Pablo Martinez, First Hit - 2044

No-hit for the past 27 outs, the Braves needed someone to get a hit.

This was the 16th inning of an August 1996 marathon and Pablo Martinez, freshly up from the minors on his first trip to the bigs was up to bat, according to The Associated Press.

Martinez got the hit, a lead-off single. It was his first in the majors. While he didn't come around to score, the Braves did break out for the win two innings later.

Martinez made that first trip to the majors in his eighth season as a pro. He ended up playing in a total of 13 pro seasons. That trip ended up being his only trip to the bigs.

Martinez' career began in 1989, signed by the Padres as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic.

Martinez played his first season between the rookie Arizona League, short-season Spokane and single-A Charleston. He hit .218 overall in 78 games.

He moved to Charleston full-time for 1990 and 1991. He hit a grand slam in a June 1991 game against Sumter, one of just three home runs he had on the year.

Martinez made AAA Las Vegas in 1993, then went to the Mets to complete a trade. He played 1994 in the minors with them, then signed for 1995 with the Braves.

He played 1995 largely at AA Greenville. He picked up three hits in a June game. He hit .255 overall.

The next season, Martinez spent largely at AAA Richmond. Then, in July, he got called to Atlanta.

In four games with the big league Braves, Martinez got three plate appearances, two at bats. He got that one hit and got caught stealing. He debuted July 20 and played his final game Aug. 4.

Martinez then returned to the minors. He played in the Braves system each year through 2000, with brief stops with Brewers and Cardinals teams. His last recorded games came in 2001, with the independent Somerset Patriots.

• Washington Observer-Reporter, Associated Press, Aug. 4, 1996: Braves prevail in 18-inning marathon

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,735
Made the Majors: 826 - 47.6%-X
Never Made Majors: 909-52.4%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 358
10+ Seasons in the Minors:209-X

Bob Knepper, Should Pitch - 7

In his first year with the Astros in 1981, Bob Knepper knew he had to focus on one thing, his pitching, he told UPI that April.

"When a pitcher starts worrying about how many runs his team scores, he is going to get into trouble," Knepper told UPI after throwing a 1-0 shutout. "I have to only worry about how many hits and runs the opposition makes."

In 1988, Knepper worried about something other than pitching and it got him into a little trouble with women. Knepper twice made comments that year seen by many as insensitive and downright wrong.

When responding on the topic of a female umpire that spring, Knepper said simply that he did not believe women should be in leadership roles. His statements caused an uproar, Knepper getting "little support" from his teammates, according to The Associated Press.

Knepper's career began in 1972, taken by the Giants in the second round of the draft out of Callistoga High School in California.

He started at rookie Great Falls, making AAA Phoenix by 1975. He debuted in San Francisco in September 1976.

Knepper got four starts that first September with the Giants, going 1-2. He got his first win after his old minor league manager John Van Ornum helped him fix his pitching motion over the phone and then in person, UPI wrote.

"I had better stuff on my fast ball than at any time in the past two months," Knepper told UPI after the win.

Knepper returned to the Giants for 1977 and got his first double-digit win season. He went 11-9, with a 3.36 ERA.

He was even better in 1978, going 17-11, with a 2.63 ERA. He stayed with the Giants through 1980, when he moved to the Astros.

His first season with the Astros also proved to result in the first of two career All-Star appearances. He also appeared in the 1988 game.

In 1986, he got his fifth double-digit win year, going 17-12 and helping the Astros to the playoffs. That May, he faced the Astros' eventual playoff opponent, the Mets. He threw a five-hitter.

"I think this was one of the better games I've thrown and this was a key win for us," Knepper told The Associated Press afterward. "They came in playing real well and we lost to them twice up there so we needed to beat them to show them we can play with them."

That October, though, Knepper couldn't beat the Mets in two tries. He went seven innings in Game 3 and into the ninth of Game 6, but he gave up three earned both times for no-decisions. The three runs in Game 6 came in the ninth, sending the game to a marathon clincher for the Mets in 16 innings.

It was in spring 1988 that Knepper got in trouble with his comments about women.

"In God's society, woman was created in a role of submission to the husband," Knepper told The Associated Press after a game umpired by Pam Postema. "It's not that woman is inferior, but I don't believe women should be in a leadership role. I don't think a woman should be the president of the United States or a governor or mayor or police chief."

His comments drew disagreement from teammates. In June, though, he seemingly doubled down, telling Sports Illustrated, according to The AP, that the National Organization for Women "is such a blowhard organization. They are a bunch of lesbians."

Knepper's comments drew condemnation from the commissioner, as well as an apology from Knepper.

"We are offended," NOW Houston chapter president Molly Yard told The AP of Knepper's June comments. "He should pitch and really not talk about something he doesn't know about."

Through all that, though, Knepper did pitch. And he had one of his best years. He went 14-5, with a 3.14 ERA and made his second All-Star team.

For 1989, Knepper moved back to the Giants mid-season, going an overall 7-12. For 1990, got 12 outings, seven starts, with San Francisco, ending his major league career. His final season also included four outings at AAA Phoenix.

