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Friday, February 28, 2014

Johnny Guzman made majors maybe too early, saw 7 ML games

The Oakland Athletics added some veterans to its pitching staff for 1992, Oakland general manager Sandy Alderson told The Fort Worth Star-Telegram that March.

The aim, Alderson told The Star-Telegram, was to protect younger pitchers in the Oakland system from being rushed.

"We don't want to be in position where we have to rush anybody," Alderson told The Star-Telegram. We saw enough of that last year (when youngsters Bruce Walton, Johnny Guzman and John Briscoe were force-fed because of injuries) that we don't want to see it again."

One of those pitchers, Johnny Guzman, saw his major league debut the previous June at the young age of 20. But, in five relief outings, totaling five innings of work, Guzman gave up five earned runs and 11 hits.

Guzman got just two more major league outings in 1992, marking the end of his brief big league career.

Guzman's professional career began in 1988, signed by the Athletics as a free agent out the Dominican Republic. He played that first year in the Arizona Rookie League. In 16 outings, his ERA of 8.61.

He divided 1989 between a number of teams, short-season Southern Oregon, single-A Madison and Modesto. He also spent time in the Arizona Instructional League, sent back there in May. He was 0-2 with Modesto and he needed to strengthen his arm, The Modesto Bee wrote.

Between Southern Oregon, Modesto and Madison, Guzman went 6-6, with a 3.61 ERA, used largely as a starter.

Guzman split 1990 between Modesto and AA Huntsville. In 29 starts that year, Guzman collected a 2.84 ERA. At Huntsville in June, Guzman got his first win there, going six innings, giving up two hits. In July, Guzman went 6.2 innings, giving up three runs in a loss.

He played 1991 between Huntsville, AAA Tacoma and, more importantly, Oakland. With Tacoma, Guzman went 2-5 with a 6.78 ERA in 17 outings. That ERA took a hit in May when he went 3.2 innings in relief and, hung out to dry with the game already out of control, gave up 12 earned runs.

Still, injuries in the majors led to Guzman's call up in June. In his debut, Guzman gave up a run-scoring single to the only batter he faced. He got his first and, what would turn out to be his only win a couple days later. He again faced just one batter, but got credit for the win.

In late June, Guzman gave up seven hits and three runs to the Red Sox in two innings of work. Guzman spent the rest of the season in the minors.

He returned in 1992, getting two more outings in June, his final two in the majors. In three innings of work, Guzman gave up four earned runs. He gave up those four earned runs against the Twins in two innings June 27. His last outing came the next day, with an inning of work and two more hits given up.

Guzman's career lasted just one more season. He got 20 outings, 16 of them starts, at AAA Tacoma. His ERA that year hit 7.32, marking the end of his career at the age of 22.
Originally published July 24, 2011
1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,536
Made the Majors: 758 - 49.4%
Never Made Majors: 778-50.6%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 195

Ron Witmeyer, What Happens - 2224

Ron Witmeyer arrived in the majors in August 1991. His thoughts quickly turned to the next step, he told author George Rose years later.

"I don't think about how much I'm going to play," Witmeyer told Rose. "While I'm here, I'm going to bust my butt and see what happens."

Witmeyer spoke to Rose for his 2003 book "One Hit Wonders." His stay with the Athletics produced just a single hit. He never got back.

Witmeyer's career began in 1988, taken by the Athletics in the seventh round of the draft out of Stanford University.

Witmeyer helped Stanford to the 1988 College World Series title. A Witmeyer home run against Fullerton sent Stanford two wins from the title. The title was the school's second-straight.

"No one thought we would come back for a second title," Witmeyer told reporters afterward. "So this one's probably more satisfying than the first one. Everyone said we couldn't do it,"

With the Athletics, Witmeyer didn't join the team until 1989. He played his first season at single-A Modesto. He hit .204 in 134 games.

He then played much of 1990 back at Modesto, getting some time at AA Huntsville and AAA Tacoma. Between them, his average came in at .255.

He played 1991 back at Tacoma. It was in August that he got that call to Oakland. What happened was he got into 11 games, 19 total plate appearances. He got that single hit, a fourth-inning single Sept. 7 off Mark Leiter.

Witmeyer returned to Tacoma for the next two seasons, hitting .236 and .254. He didn't return to Oakland. His last recorded season was 1994 at independent Amarillo.

Toward the end of his career, Whitmeyer got married. His wife, Marianne Witmeyer Werdel, was a tennis player, making the semifinals of the Australian Open in 1995.

His own career over, Witmeyer soon went into coaching. He coached back at Stanford for 1996. From 1997 to 2000, he coached at City College of San Francisco. In June 2000, he was named to the staff at Cal.

He has since gone into youth instruction, co-owning Frozen Ropes in San Diego. 

