Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Features on each member of the 1990 Baseball City Royals, high-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals as included in that year's team set.  Baseball City Royals (31) Mike Alvarez turned from pitching to long career as coach Jose Anglero made AAA early, saw six seasons, missed bigs Mike Beall got out of single-A slump, saw three pro seasons Jacob Brumfield  returned from injury, made 7 ML seasons Sean Collins played 7 pro seasons, 5 independent, coached Huascar DeLeon  got key Appleton out, saw 4 pro seasons Bill Drohan pitched well in high school, saw 4 pro seasons , 12/14/23 Linton Dyer tried different plate approach, saw six seasons , 1/14/24 Mark Farnsworth helped keep players healthy over decades , 2/4/24 Jeff Garber used his work ethic to make AAA, later manage , 1/9/24 Chris Garibaldo got signed in 'danger zone,' saw 3 seasons , 12/13/23 Greg Harvey worked on his mechanics over five pro seasons , 12/23/23 Steve Hoeme picked up confidence at AA, saw nine pr...

Brian Poldberg credited his wife with getting him back into the game, his hometown Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil wrote in March 1990. A former Royals farmhand, Poldberg signed on with the organization as a minor league manager. He also looked to the future, The Daily Nonpareil wrote . "I was very lucky to get in with the Royals. They try to run it like a family atmosphere," Poldberg told The Daily Nonpareil as he prepared to manage at high-A Baseball City. "It would be great, down the road, to get to Omaha. Living at home 10, 11 months out of the year, that would be ideal." Poldberg would go on to manage in the Royals system for three decades . He also would spend his final eight seasons managing Omaha and see the team retire his number . Poldberg's career in baseball began in 1980, signed by the Yankees out of Emporia State University in Kansas. Poldberg started with the Yankees at single-A Greensboro. He then made AA Nashville for 1981 and 1982. For 1983,...

The Reds looked to improve through their farm system in 2000 and to do so, they needed healthy arms, organization player development director Billy Doran told The Cincinnati Enquirer that July. Among the personnel he praised for ensuring they stayed healthy was minor league head trainer Mark Farnsworth. "The medical staff has really done a good job with that," Doran told The Enquirer . "If there's a better staff, I haven't seen it. Dr. (Tim) Kremchek deserved a lot of credit. He and Mark Farnsworth have done a great job. That's something that's really improved the last two years or so." Farnsworth joined the Reds out of the Royals system, where he served as a team trainer, part of a minor league training career that began in the late 1970s. Farnsworth started out of the University of Missouri, graduating in 1977 . He then got a master's in education from the University of Arizona. He first served as a trainer in high school and college, then jo...

Back on the mound after time away, Appleton hurler Randy Vaughn pitched well over five innings in this August 1989 win, The Appleton Post-Crescent wrote . The only thing that took him out of the game was his pitch limit, The Post-Crescent wrote . "I had pretty good command of all of my pitches, especially my slider," Vaughn told The Post-Crescent afterward. "I'm pitching a lot better since I came back. I'm concentrating now, something I wasn't doing earlier in the season." While Vaughn may have pitched better then by concentrating more, he never pitched well enough for a long career. He saw a total of three seasons. He topped out at AA . Vaughn's career began in 1988, taken in the Royals in the eighth round of the draft out of Shelton State Community College in Alabama. Vaughn started with the Royals at short-season Eugene . He went 4-4, with a 2.82 ERA over 15 starts. He moved to single-A Appleton for 1989. He saw 15 outings, 14 starts and went ...

Palisades High School coach Gary Koenig needed a starter in this April 2014 game after injuries, so he turned to his senior Colton Smith, Lehigh Valley Live wrote . Smith proceeded to throw his first-ever complete game in the win, the site wrote . "We talked and I told him to take us as far as he could," Koenig told Lehigh Valley Live . "Once we got to the fifth or sixth inning, he wanted the complete game." Years earlier, Koenig had played himself. His attempt to go as far as he could go there took him to two seasons . He made high-A. Koenig's career began in 1989, signed by the Royals as an undrafted free agent out of Temple University. Koenig started with the Royals in the rookie Gulf Coast League and at single-A Baseball City. He saw 23 games overall and hit .229. For 1990, he returned to Baseball City at high-A. He picked up two RBI in a May win. He saw 89 games overall there and hit .229. That season proved his last as a pro. Koenig later turned a yout...