• Florence Times, UPI, Sept. 29, 1976: Braves Victim For Knepper's First Victory
• Bryan Times, UPI, April 24, 1981: Knepper gets second shutout against Reds
• Victoria Advocate, Associated Press, May 15, 1986: Knepper First to Record Seventh Win
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, March 16, 1988: Bob Knepper against Postema
• Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Associated Press, June 16, 1988: Astros' Bob Knepper reignites controversy on view of females

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,734
Made the Majors: 825 - 47.6%-X
Never Made Majors: 909-52.4%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 358-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:208

Dorn Taylor made bigs in 6th season, got 1st W in 5th start

Dorn Taylor had to wait until his sixth professional season to make the majors. Then he had to wait until his fifth start to get his first major league win.

But, on May 20, 1987, Taylor went 6.1 innings, giving up three earned runs. His Pirates went on to win 5-3.

"It's about time," Taylor told The Associated Press afterward. "This feels almost as good as it did when I first got called up."

Taylor ultimately got into 14 games for Pittsburgh that year, starting eight. While he would back to the majors in two more seasons, he would only get two more wins.

Taylor's career began in 1981, signed by the Pirates as an undrafted free agent, out of Pfeiffer College.

Taylor started play in 1982 at single-A Greenwood. He went 9-8 in 24 starts, with a 2.30 ERA. He stayed in single-A through 1984, making AA Nashua in 1985.

He then got his first look at AAA in 1986, with five starts at Hawaii. Taylor started 1987 back in the minors. But, by the end of April, he was in Pittsburgh.

Taylor appeared in 14 games for the Pirates that year, getting eight starts. He went 2-3, with a 5.74 ERA. He played out the rest of the year in the minors, amounting to just 12 outings between AA Harrisburg and AAA Vancouver. That off season, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his elbow.

He played all of 1988 at AAA Buffalo, amounting to 22 starts. He went 10-8, with a 2.14 ERA. But he didn't return to Pittsburgh. Going into 1989, Taylor continued his success in the spring. Pirates manager Jim Leyland began to take notice.

"When does his turn come?" Leyland told The AP of Taylor, noting his success at AAA the previous year. "Sometimes we forget much of what Dorn Taylor has done."

Taylor started the year with the Pirates, but just lasted three games. In 4.2 total innings, he gave up five earned runs. Called back in September, he got into six more innings, giving up just one earned run.

In 1990, Taylor returned to Buffalo. This time, he went 14-6, with a 2.91 ERA. But he wasn't called up to Pittsburgh until September. That June, the Pirates were calling on other pitchers, but not Taylor.

"I think I deserve a chance," Taylor told The AP in June. "I have so much more confidence than I've ever had before. I think I can pitch up there."

Taylor, though, pitched in the majors just four more times, just 3.2 more innings. He gave up one earned run. He didn't return for 1991.

Originally published June 21, 2012

• Harlan Daily Enterprise, Associated Press, May 21, 1987: Rookie Pittsburgh Pirate Dorn Taylor Gets First Major League Win
• Washington Observer-Reporter, Associated Press, March 31, 1989: Pirates place Fisher on DL, send Kramer down to minors
• Ocala Star-Banner, Associated Press, June 26, 1990: Taylor wants the call

More: The 1990 Buffalo Bisons

Julio Bruno impressed minors manager, then later became one

Spokane manager Gene Glynn was impressed with his young infielder Julio Bruno in 1990, according to The Spokane Spokesman-Review.

The 17-year-old showed maturity, Glynn told the paper.

"You can tell he loves baseball," Glynn told The Spokesman-Review. "With his great work habits, he's brought a lot of respect from the other players."

Bruno took those work habits to a long career as a player, spending more than a decade as a pro. Those work habits, though, weren't enough to get him to the majors.

Bruno has since taken his love for baseball and returned to the game as a coach. For 2014, he's serving as a coach in the Royals system at rookie Idaho Falls.

Bruno's career began that year in 1990, signed by the Padres as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic.

He played his first season between short-season Spokane and single-A Charleston. He hit .245, with 27 RBI. He knocked in a run on a single in an August game.

He moved to single-A Waterloo for 1991, then made AA Wichita in 1993. That year in 1993, Bruno hit .295 between Wichita and high-A Rancho Cucamonga.

In 1994, he made AAA Las Vegas. That spring, the third baseman Bruno had a good diving catch down the line. "I just kind of reacted," Bruno explained to The Associated Press later.

That April, Bruno doubled and scored the extra-inning winning run in a game. Overall, Bruno hit .260 at AAA that year, with six home runs and 52 RBI.

After playing the next two seasons between AA Memphis and Las Vegas without seeing San Diego, Bruno got into one more year in affiliated ball in the Tigers organization. He played his final three years in Mexico, last playing in 2000.

By 2008, Bruno was back in the game, serving as manager of the Royals entry in the Arizona League. In 2012, he was hitting coach at single-A Kane County.

