Rodney McCray, Baseball Immortality - 1119

Rodney McCray finally got his first at bat of the year for the Mets in May 1992 after 16 pinch-runner appearances and he made his at bat count.

In the top of the ninth, with the bases loaded, McCray knocked a single and knocked in the game-winning run.

"I've been working every day with the hitting instructor and thinking positive, knowing I would get a chance to hit," McCray told The Associated Press afterward. "As soon as I got to first base, I said, 'that's my first National League hit, I want that ball.'"

A year earlier at AAA, McCray the fielder wanted another ball. He didn't get that ball, but in the process of chasing it to the wall - and through it - he gained baseball immortality in a play that would come to overshadow everything else he did in his decade-long career.

McCray's road to that immortality, and the majors, began in 1984, taken by the Padres in the ninth round of the January draft, out of West Los Angeles College.

With the Padres, McCray started at short-season Spokane, hitting .205 in 71 games. He moved to single-A Charleston for 1985, staying at single-A for five-consecutive seasons. Along the way, for 1988, McCray moved to the White Sox system, taken in the minor league draft.

McCray first saw AA in 1990, at Birmingham. He also saw Vancouver and Chicago. McCray made the jump all the way to the majors in late-April 1990, debuting April 30. With the White Sox, McCray got into 32 games, but got just seven plate appearances. He didn't get a hit.

For 1991, McCray played the season back at Vancouver, getting called back to Chicago in September. It was that May 27 that McCray literally ran through a wall.

At Portland's Civic Stadium, McCray went back in an attempt to catch a Chip Hale fly ball. The ball was out of reach, but before he could stop himself, he ran into the wall, and the panel he hit gave way, McCray ending up on the other side of the fence.

Among those impressed by McCray's effort, according to The Associated Press, was his manager, Marv Foley.

"This is my 18th season (of pro baseball) and that was the most courageous attempt I've seen," Foley told The AP days later. "It was death-defying, I mean beyond the call of duty."

With the entire exercise caught on tape, the clip immediately became a mainstay on every comprehensive highlight and blooper reel.

For McCray, though, there was still baseball to play. He finished out the season with Vancouver, returning to Chicago in September for 17 games, seven at bats. He also got his first two major league hits.

He then returned to the majors for a third time, with the Mets in 1992. His time there lasted 18 games, but he got just that one at bat, getting that game-winning hit. His time with the Mets that year also ended his major league career. His career in the minors ended the next season.

McCray has stayed in the game. In 2008, he was a minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator with the Dodgers. It was that year that The Bay City Times caught up with McCray as he visited the Great Lake Loons.

The kidding aside, McCray told The Times there were also lessons to be learned from the play.

"I teach the players to have no fear and to go for the ball," McCray told The Times. "I did that. But the biggest problem was poor communication. It was an artificial turf field and I couldn't feel the difference between the warning track and the field. There was no communication, so I just kept going."

The Video:

• Charleston News and Courier, Associated Press, June 4, 1991: McCray happy to survive fence-busting encounter
• Williamson Daily News, Associated Press, May 9, 1992: McCray no longer known just for crashing into outfield walls
• Bay City Times, April 22, 2008: Rodney McCray's Hall of Fame blooper lives on

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,154
Made the Majors: 669 - 58.0%-X
Never Made Majors: 485-42.0%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 174

Derek Lee, Up North - 1118

Originally posted June 3, 2010, edited May 2013

In spring training 1992 for the White Sox, Derek Lee knew he wasn't going to make the team. But he wanted to make the best impression he could. He wanted them to remember him later.

"I know who's going to go up north," Lee told The Chicago Tribune, referring to the team's AAA club in Vancouver. "The White Sox in '92 are going to be a good team. They're going to win. I want to be a part of that, one way or another."

Lee wouldn't make the team that year, but he would make the majors briefly the next, after a change in organizations.

Lee was taken by the White Sox in the 42nd round of the 1988 draft, out of the University of South Florida.

Lee started with the White Sox at short-season Utica, hitting .341 over 76 games. He also stole 54 bases.

For 1989, The Tribune pegged him as a sleeper in the White Sox system, calling him a speedy leadoff hitter. That year, at single-A South Bend, he hit 11 home runs, with a .286 average, stealing 45.

With AA Birmingham in 1990, he hit .255, with seven home runs. One of those home runs came as an insurance run in a 2-0 May win. But his stolen base total dropped off to 14.

He split 1991 between Birmingham and AAA Vancouver, hitting .305 between them. He then returned to Vancouver for 1992.

By 1993, Lee was drafted away from the White Sox by the Twins. That spring, Lee homered, doubled and drove in three runs in a Twins victory, according to The Associated Press.

"I've had a lot of at-bats this spring," Lee told The AP after that spring game. "I feel fairly comfortable out there."

Lee was sent back down, but the Twins did remember him. They brought him up in June. In 15 games that June and July, Lee had 33 at bats, scored three runs and batted in four. He also hit just .152.

Lee had a pinch-hit double July 21 to knock in one of those four runs. An earlier single on June 29 knocked in another.

