Randy Knorr, Stayed Ready - PC1248

Originally published Dec. 5, 2011

Randy Knorr didn't play every day. But when he did play, he was ready.

That showed in September 1993, when the catcher came in for the resting starter Pat Borders and hit a three-run home run, The Associated Press wrote.

"I talk to a lot of the guys as much as I can to be ready when I get to play," Knorr told The AP after that Toronto win. "You're anxious and you want to do well."

It was a role Knorr played throughout his career, one that spanned 11 major league seasons, with Knorr having to be ready for whenever his team needed him. In those 11 seasons, Knorr never got into more than 45 major league games in any one year.

More recently, Knorr has made himself ready to be a major league bench coach, after a post-playing career spent as a manager in the minors. It has also even been suggested he may already be ready for a career as a manager in the majors.

Knorr's playing career began in 1986, taken by the Blue Jays in the 10th round of the draft, out of Baldwin Park High School in California.

Knorr played that first year at short-season Medicine Hat. He didn't make AA until 1990, at Knoxville. He moved to AAA Syracuse in 1991. That September, he debuted in Toronto.

Knorr got into three games for the Blue Jays that September, getting one at bat. He returned for eight more games in 1992, with 19 at bats.

In 1993, Knorr got into 39 games for the Blue Jays. Later in September, Knorr was a home run away from the cycle, getting a single, double, and triple in a win against Milwaukee.

Knorr went on to get into 40 games in 1994 and 45 in 1995. He went on to play in the Astros, Marlins and Rangers organizations, getting brief major league looks each year through 2000.

In 2001, Knorr signed on with the organization he remains with, the Expos. He got into 34 final games that season, hitting a two-run home run in early April off the Mets' Steve Trachsel. "I think he threw a pitch he didn't want to throw," Knorr told The AP afterward.

Knorr continued playing at AAA with the Expos through 2004, first at Ottawa, then at Edmonton.

His playing days over, Knorr stayed with the franchise, signing on as manager at single-A Savannah for 2005. He has since served as manager at Potomac, Harrisburg and Syracuse. He's also served as Nationals bullpen coach in 2006 and 2009.

Knorr served as Syracuse manager in 2011, leading the team to a 66-74 record. Despite that mark, Knorr saw positives, especially after a 27-42 start.

"We could have just gone in the tank," Knorr told The Syracuse Post-Standard. "When we were 15 games under .500, we could have gone the other way and just fallen off. But the guys didn’t. They kept going. They kept pushing it."

It was his work with the Nationals minor leaguers that got Knorr a spot as Nationals bench coach for 2012. The Washington Times wrote that Knorr would also be on the short list to succeed Davey Johnson as Nationals manager.

"I think that [experience in the system] probably put me on the top of the list because I have had [those players] and have a good relationship with most of them," Knorr told The Times. "I feel like I can get the most out of them."

• Toledo Blade, Associated Press, Sept. 2, 1993: Knorr homer sparks Toronto win
• Rome News-Tribune, Associated Press, April 8, 2001: Expos romp
• Syracuse Post-Standard, Sept. 6, 2011: Poliquin: The Syracuse Chiefs have ended their IL season with this giddy thought: Wait 'til next year!
• Washington Times, Nov. 17, 2011: Washington Nationals promote Randy Knorr to bench coach

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,053
Made the Majors: 655 - 62.2%
Never Made Majors: 398-37.8%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 286
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Mike Maksudian, Those Guys - 1258

Mike Maksudian was a valuable player to have, not only for his contributions on the field, but off the field, as well, his coach at AAA Portland told The Associated Press.

"He keeps everybody on their toes," Portland coach Paul Kirsch told The AP. "We're together every day for five months, and life can get monotonous pretty quickly. Mike is one of those guys that keeps everybody loose. You need players like him in the clubhouse and on the field."

The way Maksudian went about keeping everybody loose was through his stomach. In exchange for cash, or even a simple dare, Maksudian would eat everything from beetles to cockroaches, to the horror and entertainment of his teammates.

Maksudian's value on the field showed itself in his call-ups to the majors in three separate seasons, the Blue Jays, Twins and Cubs finding his skills were worthy of a total of 34 games in the bigs.

Maksudian's professional career began 1987, signed by the White Sox as an amateur free agent, out of the University of South Alabama.

With the White Sox, Maksudian started in 1988 at single-A South Bend, getting a brief look at single-A Tampa. By August, though, he was with the Mets in St. Lucie, after a trade.

After a season with independent Miami, Maksudian arrived with the Blue Jays for 1990, playing the year at AA Knoxville.

With Knoxville, Maksudian hit .287. In 1991, he got his first look at AAA Syracuse, hitting .330 in 31 games.

It was in 1992 that Maksudian made his major league debut. In September, he got into three games, going 0 for 3.

This was the same Blue Jays team that went on to win its first World Series. Afterward, Maksudian, who didn't play in the playoffs, but stayed with the team, commemorated the achievement with a Blue Jays tattoo on his backside.

Maksudian moved to the Twins for 1993, taken off waivers. He eventually played five games in Minnesota, getting his first two major league hits.

For 1994, Maksudian arrived with the Cubs. He also got his longest look at the bigs, 26 games. He picked up seven hits in 26 at bats. In late-July, Maksudian was credited with a good diving stop as he subbed for an ill Mark Grace.

Maksudian played one more season, at AAA with the Athletics, ending his career.

Back in 1993, as his Blue Jays made preparations for the playoffs, Maksudian's off-the-field efforts were what got the notice of national publications, including Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated noted then that in his second week in the bigs, Maksudian ate both a locust and a cricket.

