Mike Young, Strike Out - 3046

During his three seasons at Anderson University in Indiana, Mike Young could strike out batters.

By the end of his tenure at the school, Young rung up an average of 9.44 batters per nine innings pitched. In all, he pitched 170.2 innings for Anderson from 1988 to 1990.

When he left school, Young's strikeout mark was good for seventh best in school history. Since, only one Anderson hurler has bested his total, according to the school's record book.

It was in 1990 that Young went pro. As a pro, though, Young couldn't match his college strikeout totals. His pro career also ended up being shorter than his college one, seeing time in just two seasons.

Young's career began that year in 1990, taken by the Cubs in the 11th round of the draft out of Anderson.

With the Cubs, Young started at short-season Geneva. His season, though, was really short, just a single outing. He went one inning, giving up one hit and no runs. Of the four batters he faced, he struck out two.

Coming back for 1991, Young pitched in a total of 23 games at Geneva, starting three. He went 2-4, with a 4.76 ERA in 51 innings of work. He also picked up a save.

His strikeout total came in at 31 that year, walking 32. It was his final year as a pro.

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,103
Made the Majors: 659 - 59.8%
Never Made Majors: 444-40.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Stephen Coffey had long college streak: Baseball Profiles

Stephen Coffey was once a college player himself, setting team records with the UMass-Boston from 1988 to 1990, including a 34-game hitting streak from 1988 to 1989.

Twenty years later, it was Coffey working with college players, serving as coach for the summer collegiate league North Shore Navigators, according to The Winthrop Transcript.

"It's been fun and rewarding to work with the college players and to be able to impart some of the things to them that I've learned in my years in college and professional baseball," Coffey told The Transcript in June 2010. "It's also great to have my brother helping the team out in the front office."

From those beginnings at UMass-Boston, Coffey went on to a professional career, but not a long one. Coffey ended up playing just two seasons, making it to single-A, but no higher.

Coffey's professional career began in 1990, taken by the Cubs in the 20th round of the draft out of UMass. He went there from Winthrop High in Winthrop, Mass.

At UMass-Boston in 1988, Coffey hit .402. In 1989, he hit .412, the seventh and ninth best averages in school history. It was also over those two seasons that he picked up that 34-game hitting streak. His career batting average of .379 is still second best at the school.

With the Cubs, though, Coffey couldn't replicate his college hitting success. Sent to short-season Geneva that first year, Coffey hit just .191 over 67 games. He knocked in 21 and stole eight bases.

For 1991, Coffey saw 11 games up at single-A Peoria and 14 more back at Geneva. Between the two, he hit just .167, those 25 games his final games as a pro.

• Winthrop Transcript, June 26, 2010: Coffey Connection

More: The 1990 Geneva Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,102
Made the Majors: 659 - 59.8%
Never Made Majors: 443-40.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Luis Benitez saw three pro seasons, was part of big trade

The deal was a big one, with nine players switching teams between the Cubs and the Rangers.

It was also a deal the Cubs received much flak for, sending Jamie Moyer and Rafeal Palmeiro to the Rangers.

"I don`t hear nothing about that trade now," Cubs manager Don Zimmer told The Chicago Tribune after Paul Kilgus and Mitch Williams, two players the Cubs received back, pitched well in an April 1989 game. "For four months, that's all I heard about. Now I don't hear nothing."

Another player in that deal, Luis Benitez, Zimmer and others never did hear much about. That's because Benitez lasted parts of just two seasons with the Cubs organization, three as a pro, never making it higher than single-A.

Benitez' pro career began in 1988, signed by the Rangers as an undrafted free agent out of his native Puerto Rico.

He played his first season in the rookie Gulf Coast League, the infielder getting into 63 games, hitting .286.

With the Cubs, though, Benitez never found his bat. In 93 games in 1989, spent between short-season Geneva and single-A Charleston, Benitez' average stumbled to just .177. He hit .183 in 58 games at Geneva and .167 in 35 games at Charleston.

Benitez returned to Geneva for 1990, but it was a brief return. He got into just two contests, six at bats. He also got only one hit. It was the final hit of his professional career.

• Chicago Tribune, April 26, 1989: Trade Just Fine For Both Cubs, Rangers

More: The 1990 Geneva Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,101
Made the Majors: 659 - 59.9%
Never Made Majors: 442-40.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Lance Dickson, Called Up - 3029

Other top picks had moved up quickly. The question was, did the Cubs' first-round pick Lance Dickson expect to see himself in the majors soon, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Dickson didn't, or at least he didn't expect a call up to be handed to him, he told The Tribune.

"I feel that I have to earn it. If I do get called up, that's fine with me," Dickson told The Tribune. "But I have no timetable, and it'd be ridiculous for me to make a statement that I should get called this year. That's (the Cubs') job to say when I'm ready. My job is to get people out."

As it turned out, less than a week after that early-August 1990 interview, and less than two months after the Cubs selected Dickson 23rd overall, he was in the majors pitching in his first major league game.