Sent back down, Lee would go on to play with six more organizations through 1998, all at AAA, never getting back to the majors. He is recorded as finishing out his career in Mexico and, in 16 games with independent Schaumburg, ending his career.

• Chicago Tribune, Aug. 14, 1989: Farm System Gives Sox High Hopes
• Chicago Tribine, March 17, 1992: Sox Kids Know Their Place
• Schenectady Gazette, Associated Press, March 17, 1993: Twins crush Yankees

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,153
Made the Majors: 668 - 57.9%
Never Made Majors: 485-42.1%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 174

Kurt Brown kept working over seven pro seasons, made AAA

Sarasota White Sox catcher Kurt Brown was well aware of the hitting streak he was on, he told The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in mid-July 1989.

Brown had just hit safely in his 20th-consecutive game, a personal best. With the success, though, Brown told The Herald-Tribune he knew he had to just keep going.

"I just have to keep working," Brown told The Herald-Tribune after extending his streak to 20, "because it's easy to slack off when things are going good. I have to keep my concentration."

Brown was in his fifth season as a pro that year, having been taken by the White Sox in the first round, fifth overall, in the 1985 draft, directly out of high school.

He would ultimately play in seven professional seasons, making it to AAA in 1991. But he would never make the majors. He could also never shake the comparisons to the other top picks in that 1985 draft, including the player taken one selection after him, Barry Bonds.

The White Sox selected Brown out of Glendora High School in California. Brown described to The Los Angeles Times soon after how he found out he was selected.

"It was about 11:45 a.m. and I was in the locker room when my coach called me to come down to take a phone call and they (the White Sox) told me that they picked me," Brown told The Times. "It was very exciting. There was a lot of jumping and screaming."

After signing, though, Brown came back down to reality. By early August, he was hitting just .177, The Times wrote.

"It has been tough learning how to play every day," Brown told The Times, "learning how to pace yourself during practice, how to adjust to a certain pitch and getting adjusted to using wooden bats."

Brown ended the Gulf Coast League season that year hitting .205. He returned there for 1986, but spent much of the season at single-A Appleton hitting .234.

Then it was single-A Peninsula for 1987 and single-A South Bend and single-A Tampa for 1988. Then, in 1989, the catcher Brown arrived at Sarasota, where he met hitting coach Pat Roessler.

"It took me 4 1/2 years before I found a mentor," Brown explained to MLB.com years later. "That person was Pat Roessler [in 2006 the director of player development for the Yankees], and he showed me it wasn't only working hard that paid off, but knowing how to approach the game and how to learn."

With that, Brown improved his average to .270, his best single-season average. He also got his first two-game look at AA Birmingham.

Brown returned to Birmingham for all of 1990, hitting .269. In 1991, he made AAA Vancouver, hitting .248. But his time with Vancouver was his last time as a pro, his career ending after seven seasons, short of the majors.

Brown's name has come up every so often since, the reason usually being a discussion on that 1985 draft. In one such discussion in 2004 with The Herald-Tribune, Brown talked of not making the majors as the hole in his career.

"I can't say nobody gave me an opportunity," Brown told The Herald-Tribune. "When I hear the worst of players say, 'I didn't get a chance,' that's an excuse. You had an opportunity. You missed it."

• Los Angeles Times, June 20, 1985: Glendora Catcher Brown Wants More Green Than White Sox Are Offering
• Los Angeles Times, Aug. 8, 1985: High School to Pros: A Lot Farther Than Glendora to Florida 
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune, July 19, 1989: Sarasota Rains On Dodgers
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune, May 16, 2004: It was Brown before Bonds
• MLB.com, May 25, 2006: Brown more than a draft footnote

More: The 1990 Birmingham Barons

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,153
Made the Majors: 668 - 57.9%
Never Made Majors: 485-42.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 174

Will Magallanes, From Injury - 1396

Single-A Daytona Beach didn't play well to start 1987 and Daytona owner Blake Cullen looked to returning prospect Will Magallanes to get the offense going, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

"We've lost 26 1-run games," Cullen told The Sentinel that July after Magallanes had a hot start. "You just know a player like that could have turned a bunch of those around."

Magallanes was in his third professional season that year with the White Sox, coming back from an injury to his ankle suffered that spring.

Magallanes ultimately would play in six seasons in the White Sox organization, never seeing Chicago. His stint with the club would also end in an ugly incident where Magallanes intentionally caused an injury to a teammate, using a bat to do so.

Magallanes' career began in 1985, signed by the White Sox as an undrafted free agent out of his native Venezuela. Magallanes has also been called Willie Magallanes and the more formal William Magallanes.

With the White Sox, Magallanes started in the rookie Gulf Coast League, hitting .208 in 30 games. He then played 1986 between single-A Appleton and single-A Peninsula, hitting .242 between them.

Returning for 1987, Magallanes played the season at Daytona, getting into 69 games, hitting 11 home runs over that span. Magallanes had nine of those home runs by early August.

For 1988, Magallanes moved up to AA Birmingham, playing the year there. He hit just .193, with nine home runs. He knocked in the winning run in a May game with a ninth-inning single. He then hit one of his home runs in a July game at Charlotte.

