Howard Prager swung bat well in AAA game, saw seven seasons

-

In his seventh season as a pro in 1995, Louisville Redbird Howard Prager struggled to get playing time, The Louisville Courier-Journal wrote.

But when he did get in, he showed what he could do, including in a June game where he hit a home run, a double and stole a base, The Courier-Journal wrote.

"We keep bringing in people to play first base in front of him, but he can play at this level," Louisville manager Joe Pettini told The Courier-Journal of Prager. "Not only did he swing the bat tonight, he made some good plays at first base."

However well he did that night, Prager's time in the pros ended with that year. He missed the bigs.

Prager's career began in 1989, taken by the Astros in the 31st round of the draft out of the University of Texas at Arlington.

Prager started with the Astros at short-season Auburn. He saw 73 games and hit .335. He moved to high-A Osceola for 1990. He hit .248 in 99 games.

For 1991, Prager spent much of the season at AA Jackson. He saw 109 games there and hit .305. He had a shot to add to a ninth-inning rally that August, but he hit one back to the mound, The Jackson Clarion-Ledger wrote.

"In that situation, I knew he'd go right at me," Prager told The Clarion-Ledger of the 3-1 count. "He's throwing his best stuff. I'm a fastball hitter and he challenged me. He won this time."

Prager played 1992 back at Jackson, then moved to the Cardinals system and AA Arkansas and AAA Louisville for 1993. He then returned to Louisville for 1994 and 1995 to end his career.

Prager soon returned home to Texas and became a youth coach, his son Ryan Prager going on to play in college.

Howard Prager 1990 Osceola Astros card


1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:4,310
Made the Majors:1,394-32.3%
Never Made Majors:2,916-67.7%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:567
10+ Seasons in the Minors:349

Browse By:

-Player Name
-Player Team
-Date Featured

Players A to Z

Popular posts from this blog

Road Trip: Trenton Thunder

-
Image
Blue Jays catching coordinator Sal Fasano, right, at the batting cage before a game at Trenton's Arm & Hammer Park in June 2014. (G21D Photo) When my wife and I were in Baltimore in 2005, the Red Sox were in town playing the Orioles. At one point during the game, the Red Sox player walked up to the plate and tapped the catcher on the shoulder in a gesture of recognition. I remember telling my wife about it later. The two players were Johnny Damon and Sal Fasano . Both players came up in the Royals system and played together there. I found it cool and interesting, especially because I'd seen Fasano play years before, when my dad and I frequented Cedar Rapids Kernels games in 1994. Fasano played that year for the Rockford Royals , winning the league's MVP . I mention all this because I had the opportunity to cross paths with Fasano again unexpectedly this past weekend. Fasano, with his distinctive mustache, served as the fill-in manager for the New Hampshir...
Read more

Chris Sparrow came back from slump with home run at Utica; Played two pro seasons

-
Image
Chris Sparrow had his first big game in a while in this July 1990 contest for Utica as he went 2 for 4, with a home run, The Elmira Star-Gazette wrote . "I just haven't been in a groove," Sparrow explained to The Star-Gazette afterward. "I hurt my right knee earlier and after coming back, I've been 0-for-12. But maybe this will get me out of the slump." Sparrow ended up coming back to hit .281 on the year, but it wasn't enough. That year marked his second pro season, but also his last . He topped out at short-season. Sparrow's career began in 1989, signed by the Braves as a free agent out of the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Sparrow played summer 1989 with the American Legion team in his hometown of Kernersville. He hit a three-run home run in an August game.  With the Braves, Sparrow played at rookie Idaho Falls . That July, he hit a fastball out for a home run off Salt Lake starter Tom Studstill, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote . "Th...
Read more

Willie Canate made one ML season, also saw World Series

-
Image
New Blue Jay Willie Canate wasn't expecting to play in this July 1993 game, but, in the end, he helped his team win, The Associated Press wrote . Canate came off the bench due to injury to tie the game with a single early and then hit his first major league home run to win the game late, The AP wrote . "I was happy because the start wasn't anticipated," Canate told The AP , through an interpreter. "I'm just thrilled to death to be able to help the team win. Hopefully this will lead to more opportunities to play." Canate did get some more opportunities to play, including one brief appearance later that year in the World Series. But his major league career proved confined to that single season. Canate's career began in 1989, signed by the Indians as a free agent out of his native Venezuela . Canate started with the Indians in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He moved to short-season Watertown for 1990 and then single-A Columbus and high-A Kinston in 1...
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 Aug. 16, 2025 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

1990 Wichita Wranglers player profiles, AA San Diego

-
Image
Features on each member of the 1990 Wichita Wranglers, AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres, as included in that year's team set. Wichita Wranglers (28) Andy Benes  made the Olympics, then bigs over 14 seasons Ricky Bones  used luck, opportunity over 11 majors seasons Doug Brocail  saw 15 major league campaigns, later coached Rafael Chaves  made AA as player, bigs as coach, cried Brian Cisarik  hit well in college, played 5 pro seasons Wichita Wranglers mascot  Cookie  had versatile performers Greg David  learned pro realities over 8 seasons, made AA Todd Hansen  knew he had to pitch well in 1987 start; Saw pros over seven seasons, made AA , 10/20/20 Jeremy Hernandez  moved from starting to relief and then made the bigs over five seasons , 3/30/20 Charlie Hillemann  made AAA, later decided to quit baseball, go home and be a dad , 11/2/20 Rich Holsman  liked to play the game, did so over five seasons; Made AA , 10/30/20 Mike Hum...
Read more

Julio Valera made 5 bigs seasons with 'dastardly dip' slider

-
Image
Once a Mets starting prospect, Julio Valera now found himself with the Angels. He also found himself thrust into a game, unsure exactly how to handle relief duties. "After the first pitch," Valera told The Los Angeles Times in April 1992, "I said to myself, 'This is just another game. Go right at them.' After that, I got my fastball over and all my pitches over." Valera had just been traded to the Angels earlier that month by a Mets team that had grown wary of his arm . Signed by the Mets in 1986 as a free agent out of Puerto Rico, Valera developed, by one account , a slider with a "dastardly dip." Three seasons in the low minors gave way in 1989 to promotion to AA Jackson and a taste of AAA Tidewater. He returned to Tidewater for 1990, making his Mets debut as a September call-up. In six innings, Valera gave up five hits and three runs, a quality start that had the Mets impressed, according to the New York Times . ''...
Read more

1990 Eugene Emeralds player profiles, Royals

-
Image
Features on each member of the 1990 Eugene Emeralds, short-season affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Eugene Emeralds (30) 1 -  Javier Alvarez  saw two pro seasons with Royals at Eugene 2 -  Francisco Baez  saw 5 pro seasons with Royals, made high-A 3 -  Ramy Brooks  grew up in college, saw 9 pro seasons, AAA 4 -  Jay Carballo  learned lessons in college, saw single season 5 -  Scott Davis  broke bats as pitcher, played one pro season 6 -  Weddison Ebanks , Brief Stay, 9/9/18 7 -  Charles Frederick , Little Mistake, 9/25/18 8 -  Sean Franceschi , Tough Start, 8/7/18 9 -  Harry Guanchez , Home Run, 9/28/18 10 -  Rafael Gutierrez , Crowd Size, 9/29/18 11 -  David Haber , Big Game, 10/6/18 12 -  Donny Harrel , Best Thing, 7/19/18 13 -  Doug Harris , His Job, 10/10/18 14 -  Phil Hiatt , On Numbers, 7/30/18 15 -  Dave Hierholzer , Vulture Wins, 8/31/18 16...
Read more