Nine days after that, the 20-year-old was pitching in his last, arm problems conspiring to shorten his once-promising career.

Dickson's career began that June, taken by the Cubs in the first round out of the University of Arizona.

At Arizona, Dickson struck out 304 in his three-year career, good for seventh all-time at the school, including 141 in 1990 alone. He also had seven wins and a 3.46 ERA that last year.

With the Cubs, Dickson started at short-season Geneva. There, he started three games, posting a 0.53 ERA. He then got five starts at single-A Peoria, and three at AA Charlotte. At Charlotte, Dickson's ERA even bested Geneva's, at 0.38.

Then he got called up to Chicago and those sterling ERAs were nowhere to be found. In his three major league starts, Dickson gave up 11 earned runs in 13.2 innings of work.

Dickson had been called up after an injury in the major league rotation. Despite the outcome, Cubs assistant director of scouting Scott Nelson told The Los Angeles Times the Cubs needed Dickson.

"The situation dictated that we give him a crack," Nelson told The Times the next February. "We were in such desperate need and he had been pitching so great. The old rule of thumb in baseball is if a pitcher has a hot hand, it's almost like he can pitch anywhere. So we figured, 'Lets get him up here while he's on a roll.'"

Dickson ended up spending that year at AAA Iowa, 18 starts in all. He went 4-4, with a 3.11 ERA. He lost two months to a broken foot, according to The Tribune. Then came 1992. He got just a single start, later undergoing shoulder surgery.

Dickson then started his road back in spring 1993, telling The Tribune he hoped to have a healthy season and move back up.

"I know when you look at my numbers when I was 20 years old up there, they're not good at all," Dickson told The Tribune that March. "But I want to think that being healthy and stronger and older and all that will help. I know it will."

Dickson ended up getting 14 starts that year, between high-A Daytona, AA Orlando and AAA Iowa. Overall, he had a 4.08 ERA.

Dickson, though, only had six outings left in his career. He got four in 1994 at AAA Iowa, then two final outings in 1995 in the rookie Gulf Coast League, ending his career.

• Chicago Tribune, Aug. 4, 1990: Dickson Not Afraid To Wait In Line
• Los Angeles Times, Feb. 18, 1991: Dickson Hopes To Put Trip Through Minors Behind Him
• Chicago Tribune, March 9, 1993: Dickson Shouldering An Additional Burden

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,100
Made the Majors: 659 - 59.9%-X
Never Made Majors: 441-40.1%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Andy Hartung, Far Enough - 3044

Andy Hartung got his first taste of AA in 1992, a two-game stint at Charlotte. He spent the next year trying to get back there, and beyond.

"It's funny. When I signed I was hoping to some day make it to AA," Hartung told The Orlando Sentinel in May 1993. "But you play a few years and you get to see some major-league pitchers on rehab and you start to realize you are not that far away."

For Hartung, though, he ended up being far enough away. In a pro career that spanned six seasons, those two games he played at AA in 1992 ended up being his only at that level with the Cubs. He never made the majors.

Hartung's pro career began in 1990, taken by the Cubs in the 30th round out of the University of Maine at Orono.

At Maine, Hartung picked up three hits in a game his freshman year, one where he had to leave with an injury. In 1990, Hartung put together an 18-game hitting streak, the 18th game coming in March.

"He's matured as a person and as a baseball player," Maine assistant coach Mike Coutts told The Bangor Daily News after Hartung's 18th game. "He's worked a lot harder than he has in the past and I think that's because of his maturity."

With the Cubs, Hartung started at short-season Geneva, hitting .331 in 74 games. He also hit 11 home runs and knocked in 70.

He moved to single-A Peoria and high-A Winston-Salem for 1991, hitting .254 in 81 games between them.

For 1992, he returned to Winston-Salem, hitting 23 home runs on the season, and earning that two-game promotion to Charlotte. In those two games, Hartung hit another home run, and picked up two other hits.

For 1993, though, it was back to high-A at Daytona. He played just 44 games, hitting .295, with four home runs. In 1994, it was 32 games back at Daytona, with just a .191 average and three home runs. It was his final time with the Cubs organizatoin.

Hartung played out 1994 with independent Duluth-Superior. In 1995, Hartung played 12 games with the Rockies at AA New Haven, then the rest of the year between independent Winnipeg and Lubbock, ending his career.

Hartung has gone on to return to his home state of Massachusetts, teaching the game to younger players in AAU ball. Hartung has been listed as a hitting coach with the HR Falcons in Woburn, Ma.

• Bangor Daily News, March 16, 1990: Hartung extends hitting streak to 18
• Orlando Sentinel, May 2, 1993: Cleaning Up In Daytona

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,099
Made the Majors: 658 - 59.9%
Never Made Majors: 441-40.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Roberto Smalls played three pro seasons, made single-A, then went to prison in Virgin Islands for murder

Roberto Smalls got in front of the students and relayed his message of staying in school and staying away from drugs and violence, according to The Virgin Islands Daily News.