Magallanes then took a step back for 1989, to single-A Sarasota. His average recovered, though, to .295. He then returned to Birmingham for 1990, hitting a solid .292 on the season. But it was his final year with the White Sox, the bat incident at year's end likely having something to do with that.

It was on the Birmingham bus that Magallanes got into a fight with teammate Todd Trafton, according to The Associated Press. Once off the bus, Magallanes ended the fight, picking up a bat and hitting Trafton in the back of the head, resulting in Trafton getting 12 stitches.

"The doctor told me that an inch higher or an inch lower and I might not be walking now," Trafton told The AP afterward. "I'm fine, but I have an awful headache."

Magallanes apparently was never charged. But his career in the White Sox organization was over.
 
He caught on with the Cardinals for 1991, getting 41 games at AAA Louisville. In 1992, he is credited as playing in Mexico, then 1993, seven games at AA Orlando. His last credited time came in 1995, with Tabasco of the Mexican League.

• Orlando Sentinel, July 9, 1987: Admirals Second-Half Spurt
• Hendersonville Times-News, Associated Press, Sept. 7, 1990: Barons' brawl

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,152
Made the Majors: 668 - 58.0%
Never Made Majors: 484-42.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 174-X

1990 Hagerstown Suns player profiles, AA Baltimore Orioles affiliate

Features on each member of the 1990 Hagerstown Suns, AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Players are as included in that year's team set.

Interviews (2)
1 - Pat Austin, Learned Much
Pat Austin was quick coming out of college. As a pro, he learned stealing bases wasn't just speed.
2 - Steve Culkar, Focused On
Steve Culkar didn't watch the scouts, but a college scout was watching him.

The 1990 Hagerstown Suns (36)

1 - Pat Austin worked to improve defense; Saw six pro seasons
2 - Dave Bettendorf won college award, saw four seasons, made AA
3 - Mike Borgatti took it one pitch at time over 5 pro seasons
4 - Tom Brown recruited Ben McDonald, later coached in minors
5 - Don Buford stole bases over 4 seasons, then became surgeon

6 - Stacey Burdick got outs enough to turn pro, saw six seasons
7 - Mike Cavers saw four pro seasons, made AA with Orioles
8 - Steve Culkar got degree, played 5 pro seasons, made AAA
9 - Francisco de la Rosa, Not As Intended
Francisco de la Rosa got just two major league outings, giving up two earned in four innings. He passed away in 2011.
10 - Joe Durham, Does Good
Joe Durham played in Negro Leagues, and later in the majors. He also became a coach in the minors.
11 - Mike Eberle, That Stroke
Mike Eberle hit well in summer collegiate ball. He played five seasons as a pro, never made the majors.
12 - Craig Faulkner, Ran Out
Craig Faulkner never made the bigs, but he later returned home to coach Venice High School in Florida. He won second-straight title in 2013.
13 - Walt Harris, Extraordinary Catch
Walt Harris played pro baseball and in the NFL. He never made the majors.
14 - Paris Hayden, Baseball Gods
Baseball gods smiled on Paris Haden enough for five-season pro career. He never made the bigs. He later coached in American Legion ball.
15 - Victor Hithe, High Hopes
Vic Hithe believed in high school he'd be playing at Dodger Stadium. He played as pro for seven years, never making the majors.
16 - Bobby Latmore, Sports Career
Bobby Latmore continues long career in sports in 2013 with a sports promotion company. He played six seasons as pro, never making the bigs.
17 - Mike Linskey, Really Exciting
Mike Linskey was excited about being added to the Orioles 40-man roster. He never made an active major league roster.
18 - Rodney Lofton, Bunt the Ball
Rodney Lofton had the ability to run the bases and play defense. He never got to use either ability in the majors.
19 - Rick Lundblade, Rare Opportunity
Rick Lundblade quit baseball after first season. He then returned to the game, making AAA, but not the majors.
20 - Ben McDonald, High Expectations
Ben McDonald had high expectations put on him that he could never fulfill. He still played in nine major league seasons.
21 - Joel McKeon, Working Forkball
When Joel McKeon's forkball worked, he showed exactly what he could do. He played in two major league seasons with the White Sox.
22 - Scott Meadows, Got Comfortable: Scott Meadows proved he could play at AAA, but he never got the chance to prove he could play in the majors.
23 - Luis Mercedes Tough Situation
Luis Mercedes came back from spring cut to make the bigs in two more seasons. He made the Orioles over 3 years in all.
24 - Jose Mesa, His Job
Jose Mesa knew as a closer he had to give it everything he had. In the 1997 World Series, he couldn't get it done.
25 - Dave Miller, Sinker Guy
Dave Miller was a sinker/slider guy. He played seven seasons, never made bigs. He later became bullpen coach for the Indians.
26 - Chris Myers, Same Thing
Chris Myers didn't want his age to hold him back. He played seven seasons, never made bigs.
27 - Jerry Narron, Stayed Connected
Jerry Narron loved baseball and has been a part of it in the majors as both player and manager.
28 - Ty Nichols, Added Up
As a scout, Ty Nichols tried to give all kids a chance. He played six seasons as pro, never making the bigs.
29 - Oswaldo Peraza, First Win
Oswaldo Peraza got his first major league win in an Orioles season full of losses.
30 - Doug Robbins, Great Thrill
Doug Robbins thought trying out for the Olympics was a thrill. He then made team and won gold. He never made the bigs.
31 - Mike Sander, Toughest Part
Mike Sander won wherever he went. It was enough to turn pro. But he had troubles continuing that, never making the bigs.
32 - Dan Simonds, Right Place
Dan Simonds played five seasons as a pro, then went on to coach in college. He is head coach for 2013 with Miami of Ohio.
33 - Sunny, Bedecked In
Sunny, the Hagerstown Suns' mascot, made the switch to Blue Jays blue, after Orioles orange. 
34 - Anthony Telford, All About
Anthony Telford gained praise from his Hall of Fame manager
35 - Paul Thorpe, High Pressure
Paul Thorpe was the go-to guy at single-A Daytona in 1985. He played seven seasons as pro, never made the majors.
36 - Jack Voigt, Every Opportunity
Jack Voigt showed he could play at the major league level. He played at that level in seven seasons.