"I've never been one to turn down a dare," Maksudian told SI. "I'll do just about anything short of suicide."

• Sports Illustrated, Sept. 21, 1992: Between The Lines
• Ellensburg Daily Record, Associated Press, June 30, 1993: Nothing bugs this minor league catcher

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,053
Made the Majors: 655 - 62.2%-X
Never Made Majors: 398-37.8%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 286
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Bernie Nunez, Make Contact - PC1256

Originally published June 18, 2012
Bernie Nunez stepped to the plate in the ninth inning, his team down by a run with one on.

With one swing, Nunez' Bend Bandits went from being down a run to the Mission Viejo Vigilanties to being up one and winning the game.

"I don't even know what [pitch] I hit," Nunez told The Los Angeles Times after that June 1997 contest. "I just went up there wanting to make contact. I wasn't sure if it was out of the park, but when I saw the center fielder give up I knew I had it."

Nunez was playing in the independent Western League, a decade after he played his first pro season in the Blue Jays organization. He was also playing independent ball after an affiliated career that only saw him make AA, but never the majors.

Nunez' career began in 1997, signing with the Blue Jays out of his native Dominican Republic. Nunez is also known by his full name Bernardino Nunez.

He started at short-season St. Catharines, hitting .204 in 66 games. He moved to single-A Myrtle Beach in 1988, hitting .260 in 130 contests. He hit his first of 11 home runs on the year in May, against Sumter.

He made single-A Dunedin in 1989, hitting .271 with eight home runs. In 1990, he made AA Knoxville. At Knoxville, Nunez' average dropped to .233.

Nunez returned to Knoxville in 1991, but hit just .197 in 82 games. He isn't recorded as playing in 1992, but he returned in 1993 for one final appearance in affiliated ball with the Cubs at single-A Daytona Beach. He hit .231 in 124 games.

Nunez played out 1995 with independent Palm Springs, hitting .303, then played three more seasons in the Western League, two at Bend and one at Pacific. With Pacific in 1998, Nunez hit .254, with 13 home runs, ending his career.

• Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1997: Bend Beats Vigilantes in Ninth

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,052
Made the Majors: 654 - 62.2%
Never Made Majors: 398-37.8%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 286
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Jerry Schunk, His Drive - 1250

There was talk that September in 1991 that Jerry Schunk might get his first call to the bigs, according to The Toledo Blade.

His manager at AAA Syracuse Bob Bailor just wanted him to continue doing what he'd been doing.

"He's going to have to keep convincing people he's legitimate," Bailor told The Blade. "If it wasn't for his drive, he wouldn't have made it this far - he would have been pushed out of the way a long time ago."

While Schunk's drive got him that far, to AAA, the talk of a call-up never materialized into reality. In a career that spanned 10 seasons, Shunk's drive wouldn't get him any farther.

Schunk's pro career began in 1986, taken by the Blue Jays in the sixth round of the draft, out of the University of Toledo.

With Toledo, Schunk won second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors that year, hitting .333, according to The Blade.

With the Blue Jays, Schunk started at short-season St. Catharines, hitting .276 in 71 games. He then moved to single-A Dunedin in 1987, hitting .246 that year, returning to hit .257 in 1988.

Schunk made it to AA Knoxville for 1989, hitting .241. He returned to Knoxville for 1990, also getting 26 games at AAA Syracuse that year. In April, with Knoxville, Schunk won accolades for his glove, leaping to catch a ball at the wall with the bases loaded in Orlando.

For 1991, Schunk returned to Syracuse. Then came the talk of the September call-up, the one that didn't materialize. He hit .248 with Syracuse that year and .261 with Syracuse the next year.

For 1993, Schunk moved to the Twins system, playing at AAA Portland. He then moved to the Marlins for 1994, stepping back to play at AA Portland in the Eastern League. With AA Portland in May 1994, Schunk hit the game-winning double, receiving praise from his manager Carlos Tosca.

"We certainly didn't bang the ball around a lot today, but that was a timely hit by Schunk," Tosca told The Lewiston Sun-Journal.

Schunk's final year as a pro, his 10th overall, came in 1995, with the Marlins at AAA Charlotte, his career ending without seeing the majors.

• Toledo Blade, Sept. 1, 1991: Syracuse, NY
• Lewiston Sun-Journal, May 13, 1994: Dogs 'rain' over Sox

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,052
Made the Majors: 654 - 62.2%
Never Made Majors: 398-37.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 286
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169-X

Darren Hall, If Healthy - 1244

New Dodgers addition Darren Hall started off hot in spring 1996, going six outings without giving up an earned run, according to The Los Angeles Times.

And he was doing it after coming back from arthroscopic surgery on his elbow the previous August, The Times wrote.

"I thought I'd be pitching OK if I was healthy," Hall told The Times. "But I never thought I'd be pitching like this. I feel like I'm pitching even better than I was in '94 with Toronto."

With the Blue Jays in 1994, Hall saved 17 games, all in his rookie season. His season with the Dodgers in 1996 wouldn't go as he'd hoped. He got into just nine regular season games.

Returning to his 1994 form would have to wait until his 1997 campaign, and after a trade request was denied.

Hall's career began in 1986, taken by the Blue Jays in the 26th round of the draft, out of Dallas Baptist University.

Hall started at rookie Medicine Hat, moving to single-A Myrtle Beach in 1987. He hit AA Knoxville in 1988, getting a call to Toronto. Hall, though, couldn't go, he got injured, he told The Times later. He also didn't take the next step to AAA Syracuse until 1992.

