Paul Hutto impressed, saw 2 seasons: Baseball Profiles

Paul Hutto's high school coach described Hutto's junior season to The Lakeland Ledger simply.

It was a spring 1987 season in which Hutto went 16-0, struck out 165, had 14 complete games and a 1.57 ERA.

"I think he had a pretty impressive year," Hutto's coach at Auburndale High School Paul Porowski told The Ledger as the paper named Hutto one of the area's top athletes of the spring. "I think he deserves it."

Hutto turned pro two years later, after a season in junior college. But he couldn't duplicate the success he had in high school in the pros. His professional career lasted just two seasons.

Hutto's pro career began in 1989, taken by the Expos in the 41st round of the previous year's draft, out of Auburndale. Hutto signed the next May, after spending a season at Manatee Community College in Florida.

At Auburndale in 1987, Hutto struck out 15 batters in an April game, while throwing a one-hitter. By May, he helped his team to the state tournament for the first time in four years. By then, he had thrown 30-straight innings without giving up an earned run, according to The Ledger.

After Auburndale, Hutto went on to Manatee. He went 7-3 there, then signed with the Expos.

With the Expos in 1989, Hutto played mainly in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He got into 25 games there mainly in relief, with a 1.55 ERA. He also got two games at short-season Jamestown.

For 1990, Hutto moved to rookie Gate City. In 26 relief outings there, though, his ERA hit 7.49. It was his final season as a pro.

• Lakeland Ledger, May 3, 1987: Baseball tourney set for Auburndale
• Lakeland Ledger, May 31, 1987: 1987 spring athletes a group to remember

More: The 1990 Gate City Pioneers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,450
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.7%
Never Made Majors: 715-49.3%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

Akihiko Chiyomaru saw time over four seasons in Japan

Akihiko Chiyomaru continued his time in the United States into fall 1990. After spending the season at rookie Gate City, Chiyomaru went into the Florida Instructional League that fall.

In one game there, in mid-October, Chiyomaru worked to help get his team a win, getting two hits. His team, though, lost the game.

Chiyomaru soon returned home to Japan. He also soon made Nippon Professional Baseball. And, while he didn't get extended time in NPB, he did see some time in four NPB seasons, his last coming in 1997. He also never got an NPB hit.

Chiyomaru's career began in 1988, taken by Hiroshima in the sixth round of the draft, out of Tokiwa High School in Japan. Chiyomaru's name has also been listed as Shoshi Chiyomaru. The Japanese form of his name is 千代丸亮彦.

With Hiroshima, Chiyomaru was sent to the United States, and rookie Gate City, for 1990. At Gate City, Chiyomaru hit .245 over 50 games. He also hit four home runs and knocked in 26.

Back in Japan, Chiyomaru made a quick debut in NPB, playing his first game May 20, 1991 against Yomiuri. Chiyomaru got into six games in all, going 0 for 6.

Chiyomaru didn't return to the first team until 1995, getting into two more games for Hiroshima, going 0 for 4. That year he also played in Taiwan, for the Times Eagles.

Chiyomaru continued back with Hiroshima for 1996 and 1997, getting four appearances in 1996 and two in 1997, ending his career. Overall in NPB, Chiyomaru got 16 at bats over four seasons, but never recorded a hit.

• Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Oct. 17, 1990: Pirates Crush White Sox, Claim 1st
• Wikipedia Japan: Akihiko Chiyomaru (Google Translation)

More: The 1990 Gate City Pioneers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,449
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.7%
Never Made Majors: 714-49.3%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

Lavel Freeman, Tough Decision - 161

Originally published Oct. 16, 2010

Lavel Freeman had been talked about in spring 1989 for a Brewers outfield slot. But, by the time the season began, Freeman was back at AAA Denver. He wasn't there for long. An early Brewer injury and Freeman was with the big club, ready to make his major league debut.

"I just want to contribute in any way I can," Freeman told the Milwaukee Sentinel after being called up. "I'd like to make a positive impact and make them have a tough decision about sending me back."

Freeman, however, never got much of a chance to make that impact. He debuted on April 7 against Detroit, going 0 for 3. His final major league appearance came the very next day, put in as a pinch runner late, scoring his only run.

Freeman got his one trip to the majors after five seasons in the minors, two where he won minor league batting titles. He was originally taken by the Brewers in 1983 in the first round of the January draft.

He started that year at rookie league Paintsville, bringing his bat with him. He hit .307 in 71 games for the Brewers club. He lost a bit the next year, hitting .257 between single-A Beloit and single-A Stockton.

It was at Stockton that Freeman's bat got going again in 1985, hitting .314. He also helped Stockton that year to the California League Championship series.

"That was my first real test at professional baseball and that excitement of going into a playoff game to try and move to the next level," Freeman told the Stockton Ports on Alumni Night this past year. (Video is below) "That would probably be my fondest memory."

He made AA El Paso in 1986 and was even better, hitting .322. Then, in 1987, he became and El Paso legend, hitting five points shy of .400 at .395, later earning a spot in the Texas League Hall of Fame.