"Our gratification comes from watching all the participants get really excited about being at the facility," Witmeyer told 92127 Magazine in 2010. "And it is really special to see the kids improving in all aspects of the game."
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,536
Made the Majors: 758 - 49.4%-X
Never Made Majors: 778-50.6%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 195

Clete Boyer played in bigs, coached, had baseball perception

Clete Boyer 1990 Columbus Clippers cardServing as a coach under Yankees manager Stump Merrill, Clete Boyer never got the credit he deserved, Merrill told The New York Daily News in 2007.

"He was the most perceptive baseball man I ever knew," Merrill told The Daily News after Boyer's passing that June, "and he was tireless in teaching the rudiments of infield play to our kids in the organization."

Boyer passed away then at the age of 70, known as the Yankees' sure-handed third baseman of the early 1960s. He then took what he learned and showed on the playing field and use that for a long career in both the majors and minors as a coach and manager.

Boyer's playing career lasted 16 seasons, starting with Kansas City, them moving on to the Yankees. His major league career ended with five seasons with the Braves. Boyer then moved to Japan for four final seasons there.

His coaching career began by 1980, with the Athletics. Boyer served as Oakland's third base coach through 1985. For his first three seasons there, Boyer coached under manager Billy Martin. He also later coached under Martin with the Yankees in 1988.

Clete Boyer 1990 Columbus Clippers cardBoyer even got to manage a couple games in 1981 after a Martin suspension.

"I've played in five World Series," Boyer told The Associated Press after his first managerial win, "but I've never had to think as much as I've had in the past two games."

By 1987, Boyer was back with the Yankees, the team he'd had so much success with as a player. He served as their third base coach in 1988, then went to single-A Fort Lauderdale, for a more extended look at managing.

"You know, this is the best organization ever," Boyer told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel in April 1989, "and I often think how lucky I am to be with the Yankees. I think back on how lucky I was to play with the Yankees, and now I can still put on the uniform every day. I just want to pass on what I learned to these kids."

That off-season, Boyer wasn't working with kids, he was working with seniors, managing in the Senior Professional Baseball League in Florida. Speaking to The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in October 1989, Boyer said he wasn't looking to manage at higher levels.

"Watching kids develop in the minors is actually a bigger thrill than coaching in the big leagues," Boyer told The Herald-Tribune. "It's a mental victory when you see them move up."

Boyer coached 1990 with AAA Columbus. By 1992, Boyer was back in the majors, coaching with the Yankees. He was also plain spoken.

In May 1993, Boyer disputed Brewers first base coach Tim Foli's reaction to a foul ball. That reaction caused a bench-clearing fight, The Milwaukee Journal wrote. Boyer was clear on what he thought about Foli.

"Foli's an idiot," Boyer told The Journal. "The doctor slapped his mother when he came out. I never saw anyone who liked him. He was like that when he played."

Among one of Boyer's final jobs with the Yankees was trying to make Drew Henson into a hitter and third baseman.

After his passing in 2007, Boyer drew praise from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

"He was a great Yankee and a tough guy. He never talked too much but he was extremely hardworking," Steinbrenner told The AP through a spokesman. "A wonderful third baseman, and had fire in his belly."
Originally published April 13, 2011

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Jim Waggoner, Tie Broken - 2223

The score tied late in this April 1994 game, Jim Waggoner tried to get something going.

He did so with a home run, breaking that tie and sending his AA Huntsville Stars on to a win, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

Waggoner hit that home run to start his sixth season as a pro. He went on to be credited with a decade in the game. He recorded just a single game at AAA and never got higher.

Waggoner's career began in 1989, taken by the Athletics in the 44th round of the draft out of Austin Peay University.

At Austin Peay, Waggoner hit two home runs in three days in April 1989, a two-run home run in one and a solo shot in the other. Overall in his two years there, Waggoner came in with a .335 batting average.

With the Athletics, Waggoner played his first year at short-season Southern Oregon. He hit .270 in 54 games. The infielder then played between single-A Madison and high-A Modesto in 1990, hitting .210 between them.

He returned to Modesto for 1991, ending with a .224 average and two home runs. He also got an appearance at AAA Tacoma.

After a season with high-A Reno, where he hit a career-high 11 home runs, Waggoner played the next three seasons at AA Huntsville. He didn't hit higher than .208 there.

In 1995, Waggoner retired mid-season. In his last game before announcing his retirement, Waggoner went out with a good one. He picked up three RBIs, two of them on a double.

Waggoner, though, is credited with coming out of retirement for three more seasons in independent ball. His final season came in 1998 with independent Newark.
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,535
Made the Majors: 757 - 49.3%
Never Made Majors: 778-50.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 195-X

Pete Richert, Pivotal Play - 2230

Pete Richert's Orioles swept into the 1970 World Series. With the sweep, though, they didn't really celebrate. They hoped to do that after winning four more games.