Bruno not only coaches, but he helps his Latin players assimilate into the culture, according to The Kane County Chronicle.

"Not only in the baseball area, but also as a person," Bruno told The Chronicle, "I feel like I can teach about my past, my life and I think that will help."

For 2014, Bruno is serving as bench coach for the Chukars at Idaho Falls.

• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Aug. 22, 1990: Indians' Bruno handles life's curves
• Yavapai County Daily Courier, March 3, 1994: M's win charity game; Rockies ink Reynoso
• Kane County Chronicle, July 31, 2012: Cougars hitting coach teaches lessons on, off field

More: The 1990 Charleston Rainbows

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,733
Made the Majors: 824 - 47.6%
Never Made Majors: 909-52.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 357
10+ Seasons in the Minors:208-X

Rob Curnow, Two Singles - 2042

The bottom of the Spokane batting order was having trouble at the plate in July 1988, according to The Spokane Spokesman-Review. No. 9 in that order was Rob Curnow.

On this night, though, Curnow seemed to awaken, if just for one night. Curnow picked up two singles, helping Spokane to a 5-1 win, The Spokesman-Review wrote.

"The first six guys in the order have been doing the job," Spokane manager Steve Lubratich told The Spokesman-Review after the victory. "But for us to move, we need the bottom part of the order to get going."

For the catcher Curnow, he never really did get going. He ended the year with a .214 batting average. That ended up being the best average of his three-season professional career.

Curnow's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Padres in the 35th round of the draft out of Cal Poly Pomona. Curnow is also known as Bob Curnow.

With Spokane that first year, Curnow got into 32 games. He knocked in nine runs and stole three bases. He knocked a double in a late July game. In an August contest, Curnow came around for an extra-inning winning run.

In early September, he got hit in the helmet with a pitch, but got back to the dugout on his own, The Spokesman-Review wrote.

Curnow moved to single-A Waterloo in 1989. There, he got into 56 games. He hit two home runs, recording an average of just .167. He also got a brief look at AA Wichita. He went 1 for 8 there in four games.

For 1990, Curnow played at single-A Charleston. In 63 games, he hit just .197. He singled and stole second to set up a run in a May game. It was his final year as a pro.

• Spokane Spokesman-Review, July 18, 1988: Bryand has foe guessing in Tribe win

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,732
Made the Majors: 824 - 47.6%
Never Made Majors: 908-52.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 357
10+ Seasons in the Minors:207

Rick Adair served as ML pitching coach for multiple teams

Playing for the Wausau Timbers in July 1981, Rick Adair picked up his 10th win, going 7.1 innings and giving up four hits, The Milwaukee Journal wrote.

He also picked three runners off first, two in the same inning, The Journal wrote. Adair estimated he'd done that 25 times that season.

"I never realized how important it was to hold a runner close to the base until I went to spring training," Adair told The Journal afterward. "It really helps you in clutch situations."

Adair's playing career wound end in 1985, after seven sometimes injury-plagued seasons. It would also end short of the majors. But he would take the lessons he learned as a player with him, putting them to use as a pitching coach and coordinator in the quarter-century since.

He would also take those lessons with him as a pitching coach in the major leagues.

Adair started his career, selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 1979 draft. He got as high as AAA Salt Lake City in 1983 then wound end with consecutive seasons at AA Chattanooga.

By 1987, Adair was back in single-A, at Waterloo, watching over young Indians pitchers as a coach. By 1989, he was in Colorado Springs, at AAA. And by 1992, at the age of 34, he was in Cleveland.

Among the pitchers he worked with was Jack Armstrong. Under Adair's instruction, Indians Manager Mike Hargrove told The Associated Press, Armstrong learned to loosen his grip a little. By August 1992, Adair was out as Indians pitching coach.

"Mike Hargrove and John Hart gave me a chance," Adair recalled years later to The Seattle Times of his Cleveland experience, "and I was totally, totally overmatched. It took me 100 games to realize I was in a big-league uniform. They took a chance, and I got fired the next year. And rightfully so! I've learned a lot over the years."

After a season as AA pitching coach for the Padres, Adair joined the Tigers system in 1995 as pitching coach at AAA Toledo.

He also took his new pitchers back to basics. He had them take batting practice, The Toledo Blade wrote that May. With Adair back on the mound, he threw them inside, then came back outside, showing them the difficulty of hitting that combination.

"These are American League pitchers and they don't get a chance to hit," Adair told The Blade. "It's easy to forget how a batter feels."

Among the pitchers he saw at Toledo was Kent Bottenfield. While Bottenfield wouldn't make Detroit, He would go on to six more seasons in the majors.

In 1999, Bottenfield won 18 games. And he credited the time he spent with Adair four years earlier with helping him get there.

"He changed my delivery," Bottenfield told The AP in June 1999. "He taught me how to study hitters and make adjustments. He was the best thing that ever happened to me in the game of baseball."

By 1999, Adair was finishing up his second stint in the majors, four seasons with big club in Detroit. He was let go that July.