He won the Texas League batting title that year, then won the AAA American Association title the next year at Denver with an average of .318.

Then came spring 1989. In early March, the Milwaukee Journal wrote the Brewers liked what they saw in Freeman. But there was also a logjam in the outfield, with several players competing for a couple slots.

"I think he can play in the big leagues," Brewers manager Tom Trebelhorn told the Journal, "and he has done nothing here to disprove that."

But, by late March, Freeman was sent down. He hit just .163 on the spring, the Sentinel wrote. One of his hits that spring came with his speed, beating out a squib, according to the Chicago Tribune. He also got an early triple.

"I felt like this was a big year for me," Freeman told the Sentinel after being sent down. "My batting average didn't show I was scorching the ball, but I hit OK. I showed I could compete on this level."

But, after getting his all-to-brief chance in April, Freeman was sent back down. The Brewers had to make way for Paul Molitor to come off the DL. He played the balance of the year at AAA. But his bat never came back. By the end of June, the Brewers tried to take care of that logjam in the outfield, trading Freeman to the Rangers. He hit just .238 on the year.

By 1990, Freeman was with the Tigers system, at AAA Toledo. He hit a two-run home run in late June, but his average dropped on the year to .214. It was his final year in pro ball.

Freeman has continued to be involved in baseball, participating in alumni nights and other events. In February 2009, he participated in a Sacramento-area Honorary Negro League Game, an event coordinated between two Sacramento State students and brothers.

"It's beautiful that these two brothers thought to get 30 black men to honor the Negro League," Freeman told the Sacramento State Hornet. "It's good to get a younger generation embracing their history."

• Milwaukee Journal, March 8, 1989: Brewers like Freeman's hitting potential, Part 2
• Milwaukee Sentinel, April 6, 1989: Freeman gets another chance, Part 2
• Sacramento State Hornet, Feb. 25, 2009: Second Annual Honorary Negro League Honored Elmer Carter
• El Paso Times, July 24, 2010: Texas League honors Diablo greats

Doug Noce, College Success - 3356

Doug Noce's Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustangs were tied late in the 1989 Division II College World Series championship game and Noce was about to help undo that tie.

With Noce in scoring position in the eighth inning, teammate Bill Daly knocked him in with a single. It was a game the Mustangs would go on to win 9-5, San Luis Obispo winning its first championship.

And Noce helped them get there, too. In one lead-up game, Noce knocked in three, while picking up four hits.

From San Luis Obispo, Noce turned pro. But he couldn't keep up his college success. His professional career lasted just two seasons.

Noce's professional career began in 1990, taken by the Expos in the 41st round of the draft, out of San Luis Obispo.

At San Luis Obispo, Noce kept his 1990 average above .400 into early May, hitting .446 then. He then helped that average with an early May bases-clearing triple.

With the Expos, Noce started at rookie Gate City. There, he hit .251 over 56 games. He knocked in 16.

For 1991, Noce got into 47 games over three levels. He even got nine games at AAA Indianapolis. But he spent most of that time, 29 games, at single-A Sumter.

At Sumter, Noce knocked in three on a triple and a sacrifice fly in an early June game. But over the three levels, he hit just .128. It was his final year as a pro.

• Los Angeles Times, June 3, 1989: Cal Poly SLO Scores Late to Win Its First Division II World Series

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,448
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.8%
Never Made Majors: 713-49.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

Ray Lankford, Some Kind - 416

Originally published Sept. 27, 2012

In one September 1991 game, Ray Lankford single-handedly won the contest, knocking in the Cardinals' only runs and cutting down the potential game-tying run for the final out, the Associated Press wrote.

The next night he just went out and hit for the cycle.

"He's had some kind of 24-hour period," Cardinals manager Joe Torre told the AP after the second game.

Lankford was completing his first full season in the majors that year, a season where he came in third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He went on to have some kind of career, becoming a regular in the Cardinal outfield for a decade and seeing time in 14 total big league seasons.

Lankford's career began in 1987, taken by the Cardinals in the third round of the draft, out of Modesto Junior College.

Lankford started at rookie Johnson City, making AA Arkansas in 1989, then AAA Louisville in 1990. In August 1990, Lankford debuted in St. Louis.

In 39 games for the Cardinals that year, Lankford hit .286. He returned for all of 1991, getting into 151 games, hitting .251 and stealing 44.

In 1992, Lankford hit .293, with 20 home runs and 42 stolen bases. In August 1992, Lankford knocked in the game-winning run off the Phillies' Mitch Williams in the 10th inning.

"Lankford doesn't scare," Torre told reporters afterward of the showdown. "You may get him out, but he doesn't give."

Lankford stayed with the Cardinals into 2001. Along the way, he hit .306 in 1999 and 31 home runs each in 1997 and 1998. In 1997, Lankford also made the All-Star team. That April, he also won a five-year contract extension worth $34 million.

By 2001, though, Lankford's relationship with the Cardinals had deteriorated with his batting average. He hit .253 in 2000 and, by August 2001, he was hitting just .235. He was then traded to the Padres.