"You'll see a celebration like you never saw before in your life if we win the World Series," the top Orioles reliever Richert told UPI after the team moved on. "The World Series is what we want."

The Orioles eventually beat the Reds 4 games to 3, coming back from a 1969 series defeat to the Mets. In that previous year's series, Rickert ended up in the middle of a pivotal play, one that ultimately sent the Mets to an insurmountable 3-1 series lead.

Richert returned to the World Series that year in his 10th major league season. A strikeout pitcher, he went on to make it back to the series with the Orioles in 1971. By the time his career was over, he had 13 seasons in the books and 925 total strikeouts.

His career over, Richert eventually returned to the minor leagues, getting lengthy time as a pitching coach from high-A to AAA.

Richert's long career in baseball began in 1958, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, NY.

Richert started at Class-C Reno. He made AA Atlanta in 1960, then AAA Spokane in 1961. In 1962, Richert made Los Angeles.

Richert got 19 outings, 12 starts, for the Dodgers in 1962. He also opened his career by striking out the first six batters he faced. He returned for 20 more outings in 1963 and eight in 1964. For 1965, Richert was trade to Washington, and he became a major league regular.

With the Senators in 1965, Richert went 15-12, with a 2.60 ERA. He also struck out 161. In 1966, he was as good. He went 14-14, with a 3.37 ERA. He also struck out 195. He made the All-Star team both seasons.

In June 1966, Richert battled for the league strike out lead. He told The Associated Press he hadn't thought of himself along side other strikeout pitchers. "I guess I'm going to have to now," Richert told The AP.

Richert moved to the Orioles in mid-1967 in another trade. He also soon moved to relief work. He got into 36 relief outings, with a 3.47 ERA. In 1969, he got 44 outings and a 2.20 ERA. He also helped the Orioles to the World Series.

In the World Series, Richert only saw time in Game 4. Called on in the 10th inning of the tie game, Richert's job was to give his Orioles another shot at tying the series at two.

With nobody out and two on, Richert fielded a bunt and threw it to first. His throw hit the runner, and the winning run scored. There was a dispute, though, about where in the base path the runner was. An AP photo seemed to prove he was inside the base line. The Orioles lost the game and the series.

Richert had an even better year in 1970, posting a 1.98 ERA. He continued playing in the majors through 1974, finishing out by returning to the Dodgers and then playing for Philadelphia and St. Louis.

By 1989, Richert was a coach in the minors. He served as pitching coach at single-A Modesto. He stayed with the team through 1994. He moved to AAA Edmonton in 1995. He then stayed at AAA through 2001, his last recorded year as a coach. He never made the majors as a coach.

In 1999. Richert watched over Athletics prospect Tim Hudson at AAA Vancouver. He also liked what he saw, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

"The kid is unbelievable," Richert told The Chronicle. "He's got great action on the ball, he keeps the ball down and everything moves -- and he's a great kid. He battles and fights. Oh yeah, Tim could pitch at the next level -- he's done what he can do here."
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,534
Made the Majors: 757 - 49.3%
Never Made Majors: 777-50.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194

Mike Heifferon, Hometown Trainer - 693

The Albany-Colonie Yankees were celebrating sending eight players to the Eastern League All-Star Game in 1986.

Four of them were set to start. Among the reserves was future Yankee Roberto Kelly.

But the A-C Yankees were also sending others to the AA mid-summer classic. Two A-C Yankee coaches were going. Trainer Mike Heifferon also went, according to The Schenectady Gazette.

Heifferon served as trainer for the AA Yankees that year and into the next. He would also stick with the Yankees system at least through 1992.

Heifferon stayed with Albany-Colonie through 1988. He then made the jump to AAA Columbus for 1989. That year, he also served in the all-star game. He was also the hometown trainer - the game was held that year in Columbus.

Heifferon remained watching over Clipper injuries until 1992. After that season, new trainer Darren London took over.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Kevin Lofthus, To Adjust - 2219

Kevin Lofthus gained national attention for his hitting at UNLV. He knocked 26 home runs to lead the nation. He made the Sporting News All-America team as a designated hitter.

With that kind of show, Lofthus told his school paper The Rebel Yell he was looking forward to that June's draft.

"I know if I'm given the opportunity I will produce," Lofthus told The Rebel Yell that April. "'I've been able to adjust everywhere else so there should be no reason why I can't turn it over to the professional game."

Lofthus had to adjust because a cyst that developed in his left wrist prevented him from fielding properly. It was too painful. The top college hitter went late in the draft. He also got just 31 games in the pros.

Lofthus ended up being taken by the Athletics in the 47th round of that June's draft out of UNLV. He went to UNLV out of the College of Southern Idaho.

At Southern Idaho in May 1986, Lofthus knocked three home runs in a National Junior College World Series game. He soon moved to UNLV and continued hitting.