Smalls spoke to the students as a former professional baseball player - a former player who is now serving life in prison for murder.

"I was able to pitch a ball 95 mph and had a great future in baseball," Smalls told the students in 2012, according to The Daily News. "But at the age of 23, I traded in my Cubs uniform for this orange prison jump suit, and at 42 I still regret it. I was able to do that and show my skills to huge audiences, now I can only show off to the corrections offices and other inmates."

Taken by the Cubs as their third-round selection in the 1988 draft, Smalls went on to play in three professional seasons. He is credited with his last pro time in 1990.

It was less than four years later, on Jan. 9, 1994, that Smalls, back home in his native U.S. Virgin Islands, opened fire on a group of rival gang members in a pickup truck, killing one - and sending Smalls to prison for life.

For Smalls, though, it didn't start like that. As a 16-year-old, he was a hot throwing right-hander.

In high school in St. Thomas, Smalls, then known as Roberto Ventura, threw five no-hitters - in a row, spending 1987 at a high school in Mississippi. The performance even caught the attention of Sports Illustrated, Smalls, as Ventura, named as one of the "Faces in the Crowd" in its May 17, 1987 issue.

Smalls' high school performances also caught the attention of the Cubs, enough so to select him high in the 1988 draft.

With the Cubs, Smalls started with rookie Wytheville. The Cubs, according to The Chicago Tribune that June, had "high hopes" for the Virgin Islands hurler. He went 3-6, with a 4.36 ERA in 13 starts.

From there, Smalls moved to single-A Charleston for 1989. He went just 5-11 in 23 starts, with an ERA of 4.33. In a start that August, Smalls went just a third of an inning, giving up three earned.

For 1990, Smalls' third season as a pro, he moved to short-season Geneva. He got just 10 outings, nine starts. He went 4-4, with a 4.85 ERA. It was his last season as a pro. Before the age of 20, Smalls' his career was over.

Then, on Jan. 9, 1994, it was the life of an 18-year-old named Renaldo James that was over. It was over at the hands of Smalls. James was described as a "rival gang member."

Smalls contended at trial that he shot in self-defense, according to a wire account citing The Daily News. Smalls contended he was fired upon first. Smalls' story, though, was disputed by nearby off-duty police officers.

That October, Smalls was convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to life in prison.

• Sports Illustrated, May 25, 1987: Faces In The Crowd
• Virgin Islands Daily News, Oct. 31, 2012: Virgin Islands Daily News
• Philadelphia Daily News, wire services, Oct. 27, 1994: Ex-prospect gets life

More: 1990 Geneva Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,098
Made the Majors: 658 - 59.9%
Never Made Majors: 440-40.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

John DeRicco, Time Off - 3043

In the first meeting with the University of San Diego, in March 1990, John DeRicco got hit in the face with the ball sliding into second. The impact broke his nose and check, he lost a month, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Back in action against San Diego by May, the University of Nevada-Reno's DeRicco lost two more games. This time, though, it was for a brawl, a particularly bad one that cleared the benches and even involved some spectators, according to The Times.

The brawl was sparked by a hard DeRicco tag - on the same player whose throw caused DeRicco's injury two months earlier, then a collision on a subsequent throw. DeRicco picked up a two-game suspension as a result.

Despite his time off that year, DeRicco still caught enough attention to be drafted in the 25th round by the Cubs. DeRicco didn't get much time in the pros, though. His career lasted just a single season, 63 games.

At Nevada-Reno, DeRicco played well enough to find a home in the school's record book, where he remains today. He knocked 21 doubles in 1989, still good for ninth all time. He also walked 44 times that season, tied for fifth and ninth in slugging. DeRicco is also tied for seventh in career walks.

In 1989, DeRicco also won first team all-conference honors. By late April of that year, DeRicco led the team with a .377 average and 60 hits, according to The Times.

After his selection by Cubs in 1990, DeRicco quickly signed. Sent to short-season Geneva, DeRicco got into those 63 games. The first baseman hit .240, with three home runs and 27 RBIs. It was his only season as a pro, his career ending with the season's end.

• Los Angeles Times, May 6, 1990: USD Forfeits Games in Brawl Aftermath

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,097
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.0%
Never Made Majors: 439-40.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Brad Huff, Fourth Round - 3032

Brad Huff played well enough in high school to selected by the Cubs in the fourth round of the draft, Huff not even 18 years old.

Huff turned pro. He also turned 18 that July.

As a pro, though, Huff couldn't turn that early faith the Cubs showed him into a long career. He ended up playing in just four seasons, making it to high-A Winston-Salem, but no higher.

Huff's pro career began that year in 1988, taken by the Cubs directly out of Monroe Area High School in Monroe, Ga.

With the Cubs, Huff signed in time to get into 12 games at rookie Wytheville, the catcher hitting .231, with a stolen base.

