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Monday, February 21, 2022

Ramon Taveras threw well at short-season; Saw four seasons, made AA


Ramon Taveras threw a complete game for the win in this May 1990 Vero Beach game as he faced just 30 batters in the 3-1 win, The Indian River Press Journal wrote.

His manager Joe Alvarez praised the young righthander afterwards to The Press Journal.

"(Taveras) threw the ball absolutely marvelous," Alvarez told The Press Journal. "For a young guy, he's pitching like a guy that's been around and knows what to do. He showed it tonight."

Taveras threw that game for high-A Vero Beach near the start of is third pro season. He briefly made AA San Antonio the next year, but he didn't make it higher.

Taveras' career began in 1988, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic.

Taveras started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He went 4-3, with a 2.37 ERA. He then moved to short-season Salem for 1989 and started the season 6-0. He ended 7-1, with a 2.07 ERA.

He picked up his sixth win at Salem in early August. He went seven innings and gave up six hits, The Salem Statesman Journal wrote.

"He hung tough when it counted," Taveras' catcher and future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza told The Statesman Journal afterward. "Even on nights when he doesn't have his best stuff, he hits the spots and makes the right pitches at the right time."

Taveras moved to high-A Vero Beach in 1990. He went 13-7 there, with a 3.11 ERA in 26 starts.

He also helped Vero Beach to the playoffs and picked up the win that sent them to the second round, a three-hit shutout over St. Lucie.

"Once I put the uniform on, all I was thinking of was keeping the ball down and winning the game," Taveras told The Press Journal.

Taveras returned to Vero Beach for 22 outings in 1991. But he also saw eight at San Antonio, four of them starts. He went 0-1 at San Antonio and gave up 28 earned over 19.2 innings of work. That season marked his last as a pro.

1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:3,847
Made the Majors:1,292-33.6%
Never Made Majors:2,554-66.4%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:528
10+ Seasons in the Minors:322

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