Interview Part 2: Randy Hennis, Worked For

The Ohio River from Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark in 2010. Randy Hennis got his first major league start in Cincinnati, at old Riverfront Stadium. (G21D Photo)

Part 1: Biggest Jolt | Part 2: Worked For | Part 3: Stat Line

There was talk that Randy Hennis would get his call to the bigs earlier in the year, he recalled recently. But that never materialized.

When the call came that September in 1990, Hennis was ready.

"It's what you're working for, what you spent your time and effort in achieving," Hennis recalled recently to The Greatest 21 Days. "When you finally get there, it's a rush of adrenaline. It's a rush of elation. It's emotional. It's kind of like, hey, I finally get the opportunity to do this thing that very few people ever get a chance to do."

"I was as excited and as happy," Hennis added, "as I probably have ever been in my life."

Hennis packed his things and he was off to Houston. He went on to get three outings with the Astros to finish out the year. He didn't give up a run. He also never appeared in the majors again.

Hennis spoke to The Greatest 21 Days by phone recently from his adopted home state of Florida.

Hennis told of the tough decision to turn down the Bombers for college baseball at UCLA, then finally turning pro after his junior year after being taken in the second round by the Astros.

As a pro, Hennis worked his way through the minors, before breaking through as a September call up in 1990. Hennis told of having that early success, then dealing with the injuries that came later and finally ended his playing days with that singularly distinctive major league stat line marking brief career in the bigs.

The Great American Ballpark field. Randy Hennis pitched six innings of shutout ball at old Riverfront Stadium in 1990. (G21D Photo)

He spoke of growing up in Southern California, choosing baseball over other sports simply because he seemed to be better at it. Helping him, he recalled, was his father.

Hennis' call to Houston in 1990 actually came after he'd begun to think it might not come at all, he recalled. The AAA season was over and he'd returned home.

Taking the phone call from the Astros was Hennis' father, Neal. Once Hennis got word at a friend's house, Hennis recalled running home, packing his stuff and hoping on a plane to Houston.

He arrived and just took everything in.

"Just like everything, when you're going somewhere new and exciting, somewhere you've always wanted to be, you're just in a constant state of euphoria," Hennis said. "When you walk into the stadium for the first time, walk into the locker room and out onto the field, it's just kind of hard to explain.

"It's just one of those feelings you really can't duplicate many times in life."

The board references Herm Winningham. Winningham went 0 for 2 with a walk against Randy Hennis in 1990. (G21D Photo)

The thought with the call up was to give Hennis a chance to fill in and get a look at him with an eye toward the future, he recalled.

He pitched well from the start.

His first action came Sept. 17 at home in the Astrodome. It also came against his hometown team, the Padres, and it came in relief.

The situation for his major league debut: Two men on and one out. The Astros were already behind 5-0, but he was relieving Danny Darwin, the league ERA leader. Hennis needed to keep those runners from scoring.

Hennis induced a pop out from Benito Santiago. He then struck out Mike Pagliarulo, getting out of the jam. He then pitched a perfect sixth inning, marking the extent of his night.

Hennis recalled that the time before games are when the nervousness comes. That changes once you're in the game.

Luis Quinones coaching with Oneonta in 2009. Quinones faced Randy Hennis Oct. 3, 1990 with Cincinnati. He went 0 for 2. (G21D Photo)

"Once you're kind of out there, and you're able to block everything out and you do what you're trained to do, that kind of nervousness or those worrisome thoughts you may have cannot be a part of what you're doing. You just shut it out and do your job."

Hennis' second outing came Sept. 23, in Atlanta. This time, he went two innings, giving up no hits, no runs and he struck out two.

His third and final outing came Oct. 3, against the eventual world champion Reds. It was a start.

It was the final game of the year, Hennis recalled. The game was also on ESPN, so he knew everyone back home in San Diego would be able to see him pitch.

Also able to see him pitch, but from the stands in Cincinnati, was Hennis' father, Neal. "That was real important to me and very special that he was able to be there to see that," Hennis said.

Home plate at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Randy Hennis faced the Reds in his only major league start. (G21D Photo)

What Hennis' dad and everyone else saw was a masterful first start. Hennis gave up a walk in the first inning and hit a batter in the third. Through the first five innings, Hennis didn't give up a hit.

Then, with one out in the sixth, Hennis gave up a broken bat double to Ron Oester. It was the first hit Hennis gave up in the majors.

Hennis finished out the inning and Hennis was done.

"Obviously, your dream would be to go all the way and pitch a no hitter, but so many things can happen to take it away," Hennis said. "But, for my first start, I would take that for my first start anytime. I think pretty much anybody would."

Before that Oester double, Hennis did have a career no-hitter. In his first three outings, he went nine full innings before giving up that first hit. He ended the season with 9.2 innings of work and that one hit. He didn't give up a run.

With that kind of showing, the hope was Hennis would return to the bigs at some point in 1991. He ended up starting at AAA. Then injuries came.