Adair went on to be a minor league pitching coordinator with the Braves and Rangers, pitching coach at AA with the Blue Jays. He returned to the bigs in 2009, assuming the pitching coach duties with Seattle.

There, he helped Jarrod Washburn with his delivery, getting him to stick his butt out, The Seattle Times wrote. He'd been collapsing his backside in his delivery.

Adair, along with his manager Don Wakamatsu, however, were let go in August 2010. He has since signed on with for 2011, with the Orioles, as a bullpen coach. He stayed with the Orioles through 2013.

Back in 1993, speaking to his hometown Spartanburg Herald-Journal, spoke about his injury-shortened playing career and his coaching career to that point.

"Sometimes, things don't work out," Adair told The Herald-Journal that August. "You have to go on and make the best of the situation."

Originally published Jan. 15, 2011; Updated July 2014

• Milwaukee Journal, July 15, 1981: Major league effort, but a minor crowd
• Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Aug. 29, 1993: Adair takes blame, sent to showers
• Toledo Blade, May 31, 1995: Hens' staff learns ins and outs of preventing homers
• Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, June 6, 1999: Cardinals' Bottenfield Gets Ninth Victory
• Seattle Times, July 12, 2009: Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair doing wonders with his staff

More: The 1990 Colorado Springs Sky Sox

Lance Banks ate innings at Spokane, saw three pro seasons

The Spokane Indians needed someone to eat innings in this August 1989 and Lance Banks did just that.

Starter Brice Florie made it in the third inning, but didn't record an out. By the time his line was done, he'd been tagged for nine runs, seven of them in that third inning alone, according to The Spokane Chronicle.

Banks took over and proceeded to give up just three hits over the next five innings, according to The Chronicle. He didn't get a win or a save, but he did his job.

That game was one of 24 times that year Banks went out and did his job for the Indians. For Banks, though, his job only lasted one more season. In three total professional seasons, Banks never made AA.

Banks' career began in 1989, signed by the Padres as an undrafted free agent out of his native Wyoming.

Banks played that first season with the Padres between Spokane and the rookie Arizona League. He got into one  game in Arizona and those 24 in Spokane. Between the two levels, he picked up two wins, one save and a 3.35 ERA.

He gave up an RBI single in a July game and threw a hitless ninth in an August contest.

For 1990, Banks moved to single-A Charleston. In 48 relief appearances there, he picked up seven wins and two saves. He also came in with a 2.82 ERA.

Banks made single-A Waterloo in 1991. He got into 39 games, two of those appearances starts. He went 4-2, with three saves. His ERA came in at 4.58. It was his final season as a pro.

• Spokane Chronicle, Aug. 9, 1989: Bend breaks Indians, cruises to 11-2 win

More: The 1990 Charleston Rainbows

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,731
Made the Majors: 824 - 47.6%
Never Made Majors: 907-52.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 357
10+ Seasons in the Minors:207

Induction 2014: Frank Thomas, Speech of Thanks

Frank Thomas giving his induction speech July 27, 2014, in Cooperstown. (G21D Photo)

Frank Thomas was emotional - and thankful - from the start. By the time he was nearly done, he explained why.

"I'm sorry," Thomas told a crowd of thousands as he delivered his Hall of Fame induction speech in Cooperstown. "I'm an emotional guy because I wear my heart on my sleeve."

On a beautiful day at the Clark Sports Complex in Cooperstown, NY, Thomas couldn't help but thank anybody and everybody who helped him along on his journey to baseball immortality.

The five-time All-Star and two-time MVP started with his parents, and ended with his teammates. In between, he thanked his wife and children, coaches, managers, general managers, and others.

By the time he was done, Thomas had added another number to his prolific list of career statistics that includes 521 career home runs. He included the number 232. By my count from a Chicago Tribune transcript, that's the number of individuals important to his life and career he named and thanked individually by either formal name or nickname.

From the pre-speech montage on the big screen. In the background are the hills of Otsego County, NY. (G21D Photo)

It was a speech that was informally introduced by White Sox fans in the crowd who were thanking him, rhythmically chanting multiple times "Thank you Big Hurt."

My wife and I attended Thomas' induction Sunday specifically for Thomas' speech. Thomas is the only player from this project to be enshrined so far in Cooperstown. (Read Thomas' Greatest 21 Days feature: Frank Thomas, Dimension of Power)

He is also the first player who spent any significant time in the minors in 1990 to make the Hall of Fame. Hall of Famer Paul Molitor played a single rehab game in Beloit that year.

Thomas was in his second professional season in 1990, having been taken by the White Sox seventh overall in 1989. He started 1990 at AA Birmingham, where he made the CMC and ProCards sets. By that Aug. 2, he was in Chicago. He never looked back.

Thomas' speech of thanks began with the Hall of Fame and the voters, as well as his fellow Hall of Famers.

"I am so humbled and honored to be a part of this historic class of first-ballot Hall of Famers," Thomas said.

Thomas on the big screen at the podium. (G21D Photo)

Then he got to the heart of his speech: Those who helped him become the player he was.

