 ERA in 10 outings. Bast returned to New Britain for 1987, going 9-13, with a 4.46 ERA.

Bast, though, missed all of 1988, undergoing Tommy John surgery from Dr. Frank Jobe, Peter Gammons wrote in June 1989 for Sports Illustrated. Gammons also wrote then about Bast's pursuit of a medical degree. Then, Bast was applying to Harvard Medical School, though he ultimately returned to USC.

In 1989, Bast first made AAA Pawtucket, going 6-4 in 17 starts, posting an ERA of 4.37. Bast's final season came in 1990, at Pawtucket. In 23 starts, he went 7-16, with a 5.65 ERA.

Bast then left baseball, for his medical career. In 2003, Gammons referenced Bast again, this time for ESPN.com. Gammons noted that, years earlier, Bast underwent surgery from Dr. Jobe. By 2003, Dr. Bast was working with Dr. Jobe.

• Los Angeles Times, March 5, 1986: College Baseball
• Sports Illustrated, June 19, 1989: Between The Lines
• USC News, Nov. 15, 1996: Alumnus and former Red Sox pitcher returns to USC as a physician
• ESPN.com, March 23, 2003: Nomar healthy, Manny ready

Kenichi Uchiyama, First Son - 2713

Kenichi Uchiyama's time as a closer for the independent Salinas Spurs in 1990 didn't go as well as he had likely hoped.

Over the California League season, Uchiyama amassed as many saves as any other Spur on the year, six. But he also amassed nearly as many losses as any other Spur, 10.

But Uchiyama did pitch well enough to return to Japan and pitch in Nippon Professional Baseball. He ended up getting credit for two seasons there, both with the Yakult Swallows. There, he picked up a single save.

Uchiyama's professional career began in 1985, taken by the Yakult Swallows in the third round of the Japanese draft, out of high school in Gunma Prefecture, according to his Japanese Wikipedia entry.

After signing with the Swallows, Uchiyama first made the first squad for Yakult in 1990. He also played that year in the United States, with the high-A Salinas Spurs in the California League. Ucyiyama and several other players from Japan, were sent on loan to the California club. Uchiyama was sent from the Swallows.

With the Spurs, Uchiyama got into 37 games, starting 11. He also finished 13 games he appeared in. In 111 innings, he gave up 73 earned runs, for an ERA of 5.92.

Uchiyama also returned to Japan in 1990, getting into a single game for Yakult, a start. In that game, he picked up just two outs and gave up five earned runs.

Once he made Yakult, Uchiyama became the first son to follow his father to the Japanese majors. His father Uchiyama Kazumi also played in NPB, getting time from 1958 to 1960 with the Chunchi Dragons, according to the Japanese Wikipedia.

For 1991, Uchiyama played for the Swallows again. This time he got into 11 games in relief. He also pitched better, giving up eight earned runs over 19.2 total innings for a 3.66 ERA.

Uchiyama stayed signed with the Swallows until November 1993, when he was released.

Uchiyama has since returned home to Gunma Prefecture and worked with the Isesaki KataKen Club team.

• Japanese Wikipedia: Kenichi Uchiyama (Google Translation)

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,391
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.4%
Never Made Majors: 662-47.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Scott Jaster tried to impress over 9 seasons, made AAA

Scott Jaster seemed to hit well in some situations in 1989 and poorly in others, according to The Newport News Daily Press.

It all seemed to depend on which team he played for, and whether he was trying to impress anyone that day, The Daily Press wrote.

"It's like this," Jaster told The Daily Press. "When I get in the box and I'm totally concentrating on myself and the pitcher, the bat is light in my hands. When I'm in the box and I'm trying to impress the Mets, the manager and the fans, it's like I'm swinging a 50-ounce bat."

Jaster was in his fifth season as a pro that year playing in the Mets system. He went on to play in four more seasons, but he never saw the majors.

Jaster's career began in 1985, taken by the Mets in the second round of the January draft, out of Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado.

Jaster followed his father into the pros. Jaster's father was Larry Jaster, who played parts of seven seasons in the majors.

Scott Jaster played his first year between short-season Little Falls and single-A Columbia. He hit .226 with seven home runs.

