1990 San Diego Padres minor leaguers

Features on each member of the 1990 San Diego Padres farm system.

Complete:

• AAA - Las Vegas Stars (27)
• AA - Wichita Wranglers (28)
• High-A - Riverside RedWave (29)
• Single-A - Waterloo Diamonds (27)
• Single-A - Charleston Rainbows (29)
• Short-Season - Spokane Indians (28)

Las Vegas Stars (28)

1 - Mike Basso: Mike Basso led his short-season team to a 1986 win. He never got himself to the majors.
2 - Alex Cole: Alex Cole stole eight bases in his first eight major league games. He played in seven seasons.
3 - Paul Faries: Paul Faries had hopes of getting Padres starting second base job in 1992. He didn't get it. He played in four major league seasons.
4 - Terry Gilmore: Terry Gilmore found his groove at single-A Spokane, never found it enough to make the majors.
5 - Charles Hillemann: Charles Hillemann decided to quit baseball and come home to be a dad. He played six seasons as pro, never made the bigs.
6 - Thomas Howard: Thomas Howard made it in the bigs for 11 seasons.
7 - Todd Hutcheson: Todd Hutcheson has served more than 30 years as a trainer in the Padres system.
8 - Pat Kelly: Pat Kelly can recount changes in the minors. He's been involved for nearly four decades.
9 - Gary Lance: Gary Lance dealt with nights like that as a player and coach for more than three decades.
10 - Tom LeVasseur: Tom LeVasseur put up a 15-game hitting streak at low-A. He never got the chance for one hit in the majors.
11 - Jim Lewis: Jim Lewis liked being a relief pitcher. He was one in the majors for 12 games.
12 - Joe Lynch: Joe Lynch helped pitch the Wichita Pilots to the 1987 Texas League title. He never made the majors.
13 - Matt Maysey: Matt Maysey achieved two firsts in a 1993 game for the Brewers. Both ended up being career onlys.
14 - Jose Mota: Jose Mota took advice from Dennis Rasmussen not to change. Mota made the majors, his stay was brief.
15 - Dan Murphy: Dan Murphy saw one brief stint in the majors with the Padres. His career spanned a decade plus.
16 - Warren Newson: As long as Warren Newson was still in the bigs, the trade was fine with him.
17 - Eric Nolte: Eric Nolte maintained his control enough to get time in four big league seasons.
18 - Brian Ohnoutka: Brian Ohnoutka threw a no-hitter for four innings in single-A in 1985. He then got ejected. He also never made bigs.
19 - Steve Peters: Steve Peters got just one out in that May 1988 game for the Cardinals, but it was enough for the win.
20 - Paul Quinzer: Paul Quinzer challenged collegiate league batters. He played five seasons as a pro, but never made the bigs.
21 - Ronn Reynolds: Ronn Reynolds pointed to his experience in 1988. He ultimately had experience in six major league seasons.
22 - Pete Roberts: Pete Roberts pitched well enough to make AAA in the Padres system, but never well enough to make the majors.
23 - Rich Rodriguez: Rich Rodriguez wasn't satisfied with the bench, he wanted to play. He did so in 13 major league seasons.
24 - Roger Smithberg: Roger Smithberg treated his major league debut for the Athletics in 1993 as any other game.
25 - Tony Torchia: Tony Torchia saw seeing his old players in the bigs like a teacher sees students who have done well.
26 - Rafael Valdez: Rafael Valdez exceeded expectations in spring 1990. He made the bigs for three games.
27 - Eddie Williams: Eddie Williams played everywhere and did so as a former first-round pick. He wouldn't have changed a thing.
28 - Jeff Yurtin: Jeff Yurtin went 4-for-4 in a College World Series game with LSU. He played five seasons as pro, never made the bigs.