Lofthus had a 34-game hitting streak for the Rebels in 1989. That same season, he knocked those 26 home runs. In his two full seasons, he hit 44, including another three in a April 1987 game and in a May 1989 game, according to the UNLV record book.

But there was also the cyst. Lofthus had it removed after it appeared, but it came back, according to The Los Angeles Times. There were plans to try again after his first pro season.

"It hurts to swing in the follow-through, especially when you miss," Lofthus told The Times after joining the Athletics in June. "When you hit it good, it's fine."

Lofthus, though, never did hit it good as a pro. He got into eight games in the rookie Arizona League, getting nine hits in 31 at bats for a .290 average. He hit just one home run.

He then came back for 1990 with single-A Modesto. In 80 at bats, he got just 16 hits for a .200 average. He also hit just one home run and isn't credited as playing a game in the field. The series of wrist surgeries forced an end to his career.
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,533
Made the Majors: 757 - 49.4%
Never Made Majors: 776-50.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194

Bill Taylor, Held It - 2213

Handed a 2-0 lead in the eighth Bill Taylor held it.

Taylor finished out that game for the single-A Madison Muskies in August 1990, giving up two hits and no runs for his second save of the year, according to The Madison Capital Times.

Taylor was in his third season as a pro that year. It was also his last. Taylor made AA briefly, but he never made it higher.

Taylor's career began in 1988, signed by the Athletics as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Illinois University. He is also known by his formal name, William Taylor.

At Eastern Illinois, Taylor picked up eight wins in 1988, still tied for seventh all-time at the school. He also won conference Pitcher of the Year honors that year, as well as first-team all-conference, according to the school's record book.

With the Athletics, Taylor started in the rookie Arizona League. He went 2-4, with four saves in 17 outings, two starts.

Taylor moved up to three levels in 1989, getting 49 outings in all. He got nine outings at single-A Modesto and 35 at Madison, combining for a sub-3 ERA between them. He picked up a relief win in a May game for Madison, then a one-out save in June.

That year he also got five outings at AA Huntsville. In 7.1 innings there, he gave up 13 earned.

For 1990, Taylor split time again between Madison and Modesto. In 41 outings between them, he posted a 3.39 ERA. he got five wins and four saves. It was his final season as a pro.
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,532
Made the Majors: 757 - 49.4%
Never Made Majors: 775-50.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194

Carl "Stump" Merrill, Help for Hitters - 693

Originally published April 12, 2010
Baseball had lowered the pitching mound five inches for 1969 and the debate was on about whether it would make a difference and hitting would pick up.

Reading's scrappy catcher Carl Merrill was emphatic with The Reading Eagle. He didn't think it would pick up.

"It won't help the hitters a bit," Merrill told The Eagle in an April 1969 story. "I haven't detected a change all spring."

The consensus, as the years went by, was that the change did help hitters. Twenty-two years later, as manager of the New York Yankees, Merrill was looking for some other way to help his hitters - or pitchers. But it was something that never came.

Merrill's playing days lasted six seasons, through 1971, never making the majors as a player. He got as high as AAA for the Phillies, but a leg injury forced him out.

Merrill, then known as "Stump," started 1990 as manager of the Yankees' AAA club, the Columbus Clippers. He had been in the Yankees system since 1978, when he managed AA West Haven. In between, he managed AA Albany, served as first base coach in the Bronx, and managed Columbus in one other stint in 1984 and 1985.

Then, just as every minor league player waits for the call, on June 6, 1990, Merrill got the call. The Yankees, mired in last place, had just fired Bucky Dent. It was Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner's 19th managerial change in 17 years.

"I'm not going to say we'll win the pennant, but we're going to put a product on the field that will perform," Merrill told The Associated Press. "We're going to play hard. And we're going to have fun."

By the end of 1991, Merrill had the Yankees improved, but not by much. They went from sixth to fifth. Still came the 20th managerial change.

"If they think for one minute that Stump Merrill was the reason, then so be it," Merrill told ESPN, according to a wire story. "I won't have any trouble sleeping at night."

Merrill returned to Columbus as manager in 1993, where he stayed through 1998, and in 2002. In his four stints in Columbus, Merrill posted a won-loss record of 564-461, Columbus' all-time leader. He was inducted into the International League's Hall of Fame in 2009.

For 2010, Merrill still works with the Yankees, as a special assistant to the General Manager. He's also spoken out against another effort to help hitters and pitchers, an illegal one: steroids.

Speaking in January 2008 in his home state of Maine, Merrill said he was baffled that the player's union hadn't taken a stronger stand to protect the game, according to Sea Coast Online.

"They should say, 'for the good of the game, for respect, this is what we're doing to clear this up,'" Merrill told Sea Coast Online, "but you'll never clean it up completely. I don't believe it."

