Steve Veit waited to sign before pros, saw two seasons

-
Steve Veit 1990 Auburn Astros baseball card
Steve Veit's entry into the pros was delayed but he still got some cash.

After being drafted by the Astros late in the 1989 draft, Veit waited until the day before the next year's draft to sign, according to The Arizona Republic.

Veit's father told The Republic the Astros gave him a $40,000 bonus to sign. He signed and started his pro career, but his career ended up being brief, just two seasons.

Veit's career began that year in 1990, having been taken by the Astros in the 33rd round of the 1989 draft out of Mesa Community College in Arizona.

At Mesa, Veit played a lot. He still holds the record for at bats over his two years there with 435. He won all-conference honors both years.

He started with the Astros at short-season Auburn. In 67 games, the first-baseman hit .225 with two home runs.

Veit moved to single-A Asheville for 1991. In 71 games there, he hit .193, ending his career.

1990 Minor League Tally
Players/Coaches Featured: 2,233
Made the Majors: 943-42.2%
Never Made Majors:1,290-57.8%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 394
10+ Seasons in the Minors:238

Browse By:

-Player Name
-Player Team
-Date Featured

Players A to Z

Popular posts from this blog

Jorge Pineda made perfect throw, played one pro season

-
Image
The Asheville Tourists had a tough inning in this June 1990 game, but left fielder Jorge Pineda helped stop the bleeding, according to The Asheville Times . After a single sent the ball his way to left, Pineda "made a perfect throw" to his catcher to cut down a runner trying to score, The Times wrote . Pineda made that throw in his first season as a pro. It also proved his last. He played one season , at single-A Asheville. Pineda's career began and ended that year signed by the Astros as a free agent. His school or home  country are not included in records. Pineda arrived at Asheville in mid-June, described as from extended spring training .  Pineda picked up an RBI triple  and an RBI single in two other June games. He then singled and scored in a July game. A Pineda sacrifice in a late-August game led to a run. Overall, Pineda got into 37 games on the year. He hit .198, with two home runs and nine RBI to mark the extent of his pro career . Asheville Times, June 24, ...
Read more

Edwin Valentin saw 3 seasons, single-A, from Puerto Rico

-
Image
Edwin Valentin had a good night in this early April 1990 game, according to The Asheville Times .  Valentin went 3 for 5 and knocked in two runs in the 19-6 Asheville win, The Times wrote . Valentin had that night at the outset of his third pro season . It also proved to be his last. He topped out at single-A. Valentin's career began in 1988, signed by the Astros as a free agent out of his native Puerto Rico . Valentin was also credited as Ed Valentin. Valentin started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw nine games and hit .292. He moved to short-season Auburn for 1989. He got into 57 games there and hit .214. He also had 12 RBI and seven stolen bases. For 1990, he started at single-A Asheville. He singled and scored in a mid-April game. He ended up getting into 15 games by early May. He went 11 for 45, a .244 average. He then got his release . That season marked his last as a pro . Asheville Times, April 8, 1990: Tourists Rip Rainbows More:  The 1990 ...
Read more

Perry Berry saw 4 seasons, high-A, went into education

-
Image
Picked by the Astros in the fourth round of the draft, University of Southwestern Louisiana product Perry Berry found the contract negotiations tougher than he'd thought, The Lafayette Daily Advertiser wrote . "I thought I had some bargaining power because I could always go back to USL and work on my degree," Berry told The Daily Advertiser , "but apparently they didn't see it that way." Berry eventually did sign. His career, though, likely wasn't as he'd hoped. He played four seasons and made high-A. But Berry did go back to school - and he's continued going back. Berry became a teacher, coach, and district superintendent. Berry's  pro career began in 1990, taken by the Astros in the fourth round out of Southwestern Louisiana.  In college, Berry earned Collegiate Baseball's national Player of the Week honors in February 1990 after he hit six home runs early in the season, with a .421 average, The Daily Advertiser wrote . "Berry...
Read more

