Corey Diggs played Vellejo's Wilson Park, 2 pro seasons

-

Speaking to a documentary crew in 2014, former Astros minor leaguer Corey Diggs recounted his connection to Vellejo, California's Wilson Park baseball field.

He'd been seeing the big players at Wilson Park since his Little League days, he told the crew for their documentary on the park, "The Wilson Park Chronicles." And he knew he could play at their level.

"So when I went over there, I had a whole different attitude, like I wanted to prove to both parks who I was," Diggs told the crew, referencing Wilson and another park. "I felt like I was lost in East Vallejo. But when I came over there, man, I just wanted to be the best that I could be."

Diggs went on from Vellejo to turn pro. His pro career lasted two seasons. He spent both in rookie ball.

Diggs' career began in 1989, taken by the Astros in the 16th round of the draft out of Vellejo's Hogan High School.

At Vellejo, Diggs helped his Little League team to the 1983 area championship.

With the Astros, Diggs started in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He saw 41 games and hit .215. 

He then returned to the GCL for 1990. He got into another 29 games and hit .275. That season proved his last as a pro.


1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:4,525
Made the Majors:1,432-31.7%
Never Made Majors:3,094-68.3%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:582
10+ Seasons in the Minors:359

Browse By:

-Player Name
-Player Team
-Date Featured

Players A to Z

Popular posts from this blog

Fidel Compres played, accidentally caused woman's death

-
Image
Fidel Compres went out after a game with the AAA Las Vegas Stars in July 1994. He then ended up inside his apartment, along with a teammate, two women and his two guns, The Associated Press reported of the police account. By the time the night was over, one of the two women was dead, shot in the neck, from a gun held by Compres, The AP wrote of the police account. "Compres began playing with two guns he keeps at his apartment, a .38-caliber revolver and a 9mm semi-automatic," The AP wrote . "While allegedly twirling the 9mm around on a finger, it discharged, sending a bullet into the neck of the woman, who died instantly, (the police spokesman) said." The shooting was ultimately determined not criminal, an accident. Compres played on elsewhere , but his time in affiliated ball had concluded. He last saw time in independent ball in 2000. Compres' career in baseball began in 1984, signed by the Indians as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic . Com...
Read more

Raul Chavez saw bigs over 11 seasons with Astros, others

-
Image
Astros catcher Raul Chavez hit his first major league home run in this September 2000 game, a game made all the more memorable - or unusual - by the addition of a streaker, The Quad-City Times wrote .  "I'll remember this day," Chavez told The Times afterward. "For everything." To get to that day - his first major league home run - took Chavez more than a decade of work. He'd seen the majors briefly in three previous seasons.  He went on to see the bigs - and more playing time - over seven more campaigns . His final major league time came in 2009, with the Blue Jays. Chavez' career began in 1990, signed by the Astros as a free agent out of his native Venezuela . Chavez started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He hit .323 in 48 games there. He then saw single-A Burlington in 1991, then high-A Osceola in 1993 and AA Jackson in 1994. He made AAA Tucson in 1995. He then moved to the Expos for 1996. He debuted in the majors with Montrea...
Read more

Miguel Cabrera, of the Dominican, played 3 pro seasons

-
Image
Astros minor leaguer Miguel Cabrera had a big night this game in May 1992. He hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning and followed that with a run-scoring sacrifice fly two innings later for four RBI on the night, The Asheville Citizen-Times wrote . Cabrera had that night in his third season as a pro. It also proved to be his last season as a pro. He topped out at single-A. That home run also proved to be his only home run as a pro. Cabrera's career began in 1990, signed by the Astros as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic . The more commonly known Miguel Cabrera is from Venezuela. He started with the Astros in 1990 in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw 20 games and hit .246. Cabrera moved to short-season Auburn for 1991. He got into 35 games there and hit .226. He also stole six bases. For 1992, he arrived at Asheville. He scored the game-winning run in a 2-1 win mid-May. Overall, he saw 22 games and hit .159 to end his career . Asheville Citizen-Times, Ma...
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 Dec. 1 ,  2024 Features in order of when the y appeared: February 2025  -  Doug Bair  did his job in major leagues over 15 seasons , 2/23/25  -  Nick Belmonte  played, managed, broadcast Florida games , 2/22/25  -  Mark Brewer  amassed coaching experience over long career , 2/21/25  -  Dan Shwam  had long independent league managerial career , 2/15/25  -  Jim Schifman  dreamed of pros, made it for eight games , 2/11/25  -  Steve Keighley  worked to hit over 4 seasons, made high-A , 2/9/25  -  Jim Doyle  helped Sal...
Read more

Jon Quaid's career consisted of one season, 12 outings

-
Image
Jon Quaid had a big game this day for Mt. Eden High School in May 1987, according to The Oakland Tribune . Quaid picked up five hits and hit for the cycle, The Tribune wrote . Quaid appears to have gone on from Mt. Eden to Chabot College and then to the pros. His pro career, however, proved limited. He saw just 12 games, all in rookie ball . Quaid's career began and ended in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 17th round of the draft out of Chabot College. Quaid's connections before Chabot could not be confirmed, but he appears to have gone to Mt. Eden for that cycle. Though that Quaid's named was spelled John Quaid , instead of Jon, both Mt. Eden and Chabot are in Hayward, California and the dates fit. Before that, a Jon Quaid appears nearby in listings for a Fremont slowpitch softball league in 1984. The Chabot/Astros Quaid, listed as born in September 1968, would have been 15 then. That Jon Quaid homered and doubled in one June 1984 game. The John Quaid at Mt. Eden playe...
Read more

Wally Heckel helped St. John's, made two pro seasons

-
Image
St. John's University was looking to advance in the 1988 Big East Tournament and Wally Heckel helped them do that, according to The Associated Press . Hitting against Seton Hall, Heckel picked up three hits, including a home run, helping his team to a 6-2 victory . Heckel's performance that year got the notice of scouts for the Blue Jays , the team taking him way down in the 65th round of the draft that year. Heckel instead stayed in school, but the Blue Jays didn't forget him. A year later, Heckel had improved his draft stock considerably, the Blue Jays taking him in the 12th round . Heckel is also credited by his full name, Walter Heckel. As a pro, though, Heckel couldn't show that same improvement. His professional career ended up consisting of just two seasons . Heckel's efforts at St. John's in 1988 earned him selection to that year's All-Tournament Team. In 1989, he also won First Team All-Conference honors . In summer of 1988, Heckel h...
Read more