Then, in 1994, as a 29-year-old, Hall made Toronto. He also had early success, picking up his first major league save in his third big league outing. By late-July, Hall was the team's closer, picking up his 12th save and getting veteran Dave Stewart his seventh win.

In all, Hall picked up 17 saves in 30 outings for the Blue Jays in the abbreviated 1994 season. The next season, his time got scaled back, to 17 total outings, Hall's health being a factor.

Then came Hall's move to the Dodgers for 1996. After that hot spring start, Hall only got into those nine regular season games, elbow problems again putting him on the shelf again.

"My whole career has been [injury prone]," Hall told The Times after being put on the DL. "In '88 they were calling me up to Toronto and I got hurt and couldn't go and rehab took me a good 2 1/2 years to come off arm surgery. I finally made it in '94 and now this."

Coming back for 1997, Hall saw an assignment to AAA at the end of spring, after the Dodgers didn't have room for him, as demotion. He even asked for a trade, according to The Times. 

Hall, though, ended up starting the year with the team, and ending it. He ended up getting into 63 outings for the Dodgers that year, posting a 2.30 ERA. He then returned to the Dodgers for 1998, getting into 11, ending his big league career.

• Los Angeles Times, March 20, 1996: Hall Makes Early Impression
• Los Angeles Times, April 26, 1996: Things All Right With Their World
• Los Angeles Times, March 26, 1997: Hall Asks for Trade, but Claire Balks

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,051
Made the Majors: 654 - 62.2%-X
Never Made Majors: 397-37.8%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 286-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 168

Tom Quinlan, With It - 1252

Originally published May 6, 2012

The ball off Shawon Dunston's bat took a bad hop in this 1994 game, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote. But sticking with it and making the game-saving play was Phillies third baseman Tom Quinlan.

"He played a heck of a game for us," Phillies manager Jim Fregosi told The Inquirer of Quinlan. "That ball Dunston hit really came up on him."

In describing Quinlan's defense, which included a second good play an inning later in the ninth, The Inquirer also referenced, Quinlan's past - as a fourth-round draft pick for the Calgary Flames.

Given the choice between baseball and hockey, though, the Minnesota-native and right-winger Quinlan chose baseball. He also went on to a career that spanned 16 seasons, got him to the majors for brief parts of four and even took him to Korea.

Quinlan's baseball career started in the 1986 draft, taken by the Blue Jays in a far lower round than he was taken in the hockey draft, the 27th round. Quinlan, though, signed with Toronto straight out of Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, Minn.

Quinlan started with the Blue Jays at single-A Myrtle Beach in 1987. That spring, he also hit a home run in a game. The infielder hit .223 in 132 games. He moved to AA Knoxville in 1988, hitting .218 in 98 games.

Quinlan stayed at Knoxville through 1990, hitting 16 home runs in 1989 and 15 in 1990. One of his home runs tied an April contest. That September, though, he got called up straight to Toronto. He also got into just one game, going 1 for 2 in three plate appearances.

Quinlan returned to AAA Syracuse for 1991, the first of three seasons he played at Syracuse. He made it back to Toronto in only one of those seasons, 1992. Quinlan got into 13 games, getting just one hit in 15 at bats.

For 1994, he signed with the Phillies. He also played in 24 games with the big club. In May, it was an injury to another player that led to Quinlan getting back to the majors. The call up kind of caught Quinlan off guard, he told The Inquirer.

"I'm a little surprised. I didn't know anyone was hurt," Quinlan told The Inquirer. "I hope to have a chance to show I can play. If you do a job, who knows? Maybe you can stay a while."

Quinlan showed off his defense, especially in that one game. At the plate, though, he still hit just .200 in 35 at bats.

 Quinlan signed with Minnesota for 1995, playing the year at AAA Salt Lake. In July, he had a game-winning home run.

"I've been swinging at a lot of bad pitches," Quinlan told The Deseret News after that game. "I've been behind in the count and making things difficult for myself. Tonight, I tried to be more relaxed and not quite as aggressive and it was a little bit better."

Quinlan got into four final games in the majors the next April, in 1996, with the Twins. He got no hits in six at bats.

Quinlan continued playing in the minors through 1999, going through the Rockies, Rangers and Cubs systems. In 2000, he moved to Korea, winning Korean Series MVP his first year there. He then played in Korea through 2002, ending his career.

• Philadelphia Inquirer, May 4, 1994: Stocker On DL For 2 Weeks, Maybe More
• Philadelphia Inquirer, June 2, 1994: Boskie, Phillies Hold Off Cubs, 4-2
• Deseret News, July 7, 1995: Watkins waits for shot to spell relief for Twins, Part 2

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,050
Made the Majors: 653 - 62.2%
Never Made Majors: 397-37.8%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 285
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 168

Paul Rodgers, His Game - 1255

When Paul Rodgers started his pro baseball career, there was another sport that was also on his mind, football, he told his hometown Oklahoman newspaper in 1988.

That's because Rodgers had a choice before going pro: Signing with the Blue Jays, or going to the University of Oklahoma to play football.

"I'm happy now," Rodgers told The Oklahoman in his third pro season that May, playing for single-A Dunedin, "because I'm sure that baseball is my game. I don't think about playing football for OU anymore. Baseball was what I wanted to do, and I feel now that I pretty much made the right decision."

Baseball may have been Rodgers' game, but it wasn't one where he would reach the ultimate goal, the majors. He went on to play in a total of seven pro seasons, but he would never make it higher than AA.