Jaster then played all of 1986 at Columbia, hitting .252, with 14 home runs. In one July game, he had two extra-base hits and knocked in three, helping Columbia to a come-back win. He also made the league all-star team.

"Making the all-star team is part of climbing the ladder," Jaster told The Charleston News and Courier later. "Not just for myself, but making it to the major leagues would do a lot for my dad, too. I'm sure he's happy and proud of me right now."

Absent a one-game stint at AAA Tidewater in 1987, Jaster continued playing at single-A for the Mets through 1989. That 1989 season with Peninsula and Port St. Lucie was also his last in the Mets system.

Jaster continued his career in 1990, with independent Salinas in the California League. There, he hit .264 over 59 games.

For 1991, he returned to affiliated ball, with the White Sox. He also made AA for the first time. He hit .265 over 104 games at Birmingham that year. In 1992, he got his first actual stint at AAA, playing at Vancouver for 20 games.

Jaster, though, had just one more season as a player. He played 1993 at AA Memphis for the Royals, ending his career.

Jaster went on to a career as a scout, working with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jaster was the scout who signed Dan Uggla, getting Arizona to take him in the 11th round in 2001.

Jaster left the game in 2005 to spend more time with his family, according to the book "In the Ballpark" by George Gmelch. Jaster's new job was with a pharmaceutical company.

Jaster told Gmelch the move was "a big adjustment."

"You're doing something you've wanted to do since you were a young kid," Jaster told Gmelch of his former career as a baseball player. "Whoever dreamt of being a pharmaceutical rep when they were a kid?"

• Charleston News and Courier, July 13, 1986: Fathers know best for some SAL stars
• Newport News Daily Press, July 30, 1989: Will The Real Scott Jaster Please Stand Up?
• In the Ballpark, George Gmelch, 2006: Page 258 (On Amazon)

More: The 1990 Salinas Spurs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,390
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.4%
Never Made Majors: 661-47.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Mike Dalton, Excellent Control - 455

Originally published March 20, 2011

Mike Dalton's ascent through the Red Sox system was called rapid in spring 1987. Dalton was in single-A Winter Haven in 1985, then jumped directly to AAA Pawtucket in 1986.

Helping him along was his motion to the plate, Red Sox farm director Ed Kenney told The Quincy Patriot Ledger in March 1987.

"He has a herky-jerky delivery which bothers hitters," Kenney told The Patriot Ledger. "He also has excellent control."

But, while Dalton moved up the Red Sox system quickly to AAA, he never made that last step to Boston. He did make it to the majors, though, pitching in four games for the Tigers in 1991. Those four games were the extent of his major league career.

Dalton's look at the majors came eight years after the Red Sox selected him in the 15th round of the 1983 draft. He played his first year at short-season Elmira, posting a 2.65 ERA.

He spent the next two seasons advancing slowly, staying at single-A Winter Haven both years. His ERA his first year was 3.18. His second year, it was a stellar 1.12. He also saved 18 games in 1985, getting one in a late June game.

Dalton played 1987 largely at Pawtucket, though he saw time at AA New Britain. He spent all of 1988 back at New Britain. He threw a two-hitter in July. But, in December 1988, The Associated Press called Dalton one of the top lefties at New Britain. But The AP also noted Dalton was not considered a top prospect.

Dalton stayed with the Red Sox through 1990, playing all of 1990 at Pawtucket. For 1991, Dalton signed with the Tigers.

In spring 1991, Dalton impressed his new team, striking out in one two-inning outing. He started the season at AAA Toledo, then got his call-up in late May.

Dalton got into four games, totaling eight innings, giving up three earned runs. Dalton got a double play in one outing, though he later gave up two solo home runs. His last outing was taking part in a 15-2 loss June 16. He returned to Toledo shortly after.

For 1992, Dalton signed with the Pirates. Late in that spring, Dalton started a game and, of the first 20 batters he faced, he struck out 11, according to The AP. Despite that performance, it was back to AAA, to Buffalo for the year.

Dalton's final year came in 1993 and he returned to Buffalo. But in June, at least one columnist, for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, thought the Pirates should take a look at Dalton. But, if they did, they didn't bring him back up.