By 2004, though, Lankford was back in St. Louis, to close out his career where it began. He got into 92 final games that year, hitting .255. In his final official at bat, Lankford hit a home run, the 238th of his career.

"It might be my last regular-season game, period," Lankford told the AP afterward. "I thought about all of that. It was great just to go up there and hear the fans cheering for me."

• Southeast Missourian, Associated Press, Sept. 15, 1991: Lankford leads Cardinals past Mets
• Reading Eagle, news services, Aug. 12, 1992: Sliding Phils fall to Cards
• ESPN.com, Associated Press, Oct. 3, 2004: Lankford homers, maybe for final time

Interview Part 3: Dave McAuliffe, Other Shoe

Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati in 2010. Dave McAuliffe fell short of making Cincinnati, and the majors, in his four-year career. (G21D Photo)

Part 1: Good Shot | Part 2: His Stuff | Part 3: Other Shoe

When Dave McAuliffe became a closer, success came fast. Over two seasons, he set team records for saves, he made All-Star teams and the undrafted free agent seemed to be on his way up.

Then he hit AA Chattanooga. By the next spring, he was done.

"I kept waiting for the shoe to drop," McAuliffe told The Greatest 21 Days recently. "I kept looking around the corner. I kept thinking to myself 'this is too good to be true.'"

Then that other shoe did drop, he was released. And McAuliffe's professional baseball career was at an end.

"It's a tough deal because for two-and-a-half years, I was kind of like the guy," McAuliffe said. "I was the closer."

Before it ended, though, McAuliffe got to play in Australia, and he played at AA.

McAuliffe spoke with The Greatest 21 Days recently by phone from his New Jersey home. He spoke of his time growing up and playing the game in Connecticut, his relatively late dream of turning pro, and his run to the Reds organization.

McAuliffe then covered his time in the minors, from his early struggles in rookie ball, with a frank talk from a coach snapping him out of it, to later success as a closer at single-A, and then finally his renewed struggles at AA, his eventual release and progression to life after the pros.

Knights Stadium in Fort Mill, SC. Dave McAuliffe played at Knights Stadium in 1991 as a member of the visiting Chattanooga Lookouts. (G21D Photo)

McAuliffe turned closer early on, in fall instructional ball in Florida. It was after his successful 1990 season at single-A Cedar Rapids that McAuliffe got another chance at off-season work, in Australia.

The league, McAuliffe recalled, was competitive, but the newness of the sport in the country showed through. Aluminum bats were allowed. The fans were also new to the game, with the players going out and teaching it on off days.

McAuliffe played for the aptly named Reds in Melbourne. The stadiums were big, he recalled, the crowds small by comparison. But those crowds, as with the long-standing Australian sports, were passionate.

McAuliffe was there with other Americans playing, including Dave Nilsson, Troy O'Leary and John Jaha. Jaha, McAuliffe recalled, would joke with him, that he'd hit against McAuliffe with an aluminum bat.

"Obviously, the opportunity was unbelievable, to spend three-plus months in a foreign country, let alone something as beautiful as Australia," McAuliffe said. "It was good. It was a good learning experience."
Coming back from Australia, McAuliffe was assigned to AA Chattanooga. And he struggled.

On the year, his ERA ballooned to 6.47, over 40.1 innings of work. He also was no longer the closer, the guy. He recorded just three saves on the season.

One outing was particularly bad, he recalled. He only lasted two outs, but gave up eight earned.

Old Veterans Memorial Stadium in a photo in the new stadium's gift shop in 2012. Dave McAuliffe played there with the Cedar Rapids Reds in 1990. (G21D Photo)

Coming back the next spring, McAuliffe expected to return to Chattanooga. With 11 days left in camp, he was released.

His release came with a call to the general manager's office. McAuliffe thought he might be traded. Then he overheard why other players were being called in. McAuliffe got the same speech. His career was over.

Over his brief, four-season career, McAuliffe had played in four separate cities in the Reds system. He'd also played thousands of miles away in the fledgling Australian Baseball League. He got to know people in all of them.

"That's the greatest thing about this game," McAuliffe said. "This game gives you that opportunity to meet people that you would probably never ever get a chance to, and you're talking all kinds of walks of life."

One of the people he met was teammate Reggie Sanders, who would go on to a long career in the majors. The two were teammates for all four of McAuliffe's seasons as a pro.

McAuliffe recalled staying up late at night and talking with Sanders about their upbringing, but also just about their love for the game.

A section marker at New Veterans Memorial Stadium in 2012 honoring Reggie Sanders. (G21D Photo)

"When I got released, that was the thing that I missed the most," McAuliffe said. "I didn't miss the game as much as I thought I would. ... I missed the long bus rides. I missed those conversations with the guys in the clubhouse, in the bullpen.

"All those things were the things that I missed." McAuliffe said. "Because you really did become family."

After his release, McAuliffe continued to play, just in a wood bat league in New Jersey. He also turned to a new career, insurance.