Rodgers' career began in 1985, when he signed that contract with the Blue Jays out of Grant High School in Oklahoma City.

Out of Grant High, Rodgers signed on with the Sooners to play football. But then he was drafted. It took him until mid-August to decide, according to The Oklahoman. He signed with the Blue Jays.

"It was a real tough decision," Rodgers told The Oklahoman, "but I know this is what I really want to do."

Rodgers started with the Blue Jays the next summer, playing at short-season St. Catharines. There, he hit .264, stealing 19 in 73 games. For 1987, he moved to single-A Myrtle Beach, hitting .260 with 11 home runs. He also swiped 28.

Rodgers made Dunedin in 1988, returning there for 1989. He hit just .223 his first year, then .269 his second. Rodgers' speed, though, took him to 33 stolen bases in 1988, then a career-high 60 in 1989.

For 1990, Rodgers made AA Knoxville. His average dropped again to .228, but he still stole 41. But he only played in one more season.

Rodgers started 1991 back at Knoxvillem stealing 11 in 43 games. But he also hit just .193. Moving to the Astros system, Rodgers finished out the year at high-A Osceola, ending his professional career after six seasons.

• The Oklahoman, Aug. 17, 1985: OU Loses One More
• The Oklahoman, May 10, 1988: His Conscience Threw a Curve 

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,050
Made the Majors: 653 - 62.2%
Never Made Majors: 397-37.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 285
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 168

Julian Yan, Fastball Hitter - 1253

Julian Yan got his team off to a fast start in this June 1989 game. He did so with a first-inning home run.

"He threw me a screwball, away and I hit it well," Yan told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel afterward. "I was looking for a fastball."

For Yan, it wasn't much different than he'd been doing the entire season, except this home run was hit in the Florida State League All-Star game.

Yan was in this fourth season as a pro that year at single-A Dunedin. He went on to get credit for 22 professional seasons, many of those in Mexico and even one in Korea. With all that time as a pro, though, Yan would never get credit for time in the bigs.

Yan's professional career began in 1986, signed by the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent, out of his native Dominican Republic.

He started that year at short-season St. Catharines, hitting .273 in 73 contests. He moved to single-A Myrtle Beach in 1987, hitting .231 there, with 17 home runs.

Yan played both 1988 and 1989 at single-A Dunedin, hitting .249 his first year and .250 his second. He then made Knoxville for the first of three-straight seasons in 1990. His best season there was when he hit .280 with 16 home runs in 1991.

Yan first made AAA in 1993, at Syracuse. In 91 games there, he hit .266 with seven home runs. In early September, Yan had a shot to save his team from a 1-0 loss, but Scranton pitcher Brad Brink knew how to approach him.

"Yan, he's a good fastball hitter," Brink told The Wilkes Barre Times Leader. "I knew I could throw the breaking ball for strikes, so I wasn't going to mess with it."

Yan continued at Syracuse the next year, but only played in 34 games. For 1995, Yan landed with the Expos at AAA Ottawa, hitting .280 over 114 games. His last time in affiliated ball came in 1996, with 48 final games at Ottawa.

For the next decade, Yan continued to play in both Mexico and the independent leagues. He got time at independent Atlantic City in 1999, 2000 and 2005. In 2001, he's credited as playing in Korea. H's last credited as playing in 2007, with Aquascalientes of the Mexican League.

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 28, 1989: Homers Key AL All-Stars
• Wilkes Barre Times Leader, Sept. 5, 1993: Red Barons pitcher again came back from the Brink

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,049
Made the Majors: 653 - 62.3%
Never Made Majors: 396-37.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 285
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 168-X

Nate Cromwell, League Record - 1238

Originally published Oct. 19, 2011
Nate Cromwell made the Florida State League All-Star team in 1989 with the Dunedin Blue Jays, earning the start and the win.

Cromwell showed he deserved that All-Star selection by going on to post a 12-6 record and striking out a league-record 161 batters.

With that success at Dunedin, Cromwell made AA Knoxville the next year. But, in a career that spanned 11 seasons, Cromwell couldn't replicate that success. He only got brief looks at AAA years afterward and never got a look at the majors.

Cromwell's career began in 1987, taken by the Blue Jays in the 11th round of the draft, out of Las Vegas' Chaparral High.

Cromwell played that first season at rookie Medicine Hat, going 4-6, with a 4.31 ERA, along with 47 strikeouts in 54.1 innings.

He moved to single-A Myrtle Beach in 1988, going 8-8, with a 2.90 ERA. He also struck out 86 in 124.1 innings. In August, Cromwell and two relievers combined for a shutout.

Cromwell hit Dunedin in 1989, then Knoxville in 1990. At Knoxville, though, Cromwell went just 5-14 with a 5.56 ERA. In September, Cromwell spent a brief time in the Braves organization, claimed off waivers. The Braves, though, traded him back to the Blue Jays in November.

Cromwell spent two more seasons at Knoxville, going 2-9 in 16 starts in 1991. The next year, he got 10 starts and 27 relief appearances, with an ERA of 4.95.

Cromwell arrived in the Padres system for 1993, playing largely at AA Wichita, but getting two starts at AAA Las Vegas. He went 0-2 pitching in his hometown.

At Wichita, Cromwell went 3-5, with a 4.13 ERA. In one outing, Cromwell himself provided the offense, a solo home run in a 1-0 Wichita win, The Los Angeles Times wrote.

He only got 13 outings in 1995, his last in affiliated ball. Four of those came at high-A Rancho Cucamonga, nine back home in Las Vegas.