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Ted Kubiak, Good Attitude - 2229

Read the August 2014 interview: Ted Kubiak, Loved Baseball

Ted Kubiak made it to the majors and he stuck around for a decade. His role, though, wasn't the one he had envisioned for himself.

His role was as a utility infielder.

"The first couple of years I was angry being a utility player," Kubiak told reporters after helping the Padres beat the Cubs in 1976. "Then I calmed down. I decided to excel at different positions and to do the best I could to help a team. Being angry never helped anyone."

His playing days soon over, Kubiak took the lessons he learned as a player on to a long career as a coach and coordinator with the Indians and Athletics organizations. It's a career that continues in 2014, with Kubiak serving as manager of the short-season Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Kubiak's long career in baseball began in 1961, signed by the Athletics as an amateur free agent out of his native New Jersey.

Kubiak started at Class-D Sarasota. He made AA Binghamton in 1963, then AAA Dallas in 1964. In 1967, he made the Athletics in Kansas City.

Kubiak got into 53 games for the Athletics that year, then 48 in 1968. In 1969, he got into 92, hitting .249 with 27 RBI.

For 1970, Kubiak was traded to the Brewers. He also became a regular, getting into 158 games split between second base and shortstop. He hit .252 with four home runs and 41 RBI. He then returned to the Brewers to start 1971.

"I really feel like I belong now," Kubiak told The Milwaukee Journal that April. "Last year, I had to go out and prove myself at this position. This year, I have been a second baseman since the start of spring training and perhaps for the first time I feel that I am now a major leaguer."

Kubiak continued in the major leagues through 1976, going through the Cardinals, Athletics, Rangers and Padres. With Oakland in 1972 and 1973, Kubiak helped the Athletics to back-to-back championships.

When his major league career was over, Kubiak had tallied time in 977 total major league games. He also had substantial time at second base, shortstop and third.

By 1989, Kubiak was a manager in the minor leagues, taking the helm of the single-A Modesto Athletics. He stayed with Modesto for five seasons. He moved to the Indians system in 1994, taking over AA Canton-Akron. He has been with the Indians ever since, though he hasn't made the majors as a coach.

In 2010, Kubiak managed single-A Lake County. That July, he spoke with The Ann Arbor News about one of his players, Michigan-alum Adam Abraham. Kubiak was impressed with how Abraham dealt with early adversity.

"The greatest thing about Adam is his attitude," Kubiak told The News. "He's been in a position here where he wasn't playing early, but now he's in there pretty much every day. Not playing all the time naturally affected his timing and rhythm."

Kubiak returned to short-season Mahoning Valley in 2012, where he continues for 2014. The 2014 season will be his ninth season managing in the New York-Penn League since 1996.

In 2013, Kubiak told The Warren Tribune Chronicle his thoughts on new techniques for evaluating players, that they don't tell the full story..

"You have to know a player's approach at the plate," Kubiak told The Tribune Chronicle. "You have to know his heart, his personality, how he does on the field, in the locker room and with his teammates. Even how much he likes his uniform - all that stuff affects a player."

Read the August 2014 interview: Ted Kubiak, Loved Baseball
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,531
Made the Majors: 757 - 49.4%
Never Made Majors: 774-50.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194

Bronswell Patrick, Paid Off - 2211

Originally published Dec. 9, 2010
The Brewers starter put one right into the Rockie batter, hitting him. After the ensuing brawl at Denver's Coors Field, starter Jeff Juden was ejected. Coming in to replace Juden, Brewers Manager Phil Garner directed, was Bronswell Patrick, The San Francisco Chronicle wrote the next year.

It was May 12, 1998, and this was Patrick's major league debut.

"It was very, very nerve-racking for me," Patrick told The Chronicle as he tried to make the Giants the next spring. "I ran out onto the field because I thought there was going to be a brawl, and I wanted to protect my teammates. The next thing I knew, Garner tells me to get into the game and pitch."

Getting into games and pitching was something that Patrick was used to, not exactly in the majors. It was also something he didn't easily give up, prolonging his career playing in Mexico and even China.

Patrick made his debut that May after a decade in the minors. He ended up seeing major league playing time in two seasons, the next year seeing six games for the Giants. But he wouldn't stop pitching until 2005, after once telling The Calgary Sun that he wouldn't stop until someone physically took the uniform off of him, MiLB.com wrote.

Patrick started putting professional uniforms on in 1988, taken by the Athletics in the 23rd round of the draft out of Winterville High in North Carolina. He played that year for the rookie league Arizona League Athletics.

He made single-A Madison the next season, then AA Huntsville in 1992 and AAA Tacoma in 1993. But he never saw Oakland. He jumped to the Astros system for 1995, the first of three years with the Houston organization, but he had similar results, playing AAA all three seasons.

