Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Read the April 2016 interview: John Graves, That Chance John Graves earned the save on this night in April 1990 . He worked the eighth and ninth innings for single-A Gastonia. He gave up a single hit and no runs, preserving a 5-4 Gastonia win, according to The Sumter Item . Graves saved that game in his second season as a pro. It would also be his final season as a pro. He didn't return for a third . Graves' brief career began in 1989, taken by the Rangers in the 39th round of the draft out of Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma. Graves started with the Rangers at rookie Butte. In 26 appearances, one start, he went 4-3, with a 2.96 ERA. He also saved four games . In a July game for Butte, Graves helped finish off a shutout , Butte beating Salt Lake 5-0. Graves moved to Gastonia for 1990. That May, he and his teammates had to deal with the passing of fellow relief pitcher Ronaldo Romero. "I've lost a good friend, but God has his ways of dealing with t...

Speaking to The Wilmington Star-News in 2012, Orlando Gomez had a simple assessment of his career to that point. "Baseball has really been my life,'' Gomez told The Star-News . "I do it because I try and stay young.'' By that time, Gomez had stayed young for nearly five decades.  Gomez' life in baseball began back in 1964, as an 18-year-old signed as a catcher out of his native Puerto Rico. He went on to play professionally for 13 seasons. He made AAA, but never made the majors . His coaching career started soon after, Gomez serving as a manager in rookie ball in 1977. It's continued ever since. Along the way, he served as a major league coach for three different organizations, then as a bullpen catcher . For 2014, he's back managing in rookie ball, helming the Orioles Gulf Coast League entry . Gomez the player started with the Yankees in the Sarasota Rookie League. He moved to the Reds' system in 1966 and the Athletics for 196...

By June 1991, the El Paso Diablos were about as hot as their name would imply. At their new park, they scored 7.6 runs per game and were 26-5, The Los Angeles Times wrote . Helping them along was outfielder Dave Jacas , who in the off-season worked as an accountant . As a player, though, he would finish the year with 53 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. "It's a real dynamic bunch," Jacas told The Times of his team's efforts. "But I can't explain it." Jacas was in his sixth season as a professional, playing for the Brewers' AA El Paso team. He'd played the previous year at AAA in the Twins' system. But Jacas only had one more season left as a pro, his career ending after 1992, short of the majors . Jacas' professional career began in 1986, taken by the Twins in the 14th round of the draft out of the University of San Diego. At San Diego that year, Jacas helped his team in March, going 3-5 in one game , with a stolen base that helpe...

John Burkett became one of the most reliable pitchers in the majors by 1998, his hometown Beaver County Times wrote . Burkett attributed much of that to his personality, he told The Times . "I'm the kind of guy who doesn't get excited about very much," Burkett told The Times that May. "I've always been able to stay calm on the mound and I think that's why I've pitched well in big games. I've always been able to keep my cool. I guess you could call it relaxed aggressiveness." Burkett was in his 10th season with time in the majors that year. He started at least 30 games in eight of those. He then continued to pitch through 2003, getting two more 30-start campaigns and one with 29. Over his total 15 big league campaigns, Burkett amassed 166 wins, a career ERA of 4.31, two All-Star nods . By far his best season was 1993, where he went 22-7 and came in fourth in the NL Cy Young balloting. Burkett's career began in 1983, taken by...

Erik Johnson played a decade as a professional, making the majors twice with the Giants. When that career was done, Johnson went in a new direction, but he stayed involved in the game. He became a youth instructor . "The greatest influence I can have is how I communicate with the kids," Johnson told The Contra Costa Times in 2008. "It's more than being a coach. It's being a mentor." Johnson's involvement in the pro ranks began in 1987, taken by the Giants in the 18th round of the draft out of the University of California Santa Barbara. With UCSB, Johnson hit a home run in a May 1986 regional win . Johnson started with the Giants in 1987, playing between rookie Pocatello and AA Shreveport. He hit .264 in 43 games a Pocatello . He knocked in a run on a single in a June game. Johnson moved to single-A Clinton and San Jose for 1988, then back to Shreveport for 1989. He hit .228 over 87 games at Shreveport. He briefly made Phoenix for 1...

Originally published Sept. 18, 2012 Jimmy Williams was all set to go to the University of Alabama, The Newport News Daily Press wrote years later. Then the Dodgers came calling, taking him in the 10th round , offering a $28,000 signing bonus, which Williams accepted, The Daily Press wrote . "Growing up, we never had a lot of money," Williams told The Daily Press . "The scout who signed me said, `You won't be in the minors for long. You'll be in the majors in three years.' Guess he lied." Williams spoke to The Daily Press 12 years after he signed. He had yet to make the majors. And, in a career that saw time in 18 professional seasons, he never would. Williams' professional career began back in 1984, when he accepted that offer from the Dodgers . Williams started that year in rookie ball, making single-A Vero Beach in 1986. After moving to the Twins system for 1987, Williams first made AA in 1989, at Orlando. Williams also go...

