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Wednesday, May 13, 2020

1990 Niagara Falls Rapids, short-season Detroit Tigers affiliate

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 a workhorse in second pro season, also his last pro season, 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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