In 1996, Cromwell tried independent ball, getting four outings with the independent Newburgh Night Hawks. In April 1997, Cromwell looked forward to an audition with the Yankees, The Las Vegas Sun wrote. But Cromwell didn't end up signed.

Cromwell's final look at the pros came in 1998, in the independent Western League. Cromwell got three final starts with the Sonoma County Crushers. He went 1-2.

Cromwell's name, though, came back in 2010. That's when Joel Carreno, a right-hander who has since made his big-league debut, struck out the first two batters he saw in a late-August game.

The strikeouts were Carreno's 161st and 162nd of the season, a new league record. Cromwell's strikeout Florida State League strikeout mark stood for 21 years.

• Lakeland Ledger, June 28, 1989: Charlotte's Cartaya leads American to FSL All-Star win
• Los Angeles Times, Aug. 18, 1993: Man on a Mission
• Las Vegas Sun, April 3, 1997: Bally's camp offers Jordan for weekend
• Toronto Sun, Aug. 30, 2010: What time is the B game?
• Baseball Cards Come to Life!, Nov. 25, 2010: Nate Cromwell's favorite card

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,048
Made the Majors: 653 - 62.3%
Never Made Majors: 395-37.7%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 285
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 167

Bob MacDonald, Needed Confidence - 1247

Bob MacDonald got his start with the Blue Jays. But the Blue Jays didn't offer that regular role he was looking for, he told The Associated Press in 1993.

The Tigers, though, saw potential in the lefty, purchasing him from Toronto and Tigers manager Sparky Anderson put him right to work.

"I have to thank Sparky for the opportunity to do that," MacDonald told The Associated Press in 1993. "I got here and Sparky threw me right in. It gave me the confidence I needed."

By the end of the year, MacDonald took that confidence to a total of 68 appearances for the Tigers, picking up three wins and saving three. But he couldn't keep it going, getting time in just two more big league seasons, ending his career in Japan.

MacDonald's career began in 1987, taken by the Blue Jays in the 19th round, out of Rutgers University.

With the Blue Jays, MacDonald started at rookie Medicine Hat, also getting time that first year at short-season St. Catharines and single-A Myrtle Beach. He returned to Myrtle Beach full time in 1988, getting 52 outings and posting a 1.89 ERA.

MacDonald made AA Knoxville in 1989, getting a look at AAA Syracuse, splitting time between the two levels again in 1990.

Also in 1990, MacDonald debuted in Toronto, called up in August. He got into four games in relief, giving up no earned runs in 2.1 innings of work.

MacDonald returned to Toronto for a more-extended look in 1991, getting into 45 games, posting a 2.85 ERA. His third campaign, though, saw his time drop to 27 outings. Then came the move to Detroit.

With the Tigers, he got into those 68 contests, posting a 5.35 ERA. In a June game, MacDonald shut down his old team, striking out hot-hitting John Olerud to preserve a 5-3 Detroit win.

"He's a great hitter, there's no doubt about that," MacDonald told The AP afterward. "I was going after him, though, I didn't care if he was a .100 hitter or a .400 hitter."

MacDonald moved to the White Sox and Mariners systems in 1994, but didn't see the majors. He returned to the bigs in 1995, for 33 outings with the Yankees.

For 1996, MacDonald stayed in New York, but with the Mets. He got 20 outings there, ending his big league career.

His professional career then ended the next year, with a season in Japan, with the Hanshin Tigers.

• Ludington Daily News, Associated Press, May 11, 1993: Part-timer's bases-loaded hit in 10th topples Yankees
• Youngstown Vindicator, Associated Press, June 11, 1993: Detroit takes opening game of big series

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,048
Made the Majors: 653 - 62.3%-X
Never Made Majors: 395-37.7%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 285-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 167

Interview Part 3: Paul Wilmet, Made It

Centennial Field in Burlington, Vt., in 2011. Paul Wilmet played at Centennial as a member of the visiting Harrisburg Senators in 1988. (G21D Photo)

Part 1: So Focused | Part 2: Roster Filled | Part 3: Made It

Part 3

Paul Wilmet always got up early. On this morning, his Oklahoma City 89ers visiting Indianapolis, that practice helped him at least get something to eat.

Mid-way through his morning meal, Paul Wilmet's manager at Oklahoma CIty Jim Skaalen found him. The team was on the road in Indianapolis. Wilmet, Skaalen relayed, needed to hurry up. Wilmet needed to get on a plane.

It took some back and forth for Wilmet to get what Skaalen was telling him: The Rangers minor leaguer was headed to Texas.

"That," Wilmet recalled recently, "was really exciting. I don't even know if I finished my breakfast. That night, I was pitching in the big leagues."

And he was.

Wilmet, eight years removed from his pro debut, also arrived in time to take part in a Ranger team strikeout record. The three pitchers before him, including starter Nolan Ryan, struck out 17. Wilmet provided the 18th.

"It was kind of surreal, you know?" Wilmet said of making it to the bigs. "Especially at my age. I had gone through a lot of crap, gone through a lot of stuff, and made it there in spite of myself."

Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Mass., in 2011. Paul Wilmet's Harrisburg Senators played at Wahconah Park as visitors in 1987 and 1988. (G21D Photo)

Wilmet spoke to The Greatest 21 Days recently by phone from his native Green Bay, where he was visiting family. Since 2004, he has lived in Nashville, working as a singer, songwriter and producer.