Part 1: Biggest Jolt | Part 2: Worked For | Part 3: Stat Line

Read Part 3: Randy Hennis, Stat Line

Interview Part 1: Randy Hennis, Biggest Jolt

The Auburn DoubleDays at the new Falcon Park in Auburn, NY, in 2008. Randy Hennis played in Auburn in 1987. (G21D Photo)

Part 1: Biggest Jolt | Part 2: Worked For | Part 3: Stat Line

Randy Hennis remembers that call to the bullpen well. It was Houston manager Art Howe and he was calling for Hennis to get up and working.

Hennis was not only going into a game in relief, a rarity in his professional career, but this relief appearance was going to be his major league debut.

"I remember Art Howe calling my name to go get ready," Hennis recalled recently to The Greatest 21 Days. "That was the biggest jolt of adrenaline I've ever had in my life."

Once in the game, Hennis proceeded to use that adrenaline to work out of a jam and set down five men in a row.

He also proceeded to provide the basis for a stat line that on the surface showed success, but underneath gave a glimpse of what might have been.

In his three outings for the Astros that year, Hennis put in 9.2 total innings. He had nine full in before he gave up his first and only hit.

Damaschke Field in Oneonta, NY, in 2009. Randy Hennis' Auburn Astros played at Damaschke Field in 1987. (G21D Photo)

Hennis also never returned to the majors. A nagging shoulder injury suffered the next year ended his dreams of a longer big league career. That shoulder injury ended up freezing Hennis' major league stat line at just where it was: 9.2 innings, one hit given up and a 0.00 ERA.

Hennis spoke to The Greatest 21 Days by phone recently from his adopted home state of Florida.

He spoke of growing up in Southern California, choosing baseball over other sports simply because he seemed to be better at it. Helping him, he recalled, was his father.

Hennis told of the tough decision to turn down the Bombers for college baseball at UCLA, then finally turning pro after his junior year after being taken in the second round by the Astros.

As a pro, Hennis worked his way through the minors, before breaking through as a September call up in 1990. Hennis told of having that early success, then dealing with the injuries that came later and finally ended his playing days with that singularly distinctive major league stat line marking brief career in the bigs.

New Falcon Park in Auburn, NY, in 2008. Randy Hennis played at old Falcon Park in 1987 with the Auburn Astros. (G21D Photo)

Hennis grew up in San Diego, picking up the game at the age of 9. Baseball, though, wasn't his first love, he recalled. His first love was basketball.

"I really wanted to be a basketball player," Hennis said. "I kind of just played baseball for fun, just because I was good at it."

Hennis was good enough at it, he recalled, that scouts started showing up at his games. That's when he started realizing he had a better future not in basketball, but in baseball.

Helping him develop his pitching skills, Hennis recalled, was his father, Neal. Hennis said he has to give a lot of credit to him.

"From a younger age, he knew and he could see that I had some talent and tried to instill in me a work ethic to try to get the most out of my ability," Hennis said.

Hennis started noticing the scouts during summer ball the year before his senior year at Patrick Henry High school in San Diego. They continued watching him during his senior year. In one game, Hennis' opponent was also being scouted. He recalled dozens of scouts at that game.

Veterans Memorial Park in Little Falls, NY, in 2013. Randy Hennis' Auburn Astros played at Veterans Memorial in 1987. (G21D Photo)

"It's kind of impressive seeing 30 to 40 scouts with radar guns behind home plate while you're pitching," Hennis said.

When draft day came, it was the Yankees who came calling. The Yankees selected the high schooler in the fourth round.

The selection had Hennis thinking hard about turning pro, he said. The Yankees were one of the four or five teams he wanted to play for one day. In the end, though, he went to college, signing with UCLA. If he got injured as a pro, he reasoned, he should have some college to fall back on.

At UCLA, Hennis played with several future major leaguers. He also helped his team make the regionals his sophomore and juniors.

Along the way, he recalled rattling off a string of five or six complete games in a row. He remembered pitching a complete game where his Bruins won 28-5.

"More than anything, I remember pitching against a lot of great players," Hennis said.

After his junior year, it was the Astros who came calling. Hennis did even better than after high school. This time, he was taken in the second round, the Astros' second pick of the 1987 draft. The Astros' first pick, Hennis noted, was Craig Biggio.

Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy, NY, in 2011. Bruno is home to the Astros' NYPL team. Randy Hennis played for the NYPL Auburn Astros in 1987. (G21D Photo)

Hennis soon signed.

"It was what I had hoped for and what I had wanted," Hennis said, "so I was ready to go."

Hennis' first stop was in the short-season New York-Penn League, with Auburn. Hennis had never been to Upstate New York. "I was really anticipating it and looking forward to it," Hennis said.

He ended up pitching poorly. In 13 outings, 12 starts, Hennis came in with a 4.58 ERA and a 3-9 record.

"It was a little bit of a wake-up call," Hennis said. "I think maybe I was a little bit too complacent. I thought it would be a little easier than it was.

"I learned a lot that first year about how I needed to be," Hennis added.

Hennis started an off-season training program and worked hard to make sure he didn't have another year like that, he recalled. "I busted my tail," he said.

Hennis also started working his way through the minors. He made single-A Osceola in 1988, then AA Columbus in 1989. In 1990, he made AAA Tucson. That September, he made Houston.