First up were his parents, Charlie May Thomas and his late father, Frank Thomas Sr. Thomas thanked them for giving him their love and support to keep him involved in team sports. Both worked hard to instill core values and worked tirelessly for their children, he said.

"Frank Sr., I know you're watching and smiling in heaven," Thomas said. "Without you, I know 100 percent I wouldn't be here in Cooperstown today.

"Thanks for pushing me," Thomas continued after applause, "and always preaching to me you can be someone special if you really work at it. I took that to heart, Pops, and look at us today."

The emotion in Thomas' voice was constant. My wife, who wouldn't be a baseball fan without me, said at that point, "I don't even know this guy and I'm teary eyed."

To his wife Megan, and his five children, Thomas thanked them "for making life so unforgettable for me. ... You guys are my everything. There are no words to describe how much I love you guys."

Thomas' wife came into his life 15 years earlier, "when life was throwing me a curve ball, one that I could not hit. But meeting you really put a pep in my step and made me believe in love again."

A small section of crowd. Parts of at least four Thomas jerseys can be seen. (G21D Photo)

There were Thomas' siblings. There was his first agent, the late Robert Fraley and others behind the scenes. There were those in the White Sox organization who gave him a chance, then Ken "Hawk" Harrelson who gave him a nickname.

The Athletics and Blue Jays gave him a chance at the end of his career. He thanked them for that.

His coaches at Auburn instilled a will to win. His first hitting coach with the White Sox, Walt Hriniak, was honest with him from the start.

"You taught me to only want to be the best," Thomas said of Hriniak. "You would always say to me, 'Anyone could be good, Frank. But the special ones want to be great.'"

Thomas' first long list of names consisted of his coaches. He named 25 of them. His trainers and clubhouse managers comprised another 20 names.

He named five doctors, with a special thanks to Dr, Richard Ferkel. Thomas recalled sitting on 452 home runs with a fracture many thought should have ended his career. But Ferkel repaired it.

Frank Thomas with his Hall of Fame plaque. (G21D Photo)

Then there were his teammates. Wins need teammates, Thomas said, "and I had the best of them."

By his count, Thomas had 850 teammates in his career. He proceeded to name 138 of them in a rapid-fire list of last names and nicknames. "I know it's long, I'm sorry," Thomas said, coming up for air between Politte and Jenks.

"Yeah, it was real," Thomas said after the longest list of names. "You guys are my family away from home. I miss all of you, I’m glad to have known all of you. I'm sorry I couldn't name the rest of you guys."

Thomas saved his last thanks for the city of Chicago, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

"You guys make the Big Hurt who he was in the greatest sport town in America," Thomas said. "I know I'm biased, but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment playing for you all. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

He closed with a message to young ballplayers, the kids: "Just remember one thing from today. There are no shortcuts to success. Hard work, dedication, commitment. Stay true to who you are."

"God bless you all," Thomas concluded, "and I thank you."

• Chicago Tribune: Frank Thomas' Hall of Fame speech
• Greatest 21 Days: Frank Thomas, Dimension of Power

The crowd for six Hall of Fame inductees. (G21D Photo

Eddie Zinter, A Gamer - 2039

Eddie Zinter's father was in town for this August 1989 game and Zinter didn't disappoint, The Spokane Chronicle wrote.

Zinter went eight innings for the short-season Spokane Indians and struck out 13. He also picked up the win.

"He was throwing the crap out of the ball," Spokane manager Bruce Bochy told The Chronicle afterward. "He didn't want to come out of the game, I'll tell you that. He's a gamer."

Zinter was in his first season as a pro that year with Spokane. He ended up getting into three more. He never made AA.

Zinter's pro career began that June, taken by the Padres in the 38th round of the draft out of Brigham Young University.

At Brigham Young, Zinter picked up a May 1988 win, going seven innings and giving up seven hits. He also played in Alaska that summer.

With the Padres, Zinter started at Spokane. In 17 outings, seven starts, Zinter went 6-4, with two saves. He picked up one of those saves going two innings and striking out five. The last strikeout came with two on in the ninth of a one-run game.

"That was a great ballgame," Zinter told The Spokane Spokesman-Review. "That's the way the game should be played. The bottom of the ninth, two on, two out, full count - that's great."

Zinter moved to single-A Charleston for 1990. In 45 relief outings, he saved 17. He also had a 2.20 ERA. He got his 10th save in a five-out June showing.

At high-A High Desert in 1991, Zinter picked up six wins and 18 saves in 50 outings. His ERA came in at 5.49. He returned to High Desert for 1992 for another 47 outings. He had a 4.33 ERA. It was his final season as a pro.

• Spokane Spokesman-Review, July 1, 1989: Indians rally to cap display for big crowd
• Spokane Chronicle, Aug. 22, 1989: Tribe closer to wearing crown

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,730
Made the Majors: 824 - 47.6%
Never Made Majors: 906-52.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 357
10+ Seasons in the Minors:207

Danny Sheaffer took advantage of chances over 7 ML seasons

Danny Sheaffer wanted to make the most of the situation.

Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman was going to be out until at least May 1, in what was later revealed to be part baseball's collusion scandal. But, at the time, the Red Sox needed a catcher and Sheaffer was it.

"As long as I've got a locker in the clubhouse and a uniform to put on," Sheaffer told reporters after getting two hits in a game that April, "I'm not going to worry about Gedman. I'm just going to take advantage of my opportunities."

Sheaffer played in a total of 25 games for the Red Sox that year, the first of what would be major league time in seven big league seasons. His greatest successes, however, didn't come until 1993 - 12 years after he was initially drafted.

Sheaffer was initially drafted with high hopes by the Red Sox in 1981. He was taken in the first round out of Clemson University. It took him until 1984 to make AA New Britain for good, making the Eastern league All-Star team that year. He made AAA Pawtucket in 1985.

In his 25 major league games for 1987, Sheaffer couldn't find his bat, he hit just .121. But he did have some early success, driving in the go-ahead run and another run later in an April 18 contest. But it wasn't enough, he returned to AAA for 1988. He signed for 1989 with the Indians, getting a September call-up and seven looks at playing time. In 16 1989 at-bats, Sheaffer only got one hit.

Sheaffer signed with Pittsburgh for 1990, then played with the Minnesota system for 1991 and 1992, playing all three seasons at AAA. It wasn't until 1993, when he signed with the Rockies, that Sheaffer made the majors for good, spending each year through 1997 in the bigs.

The catcher played in a career high 82 games for the Rockies that year, hitting .278 and batting in 32. Five of those RBIs came in one June game. Sheaffer played in another 44 games for the Rockies in 1994, playing in the final game before the strike began. He then was released.

Signing on with the Cardinals, Sheaffer had that last August game in mind, hoping to impress as a minor league catcher that spring. He was clear to The St. Petersburg Times that he had no intention of being affiliated in any way with replacement players or replacement ball.

His sights were on post-strike play.

"I know I may have played in my last major-league game on Aug. 11 if this (strike) goes through 1995, because I'm not getting any younger," Sheaffer told The Times. "But it's beyond my control."

Sheaffer did become a part of the Cardinals' future, playing 70-plus games each of the next three seasons for St. Louis. In August 1995, Sheaffer hit his first career grand slam, part of a five-run ninth inning to beat his old club the Rockies.

In August 1997, Sheaffer victimized Denny Neagle of the Braves, hitting an eighth-inning, two-run double to break a 1-1 tie. "Denny got a ball up in the strike zone, and it hurt him," Sheaffer told reporters afterward. "It was a blast."

But 1997 proved to be Sheaffer's final year in the majors. He played briefly with the Cardinals' AAA club in Memphis in 1998, ending his playing career.

Sheaffer soon became a minor league manager, taking the helm of short-season Eugene in 1999. He served four years as manager of Memphis, through 2006. More recently, Sheaffer has been a roving catching instructor with the Astros. In 2014, he's serving as manager at rookie Princeton.

Sheaffer moved up the ranks as manager after two seasons at Eugene, where he dolled out advice to his young players that sometimes paid immediate dividends.

During one July 1999 game at Eugene, the Emeralds' first 10 batters of the fifth reached base, nine of them scoring, according to The Eugene Register-Guard. It came after Sheaffer got on his players, telling them to take a different approach, player Ryan Gripp recounted to The Register-Guard afterward.

"He told us to hit the ball hard and go the other way," Gripp told the paper. "Nobody wants to make the first or last out in that situation."

Originally published Sept. 2, 2010; Updated July 2014

• Bowling Green Daily News, Associated Press, April 19, 1987: Boston uses Sheaffer, errors to down Toronto
• Los Angeles Times, April 19, 1987: American League Roundup
• St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 18, 1995: Discomfort and disorientation supplant enthusiasm as major-league teams open their Tampa Bay camps with strangers, Part 2
• Chicago Tribune, Tribune News Services, Aug. 18, 1997: Sheaffer, Cardinals Hand Neagle 1st Loss In 6 Weeks
• Eugene Register-Guard, July 10, 1999: Ems pull away with explosion in fifth

More: The 1990 Buffalo Bisons

Dwight Taylor, Good Jump - 51

Dwight Taylor explained his base stealing technique to The Bangor Daily News in September 1984.

Taylor's methods ended up getting him 46 stolen bases that year at AAA Maine, after stealing 95 the previous year at AA Buffalo.

"There isn't one special thing that I look for each time," Taylor told The Daily News. "But the whole key is getting a good jump. If you don't get a good jump, you shouldn't go."

Taylor went on to play in a total of 13 professional seasons, stealing a total of 437 bases. He spent parts of 10 of those seasons at AAA. He made the majors in just one of those seasons, for four games. He never stole a base in the majors.

Taylor's career began in 1981, taken by the Indians in the seventh inning of the draft out of the University of Arizona.

At Arizona, Taylor helped the club to the College World Series title. They made it after losing their first game. Taylor explained to The Associated Press later why.