Wilmet's path to the majors began back in 1981, when he was first signed by the Mets. The final push, though, didn't begin until 1987, when Wilmet recalled getting start news by team doctors.


That news: If he didn't stop drinking and drugging, in two years he'd be dead.

Wilmet was then in the Cardinals system. By May, he was in the Pirates system. There, Wilmet recalled coming to terms with his addictions.

It was with the Pirates that Wilmet met Sam McDowell, the former major league pitcher who underwent his own substance abuse problems. He was also a former pitcher-turned-addiction counselor. McDowell helped other young Pirate minor leaguers, including Mike York.

Now, McDowell's focus was on Wilmet.

"I decided I needed to get help, because I couldn't stop," Wilmet said. "I was physically addicted."

"Sam worked with me real hard," Wilmet added. "Sam was pretty tough on me."

Coca-Cola Field, formerly Pilot Field, in April 2010. Paul Wilmet played at Pilot Field in 1988. (G21D Photo)

Wilmet also went into rehab. He remembered taking six weeks to get through a 28-day program. Wilmet said he's been clean since.

When he came back, though, Wilmet recalled, everything was different.

Assigned to single-A Salem, the 28-year-old Wilmet went on a tear. In 22 outings, 36 innings of work, Wilmet gave up just two earned runs. That's a 0.50 ERA. He then returned to AA, a level he'd only first played at the year before.

In September, Wilmet recalled, there was even talk he might get called up that September for a series with the Cubs. The call-up never materialized. That had to wait until 1989, Wilmet then with the Rangers.

He debuted in Texas July 25, 1989.

"It was awesome," Wilmet said of his debut, "everything you dream, all coming true. It's hard to describe that first walk out to the mound, it was incredible."

Wilmet came back and pitched three days later, against the Brewers, then again the next night. He sat for a while, and that was it. Wilmet was back in Oklahoma City and he never returned to the bigs.

In all, he got 2.1 innings of work, giving up four earned runs. He also got that one record-setting strikeout.

His arm was also starting to go, he recalled. It had been going bad for a couple of years, but he pitched through it, not telling anybody. But it never really healed.

Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium in 2010. Paul Wilmet played at Rosenblatt in 1989 as a member of the visiting Oklahoma City 89ers and in 1990 with the Iowa Cubs. (G21D Photo)

Wilmet finished out the year back at Oklahoma City. For 1990, he signed with the Cubs, playing the year at AAA. He got 25 outings, two starts. Both starts came in the same week, a week where he relieved in three other games.

But didn't get called up to Chicago. It was also his last season as a pro. His arm problems had progressed to the point where he could hardly feel his hand, his elbow was falling out of the groove. He then underwent Tommy John surgery.

Released by the Cubs, Wilmet made one more go at it the next spring with the Orioles, it turned out too soon after the surgery. In his first game, he recalled striking out five guys in a row. Then he blew out his arm, and that was it.

"I always said, if I play one day in the big leagues, that I'll realize my dream, my first dream," Wilmet said. "My second was dream was to have one of my songs on commercial radio and that's happened already. Now all I've got to do is make some money at it."

His playing days over, it took Wilmet a little bit to return to that second dream. He'd stayed in touch with it over the years. He'd bring his guitar with him on the road. His guitar was with him constantly. He also played in the off-season.

A father of four, Wilmet played music locally in his hometown of Green Bay for a few years. He also did other things, too. He even ran a music store for a couple years.

Paul Wilmet in a promotional image from his web site, PaulWilmet.com (Provided)

"Then I just got tired of playing cover songs and had to go somewhere where I could actually write songs, instead of listen to them," Wilmet said.

So, he went to Nashville and tried to meet as many people as he could and tried to write good songs.

"There's a lot of networking that you've got to do," Wilmet said. "It's similar to baseball in that regard, being in the right place at the right time, having the right person hear one of your songs."

One of his songs, "Why," wound up on the album of Karla Davis. Davis was on "The Voice" in 2012. Wilmet has also recorded his own album, "Reality." Wilmet wrote the songs, sings and plays guitar on the album. He also plays drums on one of the tracks. Wilmet also tours, often getting to New York City. (Download Wilmet's album)

"I've had a little bit of success," Wilmet said, "but it's a tough business. It's a lot like baseball, very similar, actually.

"It's real competitive and you've just got to keep doing the right things and wait your turn and, over time, eventually your number comes up."

Part 1: So Focused | Part 2: Roster Filled | Part 3: Made It

Paul Wilmet's Web site: PaulWilmet.com

Interview Part 2: Paul Wilmet, Roster Filled

At Community Field in Burlington, Iowa, in 2010. Paul Wilmet played at Community Field from 1984 to 1986 as member of the visiting Springfield Cardinals. (G21D Photo)

Part 1: So Focused | Part 2: Roster Filled | Part 3: Made It

Part 2

Whether it was Paul Wilmet's talent, or that he was a warm body who could fill a roster, Wilmet finally had not just one scout looking at him, but he had two.

Wilmet was 21 years old and four years out of high school. He was also coming off a semester of college, but he'd spent the rest of that time on the road, pursuing his other dream, music.

Now, he was pursuing his baseball dream, playing summer ball in his home state of Wisconsin. He was pursuing it after failing to get much interest from scouts earlier, even after an energetic letter-writing campaign.

He finally got that interest as his summer league team visited Beloit this summer in 1981. The two scouts, one from the Dodgers and one from the Mets, Wilmet recalled, were each looking to do the latter, just fill out rosters. And they were both looking to Wilmet to help do that.