Rick Lundblade, Rare Opportunity - 1424

Rick Lundblade played his first season as a pro. Then he quit and went home, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

But, after working building houses for a couple months, the former Phillies farmhand and native of Eureka, Ca., gave his old team a call. He wanted to return, The Inquirer wrote.

"When you're used to playing ball every day all summer, it's tough to give up something like that," Lundblade told The Inquirer in spring 1987. "At the time I quit, I didn't really think about the consequences. But after two months of having the entire town of Eureka come up and tell you how you screwed up . . . it begins to dawn on you that this is a rare opportunity."

Lundblade spoke that spring as he prepared to go into his third professional season, in his first major league camp. But, while he did return, and his career ultimately spanned six seasons, Lundblade never did make the majors.

Lundblade's professional career began in 1985, taken by the Phillies in the sixth round, out of Stanford University.

With Stanford, Lundblade helped power the team to the 1985 College World Series with 24 home runs on the season. As the tournament was underway, Lundblade told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel how he turned himself into a power hitter, through workouts.

"I put myself on a rigorous weight-training program. I had no one there to supervise me, so I did my own thing," Lundblade told The Sun-Sentinel. "I did what I thought was best. I worked mostly on my upper body, especially my arms and back. As a result, my legs are underdeveloped."

With the Phillies, Lundblade started at short-season Bend. In 68 games, Lundblade hit 15 home runs, with a .281 average.

After returning to the field in 1986, Lundblade ended up playing 70 games at Clearwater and 20 up at AA Reading. He hit .261 between them, with nine home runs.

Lundblade's time at Reading caught the eye of his manager George Culver, Culver telling The Reading Eagle fans buzzed as Lundblade stepped to the plate.

"They knew he was going to hit a rope somewhere," Culver told The Eagle. "You love to see aggressive hitters like that."

Lundblade returned to Reading for 1987, then again in 1988. It was also in 1988 that Lundblade got his first look at AAA Maine, 17 games. Midway through the year, Lundblade moved to the Mets system, and AA Jackson.

Lundblade moved to AAA Tidewater for 1989, getting into 46 games. In a May game, he knocked two solo home runs helping Tidewater to a win.

After his shortened season at Tidewater, Lundblade moved to the Orioles system for 1990. There, at AA Hagerstown, Lundblade got into just 18 games, the final games of his professional career.

• South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 1, 1985: UM Faces Weighty Problem
• Reading Eagle, Sept. 14, 1986: Phils make most of their chances 
• Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 24, 1987: The Clearwater 3: Newell, Scanlon And Lundblade

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,151
Made the Majors: 668 - 58.0%
Never Made Majors: 483-42.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Pat Austin worked to improve defense; Saw six pro seasons

Pat Austin could hit. He could also run. But his defense, that was a liability, at least according to some, the Reading Eagle wrote in 1991.

It was a label he was trying to shake, with his fourth organization in three years. But it wasn't a label for his then manager, Don McCormack.

"He might not have the greatest arm in the world, but you don't need one at second base," McCormack told The Eagle. "He makes up for his lack of arm strength with quickness, and he's got good range."

Austin joined Reading for 1991 having played in the Orioles, Cardinals and Tigers systems in recent years.

Also check out the March 2013 Pat Austin Interview

He was originally drafted by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 1986 draft. Sent to rookie league Bristol, Austin proceeded to swipe 48 bases, then an Appalachian League record.

Austin stole another 45 bases at single-A Lakeland in 1987. Austin made AA Glens Falls in 1988, hitting .297, the same mark he'd had the previous year. After a brief stint at AAA Toledo for 1989, it was back to AA for Austin, at London.

London manager Chris Chambliss praised Austin's speed, along with teammate Milt Cuyler.

"Because of their speed, they are a threat to steal any time they get on base," Chambliss told the Toledo Blade that year. "You can imagine the pressure that puts on a pitcher."

