Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Originally published Sept. 23, 2012 Called on to get the final out - and save - Dave Pavlas gave up a single to load the bases in this August 1996 game against the Athletics, The Hartford Courant wrote . Then, facing Oakland's Jason Giambi, Pavlas threw three pitches for three strikes, setting Giambi down and picking up his first-career save . "It seemed like there were a million fans," Pavlas told The Courant afterward. "It felt like I better get him out or I would have to check my car on the way out. That's a load off my mind. I was so excited afterwards I couldn't remember my name or where my locker was. I want to keep that feeling." It was a feeling for Pavlas that was likely similar to the feeling six years earlier, when he picked up his first major league win, an accomplishment, Pavlas told The Chicago Tribune , that ranked "right up there with being born." It was also a feeling that was likely a world away from the ...

The 1988 Billings Mustangs, including Scott Economy. (Photo Provided) Part 1: The Adrenaline | Part 2: Opening Day Scott Economy recalled at first being kind of mad. This was his second professional season and the Reds minor leaguer was being sent back to rookie Billings. But the first-year reliever was being sent back as a second-year starter - Billings' Opening Day starter. That, Economy quickly learned, meant something. "When somebody explained it to me that you're the Opening Day starter - I really didn't know that the starters were the top prospects in the organization," Economy said. "They wanted to get you more innings, more experience on the mound. "When I found that out," Economy said, "I was like 'OK, I get this.'" This was June 1988 and the start of the Pioneer League team's short season. As it turned out, though, Economy never got the chance to show exactly what he could do. It was before that fi...

Scott Economy pitched 1989 and 1990 with the Cedar Rapids Reds, a rival of the Clinton Giants. Photo is the former Riverview Stadium in Clinton in 2014. (Greatest 21 Days) Part 1: The Adrenaline | Part 2: Opening Day Scott Economy took the field and showed what he could do. The difference between this field and the previous fields he'd played on was this was a major league field. This was a Reds pre-draft camp in 1987 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and the team was looking at possibly drafting Economy. "It was incredible," Economy recalled recently to The Greatest 21 Days of the experience. "It was incredible being on a big league mound. The adrenaline was unbelievable." Economy then used that adrenaline to pitch his best, he recalled. "They had a big screen behind home plate with all the top brass in the whole organization were sitting back there," Economy recalled. "I was facing guys who were draftable hitters and throwin...

Bend Bucks catcher Dave Sturdivant was in a groove this night in August 1988 and the opposing runners paid the price, according to The Bend Bulletin . Sturdivant caught three runners trying to steal. One of them came at third base to complete a double play on a strikeout, The Bulletin wrote . Sturdivant was in his first season as a pro that year. He got into just two more. He made AA, but didn't make it higher . Sturdivant's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Angels in the 10th round of the draft out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Sturdivant won second-team all-conference honors in 1988. He made the National Baseball Congress World Series in 1987, hitting a two-run home run in an August game. He hit a three-run home run in a March 1988 game for UNLV. Sturdivant played his first season with the Angels at short-season Bend. He got into 50 games, hitting .188. He walked and scored in a June game. He singled in another game . Sturdivant moved ...

Originally published March 31, 2011; Updated April 28, 2015 The major leagues weren't so far away for Ralph "Rocket" Wheeler and his high-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans. And for Jason Heyward , who started 2009 with Myrtle Beach, the majors weren't, WMBF.com wrote . "It's part of the speech I tell these guys every year, you don't know how close you are to the big leagues," Wheeler told WMBF . "Guys think, ‘here I am in Myrtle Beach, I have to go to Double-A and Triple-A before I get to the big leagues.' Believe me: your trip may be quicker than you think." Wheeler's trip is still continuing, more than three decades in. After a playing career that lasted six seasons, all in the minors, Wheeler has gone on to a lengthy coaching and managing career , all in the minors. Wheeler's career in the minors began in 1977, taken by the Blue Jays in the 13th round of the draft, out of the University of Houston. In his six se...

The Pirates were heading down the stretch in 1991, but the bullpen wasn't been performing, according to The Washington Observer-Reporter . One of the pitchers the Pirates should consider for the closer role, Observer-Reporter columnist John Sacco wrote: Rosario Rodriguez . "He's very nasty for left-handed hitters to handle," Sacco wrote in The Observer-Reporter , "and he has proven in his short stay in the majors he can get key outs." Rodriguez already had two saves by that point. He went on to pick up four more as the Pirates won the division. Only one bad outing caused his ERA to balloon. Rodriguez was in his third season with time in the majors that year. Injuries and other problems meant he didn't get back . Rodriguez' career began in 1987, signed by the Reds as a free agent out of his native Mexico. Rodriguez started in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He had a 3.08 ERA there. He played 1988 between single-A Greensboro and single-...

Brought into the game in the seventh inning of this May 1988 game, Clemente Acosta was still pitching in the ninth , his team up 9 to 2. Acosta, however, was still in line for the save - by the end of the seventh, Augusta had only been up by a run . So, after starting off the ninth by giving up a double and a walk, Acosta settled back in and finished off his fourth save of the year, The Charleston Sunday Post/Courier wrote . Though still May, the save ended up being the final save Acosta would record on the year. It would also be the second to last save he would record in his professional career. The Dominican reliever would switch to starter two years later, then back to relieving. But, regardless of how he pitched, Acosta would never made the majors . Acosta's career began in 1986, having been signed by the Pirates . Referred to then by his given first name, Jose Acosta, Acosta pitched for the Pirates' Gulf Coast League team. There, he made 20 relief appear...