• Lewiston Daily Sun, Quincy Patriot Ledger, March 2, 1987: Gorman dreams of a left-handed reliever for Sox
• Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Associated Press, Dec. 18, 1988: Red Sox are left to suffer

Sean Thompson, His Future - 2734

Sean Thompson made the switch from college to the pros in 1988. He also made the switch from outfield to second base, The Los Angeles Times wrote.

Thompson made that switch to second base with the Giants at the club's rookie league time in Pocatello.

"Second base is where I think his future is," Giants scout George Genovese told The Times of Thompson. "I worked him out there and he shows excellent aptitude. He's a great hustler and his talent and attitude will take him a long way."

For Thompson, though, that switch to second base ended up not taking him that far. He played that season and one more, marking the extent of his career.

Thompson's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Giants in the 40th round of the draft, out of Los Angeles Valley College.

Thompson went to Valley out of Westlake High School. At Westlake, Thompson played on the local American Legion team, earning his team's "Outstanding Sportsman" award, according to The Times, as he hit .390 with six home runs.

At Valley, Thompson picked up two singles and a home run in an April 1988 contest. Then he was taken by the Giants in June.

Thompson played his first professional season at Pocatello. He got into 34 games, hitting .253. He had no home runs and just three RBI. Thompson picked up two hits in one late-June game.

That season a Pocatello ended up being Thompson's only season with the Giants. After not being recorded as playing in 1989, Thompson returned for 1990 with independent Salinas.

The infielder helped turn a double play for Salinas in a June game. At the plate, though, he hit just .157 over 62 games. It was his final season as a pro.

• Los Angeles Times, Aug. 28, 1986: Notable
• Los Angeles Times, June 18, 1988: Major Colleges Storm the Picketts Line

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,389
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.5%
Never Made Majors: 660-47.5%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Paul Alegre used karate in high school to make pros

Paul Alegre got himself ready to play in high school by playing another sport, karate, The Orlando Sentinel wrote.

With that preparation, Alegre became a top hitter at Lyman High School in Florida, hitting .400 over two seasons there, according to The Sentinel.

"Karate has made me a much more disciplined hitter," Alegre told The Sentinel. "It also has helped by quickness."

Alegre used that quickness to go on to Murray State and to the pros. His pro career, though, was brief, just 17 games played over a single season.

Alegre's brief pro career came after a high school career that saw Alegre star for his local school. He hit a home run in a mid-April game, his fifth on the year. Later that month, he had a diving catch, the start of a game-ending double play.

With Lyman, Alegre made the All-County team with Lyman in 1985. He also made the Central Florida all-star classic.

From Lyman, Alegre moved on to Murray State. He won All-Conference honors in 1989, leading his team with four triples in 1989. That summer, he played in the National Baseball Congress, helping his team to the Florida state championship.

As a pro in 1990, Lyman played on two teams, but only got those 17 games. Alegre played three games with the independent Miami Miracle, going 1 for 4 with a double.

Alegre also got 14 games with the independent Salinas Spurs in the California League. With Salinas, Alegre went just 3 for 23.  It was his only season in pro ball.

• Orlando Sentinel, April 18, 1985: Karate Helps Lyman's Alegre Star At Plate

More: The 1990 Salinas Spurs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,388
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.5%
Never Made Majors: 659-47.5%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Jeff Jones, Basic Things - 165

Originally published May 2, 2010

Working with a group of young pitchers, Jeff Jones dispensed advice on proper technique.

The Detroit Tigers bullpen coach, however, wasn't working with young Tigers pitchers. He was working with little leaguers.

"We’re working on basic things," Jones told The Gaylord Herald Times in an October 2009 visit. "Getting into an athletic postion. It is something that we have to work on even with our big leaguers."

Jones has worked with many young pitchers through his more than 20 years of coaching, though usually the young pitchers are a little older than the Gaylord little leaguers.

Jones' coaching career began in 1988 at Bristol, Conn., a year after his playing career ended. The player Jones played a decade of pro ball, taken by the Athletics in the 13th round of the 1977 draft.

He made the Oakland bullpen in April 1980. He would return to Oakland for part of each season through 1984, playing there in a total of five campaigns, seeing 112 outings.