For 1990, Austin was no longer with the Tigers system. He started 1990 with the Cardinals' AAA team at Louisville, but he only played in eight games there before being signed by the Orioles and sent to AA Hagerstown, hitting a solid .307.

He was expecting to head to AAA Rochester for 1991, but was released on the final day of spring training, according to The Eagle. He signed on with the Phillies and was sent to AA Reading. He hit .289 in 91 games. It would be his final professional season.

Originally published May 30, 2010

• Toledo Blade, Aug. 7, 1989: No hidden gems left in Tigers' system Part 2
• Reading Eagle, Aug. 25, 1991: Pat Austin utilizes talents

More: The 1990 Hagerstown Suns

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,150
Made the Majors: 668 - 58.1%
Never Made Majors: 482-41.9%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Victor Hithe, High Hopes - 1426

Originally published May 3, 2011
In a 1994 feature on a representative class of high schoolers, Money Magazine recorded Vic Hithe's high school hopes, posted on a bulletin board at his class reunion.

Those hopes were high, he'd be "playing pro baseball in Dodger stadium," the magazine wrote. The reality though, was different. Ten years after graduation, Hithe was a supervisor at a California catering company.

Still, though Hithe had a baseball career, a seven-year career. He never made it to Dodger Stadium, or anywhere else in the majors, but he did make it as high as AAA.

Hithe's professional career began in 1985, signed by the Astros as an undrafted free agent. He played that first season in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .229 with no home runs.

He played much of his second season, a shortened season, at single-A Asheville. He played all of his third season there. Between the two, Hithe hit over .300. He hit 11 home runs and stole 31 bases his second year there. He singled, stole a base and scored in one August 1987 game.

In the Florida State League, at Osceola in 1988, marked by The Orlando Sentinel going in as one of the team's exciting players. Hithe hit .270, with a single home run, but had another 31 stolen bases. One of his stolen bases was a steal of home.

Going into 1989, the Astros traded Hithe to the Orioles in a three-player deal. The move meant a promotion to AA, at Hagerstown. There, he hit .277, while swiping 29 bases.

Hithe made AAA for his first and only time in 1990, at Rochester. He played 71 games in AAA, moving up from AA Hagerstown in mid-May. He hit .274 at Rochester, but stealing only five bases. He started that year at Hagerstown, scoring twice for the AA team in one April game.

Hithe started 1991, his final season as a player, in the Mexican League, returning to Hagerstown by June. He hit .277 for Hagerstown, swiping 20 final bases, ending his professional baseball career.

• Money Magazine, Sept. 1, 1994: Financial Lessons From the Class of '83

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,150
Made the Majors: 668 - 58.1%
Never Made Majors: 482-41.9%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Mike Borgatti took it one pitch at time over 5 pro seasons

Mike Borgatti came into that August 1989 game with two on and one out. He also had a two run lead, according to The Frederick News-Post.

By the time Borgatti was done, his Frederick Keys won by that two-run margin, Borgatti inducing a pop-up and getting a strikeout, according to The News-Post.

"It's what I have been doing since I came here," Borgatti told The News-Post after his seventh save on the year. "You just go in there and take one pitch at a time."

Borgatti was in his fourth season of doing that, working as both a starter and a reliever. He would play in just one more. He would also never make the majors.

Borgatti's professional career began in 1986, signed by the Orioles as an undrafted free agent, out of Tulane University.

With Tulane, Borgatti started 16 games in 1986, still tied for the second-most starts in a season in school history. The previous year, Borgatti completed eight games, still tied for 8th place.

With the Orioles, Borgatti started at short-season Newark, getting 16 outings, five starts. He also won six, saved three and posted an ERA of 2.01.

He moved to single-A Hagerstown for 1987, going 5-5 in 27 outings, 19 starts. For 1988, Borgatti split time between Hagerstown and single-A Virginia. Between them, he was 6-11, with a 4.13 ERA.

In June 1988, Borgatti threw one of his six complete games on the season, giving up six hits with Virginia in a win over Prince William.

For 1989, Borgatti split time between single-A Waterloo and single-A Frederick. At Frederick, he went 7-0, with a 0.86 ERA in 23 relief outings. He also earned a one-game look at AA Hagerstown.

Borgatti played just one more season. He returned to Hagerstown, then moved to the Indians system, playing at both high-A Kinston and AA Canton-Akron, ending his professional career.

• Frederick News-Post, Aug. 22, 1989: Constant, Borgatti hurl Keys past Winston-Salem, 4-2

More: The 1990 Hagerstown Suns

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,150
Made the Majors: 668 - 58.1%
Never Made Majors: 482-41.9%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Jose Mesa, His Job - 1410

By August 1995, Jose Mesa had racked up 37 saves for the Cleveland Indians and he had yet to blow one.

It was just Mesa's first season as a closer, second as a reliever, after previously making the majors as a starter.

"When you're just coming in for one inning, you're coming in and giving it everything you've got," Mesa told The Associated Press after his 37th-straight save conversion. "This is the first time I've done it, and so far I've had success. I like it right now. I don't know how long it's going to last."

For Mesa, it lasted another dozen seasons, picking up more than 20 saves in seven of those.