Part 1: Biggest Jolt | Part 2: Worked For | Part 3: Stat Line

Go to Part 2: Randy Hennis, Worked For

1990 Canton-Akron Indians player profiles, Cleveland Indians

Features on each member of the 1990 Canton-Akron Indians, AA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Players featured are as included in that year's team set. Click on the player's name to read more.

Canton-Akron Indians (30)

1 - Ken Bolek taught baseball skills as manager, instructor
2 - Jim Bruske enjoyed bigs moment, then five majors seasons
3 - Al Collins, No Hitter
Al Collins threw a no-hitter for West Palm Beach. He played eight seasons, but he never made the bigs.
4 - Mike Curtis, Future Considerations
Mike Curtis once got traded for Mike Bielecki, later for a strange notion of "future consideration."
5 - Bruce Egloff, Follow Up
Bruce Egloff made the majors, then lost a year to surgery. He never returned to the bigs.
6 - Daren Epley, Proper Mechanics
Daren Epley learned proper mechanics from his college coach. He played six seasons as pro.
7 - Jeff Fassero, That Long
Jeff Fassero had the time of his life in a near-no-hitter. He played in 16 major league seasons.
8 - Sam Ferretti, Stuck With

Sam Ferretti planned to stay as long as he did well. He stayed for seven seasons, but he never made the bigs.
9 - Manny Francois, Walk Off
Manny Francois played in a 26-inning minors marathon. He then got the walk-off hit.
10 - Will George, Saw Enough
Will George made sure Quilvio Veras was with the Marlins in 1995. Veras was and played well. 
11 - Leverne Jackson, His Stats
Leverne Jackson tried not to look at his stats. He produced stats in eight seasons, but not in the majors.
12 - Carl Keliipuleole, College Performance
Carl Keliipuleole got his BYU coach a milestone win. He couldn't get himself to the bigs.
13 - Joe Kesselmark, Finer Points
Joe Kesselmark credited his high school coach with his success. He made the pros, but not the bigs.
14 - Lee Kuntz, Much Observation
Lee Kuntz has spent decades as a trainer watching his players.

15 - Mark Lewis, Hot Start
Mark Lewis started off hot with the Indians in 1991. He cooled down, but he played in 11 major league seasons. 
16 - Al Liebert, Big Play
Al Liebert got Bernie Williams out on a snap throw at AA. He never got the chance to do so in the majors. 
17 - Francisco Melendez, Biggest Thing
Francisco Melendez got comfortable. He then hit in five major league seasons.
18 - Gregory McMichael returned from minors knee surgery to make eight major league seasons

19 - Jeff Mutis, Another Shot
Jeff Mutis was glad to get another shot at the majors in 1992. He played there in parts of four seasons.
20 - Charles Nagy, Burning Desire
Charles Nagy knew how to pitch in the big leagues. He later became the Diamondbacks' pitching coach.
21 - Jim Orsag, Best Swing
Jim Orsag received high praise in 1989. He never made the majors.
22 - Greg Roscoe, Pitched Inside
Greg Roscoe pitched inside as a pro for six seasons. He never made the majors.
23- Miguel Sabino, Unremarkable Trade
Miguel Sabino was traded from the Braves to the Indians for 1990. He never made the majors.
24 - Rudy Seanez, Do Anything
Rudy Seanez was ready to pitch anywhere for the Braves in 1998. He played in 17 major league seasons.
25 - Rob Swain, His Chance
Rob Swain got his chance in collegiate ball and later in the pros. He never made the majors.
26 - Jim Tatum saw 5 ML seasons, became mentally strong in Japan

27 - Casey Webster showed some power at single-A; Played six seasons, made AAA, not bigs
28 - Robbie Wine, Lucky Enough
Robbie Wine didn't have time to get nervous in his major league debut.
29 - Delwyn Young, Racing Home
Delwyn Young Sr. stole home, a month after his son Delwyn Jr. was born.
30 - Roberto Zambrano, Recovered Fine
Roberto Zambrano recovered from injury and made AAA. He couldn't make the bigs. 

Eric Nolte, Real Thrill - 118

Originally published July 22, 2012

Eric Nolte knew what he needed to improve upon, he told The Philadelphia Inquirer after a late-August 1987 start.

Judging by that start, though, a complete-game, four-hitter in his sixth big league outing, Nolte was already well on his way.

"The big thing for me is to get control of myself and not let one bad game or one bad at-bat bother me," Nolte told The Inquirer after that big start, a 3-1 win. "And tonight, I was able to maintain that control. A complete game is a real thrill for me."

Nolte had come a long way to get to that start, a long way just that year. He began the season at single-A Reno, debuting in the bigs with the Padres Aug. 1.

After 12 starts for that Padres to close out the year, Nolte made his way back to the majors in parts of three more seasons.

Nolte's career began in 1985, taken by the Padres in the sixth round of the draft, out of UCLA.

Nolte played that first year at short-season Spokane, going 3-8 in 14 starts. He moved to single-A Charleston for 1986, going 12-9, with a 3.90 ERA.

In July 1986, Nolte was the beneficiary of some good run support with Charleston, going seven innings and picking up a 10-2 win.