Huff returned to Wytheville for 1989, this time getting into 42 games. He hit .212, knocking in 11 runs and stealing two.

For 1990, Huff moved to short-season Geneva, getting 39 games there. With Geneva, Huff hit .279, knocking in 14 and stealing four.

Huff's fourth season came in 1991, Huff going to high-A Winston-Salem. But it was a short season. Huff played just seven games, getting eight at bats and no hits. It was his final season as a pro.

Huff appears to have since returned home to Monroe Georgia, listed with the athletics division of the Walton County Parks & Recreation Department.

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,096
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.0%
Never Made Majors: 438-40.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Greg Kessler, Good Innings - 3037

Greg Kessler pitched five good innings for North Idaho College, but the bottom fell out in the sixth, according to The Spokane Spokesman-Review.

By the time the inning was over, the 4 to 1 Northern Idaho lead turned into a tie, a performance hampered by defensive mistakes, according to The Spokesman-Review.

A "pitcher can't be expected to make five outs in an inning," Kessler coach Jack Bloxom told The Spokesman-Review after the eventual North Idaho loss.

Kessler eventually pitched well enough to catch the eye of the Cubs, taken by Chicago in the 27th round of the previous June's draft. Kessler, though, didn't sign immediately, according to The Spokane Chronicle, waiting through spring 1989, and more college ball, before committing to the pros.

Kessler's extra time in college ultimately couldn't get him a long career as a pro. His pro career lasted just two seasons, Kessler not getting past short-season ball.

At North Idaho in 1989, Kessler went 11-6 in that extra season, finally signing with the Cubs at the end of May, according to The Chronicle.

With the Cubs, Kessler played his first season at rookie Wytheville. There, Kessler got into 13 games, 11 starts. He went 3-7, with a 6.00 ERA. He also threw two complete games.

For 1990, what turned out to be Kessler's final season, Kessler moved to short-season Geneva. At Geneva, Kessler got into 18 games, eight starts. He went 2-4, with a better 2.74 ERA.

But those 18 games with Geneva were his last as a pro, Kessler's career ending with a 5-11 record and an overall 4.42 ERA.

• Spokane Spokesman-Review, April 21, 1989: North Idaho's gifts fill Treasure Valley
• Spokane Chronicle, June 1, 1989: Spokane investors' offer turned down

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,095
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.1%
Never Made Majors: 437-39.9%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Tim Parker, That Chance - 3049

Tim Parker was selected by the Cubs high in the 1990 draft and he couldn't have been happier, according to his hometown Wilmington Star-News.

"It's a dream come true," Parker told The Star-News after his selection. "I worked hard all these years for this chance to play professional baseball."

Parker took that chance to a 6-0 first campaign at short-season Geneva, and a selection to Baseball America's All-Star team.

Parker, though, couldn't take that chance and turn it into a long professional career, Parker ending his baseball career just two seasons later after a couple of poor starts at AA.

Parker's career began that summer in 1990 with his selection by the Cubs in the third round of the draft out of Clemson.

At Clemson in 1990, Parker went 7-5, with a 2.96 ERA that spring. He also underwent four operations, according to The Star-News. But the Cubs selected him, and Parker signed.

"Tim wasn't heralded out of high school but he got bigger, he got stronger, and even though he got cut on, he was able to come back, which says a lot about his work ethic and the type of person he is," Cubs scout Bill Champion told The Star-News.

Parker then went out and had that 6-0 season at Geneva, ending with a 1.53 ERA. It was enough for Parker to make the jump for 1991 to AA Charlotte.

At Charlotte, Parker went 11-9 on the year, with a 3.73 ERA over 24 starts. He also walked 73 in 144.2 innings, striking out 74.

Coming back for his third season, Parker returned to Charlotte. In his first two starts, though, Parker gave up 12 earned runs in just 8.2 innings of work. A shoulder strain also shelved him for three weeks. Despite his previous success, though, Parker was done, Parker leaving the team and retiring.

• Wilmington Star-News, June 5, 1990: Cubs pick Parker
• Wilmington Star-News, June 7, 1990: Ex-Hoggard star Parker signs with Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,094
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.2%
Never Made Majors: 436-39.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Troy Bradford threw college complete games, saw 6 seasons

Troy Bradford went on a bit of a roll in 1990, and he carried it over from college to the pros.

At the University of Arizona, Bradford threw three consecutive complete games, winning each. The three also happened to be the final outings of his college career.

From there, he moved to the Cubs organization, taken as a high draft pick. Landing at short-season Geneva, Bradford started seven games, going 5-0 and turning in a 1.79 ERA. He also earned a promotion to single-A Peoria.

Bradford, though, wasn't able to turn that fast start into a major league career. He went on to play in six professional seasons, but he never made it past AA.

Bradford's professional career began that year in 1990, taken by the Cubs in the second round of the draft, out of Arizona.