He and his wife Denise had three boys, now age 16, 14 and 10. Dave and Denise met at the University of New Haven, where both played sports. Denise was captain of the volleyball team. 

In 2001, he also went back to school to finish his degree, getting it in business administration. He was setting the proper example for his boys, he said, for them to finish their education.

And McAuliffe is still involved in the game. He coaches youth in his adopted hometown of Maywood, NJ. He and a friend also run a Facebook page, The Baseball Show, sharing baseball links with friends.

As for his boys, McAuliffe said he and his wife have made sure to expose them to sports, but they haven't pushed them in any direction.

McAuliffe likened it to his own youth, one where he played the game, but didn't decide he wanted to play it professionally until he was a senior in high school.

"Just like myself, it took me a while before I figured out where I wanted to go," McAuliffe said, "and I tell my boys the same thing: As long as you participate in something athletically or academically - that's just as good, if not better - but have a passion. Find your passion.

"Once you figure it out, then you'll know what you want to do with your life," McAuliffe said. "That's kind of what I'm doing now."

Part 1: Good Shot | Part 2: His Stuff | Part 3: Other Shoe

Interview Part 2: Dave McAuliffe, His Stuff

1990 Midwest League All-Stars. From left: Victor Garcia, Eddie Taubensee, Mo Sanford, Dave "Killer" McAuliffe, Reggie Sanders and Mike Mulvaney. (Photo Provided)

Part 1: Good Shot | Part 2: His Stuff | Part 3: Other Shoe

Going into that mid-August game at Salt Lake City, Dave McAuliffe had had an up and down month and the former Division II player started having doubts about his pitching.

So, McAuliffe turned to his pitching coach, Gerry Groninger: What did McAuliffe have to do to be successful?

"He just said, 'You know what? Start trusting in yourself and start believing in your stuff,'" McAuliffe recalled to The Greatest 21 Days recently. "And it was as simple as that."

Then the reliever went out did just that, shutting down Salt Lake over six relief innings.

"I knew from that point on that I should never doubt myself ever again," McAuliffe said. "That's kind of where the switch came for me, where I didn't doubt myself anymore."

Soon, McAuliffe was a closer. Over the next two seasons, McAuliffe trusted his stuff to sub-2 ERAs while recording more than 50 saves, as well as single-A All-Star nods. He eventually made AA Chattanooga, but that's where his stuff ran out.

McAuliffe spoke with The Greatest 21 Days recently by phone from his New Jersey home. He spoke of his time growing up and playing the game in Connecticut, his relatively late dream of turning pro, and his run to the Reds organization.

The former Pete Vonachen Stadium in Peoria, Ill., in 2011. Dave McAuliffe played at Pete Vonachen in 1990 with the Cedar Rapids Reds. (G21D Photo)

McAuliffe then covered his time in the minors, from his early struggles in rookie ball, with that frank talk from Groninger snapping him out of it, to later success as a closer at single-A, and then finally his renewed struggles at AA, his eventual release and progression to life after the pros.

McAuliffe turned pro in 1988 from the Division II University of New Haven, signing with the Reds out of a tryout. His first assignment was the rookie Pioneer League's Billings Mustangs.

Flying out to Billings, McAuliffe recalled wondering what he had got himself into. It was that self doubt that Groninger would correct later.

"I'm just sitting there thinking to myself 'How am I going to compete against these guys? These D-1 players?'" McAuliffe said.

But McAuliffe wasn't alone. There were two other players there from a D-2 school, Doug Bond and Brian Landy, both from Quinnipiac College. McAuliffe played against both and they became roommates. There was also Reggie Sanders.

There was also the aspects of rookie ball in the Pioneer League, the bus rides.

FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, NJ, in 2009. Dave McAuliffe played in the South Atlantic League with Greensboro in 1989. McAuliffe also settled in New Jersey after his playing days. (G21D Photo)

"That was a real learning experience, those bus rides," McAuliffe said. "Particularly the one from Billings to Salt Lake City. That was quite the trip."

McAuliffe soon settled in, still having those ups and downs. One of those down nights came against Billings rival Great Falls.

That night, McAuliffe recalled, he gave up a monster home run, one that hit a wire going between two telephone poles in the outfield. "If it didn't hit that wire, it'd probably still be going right now," McAuliffe said. "That's how hard this guy hit it."

In the stands to see that monster shot McAuliffe gave up was Reds roving minor league pitching instructor Larry Rothschild, McAuliffe recalled.

Sitting in front of his locker the next day, McAuliffe got a message from the clubhouse attendant: The manager wanted to see McAuliffe in his office. McAuliffe thought the worst.

"As a non-drafted free agent, you're always worried about getting a tap on the shoulder," McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe went and it wasn't that at all. There was his manager, pitching coach and Rothschild. Rothschild was inviting McAuliffe to the fall instructional league in Florida. McAuliffe's plans to go back to school to finish his degree would have to wait and McAuliffe was fine with that.