Wichita Wranglers (28)

1. Andy Benes became top pick, made the Olympics, then made bigs over 14 seasons; Had to pinch himself, 11/18/20
2. Ricky Bones used luck and opportunity over his 11-season major league career; Now ML coach, 3/28/20
3. Doug Brocail went from long shot to six more ML campaigns; Saw 15 total, later coached, 11/15/20
4. Rafael Chaves cried when he made bigs as coach; Spent 12 seasons as player, made AA, 11/7/20
5. Brian Cisarik hit well for Texas in college; Played five pro seasons, made AA, 11/3/20
6. Cookie the Wichita Wranglers mascot could have been played by any staff member; Replaced by horse, 11/1/20
7. Greg David learned realities of the pros over eight seasons; Made AA, not bigs, 4/2/20
8. Todd Hansen knew he had to pitch well in 1987 start; Saw pros over seven seasons, made AA, 10/20/20
9. Jeremy Hernandez moved from starting to relief and then made the bigs over five seasons, 3/30/20
10. Charlie Hillemann made AAA, later decided to quit baseball, go home and be a dad, 11/2/20
11. Rich Holsman liked to play the game, did so over five seasons; Made AA, 10/30/20
12. Mike Humphreys knew spring numbers didn't matter, season numbers did; Saw time in three ML campaigns, 4/4/20
13. Lonnie Keeter did a lot of positive talking over his career, from playing to coaching to English class, 11/17/20
14. Dean Kelley played baseball 'every daggum day' of his life, loved it; Made AAA, 11/6/20
15. Steve Loubier got his foot in the pro door; Stayed five seasons, made AA, 10/28/20
16. Steve Lubratich had the capabilities to manage; Made bigs as player, later became assistant GM, 11/12/20
17. Bob Lutticken tried to make the best of his playing time; Saw six seasons, made AA, 11/13/20
18. Pedro Martinez - the other one - made the bigs in 1993, was happy to be there; Saw five ML campaigns, 11/17/20
19. Jon Matlack completed what he started over 13 ML seasons, later turned coach, 10/26/20
20. Tim McWilliam knew the importance of scouts in college, later became one himself; Briefly made AAA, 11/16/20
21. Craig Repoz used his talent over six pro seasons, made AA; Dad and brother also played, 11/4/20
22. A.J. Sager started in football, then turned to baseball; Made bigs over five seasons, 10/31/20
23. Will Taylor turned switch-hitter, saw eight pro seasons; Eighth came nine years after last, 10/24/20
24. Jose Valentin started his pro career strong, then saw time in 16 major league seasons, 10/25/20
25. Guillermo Velasquez got his shot at first for the Padres in 1993; Saw two ML seasons, 11/19/20
26. Juan Villanueva wanted to play baseball, did so over seven seasons; Made AA, 10/20/20
27. Dan Walters made bigs, then turned to policing; Later was shot aiding another officer, has since passed, 10/23/20
28. Brian Wood spotted his fastball, played nine pro seasons; Made AAA, not bigs, 11/9/20