With the Cubs, Bradford got those seven starts at Geneva. Moving to Peoria, Bradford cooled off. With Peoria, Bradford went 2-6, with a 4.47 ERA.

Bradford moved to high-A Winston-Salem in 1991, going 9-5 with a 2.59 ERA. He pitched his third complete game by early June, pitching four on the year.

Bradford got his first look at AA in 1992, with two games at AA Charlotte. For 1993, it was back to high-A Daytona.

His first extended look at AA came in 1994, with 18 outings, 13 starts at AA Orlando. Bradford went 3-9 there, losing a May decision after pitching five scoreless, then a June one on a home run and a wild pitch.

Bradford's career then ended in 1995 with four starts back at Orlando, giving up 12 earned runs in 22 innings of work.

More: The 1990 Geneva Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,093
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.2%
Never Made Majors: 435-39.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Charlie Fiacco returned from injury to sign as a pro; He played a single season - 3035

Charlie Fiacco hadn't played in 11 months, injured in a home plate collision the previous spring in college, according to The Oxnard Press-Courier.

Fiacco, though, felt he was back and, in March 1990, he was a pro, signing his first pro contract with the Cubs, The Press-Courier wrote.

"I'm ready to go," Fiacco told The Press-Courier. "I just want to see what I can do, more than anything else. I've been hitting the last six months, so I don't feel I'm that much out of it. I've run the last two months, so I'll be in good shape going in there."

Whatever shape Fiacco was in, it apparently wasn't good enough to earn him a long pro career. He ended up that summer at short-season Geneva, playing his only season of pro ball.

Fiacco's career started that year, signing with the Cubs out of UCLA. The Cubs had taken him the previous June in the 36th round of the draft. Fiacco went to UCLA out of Camarillo High School in Camarillo, Ca.

At Camarillo, Fiacco was used as both a third baseman and as a pitcher, helping his team to the sectional championship game. "He's meant just about everything to us," Fiacco's high school coach Ken Wagner told The Los Angeles Times in May 1985.

Fiacco went to UCLA on a full scholarship, coaches there impressed with both his speed and his power, according to The Press-Courier.

"Fiacco is one of the best athletes in the Southern California area," UCLA pitching coach Guy Hansen told The Press-Courier. "He runs a 6.5 or 6.6 60 - which is outstanding speed. And he has power. He'll end up hitting home runs wherever he plays."

At UCLA, Fiacco hit two home runs in one March 1989 game. That June, Fiacco found himself selected by the Cubs.

With the Cubs at Geneva in 1990, Fiacco got into 60 games, getting time at second, third and in the outfield. He ended up hitting .251, with four home runs and 25 RBIs. It was his only season as a pro.

Fiacco has gone on to return to his old high school as a coach and math teacher, according to a UCLA media guide, coaching his team to seven league championships.

• Oxnard Press-Courier, April 11, 1985: 3 Camarillans To Play Baseball at UCLA
• Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1985: Hot Corner to Hot Hurler 
• Oxnard Press-Courier, March 23, 1990: Fiacco signs with Chicago Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,092
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.3%
Never Made Majors: 434-39.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

German Diaz, Position Switch - 3039

German Diaz started his career as an infielder, getting time at each infield position over his first two seasons as a pro.

He even got time in the outfield, three games in 1991 and another 13 in 1992, both at single-A Peoria.

In 1993, though, Diaz added another position - pitcher. He got a total of 16 relief outings in the minors for the Indians.

If Diaz hoped that position switch would prolong his career, it didn't. That season he spent as a pitcher in 1993 ended up being his last as a pro.

Diaz' career began in 1989, signed by the Cubs as an undrafted free agent out of his native Puerto Rico.

Diaz signed in time to appear in two games, two plate appearances for the Cubs at short-season Geneva.

Diaz returned to Geneva for 1990, getting 61 games. He ended up hitting .254, with three home runs and 19 RBIs.

For 1991, Diaz moved up to single-A Peoria, hitting .252 over 105 games, with 23 RBIs.

Diaz returned to Peoria for 1992, getting just 26 games. He also moved back down to Geneva for another 16. Between the two levels, Diaz hit .238.

Diaz then made his move to the Indians organization and to the mound. He got 11 outings back in the New York-Penn League with short-season Watertown, posting a 2.91 ERA. At single-A Columbus, though, Diaz ended up giving up seven earned runs in 10.2 innings of work, ending his career.

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,091
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.3%
Never Made Majors: 433-39.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Tim Delgado pitched good ballgame after AA promotion; Saw six pro seasons, and Taiwan

It was just Tim Delgado's second start after his promotion to AA. But he showed why he got moved up.

Delgado pitched eight full innings, giving up just five hits and two runs, earning praise from his manager Tommy Jones, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

"He pitched a very good ballgame,'' Jones told The Sentinel of Delgado. "He kept the ball down, and he mixed his speeds well. If he can continue to do that, he should be successful in this league."