"It's frustrating when you're down there (in the minors) and things don't open up for you," Patrick told The Chronicle in 1999 of his lengthy wait. "I kept telling myself, if I work hard, it'll pay off."

It finally paid off in 1998, when he signed with the Brewers. He got the call in May. He pitched in 38 games for the Brewers that year. Two of them were particularly notible, though neither for Patrick's pitching performance.

On Aug. 1, he got to bat and he hit a home run. The Brewers had just switched to the National League that season. He was the first Brewers pitcher in nearly 40 years to hit a home run, MLB.com wrote.

Then, in September, Patrick threw the pitch that became Sammy Sosa's 61st home run on the season.

"Normally for me to be effective, that pitch has to be down in the strike zone," Patrick told The Associated Press of the pitch after the game. "This one stayed up. I should have started it at his knees and made it break into the dirt."

Signed with the Giants for 1999, he didn't make it to San Francisco until mid-September. Brought into the Sept. 16 game, by Manager Dusty Baker, Patrick proceeded to shut down the Marlins for two innings and helping the Giants to a 6-5 win.

Patrick was also credited with the decision.

"It felt good, being in a ballgame that close," Patrick told The Chronicle. "Dusty showed some confidence in me and gave me the confidence to get the job done. I was sitting down there (in the bullpen) trying to anticipate when I might get in. I finally got my chance. It was great to come out with the victory."

Patrick went on to pitch at AAA Calgary for the Marlins in 2000, then he went to Mexico and even China with the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He finally threw his final pitch in 2005.

He has since turned his sights to coaching, serving as pitching coach this past season with the Padres' single-A club the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

"I love working with these kids and having a good time with them," Patrick told MiLB.com in June 2010. "It's just been a great experience for me and I just want to keep it rolling."

The Greatest 21 Days caught up with Bronswell Patrick in July 2012, read the two-part interview: Bronswell Patrick, Best Feeling
1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,530
Made the Majors: 757 - 49.5%
Never Made Majors: 773-50.5%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194

Trey Hillman, Adapt and Adjust - 693

Originally published April 11, 2011
After his third season as a player in the minors, Trey Hillman had the choice between returning as a player for a fourth year, or taking a job as a scout, The Hartford Courant wrote in 1997.

Hillman chose to become a scout.

"It was probably one of the toughest decisions I've ever made," Hillman told The Courant. "I was very realistic about what my opportunity and chances were to play at the big-league level. As far as the physical tools go, I was a good defender, but I never got an opportunity to develop as a hitter because of limited playing time."

While he never got to the majors as a player, Hillman did get to the majors, as a manager. He served just over two seasons as the manager of the Kansas City Royals. It was part of a more-than two decade post-playing career for Hillman that includes stints managing in the minors, and in Japan.

His brief playing career over by 1987, Hillman spent two seasons as a scout for the Indians, moving to the Yankees system in 1989 as a coach with Fort Lauderdale. He then started his managing career in 1990, helming short-season Oneonta after a stint coaching with AAA Columbus.

At Oneonta, Hillman watched over young Dutch prospect Robert Eenhoorn. Eenhoorn, Hillman told The New York Times, played shortstop like Cal Ripken.

"The anticipation, the ability to play the position like a little man, it's all there," Hillman told The Times. "All he needs is to work on his hitting in the minor leagues and he'll be fine."

Hillman stayed with the Yankees system for more than a decade, through 2001. He also moved up the system, managing AA Norwich by 1997 and then AAA Columbus in 1999. After a brief stint with the Rangers in 2002 as director of player development, Hillman made the big jump, to Japan.

In Japan, Hillman took over the Nippon Ham Fighters, a team that had finished fifth of six the year before, and hadn't come in first in two decades, according to The Associated Press.

"I'm not coming over here to rewrite the game," Hillman told The AP in March 2003. "One of the things I've learned over the years is you have to adapt and adjust to different situations."

Hillman spent five years with the Fighters, taking them to two straight Japan Series, winning it in on their first visit in 2006. It was enough for the Royals to hire him for 2008.

"He is an exceptional person with a great passion to lead,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said in a statement after hiring Hillman. "He is the perfect choice for our organization.''

But Hillman couldn't turn things around in Kansas City like he did in Japan. In two-plus seasons, Hillman went a total of 152-207, finishing in fourth place in each of his two full seasons.

Fired in May 2010 after a seven-game losing streak, Hillman managed one more game, getting the win.

"I was thankful to get to manage today," Hillman told MLB.com after his final game. "You don't want to go out on a seven-game losing streak, that's for sure."

Monday, February 24, 2014

Rod Correia, Remember This - 2218

Rod Correia picked up three hits off future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson on this day in 1993 and Johnson seemingly decided to make Correia pay, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The result was Correia got a fastball to his leg and ultimately had to come out of the game.