"We keep pushing," Taylor told The AP. "We go after them."

Taylor started with the Indians at single-A Waterloo. He hit .216 in 49 games, stealing 23.

He made AA Chattanooga for most of 1982, stealing 50 there. For 1983, he made AA Buffalo, swiping 95 there.

For 1984, Taylor arrived at AAA for the first time at Maine. He hit .271 and stole 46. He also lost a month due to a broken jaw he suffered after getting hit in the face by a pitch in May.

Taylor stayed at Maine for 1985. He hit .251 and stole 52. He stole his final two bases of the year in early September. He also got three hits in that game. He then tripled and scored in a playoff game.

That October, Taylor moved to the Royals to complete an earlier trade. He then made his debut in the majors the very next April.

Taylor got into a total of four games for Kansas City. He got two at bats and he scored a run. He didn't get a hit. He also didn't get a stolen base. He debuted April 14 and played his final game April 23.

He spent the rest of that season at AAA Omaha. He also didn't get back to the majors.

Taylor played 1987 back at Omaha, then 1988 with the Expos at AAA Indianapolis. He moved to the Indians system for 1989 and 1990. He also got time in 1990 at AAA Richmond with the Braves.

Taylor's last affiliated time came in 1992, with the Reds at AA Chattanooga and AAA Nashville. His last recorded time came in 1993 in Mexico.

• Lawrence Journal-World, Associated Press, June 7, 1980: Arizona nabs baseball title the difficult way
• Bangor Daily News, Sept. 13, 1984: Dwight Taylor's future bright

1990 CMC-Pro Cards Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,729
Made the Majors: 824 - 47.6%-X
Never Made Majors: 905-52.4%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 357
10+ Seasons in the Minors:207

Glenn Abbott made bigs with Athletics, coached in minors

Glenn Abbott's new pitching coach at Detroit, Roger Craig, sized him up to The Associated Press upon Abbott's arrival for the stretch drive in August 1983.

Abbott then was a veteran of 10 major league seasons, but he was in his first season since a lost year to elbow surgery.

"He's mostly a sinker, slider pitcher, a control pitcher," pitching coach Roger Craig told The AP. "To be effective, he has to keep the ball down - especially in this park where the fences aren't that far away."

Abbott ended up playing one more season in the majors. He then went on to a a post-playing career, doing the same kind of assessments as a pitching coach in the minors. And he continues that career in 2014 as pitching coach for the AA Binghamton Mets.

Abbott's career in baseball began in 1969, taken by the Athletics in the eighth round of the draft out of the University of Central Arkansas.

Read the August 2014 interview: Glenn Abbott, Head On

Abbott started at short-season Coos Bay. He made AA Birmingham and AAA Iowa in 1972. He then debuted in Oakland in July 1973.

Abbott got five outings, three starts, that first year. In his second major league start, he went the distance, recording a 3-1 win over the Royals. His first start came in July, where he went three and gave up two earned.

"I was a little more relaxed than I was that first start," Abbott told The AP afterward. "I was able to put the ball where I wanted to."

Abbott returned to Oakland for 1974, staying with the team through 1976. In 1975, he took part in a four-pitcher no-hitter. His part was a perfect sixth.

For 1977, Abbott moved to the Mariners in the expansion draft. He also got his first of two seasons with double-digit wins. He went 12-13 in Seattle's inaugural season. The 1980 campaign was his other with 12 wins.

He stayed with the Mariners into 1983. His 1982 season, though, was lost to elbow surgery. He went on a rehab assignment that year, but got viral meningitis. Despite those ailments, he made it back to Seattle in June 1983. His first game back was a complete game.

"I couldn't even throw the ball last year," Abbott told The AP after that first start back. "There were a lot of negative thoughts going through my mind."

Abbott finished out his career in 1984 with the Tigers. By 1990, his coaching career was underway at AA Huntsville. He moved to AAA Tacoma for 1991. He stayed in the Oakland system through 2002.

He joined the Mets system for 2011 at single-A Savannah, moving to Binghamton for 2012. In 2013, he watched over and assessed Mets prospect Rafael Montero.

"He's done a nice job of very consistently this year locating in and out," Abbott told MiLB.com that June. "I think he's ahead of his years. He's only been in the States here for three years and he pays good attention, has a great idea of what's going on. Still learning all the time."

Back in 2002, when he was still in the Athletics system, Abbott told MLB.com why he worked as a coach.

"I feel like I am giving something back to the game," Abbott told MLB.com. "I didn't make a lot of money, but got a chance to play in the Major Leagues and that's all I wanted. I still have gusto for the game and enjoy going to the park every day."