A to Z: 1990 Minor League Players, Baseball Profiles

-
Image
What happened to your favorite minor league team in 1990? Find out here. Since late 2009, the players of 1990 have been featured at Greatest21Days.com, one at a time. Here, they've been ordered here alphabetically.  Every player has a story. With the help of contemporaneous newspaper articles, find that story here. Most recent players added Dec. 1, 2024 List of 1990 minor league players featured, in alphabetical order: Total: 4,457 A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z A  -  Bill Abare  got big hit at Dunedin, saw three pro seasons , 10/31/13  -  Glenn Abbott  saw bigs over decade, later turned coach , 7/27/14  -  Kurt Abbott 's first ML hit went for homer, saw 9 seasons , 3/22/15  -  Kyle Abbott  saw time in four major league seasons, Japan , 10/4/17  -  Paul Abbott  returned from injuries, made 11 ML seasons , 5/23/11...
Read more

Mike Frauenhoffer helped his college to three NAIA World Series appearances; Saw single pro season

-
Image
The 1990 season underway, The Great Falls Tribune asked the rookie league Dodgers, including Mike Frauenhoffer , about their greatest thrill. Frauenhoffer looked to his college accomplishments for his: "Three NAIA World Series appearances," his Tribune entry read . While he appeared in those three series for the College of St. Francis, Frauenhoffer's professional appearances proved limited. He played that one season at Great Falls and got into 41 games , marking the extent of his pro career. Frauenhoffer's pro career began and ended that year in 1990, signed by the Dodgers out of the the College of St. Francis in Illinois. At St. Francis, Frauenhoffer helped his school to those NAIA appearances and helped them in the appearances.  He hit .375 in 1989 and helped eliminate IUPUI with an 11th inning single. In the 1990 tournament, he led the field with 20 assists. He also knocked in two runs in one series win and three in another off a tripl...
Read more

T.J. Lucin hoped to be FMLBBP, saw 2 seasons, single-A

-
Image
T.J. Lucin 's main goal was so ingrained in his playing that he wrote it on each piece of equipment he had - "FMLBBP," The Berwyn Life wrote upon his selection by the Astros in the 1989 draft. The abbreviation stood for "future major league baseball player," The Life wrote . "It's something I've always dreamed of," Lucin told The Life . "In the past, I've done it, but I wasn't so outward about it." Lucin took a big step toward that goal with his selection that June. But he couldn't sustain his momentum. Lucin ended up playing two seasons . He topped out at single-A. Lucin's career began that June, taken by the Astros in the 21st round of the draft out of Morton College in Illinois. Lucin was also credited by his given first name, Anthony Lucin. Lucin arrived at Morton after transferring from Pima Community College in Arizona, as the team needed a catcher. He homered in a May 1989 game for Morton. As Morton prepared...
Read more

Features from the 1990 minor league sets (By Date)

-
Image
What happened to your favorite minor league team in 1990? Find out here. Since late 2009, the players of 1990 have been featured at Greatest21Days.com, one at a time. Here, they've been ordered here by the date published, newest first.  Every player has a story. With the help of contemporaneous newspaper articles, find that story here. Most recent players added June 20 ,  2025 Features in order of when the y appeared: June 2025 Mark Stiteler  threw well in college, saw 3 pro outings , 6/29/25 Steve McCumiskey  went from college catching to pros , 6/28/25 Jason Wall  gave solid college relief, saw 1 pro season , 6/25/25 Dennis Reed  turned to pitching, then pros, saw 3 seasons , 6/22/25 Brian Williams  strove for best over nine majors seasons , 6/22/25 Louie Martinez , from Virgin Islands to Austin to pros , 6/21/25 Julio Linares  has coached, scouted, more over 4 decades , 6/18/25 John Vandemark  gained new focus, saw 9 seasons, high-A , 6...
Read more