Of all those save opportunities Mesa had over his long career, is one on baseball's biggest stage - Game 7 of the World Series - that is perhaps most remembered. And that save opportunity is one that he couldn't convert.

Mesa's professional career began back in 1981, signed by the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent, out of his native Dominican Republic.

With the Blue Jays, Mesa started in 1982 in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He made single-A Florence in 1983, then didn't hit AA Knoxville until 1986. For 1987, he returned to Knoxville, arriving with the Orioles in an early-September trade.

With the Orioles, Mesa went directly to Baltimore, getting into six games, five starts. His ERA hit 6.03. In his second start, Mesa went just four innings, giving up six runs, four earned.

"I felt pretty good when I started pitching," Mesa told The AP after the game. "But, you know, these guys can hit pretty good."

From there, Mesa returned to the minors, not returning to Baltimore until 1990, then for seven games.

Then, in 1991, Mesa left the minors behind. He got 23 starts for the Orioles that year, and 27 the next between Baltimore and Cleveland. Mesa arrived at Cleveland in another mid-season trade, this time traded for a minor leaguer.

With the Indians, Mesa pitched another season as a starter. In 1994, he found a home in the bullpen, with 51 relief outings.

In 1995, he was nearly unhittable, so much so that he came in second in the American League Cy Young balloting.

Over that season, Mesa got into 62 games for the Indians, posting a miniscule 1.13 ERA and racking up a league-best 46 saves. He didn't blow his first save of the year until August, a string of 38 total converted.

That October, Mesa got his first taste of the World Series. Against the Braves, Mesa pitched three innings of relief in Game 3, picking up the win. In Game 5, he picked up the save, though he gave up two earned in the process.

For 1996, Mesa continued saving games, saving 39 in all. He also became an All-Star for the second-straight year. In 1997, he saved 19 but over just 38 outings. In the playoffs, by Game 7 of the World Series, Mesa had saved four games, but also blew two.

In Game 7, he came into the bottom of the ninth with a 2-1 lead. He started with a single, a strikeout and a single. He then gave up a long fly to right. It was caught, but the damage was done. The Marlins' Moises Alou tagged and scored, tying the game, a game the Indians went on to lose.

"I feel bad because I let my team down," Mesa told The AP later. "I had the lead in the ninth and I didn't do my job."

Mesa's time with the Indians ended in mid 1998, traded to the Giants. He returned to the closer's role in 1999, with the Mariners, saving 33. After returning to Seattle for 2000, Mesa found a new home with the Phillies.

With the Phillies, Mesa saved more than 40 games three times, more than 20 in two other seasons. He finished out his career with the Rockies in 2006 and Detroit and Philadelphia in 2007.

In mid-2007, Mesa was released by the Tigers. He still wanted to play, but he spoke to The AP about the prospects that his career might be over. It was a career that ended with more than 1,000 appearances and 321 total saves.

"I'll see what is out there and if there's nothing, I'll go home and relax," Mesa told The AP. "If this is it, I'm happy with (my career)."

• Nashua Telegraph, Associated Press, Sept. 16, 1987: Flanagan keeps the Blue Jays even
• Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Associated Press, Aug. 21, 1995: Indians find relief with Mesa
• Pomeroy Daily Sentinel, Associated Press, Oct. 27, 1997: Indians stood two outs away from nearby World Series trophy
• Owosso Argus-Press, Associated Press, June 4, 2007: Tigers release Mesa to make room for Rodney's return

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,149
Made the Majors: 668 - 58.1%-X
Never Made Majors: 481-41.9%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 290-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Tom Brown recruited Ben McDonald, later coached in minors

The Baltimore Orioles took Ben McDonald first overall in 1989 and an Orioles minor league coach Tom Brown had a special interest in the selection, according to The Associated Press.

That's because Brown had coached McDonald before, McDonald's freshman year at Louisiana State University. It was Brown who even recruited McDonald to go to LSU in the first place, The AP wrote.

"He'll play for me here when he signs," Brown told The Alexandria Daily Town Talk about a month after McDonald's selection. "I just hope his values haven't changed. When I recruited him, he wanted to play ball."

McDonald eventually did play ball, doing so in the majors for nine seasons. And Brown has gone on to continue to coach in the minors, helping others get to the majors for more than two decades, continuing into 2013 as pitching coach at AA Pensacola.

Among those other players was one Johnny Cueto, who later credited Brown with turning him into a major league pitcher.

But Brown's career in baseball stretches back much further, back to 1971. His career in baseball also saw him make the majors as a pitcher, pitching briefly with the 1978 Seattle Mariners.

Brown's career began in 1971, signed by the Royals as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Louisiana-Monroe.

Brown is credited as playing that season at rookie Kingsport, getting 17 outings and a 4.50 ERA. Brown, though, isn't credited as playing again until 1976. That year, Brown is credited as playing at independent Baton Rouge, going 9-1 over 13 starts.

Brown joined the Astros system for 1977, playing at AA Columbus. He then played 1978 with the Mariners at AAA San Jose. It was in September 1978 that Brown got his only call to the bigs.