"If that ball had come four inches lower, it would have caused some serious damage to my knee," Correia told The Times afterward. "But I'll remember this, and you're damn right I'll get even."

Correia's team got even by coming back and knocking around the Mariners the next day - and throwing behind some batters.

Correia never faced Johnson again after that game, but he did come back and play in two more major league seasons, trying to take advantage of the opportunities as they came. In all, he played professionally for 10 seasons, getting into a total of 84 big league contests.

Correia's career began in 1988, taken by the Athletics in the 15th round of the draft, out of Southeastern Massachusetts University.

Correia played his first year at short-season Southern Oregon. He then moved to single-A Modesto for 1989 and 1990. He made AA Huntsville in 1991, as well as AAA Tacoma.

Correia then moved to the Angels in a trade. He played 1992 at AA Midland, hitting .290. He moved back to AAA with Vancouver in 1993. That year, Correia also made his debut in the majors.

Correia got his call up that June. He made it into 64 games for the Angels, hitting .266 while knocking in nine.

He returned to the Angels for another six games in 1994, then 14 final games in 1995. In a July 1995 game, Correia filled in for Gary DiSarcina by knocking a two-run triple and later a single. His work helped the Angels continue a hot streak, according to The Times.

"You see everyone running around the bases all the time and you want to jump in," Correia told The Times. "You don't want to be caught on the side."

That September, Correia and the Angels took on the Orioles, Correia getting into the game where Cal Ripken set the consecutive games played record.

"That night alone was worth my 10 years in professional ball," Correia told South Coast Today in 1997.

Correia played two more seasons, both in the minors. His final season came in 1997, between AA Trenton and AAA Pawtucket for the Red Sox.

Correia now works in the financial services industry, serving as president of Rhode Island-based Shamrock Financial Corporation
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,530
Made the Majors: 757 - 49.5%-X
Never Made Majors: 773-50.5%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194

Mario Diaz, Helped Win - 655

Mario Diaz helped his new club beat his old club in this May 1991 game, and he did it with a home run.

Diaz had played 11 seasons in the Mariners organization, getting major league time in three of those. With the Rangers in 1991, though, he got into a career-high 91 games.

"I was upset at not getting a chance with the Mariners," Diaz told The Seattle Times after helping beat the Mariners with that home run. "But that is over now. I did not care that the home run came against them, only that I helped our team win a game."

Diaz went on to play in a total of nine major league seasons with four different clubs. In a career that began as a 17-year-old in 1979, Diaz didn't play his last pro game until 20 years later in independent ball.

Diaz' career began as he signed with the Mariners as a teenager out of Puerto Rico. He started at short-season Bellingham, then made AA Lynn in 1981. His first regular time at AAA didn't come until 1986 at Calgary.

His major league debut then came in 1987 as a September call-up. He got into 11 games, getting seven hits in 23 at bats.

He returned for another 28 games in 1988, knocking in three runs in a July game. He then got 52 games in 1989. His 1989 average fell to just .135.

Diaz moved to the Mets in a June 1990 grade, getting 14 games in Queens. He then signed with the Rangers for 1991, getting into those 91 games and hitting .264.

He stayed with the Rangers through 1994, getting 19 games in 1992 and 71 in 1993. For 1994, he moved to the Marlins, getting the game-winning, tie-breaking hit in a June game.

With the Marlins, Diaz found a home coming off the bench. He hit .325 in that role in 1994, according to The South-Florida Sun-Sentinel. Teammate Steve Decker looked to Diaz for help.

"He came off the bench and swung the bat like an All-Star," Decker told The Sun-Sentinel in April 1995. "People who sit in the stands don't know how hard that is, sitting on the bench for five days, then hitting like that. You take batting practice, but you don't see hard spinners (breaking pitches) or changeups. Yet Diaz gets in there and makes it look easy."

Diaz returned to the minors in 1996, he then finished out his career in Mexico and the independent Atlantic League. He played his last games with Nashua in 1999.
1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,529
Made the Majors: 756 - 49.4%-X
Never Made Majors: 773-50.6%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 329-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194

Dave Eiland, Part of the Game - 670

Originally published Sept. 30, 2011, updated February 2014
Dave Eiland was in a forgiving mood, especially after seeing the Yankees bullpen fail to hold what would have been his first major league win.

Eiland went seven innings in that August 1988 contest, leaving with a 5-1 lead. Eiland's Yankees lost 6-5.

"It's happened to me before," Eiland told The New York Times. "That could have been me out there. It's part of the game. It happens."

Eiland went on to see time in 10 major league seasons, starting 70 big league games. But wins would be at a premium, he would only pick up 12.

Eiland, though, would go on to oversee many more wins, as pitching coach for the team that first brought him to the majors, the Yankees. Eiland's three season stint there also included overseeing a world title.