Delgado ended up getting just four other starts for Orlando that year, seven other outings in his fourth season as a pro. It was also Delgado's final season as a pro.

Read the October 2013 Interview: Tim Delgado

Delgado's career began in 1990, signed by the Cubs as an undrafted free agent out of Scottsdale Community College.

Delgado played that first year with short-season Geneva, getting time at high-A Miami. Between them, he got 21 outings, four starts, and a 3.29 ERA.

He moved to single-A Peoria in 1991, playing the year as a reliever, picking up four saves and a 4.02 ERA.

In 1992, Delgado got his first look at AA, with six relief appearances at Charlotte. He played the rest of the year at high-A Winston-Salem, getting 28 outings, 20 starts there. In one July game with Winston-Salem, Delgado worked himself out of a jam, getting to hitters to hit come-backers.

 For 1993, Delgado's final year as a pro, he split time between high-A Daytona and AA Orlando. At Daytona, he posted a 1.70 ERA in 17 outings, 13 starts. He also got picked for the all-star game. At Orlando, though, Delgado got nine outings, six starts, posting a 5.90 ERA, ending is career.

Read the October 2013 Interview: Tim Delgado

• Orlando Sentinel, June 8, 1993: Grace's 5 RBIs Power Cubs By Barons, 10-3

More: 1990 Geneva Cubs

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,090
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.4%
Never Made Majors: 432-39.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170

Paul Torres, Play Wherever- 3048

Paul Torres was a valuable player for AA Orlando in 1995, not only for his bat, but for what he could do in the field, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

That year he played both first and third for Orlando. He also got time in all three outfield positions. And Torres was happy to do it, according to The Sentinel.

"Just give me the right glove and point me in the right direction," Torres told The Sentinel in late April. "Third base, right field, left field, whatever. . . . it doesn't matter to me. I'll play wherever they put me."

And Torres continued playing. Torres was in his seventh professional season that year with Orlando. He went on to get credit for a total of 14 pro seasons. Torres, though, never got the chance to play in the major leagues.

Torres' pro career began in 1989, signed by the Cubs as an undrafted free agent out of Chabot College in California.

Torres started at rookie Wytheville, hitting .236, with seven home runs in 54 games. He moved to single-A Peoria and short-season Geneva for 1990, hitting .259 between them with 15 home runs.

Torres got his first look at high-A Winston-Salem in 1991, then his first look at AA Orlando in 1993.
In 1994, Torres got 61 games at AA Orlando, hitting .238, with 10 home runs. Two of those home runs came as ninth-inning game-winners, including one in mid-June, according to The Sentinel.

Torres also got 26 games at Daytona. At Daytona in 1994, Torres hit .311 in those 26 games hitting fourth in the order, earning praise from his manager Ken Bolek, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal. The third-spot hitter also got praise.

"We've been very fortunate to have a couple of guys really start swinging the bats," Bolek told The News-Journal that July. "When you have No. 3 and 4 batters swing the bat like they have, it makes a difference."

In April 1995, Torres rattled off a 13-game hitting street, according to The Sentinel. He extended that streak to 13 with a two-run home run.

His streak came after a slow start, according to The Sentinel.

''Early on I was overanxious up there, and I was swinging at bad pitches, now I'm more relaxed,'' Torres told The Sentinel. ''I'm seeing the ball well and just trying to hit it hard somewhere.''

Torres stayed with the Cubs system through that June, traded to the Cardinals with two others for Todd Zeile. Torres ended up playing out the year at AA Arkansas. The next year, he returned to Arkansas, getting one game at AAA Louisville.

Torres moved to the Mariners system for 1997, splitting time between AA Memphis and AAA Tacoma. Torres' time at AAA Tacoma, 59 games, was his only extended time at that level in his career.

Torres' final season in affiliated ball came in 1998, back in Orlando at AA with the Mariners.

Torres, though, continued playing through 2002, in the independent Western League, in Mexico and in Taiwan. He last played in 2002 with the Western League's Solano Steelheads.

• Daytona Beach News-Journal, July 22, 1994: Cubs back home, in contention
• Orlando Sentinel, April 25, 1995: Orlando Wins 4th In A Row 
• Orlando Sentinel, April 30, 1995: Cubs' Torres Cleans Up No Matter Where He Plays

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,089
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.4%
Never Made Majors: 431-39.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 170-X

Bill Paynter, Head Start - 3040

Bill Paynter was anxious to get a head start on his third pro season.

So, in late-February 1990, he and two other Cubs minor leaguers borrowed a pitching machine at Arizona State and set about working on their hitting, according to The Chicago Tribune.

The extra work, though, didn't seem to help, at least not enough to extend his career. That third pro season for Paynter was also his last.

Paynter's brief pro career began in 1988, taken by the Cubs in the 11th round out of Coronado High School in Scotsdale, Ariz.

At Coronado, Paynter also played football, playing quarterback in 1986 and completing 10 of 15 passes in one contest.