By 1986, he was with the Tigers organization, where he remains for 2010, a quarter century later.

Pitching at AA Glens Falls, Jones then to AAA Toledo. At Toledo, Jones pitched well, though not well enough to pitch in Detroit.

"The big difference is concentration," Jones told The Toledo Blade after a 1987 outing, comparing his time in Toledo to his time in Glens Falls. "It just seemed like whenever I needed to make a big pitch there, I didn't. Here, I have."

Jones has been trying to impart that concentration into pitchers in the Tigers system since. He hit Toledo again, this time as pitching coach, in 1990. Much of his coaching time has been spent in Toledo and Detroit.

In 1995, Jones made Detroit for the first time as bullpen coach, along with pitching coach Ralph Treuel, helping the team move to a younger staff.

"We feel very strongly that the presence and guidance of two young, competent coaches like Treuel and Jones is going to help significantly in the transition," Detroit General Manager Joe Klein told the Lakeland Ledger in December 1994.

Into 2010, Jones is working with young Tiger pitchers like Rick Porcello, who got off to a slow start on the year. Jones continued as Tigers pitching coach in 2013.

"He wants to get back to what he was doing before," Jones told MLB.com of Porcello. "And he will. None of us are worried."

• Toledo Blade, July 11, 1987: Fields' Home Run Lifts Mud Hens
• Lakeland Ledger, Dec. 6, 1994: Treuel promoted to Tiger pitching coach
• Gaylord Herald Times, Oct. 20, 2009: Tigers coaches give baseball clinic in Gaylord
• MLB.com, April 21, 2010: Porcello, Tigers not concerned by slow start

Greg Page pitched well in college tourney, 3 seasons

With the College of San Mateo Bulldogs opening up play in the state community college baseball tournament in California, they handed the ball to starter Greg Page, according to The Los Angeles Times.

With the offense doing its work by putting up nine runs, Page did his part. He did it by taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning against San Diego Mesa College to pick up the win, The Times wrote.

Page went from the College of San Meteo to the pros, eventually playing three seasons there. But he never made it above high-A.

Page's professional career began in 1988, signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of San Mateo. At San Mateo, Page is counted on a list of former San Mateo players to make the pros.

With the Giants, Page played at rookie Pocatello. There, he got into 19 games, all in relief. In 39 total innings, he gave up 33 earned runs, for an ERA of 7.62. It was his only season in the Giants system.

For 1989, Page moved to independent Salinas in the California League. Page improved his stats in 14 outings, three starts. He went 2-3, with a 3.28 ERA. He also picked up two saves.

Page returned to Salinas for 1990, but he only picked up 11 outings. In 16 innings, he gave up 13 earned runs. It was his final season as a pro.

• Los Angeles Times, May 24, 1986: San Diego Mesa Stays Alive With 15-3 Victory Over Merced

More: The 1990 Salinas Spurs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,387
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.6%
Never Made Majors: 658-47.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Shigeki Sasaki, Second Win - 2719

Shigeki Sasaki's season for the high-A Salinas Spurs didn't go as well as he had hoped.

By year's end, his record stood at 3-14 and his ERA finished at 6.02.

But, in one July game, a five-inning Sasaki outing resulted in his second win of the year, a 6-1 Salinas victory over Modesto.

Sasaki's Spurs provided him with enough run support and Sasaki limited Modesto to that single run, according to The Modesto Bee.

In those five innings, Sasaki gave up only three hits. One of those hits, was a lead-off home run, on his offering of the game, The Bee wrote.

That home run ended up being one of 11 Sasaki gave up for the Spurs that year. They were the only home runs he would give up stateside. He would also never see Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.

Sasaki's professional career began in 1987, taken by the Yakult Swallows in the fifth round of the 1986 draft out of high school in Miyagi Prefecture. 

Sasaki pitched for the Swallows' second team from 1987 to 1992. In 1990, he came to the United States and the Spurs in 1990 with several other Japanese players signed with the Daiei Hawks or the Yakult Swallows. Sasaki's name has also been spelled Sigeki Sasaki.

With Salinas, Sasaki got a total of 34 outings, 16 of them starts. In a May game, he gave up a three-run home run.

