Pat Dando saw 7 seasons, high-A, also independent run

-
Pat Dando 1990 Pulaski Braves baseball card
Abilene needed a big hit in this June 1995 game and Pat Dando came through, according to The Pueblo Chieftan.

With his team down by four in the eighth inning and the bases loaded, Dando hit a grand slam off Pueblo reliever Brian Nelson.

Nelson gave likely the opposite reaction as Dando after the game, telling The Chieftan, "I really feel bad about that."

Dando hit that grand slam in his sixth season as a pro, his second in independent ball. He played in one more season. He never made the majors.

Dando's career began in 1990, signed by the Braves as a free agent out of Panola College in Texas. He's also been credited by his formal name, Patrick Dando.

Dando started with the Braves at rookie Pulaski. He hit a stellar .360 in 69 games. He played for three teams in 1991, single-A Macon, high-A Durham and high-A Miami. His overall average dropped to just .198.

For 1992, he moved to the Royals system and high-A Baseball City. He went 4 for 4 in an April game. He hit a home run in an August win. Overall, he hit .281. He then moved to high-A Wilmington for 1993, hitting .237 there. It was his final year in affiliated ball.

Dando moved to independent Beaumont for 1994. He hit .292 there in 82 games. He then played 1995 between Abilene and Mobile, hitting .287 on the year.

His final pro season came in 1996. He played at independent Greys Harbor and Alexandria. He hit .280, with six home runs in his final season as a pro.

Browse By:

-Player Name
-Player Team
-Date Featured

Players A to Z

Popular posts from this blog

Jason Wall gave solid college relief, saw 1 pro season

-
Image
Louisiana State University took the win this day in February 1990. Helping them get there was reliever Jason Wall , according to a wire report . With a final score of 7-5, the account cited "solid relief pitching" from Wall and two other relievers. Wall's relief efforts at LSU were eventually enough for him to turn pro. His pro career, however, lasted a single season . Wall's career began and ended in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 39th round of the draft out of LSU.  At LSU, Wall picked up a win in 1.2 innings of relief in a March 1989 game. He saw 15 relief appearances that year and had a 3.62 ERA. With the Astros, Wall played at short-season Auburn . He saw 12 games, all in relief. He went 0-1 , with a 5.23 ERA and two saves to mark the extent of his pro career. Wall continued playing, at least in the short term. He's listed as playing with a Louisiana semi-pro team . Opelousas Daily World, wire report, Feb. 18, 1990: LSU beats Ole Miss, 7-5 More:  The 19...
Read more

Mark Stiteler threw well in college, saw 3 pro outings

-
Image
Blue Mountain Community College starter Mark Stiteler threw a two-hitter this day in April 1987, while striking out six, The Pendleton East Oregonian wrote . Two of those strikeouts cane looking, in successive innings with runners in scoring position, The East Oregonian wrote . "Stiteler threw an excellent ball game," Blue Mountain coach Larry Bartee told the paper . Stiteler went on from Blue Mountain ultimately to the University of Eastern Washington, Point Park College of Pittsburgh - and to the pros. His pro career lasted a single season, just three appearances .  Stiteler's career began and ended in 1990, signed by the Astros as an undrafted free agent out of Point Park College. At Blue Mountain, Stiteler threw a two-hit shutout in an April 1988 game. He then went on to Eastern Washington and then to Point Park College. He picked up his fifth win of 1990 to no defeats for Point Park in an April game. In a May contest, he struck out five in two innings . With the ...
Read more

Steve McCumiskey went from college catching to pros

-
Image
Rhode Island catcher Steve McCumiskey seemingly tried to be polite with when the opposing pitcher Ed Therrien came to bat after a designated hitter switch issue in this April 1989 game, according to The Bangor Daily News . "There was no way I was going to get a hit," Therrien told The Daily News then. "Their catcher (McCumiskey) asked me what I wanted their pitcher to throw me, but I told him it didn't matter, I wasn't going to hit it anyway." McCumiskey's more usual work as a catcher at Rhode Island ultimately got him a shot at the pros. His pro time ended up lasting a single season , spent at short-season Auburn. McCumiskey's career began and ended in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 42nd round of the draft out of the University of Rhode Island. At Rhode Island, McCumiskey was photographed catching a high throw and pulling it down to get a tag out in an April 1989 game. He picked up a double in an April 1990 game. With the Astros, he was assig...
Read more

Mike Alvarez turned from pitching to long career as coach

-
Image
Released by the Orioles in his second pro season in 1981, Mike Alvarez signed on with the Royals and looked forward to showing what he could do, The Miami Herald wrote . "This organization has a lot of good pitching, but it also recognizes when someone does a good job," Alvarez told The Herald that next August in 1982. "I think they'll give me a fair shake, and in the minors that's all you can ask for." Alvarez eventually pitched well enough for the Royals to make AAA . But the organization eventually recognized Alvarez could do a good job elsewhere, as a coach.  After a pro career that lasted five seasons, Alvarez has gone on to a long minor league coaching career with the Royals, Braves and, into 2023, with the Tigers. Alvarez' baseball career began in 1980, signed by the Orioles out of      .  He started with the Orioles at single-A Miami , then moved to the Royals and single-A Fort Myers for 1981. He made AA Jacksonville in 1982 and went 9-0, with...
Read more

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

Marcos Garcia turned pitcher and accepted that; Saw four pro seasons, made AA, later turned pitching coach

-
Image
Marcos Garcia grew up a shortstop. But, signed by the Mariners, they turned him into a pitcher, The San Bernardino County Sun wrote in 1991. "My love of the game is hitting," Garcia told The Sun then. "(But) I'm beginning to enjoy the game as a pitcher. Now that I'm doing this, I accept the fact that I am a pitcher." Garcia eventually saw four pro seasons as a pitcher and made AA . He then went on to a post-playing career putting those pitching skills to use, as a pitching coach. Garcia's career began in 1989, signed by the Mariners as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic. Garcia started with the Mariners in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He went 4-5, with a 2.75 ERA over 13 starts. He then moved to high-A Peninsula for 1990. He saw 36 outings , seven starts and went 4-5, with a 2.75 ERA. For 1991, he saw 20 starts at high-A San Bernardino and six at AA Jacksonville. He went 10-12 between them, with a 3.68 ERA. Garcia then returned to Ja...
Read more

Dennis Reed turned to pitching, then pros, saw 3 seasons

-
Image
Dennis Reed started out his college career as a catcher. He then went to Canada before his senior campaign at San Luis Obispo and returned wanting to pitch, The San Luis Obispo Tribune wrote . For Reed, it turned out to be a good enough choice as the Astros selected him in that June's draft as a pitcher . "I think it wasn't a bad pick to take him because there's probably a lot more in him that an organization can develop," Reed's college pitching coach Kent Agler told The Tribune . Reed went on from there to see time in three pro seasons. He topped out at single-A . Reed's career began that year in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 22nd round of the draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo . Earlier in his college career, Reed's coach saw him, then a sophomore, as an experienced catcher as the team looked to fill the starting catcher's role, The Tribune wrote  in January 1988. Reed was among a couple of candidates. "Catching is young on paper, b...
Read more