Riverside Red Wave (29)
1 - Steve Bethea, Valuable Player
Steve Bethea showed his value in the field. He never made the majors.
2 - Scott Bigham, Much Fun
Scott Bigham tried as hard as he could. He didn't make the bigs.
3 - Bruce Bochy, Highly Respected
Bruce Bochy was highly respected long before he took his teams to three World Series titles.
4 - Renay Bryand, The Difference
Renay Bryand knew the game. Made AAA, not the bigs.
5 - Nate Colbert, Believe It
Nate Colbert couldn't believe it. The umpire couldn't either.
5 - Jim Daniel, Evaluated Players
Jim Daniel evaluated players as a trainer for more than two decades.
7 - Rick Davis, Stayed Optimistic
Rick Davis stayed optimistic he'd get his call. He never got it.
8 - Danny Deville, Like That
Danny Deville didn't throw hard, but he got them out. He never made the majors.
9 - Jay Estrada, Draft Pick
Jay Estrada made his college Hall of Fame. He played five pro seasons
10 - Reggie Farmer, Another Calling
Reggie Farmer went pro in baseball, not football. He never made the majors.
11 - Mark Gieseke, Nothing Fancy
Mark Gieseke didn't do anything fancy. He just got hits.
12 - Vince Harris, Played for Bochy
Vince Harris' manager returned to the bigs. Harris never got there
13 - Brian Harrison, Super Job
Brian Harrison did well upon his return. He never made the majors.
14 - Chris Haslock, Continued Chance
Chris Haslock knew as long as he played, there was a chance.
15 - Steve Hendricks, Good Breaks
Steve Hendricks got good breaks early. Not enough for the bigs.
16 - Kevin Higgins, Heart Pounded
Kevin Higgins' heart pounded after his first major league hit.
17 - Kerry Knox, Like That
Kerry Knox was his short-season club's stopper. He never made the bigs.
18 - Heath Lane, Decision Made
Heath Lane made his decision to move on. He then became a high school coach.
19 - Kelly Lifgren, Top Team
Kelly Lifgren threw a shutout in short-season. He never made the majors.
20 - Luis Lopez, His Approach
Luis Lopez worked to be a starter, do his best.
21 - Steve Luebber, Tells Them
Steve Luebber has worked with a lot of pitchers.
22 - Bill Marx, Good Command
Bill Marx had good command for Spokane in 1985. He never made AA.
23 - Tony McGee, Off Guard
Tony McGee earned praise in 1989, not a long pro career.
24 - Darrin Reichle, Rare Breed
Darrin Reichle threw two no-hitters in the same season. He never made the majors
25 - Darrell Sherman, Scouts Doubted
Scouts weren't sure Darrell Sherman would make the bigs.
26 - Candy Sierra, Soon Enough
Candy Sierra made the Padres out of spring 1988. Roberto Alomar did not
27 - Greg Smith, Three Hits
Greg Smith helped his team to a 1988 win. He never made the majors.
28 - Dave Staton, Got Lucky
Dave Staton got lucky and made the bigs in two seasons.
29 - Royal Thomas, Some Durability
Royal Thomas showed early durability, later played a decade. He never made the majors.

Waterloo Diamonds (27)
1 - Ron Billingsley, His Job
Rod Billingsley's job was to work with his pitcher. He worked it in two seasons.
2 - David Colon, Stop Sign
David Colon got lucky in 1988 at Sumter. He never got lucky enough to make AA.
3 - Greg Conley, Pitch Caller
Greg Conley was a pitch caller in high school and later the pros.
4 - Tom Doyle, Tested Love
Tom Doyle learned the minors can test one's love of the game. His did not break.
5 - Todd Embry, Pitching Limit
Todd Embry was on a pitch count at rookie ball and in his brief career.
6 - Bryce Florie, Got There
Bryce Florie was delighted to start, then to be on the field.
7 - Luis Galindez, Really Late
Luis Galindez took part in a 25-inning game. His career was limited to four seasons.
8 - Gene Glynn, Higher Level
Gene Glynn coached in the bigs for a decade. He's manager at AAA in 2014.
9 - Jeff Hart, About Winning
Jeff Hart worked with young Special Olympic athletes in 2009. He played three seasons as a pro.
10 - Ray Holbert, Teed Off
Ray Holbert was teed off. He then hit a grand slam for his first major league home run.
11 - Brad Hoyer, Much Poise
Brad Hoyer showed poise in an early pro game. He never saw AA.
12 - Jose Lebron, Quality Start
Jose Lebron started a marathon game and had a quality start. He played seven seasons, but not in the bigs.
13 - Tony Lewis, No Bones
Tony Lewis came back from college comebacker to the face to play in two pro seasons.
14 - Bryan Little, His Determination
Bryan Little showed speed and determination as a player. He's been teaching that to others since.
15 - Steve Martin, Strong Character
Steve Martin went to Australia to polish his skills and was soon traded. He never made the majors.
16 - Butch McKeon, Competitive Fire
Butch McKeon had a competitive fire in five pro seasons. He passed away in 1998.
17 - Ron Morton, Efficient Innings
Ron Morton delivered in 1988 short-season game with Spokane. He played in just three seasons.
18 - J.D. Noland, Fast Enough
JD Noland once stole 81 bases in a season. He never got to the bigs.
19 - Ron Oglesby, Big-Leaguer
Ron Oglesby didn't make the bigs as player. He made the bigs as a coach. He also made his dad a happy man.
20 - George Poulis, An Honor
George Poulis continues as head trainer for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016.
21 - Billy Reed, Two Hits
Billy Reed picked up two hits in a high school game. He later played four pro seasons as pitcher.
22 - Terry Rupp, Maximum Potential
Terry Rupp went out and had fun. He played two pro seasons, later was a coach.
23 - Osvaldo Sanchez, Kept Going
Osvaldo Sanchez flashed his glove in the low minors. He never got to the bigs.
24 - Matt Toole, Promoted To
Matt Toole helped his Spokane team to a lead in 1989. He played two seasons, but he never made AA.
25 - Mark Verstandig, Every Day
Mark Verstandig waited for his opportunity. He waited in five seasons, but he never made the bigs.
26 - Shawn Whalen, Easy Arm
Shawn Whalen went from a short playing career to a career as a scout.
27 - Matt Witkowski, Can Happen
Matt Witkowski helped his team to the playoffs. He played eight seasons, but he never made bigs.