The former Thomas J. White Stadium in St. Lucie, Fla., in 2011. Dave McAuliffe played in fall instructional league for the Reds in Florida in 1988. (G21D Photo)

That fall in instructional league was also when McAuliffe made the switch to closer and McAuliffe recalled really gravitating to his new role. Without that move, McAuliffe said he wasn't sure if he would have made it as far as he did.

It was a role that McAuliffe loved and excelled at.

By then, McAuliffe also had a nickname, one that went with his new role. His catcher at Billings and at single-A Greensboro was Glenn Sutko. With McAuliffe in a Whitey Herzog flat top and his hat pulled low, Sutko dubbed McAuliffe "Killer."

At Greensboro, McAuliffe took off. He nearly went the first half of the season without giving up an earned run, he recalled. He ended the season with 50 total outings, a 1.39 ERA and 28 saves, setting the club record for saves. It was also best in the organization for the year.

With his first-half performance, McAuliffe made the South Atlantic League All-Star Team. Helping warm McAuliffe up in the bullpen as his catcher, McAuliffe recalled, was a young Pudge Rodriguez.

For 1990, McAuliffe moved to single-A Cedar Rapids. And he had another good year. This time, he saved 26 games over 41 outings, winning the league Rolaids Relief Man award. His 26 saves there was also a club record, and again an organizational best.

McAuliffe also ended with a 1.97 ERA, and another All-Star appearance, with five other Cedar Rapids players, including Sanders.

After that season, McAuliffe again played off-season ball, heading south to do it. This time, his destination was Australia. From there, he took the next step, to AA Chattanooga, what ended up being his final season as a pro.

Go to Part 3: Dave McAuliffe, Other Shoe

Part 1: Good Shot | Part 2: His Stuff | Part 3: Other Shoe

Interview Part 1: Dave McAuliffe, Good Shot

New Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Ia., in 2012. Dave McAuliffe played at the old stadium in 1990 for the Cedar Rapids Reds. (G21D Photo)

Part 1: Good Shot | Part 2: His Stuff | Part 3: Other Shoe

Dave McAuliffe returned from his first practice at the University of New Haven and called his mother.

McAuliffe had always been into baseball growing up, but he had only recently got it in his head that he could play it professionally.

Now, after that first practice, he knew he could.

"I just said to her, 'If I can stick it out here for four years, I think I've got a pretty good shot at being able to play professional baseball,'" McAuliffe recalled recently to The Greatest 21 Days.

Though she was supportive, McAuliffe envisioned his mother hanging up the phone, thinking he was crazy.

Four years later, it was another call to his mom, this one came from a payphone at a tryout camp. He was signing as a pro, with the Cincinnati Reds.

"I was ecstatic. I was dumfounded," McAuliffe said of the opportunity. "Jump at it? Absolutely."

From there, McAuliffe went on to a career that spanned four seasons, McAuliffe reaching as high as AA. And, while he didn't make the majors, the player who signed as an undrafted free agent did set club save records, made minor league All-Star teams and played in Australia.

Community Field in Burlington, Ia., in 2010. Dave McAuliffe played at Community Field in 1990 with the visiting Cedar Rapids Reds. (G21D Photo)

McAuliffe spoke with The Greatest 21 Days recently by phone from his New Jersey home. He spoke of his time growing up and playing the game in Connecticut, his relatively late dream of turning pro, and his run to the Reds organization.

McAuliffe then covered his time in the minors, from his early struggles in rookie ball, with a frank talk from one of is coaches snapping him out of it, to later success as a closer at single-A, and then finally his renewed struggles again at AA and eventual release.

He also spoke of the tryout that started his pro career, a tryout he almost missed out of frustration.

McAuliffe grew up playing the game in Stamford, Conn., crediting his father with introducing him to the game. McAuliffe played Little League on up to 16-18 Babe Ruth. He also played in high school.

Through all that, though, he never saw himself as a professional, not until his senior year in high school, at least. Even then, his record, 0-6, gave no indication that he would one day get paid to play the game.

"I believed in my ability," McAuliffe said. "For some reason, that's when I was really like, 'Wow, that's what I really want to do."

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn., in 2011. Bridgeport is midway between where Dave McAuliffe grew up in Stamford and went to college in New Haven. (G21D Photo)

It was in 16-18 Babe Ruth that McAuliffe showed his ability. He showed it by by making his first local All-Star game. It was then that University of New Haven head coach Frank Vieira spotted McAuliffe, finally bringing McAuliffe to New Haven.

At New Haven, McAuliffe got the chance to play with several guys who later turned pro, including Cameron Drew, who had a brief stint in the majors. He described the experience as like playing for a miniature minor league team.

It was also an experience that got him to the Division II College World Series in each of his four seasons there.

During his senior year, McAuliffe started hearing from some scouts. Come draft day, though, no one called. But there was still interest.

The Cardinals had been following him and had some interest. A St. Louis scout watched McAuliffe play in the Sunday night Stamford twilight league. And he pitched well.

After the game, the scout was honest. He had a couple other guys to look at, but McAuliffe was right there.