With the Cubs, Paynter started at rookie Wytheville. There, the catcher hit .190 in 50 games. He also hit three home runs and knocked in 13.

For 1989, Paynter split time back at Wytheville and at single-A Peoria. Between them, he got into 61 games and hit .197. At Peoria, though, he picked up just six hits in 60 at bats, for a .100 average.

That head start in 1990 ended up returning Paynter to Peoria for 19 games. But he only managed to hit .115. He played another 29 games at short-season Geneva, but it was his final season as a pro, his career ending without making it higher than single-A. 

• Chicago Tribune, Feb. 25, 1990: Cubs' Frey Rules Out Two-a-day Workouts

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,088
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.5%
Never Made Majors: 430-39.5%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Brad Erdman, Kept Playing - 3033

In his sixth professional season, Brad Erdman had yet to see AAA. He'd made AA the year before, but this year, 1994, the catcher was back at high-A Daytona.

For Erdman, he was just happy to be playing. He also still had his dream - and knew that dream was still possible, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

"If I didn't have the dream, I wouldn't be here doing it today," Erdman told The Sentinel. "I'll keep playing as long as they'll let me play. A lot of people take it for granted, but here you come to the ballpark and you get paid for it . . . you can't pass that up.''

Erdman didn't pass that up. Baseball was something he ultimately got paid for in eight pro seasons. Erdman, though, would never get paid for it in the major leagues.

Erdman's career began in 1989, taken by Chicago in the 17th round, out of Cochise Community College in Arizona.

With Cochise, Erdman helped his team to the Junior College World Series that year, picking up a bases-clearing triple in one contest.

With the Cubs, Erdman started at short-season Geneva, hitting .176 in 26 games. He split time in 1990 between Geneva and single-A Peoria, hitting .209.

For 1991, it was full-time at Peoria. For 1992, it was high-A Winston-Salem. Erdman saw AA Orlando for the first time in 1993, his fifth season as a pro. With Orlando that year, Erdman hit just .181 in 89 games.

Iit wasn't his offense, though, that won Erdman praise. It was his abilities behind the plate. In one June 1993 game, it was just that that caught the eye of Orlando pitching coach Rick Kranitz, according to The Sentinel.

"He was super back there, you couldn't have asked for anything more," Kranitz told The Sentinel after the game. "He throws out two potential base stealers and then picks a runner off second base."

Erdman returned to high-A Daytona in 1994, getting 76 games there, and one in Orlando. In the Orlando game, Erdman was unintentionally taken out on a July slide at home, straining a knee ligament, according to a wire account.

Erdman worked his way back to Orlando by August 1995. But Erdman was also a year older.

"I'm a fossil," Erdman told The Sentinel, comparing himself to the younger players on the AA roster. ''I take it as a rehab stint down here and not a demotion. They (Chicago) have stuck their neck out for me and kept me around. I would like to stay in the Cubs' organization."

Erdman did stay with the Cubs organization, but it lasted just one more season. In 1996, he made AAA Iowa, getting into 57 games, but he hit just .157. It was his final year as a pro.

• Orlando Sentinel, June 10, 1993: Cubs Leave Home A Winner
• Orlando Sentinel, June 26, 1994: Erdman Bullish On Making It To The Majors 
• Orlando Sentinel, Aug. 24, 1995: Erdman's Love For Sport Keeps Him Around

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,087
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.5%
Never Made Majors: 429-39.5%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Amilcar Correa, Couldn't Stop - 3051

It was already a bad night for Amilcar Correa's Winston-Salem Spirits and Correa couldn't stop it from getting worse.

Peninsula hitter Bubba Smith had already hit two home runs on the night off other pitchers. Correa, pitching in the sixth, gave up Smith's third on the night, according to The Newport News Daily Press.

For Correa, it was one of five home runs he would give up that year for Winston-Salem. It was also one of the last home runs he would give up in his career.

Correa's career began in 1989, taken by the Cubs in the 39th round of the draft, out of his native Puerto Rico.

With the Cubs, Correa started at rookie Wytheville, getting 16 outings, two starts. He picked up three wins and a save, posting a 5.22 ERA.

For 1990, Correa moved to short-season Geneva, getting 21 outings, one start. He also dropped his ERA to 2.05.

Correa made single-A Peoria in 1991. Over the full season, Correa appeared in 39 games, with one start, picking up five wins and two saves.

Correa then made high-A Winston-Salem in 1992, but it turned out to be his final season as a pro. In 34 relief outings, he had an ERA of 4.08, ending his career.

• Newport News Daily Press, April 25, 1992: Pilots' Smith Hits 3 Homers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,086
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.6%
Never Made Majors: 428-39.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Clinton White, Multi-Sport - 3042

Clinton White was a multi-sport star coming out of high school and college in California.

In high school, he won awards in three different sports, according to a bio at a sports organization he helped found. In college, it was football that garnered the honors, earning All-League honors.

But it was baseball that White was eventually paid to play. And he would be paid to do that for just two seasons, never getting above short-season.