Shawn Boskie tried to describe his mindset during his major league debut in May 1990. "Surprisingly, I was a lot more relaxed than I thought I would be," Boskie told The Chicago Tribune . "A lot of the players helped me out by telling me what it was like when they broke in." What the relaxed Boskie delivered that day was nothing short of a gem . The rookie threw a complete-game, five-hitter, giving up just one earned run for the win - in his first major-league outing. Boskie went on to a career where he pitched in nine big league seasons , playing for six big league teams. Boskie made the majors four years after signing with the Cubs. Boskie signed having been taken in the first round of the January 1986 draft, out of Modesto Junior College . He played that first year at rookie Wytheville, going 4-4 in 12 starts. He moved to single-A Peoria in 1987, then AA Charlotte in 1989. For 1990, Boskie started the year at AAA Iowa. By May, he was in Chicago. ...

Features on each member of the 1990 Greenville Braves, AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Greenville Braves (34) 1 -  John Alva played seven pro seasons, made AAA in two 2 -  Buddy Bailey  worked on title teams through managing career 3 -  Kevin Batiste  made majors, saw career end with 'immaturity' 4 -  Mike Bell  saw 2 seasons with Braves, then tried to get back 5 -  Brian Boltz  learned new grip in college, saw 3 pro seasons 6 -  Rich Casarotti  broke stalemate at AAA, saw 6 seasons 7 -  Brian Champion  used ability to play 6 seasons, made AA 8 -  Kevin Dean  became Expos 1st-rounder, saw 8 seasons, AAA 9  -  Maximo Del Rosario  threw sidearm, saw 8 pro seasons, AA 10 -  Pat Gomez, Did Whatever 11 - Terry Harper, Playing Time 12 - Brian Hunter, Hit it Hard 13  -  Randy Ingle  had two priorities as minor league manager 14 -  Judd Johnson, Pumped Up 1...

Originally published May 25, 2010 Charlie Mitchell and his brother John had been on their way to becoming siblings on the same team, the Red Sox. Until 1985 . First John was traded to the Mets system, then Charlie was sent off to the Twins. "We have nothing against the Mitchell family," Red Sox GM Lou Gorman told a reporter after the organization rid itself of the second Mitchell sibling, "but we didn't think Charlie fit into our plans in the long haul." For his brother John, the move signaled the path to his major league debut. For Charlie, it saw him leave the major league portion of his career behind. Charlie Mitchell was taken by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 1982 draft. He was first sent to short-season Elmira, and made AA New Britain in 1983. With New Britain, Mitchell shut down Reading Sept. 6 over four innings for his 14th save, according to a wire report in The Day . He made Pawtucket and Boston in 1984. He made the Inte...

Neil Allen finally found success in 1986, something he hadn't seen in some time, The Associated Press wrote . By that July, the former New York Mets closer was 6-1 and hurling as a starter . "I made my name in the bullpen, but my whole career was going downhill," Allen told The AP . "The way things were going, if the White Sox hadn't come along, I might have been on Long Island right now cutting grass." Allen stayed on a major league mound, and away from cutting grass, into 1989. But he still isn't cutting grass. Allen has gone on to a post-playing coaching career. For 2012, he's serving as pitching coach for AAA Durham . Allen's career began back in 1976, taken by the Mets in the 11th round of the draft out of Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City. Allen made AAA Tidewater in his third season and Flushing in his fourth. With the Mets in 1979, Allen got into 50 total games, starting five of them. He went 6-10, with eight sav...

Kelly Mann didn't hit well at AAA Richmond, but he was in Atlanta nonetheless in September 1990, according to The Los Angeles Times . Mann knew it wasn't his bat that got him there . "I went through a really bad slump," Mann explained to The Times of his hitting at Richmond. "But I showed everyone what I could do defensively, and that's why I'm here in the majors." Mann got into 11 games for the Braves that month, after getting into seven the previous year. His defense, though, wasn't enough to get him back. Those 18 games turned out to be the extent of his major league career . Mann's career began in 1985, taken by the Cubs in the 20th round of the draft out of Santa Monica High School in California. Mann started at rookie Wytheville. He hit .200 in 26 at bats. He played 1986 between short-season Geneva and single-A Peoria. He made AA Pittsfield briefly in 1988 and then AA Charlotte full-time in 1989. That Sept. 1, Mann was...

The Pirates went through a lot of changes going into 1997, but Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy was content in a change that wasn't made, according to The Beaver County Times . The Pirates kept outfielder and major league veteran Al Martin . "He's a leader," McClatchy told The Times , "the kind of player who will set a good example to our young guys. And he is also an outstanding person, someone who truly cares about his city, his team and his community." The Pirates were the team who initially brought Martin up to the majors in 1992. They were also the team he stayed with as a regular through 1999. Martin's professional career began in 1985, taken by the Braves in the eighth round of the draft out of Rowland High School in California. Martin started with the Braves in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He moved to single-A Sumter in 1986 and single-A Burlington in 1988. He first made AA Greenville in 1990, then hit AAA Richmond in 1991. For 19...

Originally published Oct. 5, 2011 Eddie Tanner did well in his professional debut in 1980. He did well enough for the Indians organization to not want him to sit on the bench, they sent him to an independent squad where they knew he would get playing time, The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote . Tanner would go on to do well enough to get playing time at AAA squads over five seasons, part of more than a decade spent as a professional. Tanner, though, never did well enough to get playing time in the majors. Tanner's career began that year in 1980, taken by the Indians in the ninth round out of Brooklyn-Cayce High outside Columbia, SC. That first year, Tanner got into 28 games, 27 of them at Auburn . He hit .275, with 12 RBIs. Tanner returned to Batavia for 1981, getting into 48 games. He hit just .235. His 1982 season was shortened to just 21 games. It was also his final year with the Indians organization. He joined the Cardinals for 1983, playing at single-A Sprin...