Two days later came the tryout that landed him with the Reds - and he almost missed it.

Having pitched in front of the Cardinals scout two days earlier, his arm was killing him, McAuliffe recalled. He also wondered about his prospects, with the Cardinals still looking elsewhere.

It was his mother, he recalled, who pushed him to go.

Beehive Field in New Britain, Conn., in 2008. Dave McAuliffe grew up in Connecticut and tried out for the Reds in New Britain. (G21D Photo)

"The only thing that saved me was my friends were picking me up that day. I was a passenger," McAuliffe said. "If I had to rely on myself to get there, I probably wouldn't have gone."

The tryout was in New Britain and was run by the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. They arrived and McAuliffe started getting into it.

He recalled seeing a pitcher in the bullpen getting attention from the scouts and getting angry himself. That attention should be on McAuliffe, he recalled thinking.

"I used it as motivation when I got up onto the mound," McAuliffe said.

And it worked. McAuliffe faced three batters, came off the field and there was Reds scout Mickey White, offering McAuliffe a contract. Soon, McAuliffe was on the phone to his mother.

"Mickey came over to me and said 'How would you like to sign a contract with the Cincinnati Reds?'" McAuliffe recalled. "I looked at Mickey and said, 'Mickey, what do you think I'm doing here today?'"

Three days later, McAuliffe was on a plane to Billings, Mont., on his way to join the rookie league Billings Mustangs.

Part 1: Good Shot | Part 2: His Stuff | Part 3: Other Shoe

Go to Part 2: Dave McAuliffe, His Stuff

Buck Atwater saw perfect high school record, 3 pro seasons

Buck Atwater helped his Southern Alamance High School team to a perfect record in 1988, 26-0.

That perfect record also included a state championship, the North Carolina school's second in its history, the Hendersonville Times-News wrote.

Atwater's work at Southern Alamance also caught the attention of scouts, with Atwater turning pro directly out of high school.

As a pro, though, Atwater couldn't continue that success. He played just three seasons, never making it above rookie ball.

Atwater's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Expos in the 15th round of the draft, out of Southern Alamance. Atwater is also sometimes referred to by his given name, Tyrone Atwater.

With the Expos, Atwater started in the rookie Gulf Coast League. The infielder got into 44 games, hitting .304. In a late-August win, Atwater went 2 for 6.

Atwater moved to rookie Gate City in the Pioneer League for 1990. In 59 games there, his averaged dipped to .245. He hit one home run and knocked in 16.

Atwater remained in Gate City for 1991, the team renamed for its home city, Pocatello. In 48 games, he hit .307, singling and scoring in a late June game. That season for Pocatello, though, was Atwater's final season as a pro.

Years later, in 2013, Atwater's 1988 Southern Alamance state-championship team was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

• Hendersonville Times-News, Sept. 26, 2013: Southern Alamance set for Hall of Fame induction

More: The 1990 Gate City Pioneers

1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:1,447
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.8%
Never Made Majors: 712-49.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

Stan Clarke returned for bigs win after hurt shoulder

Stan Clarke picked up the win in relief for Seattle in this May 1987 game. It was a big win for Clarke, not just because his family was there to see it or because it was his first in the bigs in four years, according to The Associated Press.

It was a big win because he'd come back from a career-threatening shoulder injury, all the way back to notch that next win.

"When I blew my shoulder out (in 1984), I thought I'd never pitch again," Clarke told The AP. "To me, this is the finest, finest win that's ever come in my career."

Clarke ultimately got into four more big league seasons after that shoulder injury, playing in six big league seasons overall. For the reliever, though, he only got one more win, totaling three on his career.

Clarke's career began in 1981, taken by the Blue Jays in the sixth round of the draft, out of the University of Toledo.

Clarke started at rookie Medicine Hat, moving to single-A Florence and AA Knoxville in 1982. In 1983, he made AAA Syracuse. That June, he also made Toronto.

Clarke got into five games for the Blue Jays in June, picking up his first win in his second outing. That second outing consisted of two outs, a double play to end the 14th inning. He came back for five more outings in September, getting into 11 innings total on the year, giving up four earned runs.

Clarke worked that off-season to develop another pitch, according to his hometown Toledo Blade.

His former coach at the University of Toledo, Stan Sanders, showed him a split-finger fastball. "I tried it and, boom, just like that, I was throwing it with a lot of accuracy," Clarke told The Blade in March 1984.

Clarke's 1984 season, though, consisted of 29 outings, five starts. Then he had his shoulder injury. Despite the injury, though, Clarke got into 43 games for Syracuse in 1985, starting 14. He also went 14-4 and made it back to Toronto in September.

Clarke returned to the Blue Jays for another 10 relief outings in 1986, then, after a trade, for those 22 relief outings for the Mariners in 1987.

After going through the Tigers system in 1988, playing at AAA in his hometown without a call-up to Detroit, Clarke moved to the Royals for 1989. He made it back to the majors or two outings with Kansas City that year, both starts.

In his first start May 30, Clarke went just one inning, giving up seven earned runs. In his second a week later, he went six innings, giving up five earned runs.