The solution, Wilmet recalled to The Greatest 21 Days, was a coin flip. The Mets scout won.

"The next day I was on an airplane," Wilmet recalled, not caring how he was signed, just that he was. "It was a dream come true. I signed my contract right out in the parking lot of the ballpark."

For Wilmet, it was the start of a decade-long professional baseball career, one that eventually saw him make the major leagues.

Oneonta's Damaschke Field in 2009. Paul Wilmet played at Damaschke in 1981 as a member of the visiting Little Falls Mets. (G21D Photo)

Wilmet spoke to The Greatest 21 Days recently by phone from his native Green Bay, where he was visiting family. Since 2004, he has lived in Nashville, working as a singer, songwriter and producer. (Link: Download Wilmet's album "Reality")

Out of high school, though, he was just a drummer who'd played some high school ball. And, while he may not have been good enough of a pitcher to get paid for that out of high school, Wilmet was good enough of a drummer out of high school to make a living.

Wilmet and the guys he played with played Top 40 hits or jazz music six, sometimes seven nights a week, making good money. And he did that until one night, playing in Grand Rapids, Mich., that he decided he needed to pursue his other dream, his baseball dream.

In that first minor league contract he signed, Wilmet recalled making $650 per month. He recalled making that much as a drummer per week.

"So I gave up a lot to pursue my dream at that time, and that was kind of hard to do," Wilmet said.

Once he decided that, though, he committed himself to it.

From Grand Rapids, he returned home to Green Bay, got himself in shape and started writing letters. He recalled not only writing letters to each team, but, by his count, he wrote to each team 10 times.

A Burlington Bee pitches at Community Field in Burlington, Iowa, in 2010. Paul Wilmet pitched at Burlington as a member of the visiting Springfield Cardinals from 1984 to 1986. (G21D Photo)

Finally, he got a scout from the White Sox to come take a look at him in Appleton. Wilmet recalled throwing well, but the scout wanted to see Wilmet play college ball.

Shortly after that, it was a Reds tryout camp. He threw well there again, but he eventually landed in college, at Des Moines Area Community College. He played the spring quarter there, didn't get interest in the draft, then wound up playing for that hometown amateur league team - and signing that first contract.

Wilmet's first stop as a pro was Little Falls, NY, with the Mets' short-season team. He also recalled going right to work to try and make himself better,

Wilmet called himself a student of the game. He wasn't a player to sit around. He watched the opposing team's batting practice, watched for the hitters' tendencies.

"I always wanted to have an edge," Wilmet said. "You know, I didn't have overpowering stuff. I had decent stuff, but I knew how to pitch and I knew how to get people out."

As far as ballparks go, Wilmet remembered Little Falls' park being one of the nicer ones, Utica's not so much.

A Batavia Muckdog delivers to the plate at Dwyer Stadium in 2010. Paul Wilmet played in the New York-Penn League in 1981 with Little Falls. (G21D Photo)

Then there was the transportation.

"We'd go to Oneonta, then to Utica and we'd ride on a school bus with no air conditioning," Wilmet recalled. "We wouldn't shower after the game, just get on the bus. It stunk, but we had a lot of fun."

Wilmet ended up getting 20 outings at Little Falls, before moving to single-A Lynchburg. He returned to Lynchburg for his second season. But then an old high school hip injury flared up.

Something else had also set in, his drinking and drug addiction. Along with the injury came attitude problems and arguments with his manager, problems he traced to his addictions. They were the addictions he would later have to overcome before he finally got his shot at the majors.

After missing the entire 1983 season, Wilmet again found himself without a team. Falling back on his old letter-writing campaign,Wilmet landed with the Cardinals and an invite to spring training as a non-roster minor league player.

After sleeping on the beach with his old Ford van for a week, Wilmet pitched well enough to get signed. He ended up staying with the Cardinals or the next three seasons, and into 1987. He got looks at AA Arkansas, but didn't see AAA, or the majors.

It finally took a stark assessment from team doctors about his drinking and drug abuse, as well as a change of teams, for Wilmet to finally clean up his act, and make his push to the bigs.

Go to Part 3: Paul Wilmet, Made It

Part 1: So Focused | Part 2: Roster Filled | Part 3: Made It

Interview Part 1: Paul Wilmet, So Focused

Oneonta's Damaschke Field in 2009. Paul Wilmet played at Damaschke in 1981 in his first year as a pro at short-season Little Falls. (G21D Photo)

Part 1: So Focused | Part 2: Roster Filled | Part 3: Made It

Part 1

Paul Wilmet worked hard to get back into baseball twice, first after scouts passed him over out of high school and later returning from injury.

Now, in spring 1987, Wilmet had more hard work to do, getting himself clean of alcohol and drugs.

That winter, the career minor leaguer played ball in Venezuela, using the time in between outings to drink and abuse prescription drugs, all activities he had become familiar with in the years previous.

Returning to the states, and undergoing his team physical, Wilmet was given the stark news: If he continued with his drinking and drugging, it wasn't just his career that would be in jeopardy, it was his life.

In fact, the doctors even put a timeline on it: If he didn't stop, in two years, he'd be dead, Wilmet recalled recently.

"I knew I was in trouble," Wilmet recalled to The Greatest 21 Days. "I was down to about 140 pounds. I had no concentration."

So, Wilmet set about to do just that, clean himself up. Soon, he was in rehab.

"When I came out - I've told this story a million times - the first time I got into a game after that, I was so focused. I felt so healthy. ... I was just in really good shape, and the concentration level - I just went on an unbelievable roll."