"When they score runs like that, it makes it so much easier," Nolte told The Charleston News and Courier. "I was able to just lay back and challenge the hitters, and see what happens."

Just over a year later, Nolte was in the majors. After starting the year at Reno, Nolte moved to AA Wichita and then debuted with the Padres Aug. 1.

In 12 starts for the Padres that year, Nolte went 2-6, with a 3.21 ERA. He returned for 1988, but only got into two games.

In 1989, Nolte came back from an emergency life-saving operation to repair a perforated ulcer. "That was the most pain I had in my life," Nolte told The Los Angeles Times days later. "I thought I was getting a burst of Alien. It was incredible. I couldn't even get in my pickup truck."

And he came back to the Padres, but for just three outings this time. He spent all of 1990 in the minors, getting back to the majors for one final season in 1991.

Late in spring training, it looked as if Nolte had a shot at the fifth spot in the Padres rotation, The Times wrote. Nolte just tried to make sure he pitched well.

"I'm going to go out there and keep it simple," Nolte told The Times. "It's not going to be like the past, where I'm thinking what will go wrong. I'll be thinking only of the positive.

Nolte made the rotation, getting six starts for the Padres. He went 3-2, but had an official ERA of over 11. By the end of May, he was released. Signing on with the Rangers, got into three more games, what turned out to be his final games in the majors.

Nolte, though, played three more seasons in the minors, going through three different organizations. He last played in 1994, for independent San Bernardino.

• Charleston News and Courier, July 13, 1986: Rainbows tee off on Florence for 10-2 win
• Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 30, 1987: Rookie Stymies Phillies
• Los Angeles Times, March 22, 1989: Eric Nolte's Major Upset
• Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1991: Nolte Exhibits Case of Jitters Despite Improved Mechanics

Mark Lewis, Hot Start - 1299

Originally published June 10, 2012

Mark Lewis knew what it was like to be hot in the majors. He also knew how fast it could cool down, he told The Associated Press in 1995.

That June, Lewis went 13 for 16 in a six-game stretch, The AP noted.

"When I was first called up to the big leagues, I hit over .400 the first month and a half," Lewis told The AP. "There's no way I can keep this up. I went through this before. I'm not going to get overconfident."

Lewis was referencing his rookie campaign with the Indians in 1991. After that hot start, Lewis ended the season with a .264 average.

With that hot start in 1991, Lewis also showed the promise that came with his selection three years earlier, taken by Cleveland as the second-overall selection out of Hamilton High School in Ohio.

While he never really became the player the Indians had hoped - he played just two full seasons with them - Lewis did go on to see time in 11 big league seasons, his last coming in 2001.

The Indians selected Lewis after a high school campaign where Lewis hit .598, with 13 home runs in 27 games.

"Since I was 5 years old, I've wanted to play major league baseball," Lewis told The Associated Press after his selection. "This is my chance. I'm not going to mess it up. Cleveland is an up and coming team. I hope to be a big part of it in about three years."

Lewis' personal timetable was about right on track. He debuted with the Indians in late-April 1991. He ended up getting into 84 games with the Indians that year, hitting .264 and knocking in 30.

Lewis returned for another 122 games in his second campaign, again hitting .264 and knocking in 30. But his time in the next two seasons with the Indians was limited to just 14 games in 1993 and 20 games in 1994. He played the remainder of each season at AAA Charlotte.

By December 1994, Lewis was a Red, traded there for Tim Costo. The Reds had plans for him, but those plans were as a backup at third.

For the Reds, Lewis got into 81 games, hitting .339. In Game 3 of the NLDS, Lewis hit a pinch-hit grand slam. It was the first pinch-hit grand slam in post-season history. It was also Lewis' first grand slam at any pro level, according to The Associated Press.

Lewis moved to the Tigers for 1996, then the Giants for 1997, playing full years in both spots. With the Phillies in 1998, Lewis hit .249 in 142 games.

He started his time with the Phillies hitting .188 into late May, before going 3 for 5 with a home run  in a May 22 victory at Montreal.

"I'm glad we won and I got a couple hits," Lewis told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "Hopefully that will quiet some people down. I wanted that. I needed that."

Lewis returned to the Reds for 1999, then played 2000 between Cincinnati and Baltimore. He concluded his career in 2001, with six final games back with the Indians.

• Schenectady Gazette, Associated Press, June 1, 1988: California Picks Abbott In Draft
• Williamson Daily News, Associated Press, June 19, 1995: Reds blow lead; rally for win
• Point Pleasant Register, Associated Press, Oct. 7, 1995: Lewis hits first pinch-hit grand slam in playoff history
• Philadelphia Inquirer, May 23, 1998: Lewis Falls Out Of Funk

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,614
Made the Majors: 789 - 48.9%
Never Made Majors: 825-51.1%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 343
10+ Seasons in the Minors:201

Leverne Jackson, His Stats - 1303

Leverne Jackson knew he was driving in runs. He did make the league all-star team.

But, he told The Lakeland Ledger in June 1987, he never liked to look at his stats.