Marvin White was practically unhittable in high school. Actually, he was literally unhittable . Throughout his high school career at Asher High School in Midwest City, Okla., White threw a total of 11 no-hitters, according to the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association . White went on from Asher to Southeastern Oklahoma State and to the pros. His pro career, though, was brief. It was also limited to coaching. He never played professionally . White's stint in baseball began at Asher. He played there from 1976 to 1979. He went 24-1 in the 1978-1979 season. He won 48 games over his career . From Asher, White is credited as going on to Seminole State College, then to Southeastern Oklahoma State. He was at Southeastern from 1982 to 1983 . In 1981, White was drafted by the Phillies in the 11th round of the January draft. He did not sign. He's not listed as being drafted again. White went on to Texas Tech as a coach, according to his ProCards card. By 1989, he was with t...

Originally published Jan. 3, 2011 Timber Mead was going into his third professional season in 1987 when his team, the Giants traded him to the Reds . The main players in the deal were others, Eddie Milner to the Giants and Frank Williams to the Reds. Mead and fellow former Giant Mike Villa were sent along to even the deal. "We got two good prospects," Reds GM Bill Bergesch told The Associated Press after the January 1987 deal was complete. "and another good man for our pitching staff." Williams went on to pitch two seasons for the Reds, Milner played one for the Giants. Mead and his fellow prospect, never lived up to that prospect status, never making the majors . Mead was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 1985 draft. He spent that season at short-season Everett, going 7-5 with a 4.58 ERA. With Everett that June, Mead one-hit Spokane for the first five innings, but Everett eventually lost . For 1986, he moved on to single-A Clin...

Sun Life Stadium in 2011. Rob Leary worked to get players there from 1995 to 2001 as a minors coordinator and director for the Marlins. He's now Marlins bench coach. (G21D Photo) Part 1: Great Decision | Part 2: His Potential   Part 3: Fortunate Man Note: Special thanks to former Marlins minor league coach Randy Hennis for making this interview with 2014 Miami Marlins bench coach Rob Leary possible.   Rob Leary has been involved in baseball now for nearly three decades. Along the way, he served as a catcher in the minors, then as a coach. He's been a coordinator, director and a manager. But it wasn't until 2010 that he finally took a different role, that of assistant coach in the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox. For 2013 and 2014, Leary's role has been as bench coach for the Miami Marlins. "I hope people have always known that, with hard work and with dedication and commitment, that people can realize their dreams," Leary told The...

Community Field in Burlington, Ia., in 2010. Rob Leary played at Community Field in 1988 with the visiting Rockford Expos. (G21D Photo) Part 1: Great Decision | Part 2: His Potential Part 3: Fortunate Man Note: Special thanks to former Marlins minor league coach Randy Hennis for making this interview with 2014 Miami Marlins bench coach Rob Leary possible. Early on in his playing career , it seemed club officials saw him as something other than a player, Rob Leary recalled recently. Playing at single-A Rockford in 1988, it was Leary whom club brass asked to help another player transition from the infield to behind the plate, he recalled. "So, I kind of hand an inkling that, at some point, that they would be interested in me coaching," Leary recalled. Leary was then in his third season as a pro. He ended up getting just one more before the coaching offer came. When it came, Leary took time to think about it, and he took it. He's been a coach in on...

Marlins catcher John Buck behind the plate at Sun Life Stadium in 2011. Rob Leary is now coaching Marlins catchers in 2014 as Miami's major league bench coach. (G21D Photo) Part 1: Great Decision | Part 2: His Potential   Part 3: Fortunate Man Note: Special thanks to former Marlins minor league coach Randy Hennis for making this interview with 2014 Miami Marlins bench coach Rob Leary possible. Rob Leary remembered the conversation as a difficult one. It came in spring 1990 and the message was a tough one to hear: The Expos didn't see Leary as a major league player. What the team saw him as was a coach. "I thought about it for a few days and I decided to take the position," Leary recalled recently. "As much as I still believed in my abilities (as a player), I think it was a great decision for me." With that decision, Leary put aside his original goal of making the majors as a player. But that decision also put him on course to make to...

Mike Arner pitched well for the first five innings of this July 1990 game, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune wrote . He also only gave up two hits. But, in the sixth, he gave up four consecutive hits, losing a 3-0 lead on the Baseball City Royals. "I don't know what happened," Arner's Charlotte Manager Bobby Jones told The Herald-Tribune afterward. "I don't know if he (Arner) got tired out there or not. But he was hitting spots and he pitched pretty well." Arner was in his second professional season in 1990, playing at high-A Charlotte. He went on to see time at AA Tulsa and AAA Oklahoma City in 1992. But Arner would never see time in the majors . Arner's career began in 1989, taken in the 13th round by the Rangers out of high school . He played that season at the Rangers' rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League. He also went 7-0 with a 1.71 ERA. The next year, Arner moved to single-A Gastonia . In 14 starts there, Arner went 8-2 ...

Originally published June 6, 2011 Randy McCament hadn't won in more than a month in 1985, but it wasn't for lack of good outings . But he saved his best outing - a complete game with two earned runs - for when it was needed most: The Northwest League championship game, The Eugene Register-Guard wrote . He was even carried off the field in celebration for his efforts. "I had all the confidence in the world in him," Everett Manager Alan Marr told The Register-Guard . "The paper said he lost his last three starts, but it failed to mention he lost 'em by three unearned runs." It was McCament's only year as a starter. Moved to relieve the next year, though, McCament began his steady climb to the majors. McCament made San Francisco in 1989, got into 25 ball games that year and three the next, marking the extent of his big league career. McCament's career began that year in 1985, selected by the Giants in the 15 round of the draft ou...