"Yeah, I'm discouraged," Clarke told The Lawrence Journal-World after that first start. "I was working too fast and had no breaking ball whatsoever. My curve ball was just flat."

Clarke returned to AAA Omaha after the second start, playing out the year there. He then came back to the majors for one final two-game stretch in September 1990 with the Cardinals, ending his big league career. His playing days ended the next season, back at AAA Louisville.

Originally published June 27, 2012

• Toledo Blade, March 18, 1984: New Pitch Could Establish Clarke In Major Leagues 
• Spokane Chronicle, Associated Press, May 6, 1987: Willie wonders: 'Is end near?'
• Lawrence Journal-World, May 31, 1989: Twins explode for seven runs in second

More: The 1990 Louisville Redbirds

Takashi Maema, Got There - 3358

Takashi Maema made Nippon Professional Baseball, but it took him a few years to get there.

It took him into his eighth professional season to get there.

Once he did get there, he saw time in two NPB seasons for Hiroshima. That time included one season, 1996, where he got into 32 games for the Carp, posting a 3.88 ERA.

Maema's career began in 1989, taken by Hiroshima in the third round of the draft, out of Tosu, Saga Prefectural High School in Japan. The Japanese form of Maema's name is 前間卓.

With Hiroshima, Maema was sent to the United States for 1990, to play for rookie Gate City in the Pioneer League. Maema got into 19 games there, nine starts. He ended with a 7.16 ERA and 47 strikeouts.

Maema started off better, though, according to The Deseret News. Before a mid-July start, he was tied for fourth in the league with 28 strikeouts. He also had a 3.27 ERA. The Salt Lake Trappers then helped inflate that ERA, scoring three first-inning runs.

Maema then returned to Japan, but didn't make Hiroshima's first team until 1996. He finally debuted with the big club April 5 against Chunichi, according to his Wikipedia Japan page. He then got his first strikeout the next day, first save April 21 and first win May 12 against Yokohama.

In all, Maema picked up three wins and that one save, along with that 3.88 ERA. He also struck out 30.

Maema returned for 1997, but got into just six games. In 5.1 innings, he gave up seven earned runs. Those six outings were the last of his career.

• Deseret News, July 21, 1990: Trappers blast past Pioneers for 16-1 victory
• Wikipedia Japan: Takashi Maema (Google translation)

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,446
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.8%
Never Made Majors: 711-49.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

Trey Wilburn, Treated Rudely - 3355

Trey Wilburn came into this April 1990 contest for Charleston and was treated rudely by opposing Sumter.

In the seventh inning, with Wilburn's Charleston Wheelers behind 6-3, Wilburn set down the first batter. But he then proceeded to walk the next. Then came a two-run home run.

By the time Sumter was done with Wilburn, Sumter scored twice more, on its way to the victory, according to The Sumter Item.

Wilburn was in his third season as a pro that year with Charleston. It was also his last.

Wilburn's professional career began in 1988, signed by the Reds as an undrafted free agent, out of his native Virginia.

With the Reds, Wilburn started in the rookie Gulf Coast League, getting 15 relief appearances, with a 7.50 ERA.

He moved to rookie Billings for 1989, getting 20 outings, seven s tarts, there. He also improved his ERA to 3.71.

For 1990, Wilburn ended up playing for three teams, Billings, single-A Charleston and rookie Gate City. Between them, he got 31 relief appearances, with a 3.50 ERA. It was his final season as a pro.

Wilburn then returned to school at Milligan College, took up golf and went into the financial services industry. In 1994, the year he graduated from Millgan, he won all-conference honors in golf.

Wilburn then returned to Virginia and put his Milligan business administration degree to use, in financial planning.

• Sumter Item, April 24, 1990: Braves claim third-straight win

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,445
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.9%
Never Made Majors: 710-49.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

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.

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

Also read the Pat Austin interview from March 2013: Pat Austin, Learned Much

• 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 Louisville Redbirds

David Carter played 2 seasons, then turned college coach

Taylor Mangum signed with the Brewers in 2012 out of Utah Valley University and he credited one of his coaches, David Carter with helping him get there, according to The Utah Valley University Review.

"I feel like one of the biggest reasons I was drafted is that Dave was helping me with my off-speed pitches," Mangum told The Review in 2013, as he wrapped up his second season. "I was able to develop a slider with him and I think that's what caught the attention of a few scouts that had been looking at me during the time. He really helped me improve and understand the game."

Carter coached Mangum at both Utah Valley and earlier at the College of Southern Idaho. Those coaching stints were part of a long coaching career for Carter, one that stretched almost back to the end of his own brief professional career.

Carter's only playing career ended up lasting just two seasons, Carter never making single-A.

Carter's career began in 1990, signed by the Expos out of UNLV. He went to UNLV out of the College of Southern Idaho. Carter is also known simply as Dave Carter.

At Southern Idaho, Carter made the All-Region team as a pitcher in 1987, picking up nine wins on the year. At UNLV, Carter helped his team to the 1988 regional, but took the loss in the elimination game.