Read the August 2014 interview: Glenn Abbott, Head On

• Lawrence Journal-World, Associated Press, Sept 12, 1973: Rookie Stuffs Royals
  
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Associated Press, Aug. 27, 1983: Sparky just hoping Abbott gets lucky
• Sumter Daily Item, Associated Press, June 10, 1983: Abbott returns with complete game
• MLB.com, June 16, 2002: Where've you gone, Glenn Abbott?
• MiLB.com, June 2, 2013: Double-A no sweat for Mets' Montero

More: The 1990 Huntsville Stars

1990 Minor League Tally

Players/Coaches Featured: 2,501
Made the Majors:1,009-40.3%
Never Made Majors:1,492-59.7%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 419
10+ Seasons in the Minors:256

Casey Webster, Couldn't Replicate - 47

Originally published May 5, 2011

Casey Webster's season in 1987 was a good one. He hit .318, with 20 home runs and taking the Carolina League MVP award.

It was a performance his manager at AA Williamsport in 1988 believed Webster could easily replicate, Williamsport Bills manager Mike Hargrove told The Schenectady Gazette.

"What he did last year, I don't feel is a fluke season or something he'll do once every 10 years," Hargrove told The Gazette. "He has a lot of power to right and right-center and can still hit the ball hard to left. He still has some things he has to work on, but he's a hard worker."

Webster, however, was unable to replicate his success at single-A that year in AA, or again. Webster stuck around in AA through 1990, getting one 27-game look at AAA before his career would end, short of the majors.

But his career in baseball would also go on, becoming a longtime coach in high school, near his Oregon hometown.

Webster's career began in 1985, taken by the Indians in the 24th round of the draft out of Western Oregon. In 1983, Webster won his college league's player of the year honors, an honor he won again for 1984.

He played that first professional year at short-season Batavia, hitting .227 with 15 home runs. He played the next year at single-A Waterloo, then 1987 at single-A Kinston.

At Kinston, during his MVP year, Webster hit his 20th home run of the year in early August, a solo shot off Prince William. He also made the all-star team that year.

With Williamsport, Webster hit just .248 with seven home runs. One of those home runs came in a May game, the difference in a win over Vermont. In August, Webster hit consecutive game-winning RBIs.

Webster stayed in AA for 1989, hitting .276 and eight home runs at Canton. In 1990, Webster moved up to AAA Colorado Springs, for 27 games. He hit just .218. He did double home a run in one April game.

Webster finished out his playing career in AA, at Canton and with the Brewers at El Paso.

Webster has since gone on to a long career as head baseball coach at Gladstone High School, near Portland, Ore.

"The kids that were there played hard," Webster told The Clackamas Review after a close July 2010 win. "They battled. But we were missing some guys. And it's tough to win ... when you don’t have your full firepower."

• Schenectady Gazette, April 23, 1988: Ghelfi, Webster Help Bills Beat A-C Yanks, Split Weekend Series
• Clackamas Review, July 7, 2010: Gladiators edge the Mustangs, 9-8

Squeezer Thompson, Best Arm - 2030

Squeezer Thompson got into trouble early in this August 1988 contest for Spokane.

He ultimately settled himself down enough to pitch six full innings and get praise from the opposing pitching coach, according to The Spokane Spokesman-Review.

"He's probably got one of the best arms in the league," Southern Oregon pitching coach Jesus Hernaiz told The Spokesman-Review.

Thompson's arm helped get him selected by the Padres in the fourth round of that year's draft. Thompson's arm, though, soon failed him, helping cut his career short at three seasons. Discipline problems also plagued his brief career.

Thompson's career began that June as the Padres took Thompson out of Mount Dora High School in Florida.

His discipline problems began in high school, Thompson drawing a suspension his senior year, according to The Orlando Sentinel. That, coupled with eligibility issues from changing schools had some questioning whether he should play. The Sentinel wrote.

With the Padres, Thompson started at short-season Spokane. He also explained to The Spokesman-Review the origins of his nickname. It came from his pet back in Florida, a boa constrictor named Julius Squeezer. The name transfered to him. His formal name is William Thompson.

On the field, Thompson got into 14 games, starting 11. Two of those outings came in the rookie Arizona League. His total ERA came in at 6.70. In early July, he had two-straight starts where he didn't make the third inning.

Thompson's 1989 season was abbreviated by arm problems and discipline problems, according to The Sentinel. It started with a lengthy suspension for literally fighting with his manager, The Sentinel wrote. Then there was an injury to his arm that required surgery.

After all that, Thompson got into just a single game of action in the Arizona League. He then returned to the field in 1990 with single-A Charleston. He got into 11 games, five starts. His ERA came in at 17. He was released by the end of July.

That October, Thompson told The Sentinel he believed his poor numbers were the result of not getting the proper rehab. He'd also just signed a new contract with the White Sox. The contract, though, did not turn into time on the field and his career was over.

• Orlando Sentinel, April 22, 1988: Cuddy Right in Allowing Thompson To Pitch
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, June 15, 1988: Indians
• Spokane Spokesman-Review, Aug. 2, 1988: Indians improve, but drop another
• Orlando Sentinel, June 8, 1989: Thompson Gets 2nd Chance To Revive Career
• Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 17, 1990: 'Squeezer' Back In Pros With Chicago White Sox 

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured:1,728
Made the Majors: 823 - 47.6%
Never Made Majors: 905-52.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 357
10+ Seasons in the Minors:207