Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

On loan to the independent Miami Marlins from the Pirates in 1988, Gilberto Roca became a versatile part of the club, according to The Miami News . So when the Pirates called him back, the team was sorry to see him go, The News wrote . "When you lose a guy like Roca that can play second or shortstop, it's hard to replace him," Miami manager Jose Santiago told The News . Roca was in his fourth season as a pro that year, playing mostly at catcher. He saw two more seasons, for six in all. He topped out at AAA . Roca's career began in 1985, signed by the Pirates as a free agent out of his native Venezuela . Roca started with the Pirates in the rookie Gulf Coast League and at single-A Macon. He hit .214 in 31 games. He returned to Macon for 1986 and hit .232 in 90 games. He hit an eighth-inning go-ahead triple in a July game.  That August, The Pittsburgh Press called Roca an "outstanding catching prospect," as they wrote of an odd play at the plate where he...