Charleston Rainbows (29)
1 - Roberto Arredondo, Big Inning
Roberto Arredondo helped Charleston to a big inning in May 1990. He played just three seasons.
2 - Lance Banks, Ate Innings
Lance Banks played three professional seasons. He never made AA.
3 - Jeff Barton, Once-in-a-Lifetime
Jeff Barton had a once-in-lifetime experience in pro ball. He also one hitting a hole-in-one for $1 million.
4 - Brian Beck, Early Start
Brian Beck played five seasons and made the transition to pitcher. He never made AA.
5 - Scott Bream, Good Evaluator
Scott Bream played a decade in the minors. He has since gone into scouting.
6 - Monte Brooks, Thankful For
Monte Brooks turned to coaching after playing. He has turned to his faith in his life.
7 - Julio Bruno, Loves Baseball
Julio Bruno loves baseball. He played it as a pro. He's now coaching it.
8 - Rico Coleman, Team Effort
Rico Coleman pointed to his team's effort in a 1989 win. He got four hits himself.
9 - Troy Cunningham, Heads Up
Troy Cunningham was a heads-up player in high school. He played two seasons as a pro.
10 - Rob Curnow, Two Singles
Rob Curnow's bat never really got going. He played just three seasons.
11 - Russ Garside, Some Credit
Russ Garside got some credit for a short-season win. He played just three seasons as a pro.
12 - Pete Guzman, Pumped Up
Pete Guzman got the short-season win and was pumped up. He played just two seasons as a pro.
13 - Lee Henderson, Throw Home
Lee Henderson played seven seasons as a pro. He made AA, but not the bigs.
14 - Billy Johnson, Polished Pitcher
Billy Johnson impressed his manager late in his first pro season. He couldn't continue that success.
15 - Jack Krol, Dream Lived 
Jack Krol lived his dream as a minors manager. He died of cancer related to chewing tobacco.
16 - Jimmy Lester, Mold Them
Jimmy Lester liked fresh arms as a scout. He played five pro seasons.
17 - Mark Littell, Not Nervous
Mark Littell wasn't nervous for his first look at the bigs. He later became an inventor.
18 - Pedro Lopez, Was Ready
Pedro Lopez played 13 pro seasons. He was then ready for a turn to managing.
19 - Pablo Martinez, First Hit
Pablo Martinez broke an Atlanta Braves hitless streak. It was his only major league hit.
20 - Bill Marx, Good Command
Bill Marx had good command for Spokane in 1985. He never made AA.
21 - Jose Mateo, Bad Night
Jose Mateo had a bad night in April 1990. He played just two pro seasons.
22 - John Maxwell, Prepared For
John Maxwell helped the Padres be prepared. Spent two decades as a trainer in the minors.
23 - Joe Murdock, Two Runs
Joe Murdock played three seasons as a pro. He never made AA.
24 - Danny Pickett, More Confidence
Danny Pickett increased his confidence in high school. He played just two seasons as a pro.
25 - Craig Pueschner, Strong Arm
Craig Pueschner used his strong arm to turn pro. He couldn't make AA.
26 - Rafael Santiago, Four Hits
Rafael Santiago played in three pro seasons. He never made AA.
27 - Charles Thompson, Too Much
Charles Thompson couldn't field a come-backer in 1990. He played three seasons as a pro.
28 - Squeezer Thompson, Best Arm
Squeezer Tompson got his name from his boa. He played just three seasons as a pro.
29 - Eddie Zinter, A Gamer
Bruce Bochy called Eddie Zinter a gamer. Zinter played four seasons as pro, never made AA.