With the Expos, Carter played his first season at rookie Gate City. He got into 26 games in relief, with a  6.15 ERA. He then moved to independent short-season Erie for 1991, getting into 21 games, with a 5.17 ERA. That second season was his last as a pro.

Carter soon started his coaching career. He got his first coaching job in 1994, at Southern Utah University as a graduate assistant, according to his Utah Valley bio. He then moved to Southern Idaho and then Eastern Utah.

He first arrived at Utah Valley in 2000, before moving back to Southern Idaho as a coach in 2004. He made his return to Utah Valley in 2008, serving since as associated head coach.

"It's exciting to be back at Utah Valley and to be working with Coach (Eric) Madsen again," Carter was quoted by the school as saying upon his return. "It's good to be in an environment like this with the potential that is here."

• Utah Valley University Review, Sept. 8, 2013: Former Wolverine on the path to the MLB
• WolverineGreen.com, July 21, 2008: Madsen Hires Dave Carter and Casey Nelson as Assistant Coaches
• WolverineGreen.com: Dave Carter bio

More: The 1990 Gate City Pioneers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,444
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.9%
Never Made Majors: 709-49.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

Gary Adams played 3 pro seasons, made single-A with Expos

Gary Adams helped give his Sumter Flyers all they'd need in this July 1991 game.

Coming up in the second inning with one on, Adams knocked a two-run home run, helping his Flyers on to a rain-shortened 4-0 victory, according to The Sumter Item.

That home run was one of seven Adams hit that year for Sumter, his third season as a pro. It was also one of the last seven he'd hit, that season being the final season of his brief professional career.

Adams' career began in 1989, taken by the Expos in the 42nd round of the draft, out of Science Hill High School in Tennessee.

Adams played his first year in the rookie Gulf Coast League. Over 30 games there, he hit .200, with one home run. He moved to rookie Gate City for 1990, improving his average to .263, over 65 games. 

At single-A Sumter in 1991, Adams got into 84 games, but hit just .165. In April, it was an Adams single that stood between the opposing pitcher and a no-hitter. He doubled in a run in a June game.

Then, in a July game, Adams knocked a three-run home run. But it was his final season as a pro.

• Sumter Item, July 5, 1991: Flyers blank Generals

More: The 1990 Gate City Pioneers

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,443
Made the Majors: 735 - 50.9%
Never Made Majors: 708-49.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 321
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 191

Joe Johnson, Not Nervous - 458

Originally published Oct. 30, 2012

Joe Johnson's first major league pitch went for a single. He then leaned back on his Braves teammates.

The result was a seven-inning outing where he gave up just one run and two more hits - all in his major league debut.

"I was not nervous at all," Johnson told reporters afterward. "The team really relaxed me. They wished me luck and they made me feel like I really wanted to pitch well."

Johnson pitched well enough to earn 13 more starts that year and 30 the next. Johnson, though, only pitched well enough in his career to earn time in just one more major league season after that.

Johnson's professional career began in 1982, taken by the Braves in the second round of the draft, out of the University of Maine.

With the Braves, Johnson started right at AA Savannah, playing his first three seasons largely at that level. He saw a game at AAA Richmond in 1983 and four more outings there in 1984.

In 1985, Johnson saw AA Greeneville, AAA Richmond and, in late July, saw Atlanta.

After that seven-inning, three-hit debut, Johnson went on to get a total of 14 starts, one relief outing. He also posted an ERA of 4.10.

Johnson returned to Atlanta for 1986, getting 17 outings, 15 starts there before being sent to the Blue Jays in a July trade.

That April, Johnson struck out nine in one outing, a career high. He also went the full nine innings, giving up just four hits and one run. Johnson told The Associated Press it was the best game he'd pitched in pro ball.

"Joe showed great poise," teammate Dale Murphy told The AP of Johnson. "He's come into his own and is pitching great."

With the Braves that year, Johnson went 6-7, with a 4.97 ERA. After his move to the Blue Jays, he went 7-2, with a 3.89 ERA.

After the trade, Johnson told The Bangor Daily News he thought about the move as a new opportunity. He also knew he was streaky.

"I think I know what I have to do to be more consistent," Johnson told The Daily News. "I've got to keep the ball down, sink it in and sink it away. I've also got to work on changing speeds more."

Johnson returned to Toronto for 14 starts in 1987, going 3-5, with a 5.13 ERA. They ended up being the final 14 starts of his major league career.

Johnson played 1988 with the Angels at AAA Edmonton, isn't recorded as playing in 1989, then returned for one final season in 1990, with the Red Sox at AAA Pawtucket, ending his career.

• St. Petersburg Evening Independent, wire services, July 26, 1985: Once he got over first pitch, rookie Johnson slayed Phillies
• Youngstown Vindicator, Associated Press, April 26, 1986: Gooden, Ryan stop foes; Braves' Johnson tops LA
• Bangor Daily News, July 8, 1986: Joe Johnson gets new start in Toronto