"It's not that I don't think they're important," Jackson told The Ledger, "but I looked at stats a couple years ago and I found myself pressing and pressing. Now I might take a good look at them once a year."

When Jackson looked at his final stats for 1987, they were good. He hit .310 and knocked in 53 for single-A Winter Haven. His stats were good enough to move up to AA the next season. His stats, though, were never good enough to move higher.

Jackson's career began in 1983, taken by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the January draft out of his native South Carolina. Jackson is also credited by the name Jason Jackson.

Jackson's played his first year at short-season Elmira, hitting just .130. He returned there for 1984, improving his average to .276. He also stole 20 bases that year.

He made single-A Greensboro for 1985, then Winter Haven for 1986. He hit .283. Returning there for 1987, he hit his career-best .310. Jackson had two hits in a May 1987 game. That July, Jackson knocked in a go-ahead run on a single.

Jackson made AA New Britain in 1988. In 97 games, his average dropped to .213. He returned to New Britain for 1989, getting his average back up to .260.

For 1990, he moved to the Indians system and AA Canton-Akron. He hit .234 there in 104 games. It was his final season as a pro.

• Lakeland Ledger, June 28, 1987: Leverne Jackson, alias Mr. Consistent Hasox

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,614
Made the Majors: 789 - 48.9%
Never Made Majors: 825-51.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 343
10+ Seasons in the Minors:201

Steve Peters, One Out - 120

Originally published Oct. 21, 2012

Steve Peters got just one out for the Cardinals in this May 1988 game. But it was all they needed him to get.

It was also all he needed to pick up the win, the reliever's first in the major leagues.

"My job 90 percent of the time is to get one out," Peters told The Associated Press afterward. "The game was tied and we got a run in the next inning. It's nice. It was very special."

That win ended up being one of three Peters picked up in a major league career that lasted parts of just two seasons, part of a professional career that lasted seven.

His playing career over, Peters has gone on to another career, one ensuring other outs, getting people out of burning buildings in a career as a firefighter.

Peters' professional career began in 1985, taken by the Cardinals in the fifth round of the draft, out of the University of Oklahoma.

He played that first year between rookie Johnson City and single-A St. Petersburg. He started 13 games between them, posting a 2.04 ERA.

Peters split 1986 between single-A Springfield and AA Arkansas. At Springfield, Peters went 10-1 in 15 starts. He played much of 1987 back at Arkansas. But he also got 11 relief outings at AAA Louisville. He also made St. Louis.

Peters debuted with the major league Cardinals Aug. 11, going one inning, giving up two hits, but no runs. In 12 total outings that year, all in relief, Peters got 15 innings of work, giving up just three earned runs.

Coming back to St. Louis for 1988, Peters got into 44 games for the Cardinals. He picked up three total wins and three losses.

In August, Peters formed half of the battery that included Jose Oquendo on the other end, as Oquendo played all nine positions in the same game.

Peters' final outing of the year, Oct. 2, also turned out to be his last in the majors. Peters played the next year entirely at AAA Louisville. He moved to the Padres system and AAA Las Vegas in 1990. The Oklahoma-native's last pro time came in 1991, at AAA Oklahoma City.

His playing career over, Peters stayed in Oklahoma City, changing careers to be a fireman. By 2011, he was a major with the department.

In 2008, Peters was featured in The Oklahoman on the happy occasion of the birth of his new twins, four years after he lost his 17-year-old son in a car accident. It was his wife Amy and his fellow firefighters he turned to to help him through the loss of his son, he told the paper.

"It's not blood, but it's real, real close," Peters told The Oklahoman of his fellow firemen. "It's as close to kin as there is. You really and truly lay your life down. That's what makes it a brotherhood."

• Southeast Missourian, Associated Press, May 29, 1988: Horner hurts ex-mates as Cards prevail
• The Oklahoman, Aug. 10, 2008: Joy of twins soothes ex-Cardinal Steve Peters' despair

Miguel Sabino, Unremarkable Trade - 1305

Originally published Oct. 22, 2010

Miguel Sabino had spent four seasons in the Braves' system by spring 1990, first making it to AA two seasons earlier. He was also coming off a season that had been mostly lost due to injury, a stress fracture of his shins making sure of that, according to a wire report.

After that, the Braves seemed fine to let him go, trading him off to the Indians in a three-player deal. It was also a mostly unremarkable trade. The two others in the deal, Tommy Hinzo to the Braves and Jeff Weatherby to the Indians with Sabino.

Of the three, only Hinzo and Weatherby had already seen time in the majors, albeit brief. Of the three, none would see the majors going forward, including Sabino.

Sabino started with the Braves in 1986, playing 60 games in the rookie Gulf Coast League. Sabino hit .288 on the season with no home runs. He got two hits in a July game, according to The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

He made single-A Sumter in 1987, hitting .251 in 112 games. He also hit two home runs, his first a leadoff shot against Charleston in June.

Sabino also had some speed. In another June game, stole second base in the ninth and scored the game-tying run. He had an infield single in one August, stealing second again, then had three hits in another late August game, getting another stolen base, according to The Sumter Item.

Sabino played much of 1988 at single-A Durham, getting some playing time at AA Greenville. Between the two, he hit just .232 with four home runs.