Spokane Indians (28)

1. Dave Adams helped in comeback wins at Spokane; Saw three pro seasons, made single-A, 10/19/22
2. Bruce Bensching started pro career strong, had nothing to lose; Saw three seasons, made high-A, 11/1/22
3. Brent Bish got some at-bats at high-A; Played four seasons, topped out at AA, 10/7/22
4. Mike Bradley returned from college injury to make pros; Saw two injury-slowed pro seasons, made single-A, 10/15/22
5. Julio Bruno impressed short-season manager; Later became minors manager himself; Saw 11 seasons, made AAA, 10/27/22
6. Jim Elliott played two pro seasons, then turned to medicine; Moved to Australia, got his PhD, 10/29/22
7. Kevin Farlow made transition from aluminum bat to wood; Saw seven pro seasons, made high-A, 10/6/22
8. Scott Fredrickson saw a high school injury turn into a pitch that helped get him to bigs with Rockies, 10/31/22
9. Jay Gainer homered in his first major league at bat, on the first pitch he saw; Saw 23 total ML games, 10/9/22
10. Russ Garside turned in good pitching performance at Spokane; Saw three pro seasons, made single-A, 10/8/22
11. Darius Gash worked hard to turn heads after late start; Saw five seasons, made AA, 11/8/22
12. Gene Glynn projected players on to bigs with Spokane; Soon got there himself as coach, 10/28/22
13. Larry Hawks played multiple positions in college, then as pro for three seasons; Briefly made AAA, 11/5/22
14. Rob Hays had a good enough arm to turn pro, play two seasons; Made single-A, 10/29/22
15. Keith McKoy hit, used his speed enough to see three pro seasons; Made single-A, 10/11/22
16. Matt Mieske showed his capabilities over eight big league seasons, five teams, 10/4/22
17. Tony Mortensen changed colleges, turned out well enough to make pros; Saw three seasons, made high-A, 10/9/22
18. Jeff Ordway won MVP award in high school; Later turned pro, played single season, 10/20/22
19. Bill Ostermeyer used diet to help get from college to pros; Saw pros over four seasons, made high-A, 10/30/21
20. Lance Painter learned enough to pitch in the majors over a decade, later coach, 10/24/22
21. Jeff Pearce started as an outfielder, finished as a pitcher; Saw six pro seasons, made high-A, 11/6/22
22. Scott Sanders worked to avoid surgery, returned for playoff start; Saw seven ML seasons, 11/7/22
23. Steve Siebert showed speed and hitting in high school; Played two pro seasons, later coached HS, 10/13/22
24. Rusty Silcox chose rehab over surgery early on; Saw four pro seasons, made AA, 10/22/22
25. Bruce Tanner followed his father Chuck to the majors, coaching; Later became advance scout, 10/10/22
26. Ryan Thibault aimed the ball in first pro start; Saw four pro seasons, made high-A, Australia, 10/18/22
27. Kevin Towers played, coached, scouted, served as ML GM almost two decades; Passed in 2018, 10/17/22
28. Jim West hit title-winning fielder's choice; Saw two pro seasons, made single-A, 11/3/22