Two of his Salinas starts were complete games. Over 122.2 total innings, Sasaki struck out 86 and walked 75. He also picked up just those three wins.

That year in Salinas ended up being Sasaki's only season where stats are available. He continued playing in Japan through 1997, according to his Japanese Wikipedia entry. From 1993 to 1997, he played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks' second team.

Sasaki has gone on to be a coach, serving as a guest coach for the Rakuten Eagles baseball school.

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,386
Made the Majors: 729 - 52.6%
Never Made Majors: 657-47.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 319
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 187

Torey Lovullo knew the need to be consistent, as player and as manager

Torey Lovullo had a good spring in 1989 and made the Tigers. But he then started the year poorly and spent much of that season in the minors, The New York Times wrote.

So, when he had a similar good spring two years later with the Yankees, Lovullo was determined not to let that poor start happen again.

"It feels nice," Lovullo told The Times after a good outing that spring, "but it's just one day. I could go out there tomorrow and strike out four times. That's not going to happen, but I know that I have to stay on top and be consistent. I got complacent with the Tigers in 1989, and it hurt."

Lovullo went out and started the year with the Yankees, but he started it 0 for 11 and played in just 22 games in the majors that year.

Lovullo would have to wait two more seasons for regular time in the majors, and wait for another organizational change. In 1993, for the Angels, Lovullo got into 116 total games, by far the most Lovullo played in in one season in any of his eight seasons with time in the majors.

More recently, Lovullo has been trying to teach other players to be consistent, as a coach in the majors. He's also gotten consideration as a big league manager.

Lovullo's career began in 1987, taken by the Tigers in the fifth round of the draft, out of UCLA.

He played that first year at single-A Fayetteville and single-A Lakeland. He hit AA Glens Falls in 1988 and AAA Toledo that same year. He also made Detroit.

In 12 games, 21 at bats for the Tigers in 1988, Lovullo got eight hits. He returned for 1989, and promptly started the year 0 for 20. He stayed up through mid-May, but spent the rest of that year and the entire next year back in the minors.

Lovullo returned to the majors in 1991 with the Yankees, having another brief year in the bigs, 22 games. He then played 1992 entirely at AAA Columbus. He then signed with the Angels, who would keep him in the majors all of 1993.

In Lovullo's 1993 season, he hit .251 in 116 games. He also hit six home runs and knocked in 30. He hit his first home run in April, off of Roger Clemens.

"He's a power pitcher, so I knew what was coming," Lovullo told reporters later of Clemens. "I got out in front of it, and he supplied most of the power."

Lovullo played in four more big league seasons, in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 1999. He got into 65 games for the Athletics in 1996 and ended his big league career with 17 games with the Phillies in 1999.

His playing career ended altogether in 2000, with a stint in Japan with Yakult.

By 2002, his post-playing career began, managing at Columbus in the South Atlantic League. He moved up to AA Akron in 2005, then AAA Buffalo in 2006. By 2010, he was managing at AAA Pawtucket, and getting some looks for big league managerial jobs.

The Indians interviewed Lovullo for the the 2010 season, and the Red Sox interviewed him for 2012.

"I worked a long time to get this opportunity," Lovullo told ESPNBoston.com after his interview with the Red Sox in November 2011. "I worked a long time in this game and had some great mentors and managers that I played for, gentlemen like John Farrell, who I have had a chance to work with that have helped me get this opportunity to sit down in this seat. I feel like I'm ready."

Lovullo wasn't picked either time, but he has spent both 2011 and 2012 in the majors, serving under Farrell as Blue Jays first base coach. In 2013, Lovullo served as bench coach for Farrell's World Series-champion Boston Red Sox.

He then served as bench coach for the Red Sox. In 2017, Lovullo became manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He managed the Diamondbacks to the 2023 World Series, in his seventh season at the helm.

Originally published July 4, 2012; Updated October 2023

• New York Times, March 27, 1991: Yankees Surprised by Lovullo's Success With His Bat
• Bangor Daily News, wire service, April 27, 1993: Angels edge Red Sox
• ESPNBoston.com, Nov. 11, 2011: Red Sox interview Torey Lovullo

More: The 1990 Toledo Mud Hens