Then came 1989 and the stress fractures. Sabino played in just 15 games on the year, hitting .220 and stealing five bases.

It was on to the Indians organization for 1990. He spent the season at AA Canton-Akron, getting into 65 games. He hit .270 with 10 stolen bases. He walked and scored on a single in a May game.

He returned to Canton for 1991, playing the full season. He got into 115 games on the year, hitting five home runs and swiping 23 bases. But he hit just .219. But it was his last season. Sabino's career ended, without making it higher than AA.

• Albany Herald, Wire Report, March 18, 1990: Braves Ship Pair To Indians for Hinzo

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,613
Made the Majors: 789 - 48.9%
Never Made Majors: 824-51.1%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 343
10+ Seasons in the Minors:201

Al Liebert, Big Play - 1294

Al Liebert made a snap throw to first in this June 1990 game, cutting down Albany-Colonie runner Bernie Williams, according to The Schenectady Daily Gazette.

The move not only erased a runner but it also erased a potential run. The next batter hit a home run.

"That turned out to be a big play," Albany-Colonie manager Dan Radison told The Daily Gazette after the 3-2 Yankee loss. "But I don't ever like to get too concerned about getting picked off. We're trying to get Bernie to be aggressive."

Liebert made that big play in his sixth professional season. He went on to play in two more. He never got the chance to make a big play in the majors.

Liebert's career began in 1985, taken by the Tigers in the 17th round of the draft out of Waukegan West High School in Illinois. Liebert is also known by his full name, Allen Liebert.

Liebert played that year at rookie Bristol, hitting .235 in 33 games. He moved to single-A Gastonia and single-A Lakeland. He hit .327 in 75 games at Gastonia and .225 in 26 games at Lakeland.

He also hit eight home runs at Gastonia, one of them a July two-run shot. He tied another July game with an RBI single.

Liebert started 1987 at single-A Fayetteville then move mid-season to the Indians and single-A Kinston. He made AA Canton-Akron in 1989 and stayed there for 1990. He hit .243 in 114 games his second year there.

For 1991, Liebert moved to the White Sox. He played in 35 games at AA Birmingham. He also made AAA for the first time with Vancouver. With Vancouver in June, Liebert ended an extra inning game with a pinch-hit double.

Liebert played just one more season, back at Birmingham. He hit .251 in 72 games, ending his career.

• Schenectady Daily Gazette, June 15, 1990: Canton-Akron, Nagy Halt Yankees' Streak
• Seattle Times, Associated Press, June 8, 1991: Vancouver Edges Tacoma In 11 On Pinch Hit

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,613
Made the Majors: 789 - 48.9%
Never Made Majors: 824-51.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 343
10+ Seasons in the Minors:201

Casey Close saw 5 seasons, AAA, later became top agent

Casey Close was having a season in 1988 that not even he could argue was good.

In his third year as a pro, Close hit AAA Columbus, but the outfielder didn't even hit .200. He did no better back down at AA Albany.

"It's been an extremely frustrating season," Close told The Schenectady Gazette that August after returning to Albany. "After four months you start to wonder if you're losing it. This is a game of recency, what have you done lately. I just want to salvage something out of it."

Despite the poor numbers, it was an assessment that Close would likely never give today. His own career lasted just five seasons, getting three seasons at AAA.

Close has been working with major leaguers ever since, as a player agent, emphasizing the positives of a player's resume and the potential in the player's future, rather than dwelling on the negatives of frustrating seasons.

Close's biggest client is one he has been with since almost the beginning: Derek Jeter. Jeter is a client Close still represents today, along with the likes of Ryan Howard, Derrek Lee and others.

Before he was an agent, though, Close was a player selected by the Yankees in the seventh round of the 1986 draft out of the University of Michigan.

At Michigan, Close won Baseball America's National Player of the Year honors. He hit 46 home runs and scored 190 runs in his Michigan career, still school records, according to AnnArbor.com.

In May 1985, Close both hit and pitched the Wolverines to an NCAA regional win, getting four hits, two of them home runs, all while pitching a complete-game, The Michigan Daily wrote.

With the Yankees, Close started at short-season Oneonta, hitting .245, with three home runs. For 1987, Close made it to AA Albany, hitting .279, with seven home runs.

Then came that frustrating 1988. He got 81 unproductive games at AAA Columbus, then 25 back at Albany. It was his last of three seasons as a player with the Yankees. But his real impact on the organization was yet to come.

Close's playing career finished with two good seasons in the Mariners' organization at AAA Calgary. He hit .330 there in 1989, then .270 in 1990. But he never got called up to Seattle, his career ending after five seasons.

By 1992, Close had begun his new career as a player agent, representing such players as Kent Mercker with the International Management Group.

In 1993, Close met Jeter as the first-round pick was still in single-A. Close has represented the future Hall of Famer ever since.

Shortly after Jeter and the Yankees won the 1996 World Series, Close speculated to The New York Daily News about what lay in store for Jeter financially.

"The possibilities are endless," Close told The Daily News that November. "It is unusual for anyone to captivate the market like this. The telephones have been ringing off the hook nonstop."