White's brief pro career began in 1989, taken by the Cubs in the 47th round of the draft, out of the College of the Desert.

It was at the College of the Desert that White won All-League and Honorable Mention All-State as a wide receiver, according to his bio.

With the Cubs, White started at rookie Wytheville, getting into 48 games. He hit four home runs, knocked in 22 and hit .263.

For 1990, White moved to short-season Geneva. With Geneva, he got into 35 games, hitting just .208 and knocking in 12. It was his last recorded time in the pros.

White has since returned home to Southern California, but stayed involved in sports. In 2010, he and three friends started the SoCal Athletic Academy in La Quinta. The academy's mission is to help young player prepare for playing in college.

White, who also goes by Kenny White, serves as the academy's director of operations.

• SoCal Athletic Academy: Clinton White bio

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,085
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.7%
Never Made Majors: 427-39.3%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Ricardo Medina, Right Pitch - 3031

Richard Jones got off to a slow start for single-A Peoria in 2011. Helping him get out of that slump, according to The Peoria Journal Star, was his hitting coach Ricardo Medina.

After working with Medina early that May, The Journal Star wrote, Jones' batting average jumped 40 points.

"It's just planning - what his plan is and what he needs to do when he goes to the plate," Medina told The Journal Star of Jones. "It's a matter of looking for the right pitch to hit and to be disciplined."

Medina spoke from experience. Two decades earlier, he was a minor league hitter himself, playing six seasons in the Cubs system. Medina didn't ultimately make the majors, but he has been helping others try and get there since.

Medina's career in baseball began in 1989, signed by the Cubs as an undrafted free agent out of his native Panama.

With the Cubs, Medina started at rookie Wytheville, hitting .264 in 51 games. He then moved to short-season Geneva for 1990, hitting .222 over just 41 games there.

Medina returned to Geneva for 1991, getting a look at single-A Peoria. Between the two levels, he hit .292, with four home runs and 40 RBI.

Medina continued playing at Peoria for the next two seasons, hitting .263 and .254. For 1994, he moved to high-A Daytona, hitting .226 there. It was his final year as a pro.

Soon, Medina was a coach. In 2001, he's credited as being hitting coach for the Cubs' Arizona League team. By 2005, he was hitting coach at Peoria. For 2013, Medina is listed as a hitting coach with the Cubs back in the Arizona League.

In 2010, Medina watched over Cubs prospect Matt Szczur at short-season Boise, telling MiLB.com he saw Szczur was a raw talent.

"He covered a lot of ground in the outfield, had great bat speed, good eye-hand coordination and would lay off tough pitches," Medina told MiLB.com of Szczur. "He's fast too, a right-handed hitter who can get out of the box quickly and make good time to first base."

• MiLB.com, Aug. 13, 2010: Cubs take chance on two-sport Szczur
• Peoria Journal-Star, May 14, 2011: Capie: Confidence grows with average

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,084
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.7%
Never Made Majors: 426-39.3%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169

Joe Housey, Good Command - PC3054

Joe Housey took a one-hit shutout into the ninth inning of this 1980 contest with Little Falls, ultimately picking up a 4-1 win.

It was a pitching performance for the Geneva Cub hurler that impressed a Cubs pitching coach in town for the game, Les Moss, according to The Finger Lakes Times.

"He had good command all the way," Moss told The Times. "That young man has a good arm."

Housey ultimately didn't have good enough command to make the majors. But he did go on to help others with their command as a minor league pitching coach himself, and then find others with good command later as a scout.

Housey's career in baseball began that year in 1980, taken by the Cubs in the second round of the secondary phase of the draft out of the University of New Orleans.

That first year at Geneva, Housey went 10-2, with a 1.50 ERA in 13 starts. He moved to single-A Quad Cities in 1981, then single-A Salinas in 1982.

Housey got his first look at AA in 1983, with seven starts at Midland. He went 1-4, with a 7.29 ERA.
He then  played two more seasons, both at AA, ending his playing career after six seasons.

By 1987 Housey had started his new career, as a pitching coach in the minors. That year, he served as pitching coach at single-A Peoria, watching over the Cubs' top draft pick Mike Harkey.

"He's been dealing with a little bit of adversity very well," Housey told The Chicago Tribune of Harkey that August. "He's always kept his composure on the mound. It hasn't concerned him any mentally. He's a mature kind of guy."

Housey continued as a coach in the Cubs system through 1990, when he was back in Geneva, serving as coach there. Housey then turned scout, working with the Cubs through at least 2007.

Housey has also seen two sons go into pro baseball, son Joey Housey and son John Housey.

• Finger Lakes Times, July 22, 1980: Housey's three-hitter ends Cubs losing streak
• Chicago Tribune, Aug. 11, 1987: Cubs' Top Draft Pick Learning Patience In Peoria

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,083
Made the Majors: 658 - 60.8%
Never Made Majors: 425-39.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 169