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Wednesday, May 13, 2020

1990 Niagara Falls Rapids player profiles, Detroit Tigers


Features on each member of the 1990 Niagara Falls Rapids, as included in the 1990 team set of the short-season NY-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Niagara Falls Rapids (34)
  1. Francisco Alcantara proved workhorse over two pro seasons, 4/5/20
  2. Greg Coppeta made his college's Hall of Fame; Played four pro seasons, topped out at AA, 4/3/20
  3. Genaro DeBrand played at three stops over his first season; He didn't come back for a second, 5/9/20
  4. Joe Decker only knew how to pitch one way, to have command; Saw nine ML seasons, briefly coached, 4/8/20
  5. Joe DeDario performed at Niagara Falls Rapids games because he loved it, 3/27/20
  6. Dinger the Duck had some competition in Niagara Falls as mascot; He and team stayed five seasons, 4/22/20
  7. Tom Drell got off to a good start at high-A, then he walked away; He no longer found joy playing, 5/10/20
  8. Rob Fazekas pitched better than his record in college; Played two seasons as a pro, 4/20/20
  9. Fielder's Choice Baseball Cards sponsored the 1990 Niagara Falls Rapids card set; Neither remains in Niagara Falls, 4/13/20
  10. Kevin Keon helped his college team to a win in relief; Played two pro campaigns, 4/30/20
  11. Doug Kimbler played eight seasons, then retired, he enjoyed coaching more; Later took over at NYU, 5/1/20
  12. Tim Kirt hit well in Legion ball, then made college and pros; Pro career lasted single season, 4/28/20
  13. Eric Leimeister wasn't sure he'd have a pro career after final college starts; Made pros, saw two seasons, 5/7/20
  14. Juan Lopez played 11 seasons at AAA, never made bigs; Later coached in Tigers, Mets organizations, 5/5/20
  15. Doug Marcero felt he hit the big time in college game; Made pros over three seasons, hit high-A, 4/21/20
  16. Dave Mastropietro was ready to play baseball; Played it professionally over a single season, 4/16/20
  17. Denny McNamara started to hit the ball well in first pro season; Saw three in all, made high-A, 5/9/20
  18. Kirk Mendenhall woke up a AAA crowd with a single, stolen base; Saw six seasons, never made bigs, 4/26/20
  19. Mario Moccia left college to turn pro; Played two pro seasons, later returned to old college as AD, 5/4/20
  20. Brian Nelson played with future Royals GM in college; Later played three seasons in pros, 4/24/20
  21. Kelley O'Neal signed as a pro out of high school, performed over six seasons, made AA, 4/24/20
  22. Gregg Radachowsky worked way to pro prospect as catcher; Saw two pro seasons, topped out at high-A, 4/9/20
  23. Eddy Rodriguez finished a 1990 game strong in rookie ball; Played four pro seasons, made high-A, 4/10/20
  24. Chris Rogaliner joined the Niagara Falls Rapids as a trainer while still in college, 3/28/20
  25. Danny Rogers dominated in college, played two seasons as a pro; Later played softball, 4/15/20
  26. Sean Sadler showed confidence with 1990 draft; Played two pro seasons, 4/14/20
  27. Brian Saltzgaber experienced the great feeling of playing as a pro; Saw five seasons, made AA, 4/1/20
  28. Warren Sawkiw played nine pro seasons, briefly made AAA; Later turned Blue Jays radio announcer, 4/19/20
  29. Brian Schubert pitched well in college, started six pro games; Returned to his HS as coach and AD, 4/11/20
  30. Gino Tagliaferri played two pro seasons, lost confidence, then called it quits; Topped out at single-A, 4/22/20
  31. Art Thigpen played three pro seasons, then became a minors umpire, 3/29/20
  32. Bob Undorf moved on to pros without pressure; Played four seasons, made AA, 4/26/20
  33. Mike Weinberg played two pro seasons, later turned New York City firefighter; Died in Sept. 11 terror attacks, 9/11/18
  34. Steve Wolf lost bid for second-straight shutout at AA late in game; Saw four pro seasons, made AAA, 4/7/20

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