That work with Jeter's off-field brand, Close colleague agent Jeff Schwartz told The Sports Business Journal in 2011, has helped protect Jeter's name over the years. Schwartz and Close teamed this year with the firm Excel Sports Management.

"Casey has done a fantastic job navigating the corporate world and determining the right deals to do for him," Schwartz told The Journal, "but also the ones to pass on."

On the negotiation side, Close won Ryan Howard an extension of five-years and $125 million, without Howard being a free agent, The New York Times wrote.

As Jeter's contract ran out with the close of 2010, Close fought for and won a $51 million, three-year deal for Jeter, with a player option for 2014. That was after negotiating Jeter's previous 10-year, $189 million contract in 2001.

While negotiating the most-recent deal, Close didn't have to work hard to emphasize Jeter's positives.

"Clearly, baseball is a business and Derek's impact on the sport's most valuable franchise can’t be overstated," Close told The New York Post. "Moreover, no athlete embodies the spirit of a champion more than Derek Jeter."
Originally published Sept. 21, 2011

• Michigan Daily, May 29, 1985: Michigan just misses in Mississippi
• Schenectady Gazette, Aug. 2, 1988: Close, Maas Make Amends, Help A-C Yankees Rally Past Reading
• New York Daily News, Nov. 10, 1996: New York's Newest Hero, Heartthrob
• New York Post, Nov. 4, 2010: Jeter's camp agrees: Talks with Yankees all business
• New York Times, Nov. 24, 2010: Jeter's Agent Has Low Profile and a Well-Known Task
• AnnArbor.com, Jan. 16, 2011: Johnny Orr, Casey Close headline Michigan's seven inductees into its Hall of Honor
• Sports Business Journal, April 11-17, 2011: MLB agent Close joins Schwartz's NBA firm

More: The 1990 Calgary Cannons

Sam Ferretti, Stuck With - 1297

In his fifth season as a pro in 1991, Sam Ferretti had briefly made AAA but he had yet to make the majors.

To The Associated Press that July, Ferretti said he was ready to stick with it.

"As long as I see myself doing well ... I'll stay at it as long as they keep me and I keep maturing as a player," Ferretti told The AP.

Ferretti ended up sticking with it for two more seasons. He never made the majors.

Ferretti's career began in 1987, taken by the Indians in the 26th round of the draft out of Rutgers University.

At Rutgers, Ferretti knocked in three a May 1986 win. He hit .309 for the team that year, knocking in 37.

With the Indians, Ferretti started at rookie Burlington. He hit .268 in 48 games. He played most of 1988 at single-A Reno and single-A Waterloo. He also got 18 games at AAA Colorado Springs, where he hit .196.

He played 1989 at single-A Kinston, hitting .232. He also got five games at AA Canton-Akron. He then returned to Canton-Akron full time for 1990 and 1991. He hit .258 his first year at AA and .214 in his second.

In a July 1990 game, Ferretti recorded a double and a single, the single won the game. He had a double in a July win.

Ferretti moved to the Orioles system and AA Hagerstown for 1992. He played that year and the next at AA with the Orioles. In 1993, he hit .238 in 60 games. It was his final year in affiliated ball.

Years later, Ferretti is credited with returning to the field. In 2000, he got into 35 final games with independent Newark. He hit .227, ending his career.

• Hazleton Standard-Speaker, Associated Press, July 24, 1991: Baseball is a game

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,612
Made the Majors: 789 - 49.0%
Never Made Majors: 823-51.0%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 343
10+ Seasons in the Minors:201

Charles Nagy, Burning Desire - 1292

Originally published May 17, 2012

Coming off his first season with double digit wins and on his way to his second, Charles Nagy set down the Yankees in April 1992, doing exactly as he had done in his previous two seasons, and would do for the next decade.

"I know how to pitch in the big leagues," Nagy told The Associated Press after his 11-1 victory over New York. "You got to try to keep your concentration out there."

Nagy kept his concentration that year, racking up a total of 17 wins for the Indians. It was the first of three seasons Nagy would reach that win mark. He also reached the All-Star game that year, also for the first of three times.

After a career that spanned 14 big league seasons, Nagy is now passing on his knowledge of how to pitch in the big league to others, in the big leagues. Nagy is in his second season as pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Nagy's career began in 1988, taken by the Indians in the first round, 17th overall, out of the University of Connecticut.

After playing out 1988 with Team USA, Nagy joined the Indians in 1989 at single-A Kinston. He moved up to AA Canton by the end of that year and major league Cleveland by the end of the next.

Nagy got called up in late July, going 2-4, with a 5.91 ERA the rest of the way. He didn't get his first win, though, until his sixth try.

"I was close twice before," Nagy told reporters after that first win. "I'm just real excited right now."

It was the first of 129 total big league wins for Nagy.

Nagy came back in 1991 to go 10-15, with a 4.13 ERA. He then showed why he was a first-round pick in 1992, going 17-10, with a 2.96 ERA, earning that first All-Star selection.

Then he ran into arm troubles. In 1993, Nagy started 2-5, with an ERA of 6.31 in nine starts. Shoulder problems, though, led to arthroscopic surgery in June. Nagy made it back, just for one game, though, at the end of the season.