Eiland's career began in 1987, taken by the Yankees in the seventh round out of the University of Florida. He split that first year between short-season Oneonta and single-A Fort Lauderdale.

In his second season, Eiland hit AA Albany, AAA Columbus and got that first start in the Bronx. With the Yankees that year, Eiland got three starts and no decisions. His second and third starts were less successful, totaling 5.2 innings and eight runs given up.

Eiland returned for six more starts in 1989, getting his first win against three losses. Eiland got five starts in 1990, going 1-2. That September, Eiland got another hard-luck no decision, throwing 8.1 innings of shutout ball. The Yankees, though, couldn't score either.

''You can't pitch any better than he pitched,'' Yankee manager Stump Merrill told The Times after that September 1990 outing.

In 1991, Eiland got into 18 games, 13 starts. He also went 2-5, with a 5.33 ERA. He was also released that next off-season, signing with the Padres for 1992.

Eiland got seven starts for the Padres that year, going 0-2, with a 5.67 ERA. He also got one home run, in is first major league at bat that April. "I couldn't believe it," Eiland told reporters of the home run. "Strange things happen."

Nine more starts for the Padres in 1993 and Eiland was back to the minors until 1995. That year, back with the Yankees, Eiland got a single start and three relief appearances.

Then came two more seasons back in the minors. In 1998, Eiland returned to the majors, in a single start for Tampa Bay. That he didn't get more opportunities that year, upset Eiland, according to The Orlando Sentinel. He went 13-5 at AAA Durham with a 2.99 ERA.

"I think I've been labeled by some people,'' Eiland told The Sentinel. "You reach a certain age and everyone thinks you stop improving and you can't do the job."

Eiland, though, didn't do well in that one start, giving up six earned runs in 2.2 innings. It also came against the Yankees. In 1999 Eiland got more time, 15 starts, the most of his major league career.

Going into that year, Eiland also got some screen time, serving as a pitching double for Kevin Costner in the movie For the Love of the Game, The Sentinel wrote.

Eiland finished out his big league career in 2000, with 17 appearances, 10 starts. He went 2-3, with a 7.24 ERA for the Devil Rays.

Eiland's post-playing career began by 2003, back with the Yankees. He coached that year in the Gulf Coast League, moving to short-season Staten Island for 2004. He hit AA Trenton in 2005, AAA Scranton in 2007 and arrived back in the Bronx in 2008.

Eiland stayed through 2010, when he was dismissed. For 2012, Eiland signed on with the Royals as pitching coach. He continues in that position in 2014.

"He is an extremely talented pitching coach and a proven winner," Royals GM Dayton Moore told The Associated Press after hiring Eiland. "Ned and our entire baseball operations staff have strong convictions about Dave's ability to make a positive difference with our pitching staff."

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Scott Erwin, Complete Games - 2205

Scott Erwin was still unbeaten for Georgia Tech in May 1988 and another sterling performance helped keep it that way, according to The Associated Press.

The only blemish on the day was that Erwin couldn't finish out the contest. He went two outs into the ninth before he had to be pulled. He still picked up his 13th win to no losses, according to The AP.

"We went with Erwin as long as we could," Erwin's coach Jim Morris told The AP. "He's pitched a lot of complete games lately, so we'll stay with him a lot longer than we would somebody else."

Erwin entered the next year as one of the top college pitchers in the country. Arm problems, though, abbreviated his senior campaign. His career would also be relatively short, just five seasons. He never made it above AA.

Erwin's pro career began in 1989, taken by the Athletics in the fifth round of the draft, out of Georgia Tech.

At Georgia Tech, Erwin picked up his eighth win of 1988 while striking out 13. It was also his third-consecutive complete game. At year's end, he made the All-ACC Tournament Team. Overall, Erwin went 25-3 through his four years at Georgia Tech.

Coming off his 13-0 campaign, one where he struck out nine batters a game, Erwin's stock climbed, according to The Gainesville Sun. Shoulder problems, though, shelved him for the first five weeks. Still, he pitched well on his return. In one May game, he struck out 11 while going seven innings.

With the Athletics, Erwin played at short-season Southern Oregon. In 15 starts, he went 6-3, with a 3.36 ERA. At season's end, Erwin was named as one of the top 10 prospects in the league in a poll of managers.

Erwin moved to high-A Modesto for 1990. There, he went 6-11 over 25 starts. He then turned reliever. He split time between Modesto and AA Huntsville in 1991, getting 30 relief outings. His ERA came in at 3.28, picking up a relief win in an August outing.

In 1992, Erwin returned to Huntsville. He got 23 relief outings, getting one save. He then missed all of 1993. He made one more attempt at the pros in 1994, seven outings, five starts in the rookie Arizona League. Those seven outings were his final outings as a pro.
1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,528
Made the Majors: 755 - 49.4%
Never Made Majors: 773-50.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 328
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 194