Brown got into six games for the Mariners that September, giving up six earned runs in 13 innings of work. He gave up two of those earned runs on a Fred Patek home run Sept. 19, pitching four innings. He also got praise from his manager Darrell Johnson.

"You had to like the way he pitched even though he did give up Patek's homer," Johnson told UPI afterward. "After all, Kansas City is a really good ball club and I thought he pitched excellent baseball."

Brown continued playing in the minors into 1981. Soon after, he started his coaching career, going through LSU. He joined the Orioles system in 1988.

Brown moved to the Rangers system for 1995, serving as pitching coach at AAA Oklahoma City. He then went through the Padres, Marlins and Giants systems, before finding a home with the Reds.

Brown served as pitching coach at high-A Sarasota from 2007 to 2009. He has been the pitching coach for the Reds' AA team since 2010, serving at AA Pensacola for 2013.

At high-A Sarasota in 2007, Brown helped tutor young Reds prospect Johnny Cueto. By the next year, Cueto was in the majors. To MLB.com later, Cueto had nothing but the highest praise for Brown.

"I am where I am today because of him," Cueto told MLB.com of Brown. "He was a pitching coach, but he was like my baseball father. You want a coach that will treat you that way and is not yelling at you all the time. He makes you listen because he has the right approach. This is hard sport and you have to get the best you can. He got the best out of me."

• Ellensburg Daily Record, UPI, Sept. 20, 1978: KC pulls plug on Mariner rally
• Lakeland Ledger, Associated Press, July 3, 1989: Coach: McDonald must take it or leave it
• MLB.com, July 13, 2012: Cueto credits Minor League coach for success

More: The 1990 Hagerstown Suns

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,148
Made the Majors: 667 - 58.1%
Never Made Majors: 481-41.9%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 289
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Scott Meadows, Got Comfortable - 1428

Promoted to AAA Rochester in mid-May 1991, Scott Meadows took off, The Baltimore Sun wrote.

He'd been told not to get comfortable, the call-up was only temporary, Orioles GM Doug Melvin told The Sun. But a .357 average helped make his case to stay.

"I was upset I didn't come here right out of spring training," Meadows told The Sun. "I know I can play at this level."

While Meadows knew, and proved, he could play at the AAA level, he never got the chance to prove he could play at the major league level. In a professional career that spanned seven seasons, Meadow never got called up to the majors.

Meadows' professional career began in July 1988, signed by the Orioles as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State.

With the Buckeyes in his hometown, Meadows won All-Big Ten honors in 1986 and claimed the school's season hits record in 1988, notching his 72nd by May 14, The Associated Press wrote.

Meadows played that first season, eight games, with single-A Hagerstown, going 3 for 8. In 1989, he stayed at single-A, playing at Frederick co-op Waterloo. He hit .291 between them with 47 RBIs.

Meadows jumped to AA for 1990, going back to the now higher-classified Hagerstown. There, he hit .293 with 75 RBIs. By May 11, Meadows lead the league in both categories, The Schenectady Gazette wrote.

Meadows returned to Hagerstown for 33 games in 1991, then made the jump to AAA. At Rochester, Meadows hit .329 with five home runs and 42 RBIs. He hit one of his home runs in a July contest.

Meadows's arrival, along with that of teammate Jack Voigt, rejuvenated Rochester, Rochester manager Greg Biagini told The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in July.

That offseason, Meadows looked to build upon his success and went to winter ball in the Dominican Republic braving the differences between playing ball there and in the U.S., The Sun wrote.

"Driving is insane," Meadows told The Sun of the Dominican Republic. "Especially at night. The lights are out half the time, and people just make their own way. The police are looking to stop you. The thing you learn is, just keep going. And if they stop you, don't give them your license. It'll cost you at last 200 pesos to get it back."

Coming back for 1992, though, the stint in winter ball didn't seem to help. His average at Rochester dropped to .264 and he only knocked in nine in 216 at bats. Meadows was sent back to AA.

"Hitting him in the middle of the order most of the year, we counted on him to drive in runs," Rochester manager Jerry Narron told The Sun after demoting Meadows. "He just hasn't done it."

With the demotion to Hagerstown, though, Meadows, started hitting again. By Aug. 9, Meadows was hitting .311 at AA, hitting .500 in one seven-game stretch, The Sun wrote.

By the end, Meadows hit .317 for Hagerstown with 14 RBIs. But it was his final year in affiliated ball. Meadows went on to finish out his playing career with two seasons in independent ball, with St. Paul and Duluth.

• Baltimore Sun, June 13, 1991: McDonald feels no pain after 60-pitch simulated game
• Baltimore Sun, Dec. 23, 1991: It's a world away, but Americans now find some comforts of home
• Baltimore Sun, July 12, 1992: Voigt would trade statistics for better Rochester record

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,147
Made the Majors: 667 - 58.2%
Never Made Majors: 480-41.8%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 289
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Dave Miller, Sinker Guy - 1411

Years after his playing days ended, The Cleveland Plain Dealer asked Dave Miller what kind of pitcher he was.