Nagy returned to form in 1994, going 10-8, with a 3.45 ERA in the shortened season. In 1995, the first of two World Series years, Nagy went 16-6, with a 4.55 ERA. In the World Series, Nagy went seven innings in Game 3, but gave up five earned runs. The Indians, though, won the game.

Nagy's 1996 was even better, 17-5, with a 3.41 ERA. He also came in fourth in the Cy Young balloting and not only made the All Star game, but started it.

"There's a lot of factors that go into my winning," Nagy told The Associated Press in June, after his 10th win, "and the bullpen is one of them. We get timely hits and the bullpen finishes the job."

Nagy and the Indians returned to the World Series in 1997. In another Game 3, Nagy went six innings, giving up another five runs. Then, in Game 7, Nagy came on in the 10th inning, finishing off that frame, but giving up the game-winning and series-winning run in the 11th.

Nagy came back for two more full seasons with the Indians, then injuries took their toll. He continued playing into 2003, last playing with the Padres.

After returning to the Indians in 2004 as a special assistant for baseball operations, Nagy hit the field again in 2006, becoming pitching coach with the Angels at AAA Salt Lake. In 2010, Nagy served as pitching coach at AAA Columbus. Then, in 2011, he returned to the majors as pitching coach for the Diamondbacks.

"He's very, very competitive," Gibson told The Connecticut Post in May 2012. "He has a real burning desire for excellence. He's got a great approach with his players. He's very calm about organizing his thoughts. You could see why he was a good pitcher, because he stays on a path. He doesn't get influenced by the pressure of things."

For 2014, Nagy returned to the Indians as a coach. 

• Schenectady Gazette, wire report, Sept. 19, 1990: Indians 8, Brewers 3
  
• Norwalk Hour, Associated Press, April 18, 1992: Nagy, Indians hand Yankees 11-1 defeat
• Lewiston Morning Tribune, Associated Press, June 11, 1996: Nagy earns 10th win as Indians top A's
• Connecticut Post, May 13, 2012: Nagy's calm reassurance a plus for D'backs

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,611
Made the Majors: 789 - 49.0%
Never Made Majors: 822-51.0%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 343
10+ Seasons in the Minors:201

Jim Weaver, His Strength - 663

Originally published Sept. 26, 2012

Jim Weaver wasn't surprised the Twins didn't protect him for the winter draft, he told The Associated Press in spring 1985.

The career minor leaguer hadn't played well the previous year at AAA Toledo, he was only hitting .230 and he wasn't playing every day.

"See, that's not my strength," Weaver told The AP as he worked to make the Tigers and debut in the majors. "I've always been an every day ballplayer."

Weaver did make the Tigers out of spring 1985, and he stayed up for nearly two months. But he hardly played. Over his two months with the team, he only got into 12 games, eight plate appearances and one hit, a double. By June, he was back with the Twins.

Weaver went on to play a total of 11 seasons as a pro. He would only make the majors twice more, seeing action in just 19 more big league contests.

Weaver's career began in 1980, taken by the Twins in the second round of the 1980 draft, out of Florida State University. Weaver signed with the Twins, forgoing his senior year.

With the Twins, Weaver began at AA Orlando, hitting just .212 in 58 games. He then played much of the next year at single-A Visalia, upping his average there to .283.

Twins farm director Jim Rantz told Weaver's hometown Sarasota Journal that June that the team saw big things for Weaver going forward.

"There's an adjustment coming into pro ball," told The Sarasota Journal. "One of the biggest is going from aluminum bats to wooden bats. Playing every day is another. But we have high hopes for him. He has a lot of ability."

Weaver, though, never saw Minnesota. He played 1982 back at Visalia, then 1983 at Orlando. He then played much of 1984 at AAA Toledo, hitting .230 there.

Going into 1984, Weaver hoped he would make Minnesota, telling The Journal he knew he still needed more maturing, but he was nearly ready.

"And I know one thing - I still love to play baseball as much as ever," Weaver told The Journal in March 1984. "I play with enthusiasm. I love running and throwing. It means as much to me to throw a guy out as it does to hit a home run."

After being drafted by the Tigers, and spending the first two months of 1985 in Detroit, Weaver returned to the Twins and Toledo. By August, he was in the Indians system, send there in the Bert Blyleven-Jay Bell deal.

Weaver next saw the majors in 1987, with the Mariners. He got into seven games there, six plate appearances, no hits.

Weaver then saw his last time in the bigs in 1989, with the Giants. He got another 12 games with the team, but 20 total at bats. He picked up four final hits, three of those doubles, ending his big league career.

Weaver played one more season in the minors, his 11th as a pro, back with the Mariners at AAA Calgary, without seeing Seattle, ending his professional career.

• Sarasota Journal, June 3, 1981: Weaver starting to gel after rocky beginning, Part 2
• Sarasota Journal, March 18, 1984: Weaver Loves Baseball, Eyes Major Leagues 
• Owosso Argus-Press, Associated Press, March 30, 1985: Tigers Make Pirates Walk The Plank, 18-3