A pitcher delivers to the plate at Reading's FirstEnergy Stadium in 2010. Paul Wilmet made Reading's Eastern League rival Harrisburg in 1987, after coming out of rehab. (G21D Photo)

Two years later, Wilmet was far from dead. He was in the major leagues.

Wilmet not only used that new-found focus to reach his ultimate goal in baseball, he's also used it in the years since, to reach his ultimate goal in his other profession, music.

Wilmet has always loved music, touring with regional bands out of high school, playing bars around the upper Midwest after the scouts passed him over in baseball.

He now lives in Nashville, serving as a producer, as well as a singer-songwriter. He's put out his own album, "Reality," and he's even gotten one of his songs, "Why," recorded by singer Karla Davis, who appeared on TV's "The Voice." (Link: Download Wilmet's album)

Wilmet spoke to The Greatest 21 Days recently by phone from his native Green Bay, where he was visiting family.

He covered his youth in Wisconsin, growing to love both baseball and music, his time away from the game after high school, living off his music. He also spoke of the letter-writing campaign that got him back in baseball.

Once back in the game, it then took him into his ninth pro season, getting past all his personal obstacles and the obsticales put up by the game itself, to make it to the majors.

And, while his major league stint was brief, just three outings, Wilmet also recalled it as the fulfillment of a childhood dream, to play in the bigs.

Reading's FirstEnergy Stadium in 2010. Paul Wilmet made Reading's Eastern League rival Harrisburg in 1987, after coming out of rehab. (G21D Photo)

He has since gone on to realize another childhood dream - to have one of his songs played on the radio.


Wilmet grew up around Green Bay in both an athletic family and a musical one. His brother Steve Wilmet was good enough to play pro ball in the Dodgers organization. On the music side, his mother was choir director at their church, a post she held for 65 years.

Wilmet remembered starting to play the piano when he was 10 years old. He remembered starting to play baseball as soon as he could walk.

"That's all I've ever really done is baseball and music," Wilmet said. "They kind of just share the time."

In baseball, Wilmet always seemed to play against the older kids. He also got to play catch with his hard-throwing brother Steve.

Green Bay's Lambeau Field in 2006. Paul Wilmet grew up in nearby De Pere, Wisc. (G21D Photo)

"That's all we did in the summertime, play baseball," Wilmet said, "from the time the sun came up to the time the sun went down."

In high school, Wilmet pitched well, but he also ran into injury. On a cold and rainy day, Wilmet's foot slipped out from under him at first, dislocating his hip. "It was one of the worst things I've ever felt lin my life," Wilmet recalled. "That was pretty tough."

He let it heal, but that and that he was from off the beaten path for scouts up north, combined to result in no interest from the pros.

That's when he turned to his music. He'd started on the piano when he was 10. In junior high, though, they needed a drummer and he was the one asked to do that, "and I kind of took to it."

After high school, he also took it on the road, playing with multiple bands, touring around the region making good money playing mostly Top 40 hits.

A few years of that, though, and Wilmet's thoughts turned to another kind of hit, trying to stop those hits as a professional pitcher.

He wanted to at least try.

"I knew I could play," Wilmet said. "I've never been one to have the 'what ifs.' I didn't want to wake up when I was 50 say 'well, what if I'd have done this."

"I just knew I could play and I really wanted to play," Wilmet said, "and I pestered everybody until somebody gave me a shot."

Somebody finally did and Wilmet was on his way to the pros.

Go to Part 2: Roster Filled

Part 1: So Focused | Part 2: Roster Filled | Part 3: Made It

Chris Jones, Good Company - 1243

Florence Blue Jay pitcher Chris Jones had some good company on the mound that day in Charleston, S.C. in 1986. But that company wasn't his opponent in the game - it was the guy who took the mound before him.

That good company was Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, who was scheduled to take the mound in a pre-game home run contest between the two teams, according to The Charleston News and Courier.

That night, Jones did his best not to give up home runs, trying to pitch his Blue Jays to victory. In the end, though, Jones' best wasn't enough to pitch himself to the major leagues, seeing time in eight seasons, but only getting as high as AAA.

Jones' career began in 1985, taken by the Blue Jays in the fourth round of the draft out of Ohio State University.

At Ohio State,Jones posted a 3.47 ERA in 1983. He played for the Buckeyes from 1983 to 1985.

With the Blue Jays, Jones started at rookie Medicine Hat, getting 10 starts, but no wins. For 1986, he moved to single-A Florence and short-season St. Catharines. At Florence, he only picked up one win to seven losses. At St. Catharines, Jones went a better 7-4.

Jones had his best win total in his third campaign, at single-A Dunedin. He went 11-6, with a 2.63 ERA in 25 starts.

Jones moved up to AA Knoxville for 1988, getting 35 outings, 22 starts. He went 6-9, with a 4.28 ERA.

Jones returned to Knoxville for 1989, but he also got more relief work. in 39 outings, he got just 10 starts. He also had a 3.35 ERA.

In 1990, Jones was a full-time reliever. At Knoxville, he got 35 outings, with a 5.33 ERA. He also got 10 outings at AAA Syracuse, giving up nine earned runs in 20.1 innings of work.

Jones ended up playing in two more seasons. He started 1991 back at Knoxville, before moving mid-season to the Dodger system and AAA Albuquerque. He played his final games in 1992, with the Cardinals at AAA Louisville, ending his career.

• Charleston News and Courier, June 1, 1986: Jays belt 'Bows

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,047
Made the Majors: 652 - 62.3%
Never Made Majors: 395-37.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 284
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 167