"I was a sinker/slider guy," Miller told The Plain Dealer in 2012. "Jason Bere [Indians special assistant], when we go golfing, looks at my legs and says, 'You were a sinker guy.' I made it to Class AAA and had some shoulder injuries that derailed me, but I wanted to stay in the game."

Miller spoke to The Plain Dealer having stayed in the game by then for two decades as both a coach and coordinator. He also spoke to The Plain-Dealer having reached the spot he never could get to as a player, the majors, as 2012 bullpen coach for the Indians.

Miller's career in the game began 1986, taken by the Orioles in the first round of the January secondary draft out of Camden County College in New Jersey.

With the Orioles, Miller started at rookie Bluefield, going 6-4, with a 3.28 ERA over 13 starts. He returned to Bluefield for 1987, going 0-9 with a 5.49 ERA over 12 starts that season.

Miller moved to short-season Erie and single-A Hagerstown for 1988, then single-A Frederick for 1989. With Frederick, Miller went 13-4, with a 2.88 ERA. He picked up his final win in late August, with a 7-2 win over Prince William.

Miller moved to AA Hagerstown in 1990, he also turned into a reliever. In 24 outings, seven starts, Miller picked up seven saves and a 2.81 ERA.

Miller got his first look at AAA Rochester in 1991, a single game. For 1992, Miller got 25 outings at Hagerstown and 12 more at Rochester. That June, at Hagestown, Miller set down 14-straight in a loss. It was his final year as a player.

It was in 1993 that Miller started his coaching career, taking over as pitching coach with the Indians at rookie Burlington.

Miller has been with the Indians in one capacity or anther since, serving as a minor league pitching coach through 1999, then turning scout and major league bullpen coach. For 2013, Miller is back to being an Indians scout.

In April 2012, Miller recalled to The Plain Dealer watching over former Indians prospect Cliff Lee as Miller served as team minor league pitching coordinator.

"I once saw Cliff throw a 40-pitch bullpen session," Miller told The Plain Dealer. "When he was done, there was just one foot print on the mound. He'd landed in the same spot on every pitch. That's the sign of an athlete."

• Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21, 2012: Cliff Lee, Matt Cain and Bartolo Colon put on a West Coast Pitching Show
• Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 29, 2012: Five Questions With ... Cleveland Indians bullpen coach Dave Miller

1990 Minor Leaguer Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,147
Made the Majors: 667 - 58.2%
Never Made Majors: 480-41.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 289
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173

Mike Eberle, That Stroke - 1415

Mike Eberle took his swing, knocking the ball over the wall. Eberle was playing that summer in 1985 with the collegiate-league Nevada, Mo., Griffons. This home run, according to The Nevada Daily Mail, turned out to be the game-winner.

It was also a home run that drew praise from Eberle's new manager Dave Jorn, according to The Daily Mail.

"I liked his swing on that stroke. He hit the ball good," Jorn told The Daily Mail of Eberle. "He didn't try to overswing."

Eberle took that swing on to Indiana State, helping the team to the 1986 College World Series. He also took it to the pros, playing five seasons with the Orioles organization. Eberle, though, never could take that swing to the majors.

Eberle's pro career began in 1987, taken by the Orioles in the 8th round, out of Indiana State.

With Indiana State in 1986, Eberle helped the team make that trip to the College World Series. He singled and scored in Indiana State's debut, which ended up in a loss. In the school's second game, the catcher Eberle threw out a runner.

During one summer in college, Eberle played collegiate ball with the Griffons. In summer 1985, Eberle had a total of 13 home runs by early August, taking his team to the Missouri National Baseball Congress Tournament. In all, he hit 16 home runs that year.

With the Orioles, Eberle started at short-season Newark, hitting .325 in 24 games. He also hit one home run.

Moving to single-A Hagerstown for 1988, Eberle's average dropped to .244 over 123 games. His five home runs on the year ended up being the most he'd hit in one campaign.

Eberle moved up to AA for 1989, moving back to the new AA team in Hagerstown. In 88 games, he hit just .202. His 1990 campaign consisted of just 58 games played, but 19 of those were played at AAA Rochester. Between the levels, he hit .246.

Eberle's final season as a pro came in 1991, with 42 games played at Rochester. He hit just .178, ending his career.

Eberle has gone on to see his son play ball, son Michael Eberle following the father to Indiana State, playing there for 2013.

In 2010, young young Michael Eberle played for the local Terre Haute American Legion team, just like his father did a quarter century earlier, according to The Terre Haute Tribune-Star.

The son did so by hitting home runs. In comparison to his father, Michael Eberle told The Tribune-Star he wasn't sure who had more.

"He probably has more homers, because he's a pretty big guy," the younger Eberle told The Tribune-Star of his father. "Hopefully I'll get bigger and stronger too."

• Nevada Daily Mail, June 13, 1985: Griffons split two
• Terre Haute Tribune-Star, July 30, 2010: Eberle's power surge leads Wayne Newton into state finals

1990 Minor League Tally  
Players/Coaches Featured:1,146
Made the Majors: 667 - 58.2%-X
Never Made Majors: 479-41.8%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 289
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 173