It may have been due to circumstance, but Royals prospect Jose Anglero had made AAA - in his second pro season in 1987, according to The Omaha World-Herald . Omaha was short on shortstops and Anglero seemed like a good fill-in, Omaha manager John Wathan told The World-Herald . "Jose is one of the few shortstop prospects we have in the organization," Wathan told The World-Herald . "But he's only 18 and he has limited experience. We're going to make it clear to him that he's under no pressure here." Anglero ended up seeing three games there that year, before playing the rest of the year at single-A and rookie ball. Anglero went on to play six pro seasons . He never returned to AAA. Anglero's career began in 1986, signed by the Royals as a free agent out of Puerto Rico out of a tryout camp . Anglero started with the Royals in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw 39 games and hit .204. He then saw the GCL, single-A Appleton and AAA Omaha for 1987. H...

Ron Johnson played eight seasons in the minors and even got a few looks at the majors. He then settled back in the minors as a manager .  He spent more than a dozen seasons as a manager at the AAA level, a role Orioles manager Buck Showalter recalled later to The Boston Globe Johnson being perfect for. "I think that's the toughest place to manage or maybe coach," Showalter told The Globe . "It takes a special guy to do that job ... He was the perfect Triple A manager. He would give the guys the space when they got sent down and were upset, but at some point, Ron would have that tough conversation." Showalter spoke of Johnson to The Globe in January 2021, after Johnson's passing from COVID-19 at the age of 64. Johnson's long career in baseball began in 1978, taken by the Royals in the 24th round of the draft out of Cal State Fresno. Johnson started with the Royals in the rookie Gulf Coast League and at single-A Fort Myers. He played 1980 at AA Jackson...

Appleton catcher Huascar DeLeon threw out a key runner at third in this June 1989 game, The Appleton Post-Crescent wrote . It was enough for Appleton manager Brian Poldberg to note after the game . "In the streak we're in, you're always looking at the worst," Poldberg told The Post-Crescent . "But Karl (Drezek) came in, and Deleon made a heckuva play to force the (lead) runner (at third). That turned the tied back in our direction." DeLeon threw out that runner in his second season as a pro. He went on to see parts of two more. He topped out at high-A . DeLeon's career began in 1988, signed by the Royals out of his native Dominican Republic . DeLeon started with the Royals in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw 46 games and hit .210. He moved to single-A Appleton and high-A Baseball City for 1989. He hit a home run for Appleton in a June game. He hit .203 in 73 games overall that year. DeLeon then returned to Baseball City at high-A to start 1990. ...

Mike Beall started the 1989 season at single-A Appleton strong, hitting as high as .329 by the end of May, The Appleton Post-Crescent wrote . But then a month-long slump came. Beall worked to get out of it, while also keeping up in the field, The Post-Crescent wrote . "It's a psychological thing," Beall told The Post-Crescent . "You just have to try to restore your confidence. As far as the fielding goes, I consider that to be a plus. But, as a first baseman I have to show that I can hit." Beall, in his second pro season, worked back enough to make high-A Baseball City the next year. But that third season proved his last as a pro. Beall's career began in 1988, taken by the Royals in the 33rd round of the draft out of St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Fla. Beall started with the Royals at Appleton. He saw 72 games there in 1988 and hit .239. He then returned there for 1989.  That July in 1989, out of his slump, he hit a three-run home run in a game...

Following his first pro season, Royals minor leaguer Sean Collins got an invitation to instructional league in January, The Manhattan Mercury wrote . A Kansas State product, Collins described the experience to The Mercury . "It was an honor just to get the invitation," Collins told The Mercury . "I was really in awe at first. You walk in the lockerroom and you see 'Brett' and 'Jackson' above the lockers. That took some time to get used to." Collins made high-A that year, but that season proved the extent of his career with the Royals. He returned four seasons later for independent ball. Collins' career began in 1989, taken by the Royals in the 13th round of the draft out of Kansas State . Collins started with the Royals at short-season Eugene . He hit .322 in 66 games. He also stole 31 bases. He then moved to high-A Baseball City for much of 1990 and played some at single-A Appleton. He hit .236 in 107 games between them. Collins returned for...

Appleton Foxes manager Brian Poldberg assessed second-year hurler Kevin Shaw to The Los Angeles Times in June 1988. "He's definitely a prospect," Poldberg told The Times of the Anaheim product. "But he's still probably four or five years away. He's working on his curveball and his changeup, the things he'll need in the big leagues. But they'll want him to have success at every level." Shaw did play five more seasons, but he never made the majors. He topped out at AA . Shaw's career began in 1987, taken by the Royals in the eighth round of the draft out of Katella High School in Anaheim. Shaw started with the Royals in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He went 3-2 over seven outings, with a 1.44 ERA.  He moved to single-A Appleton for 1988, where he had 18 starts and went 5-4 record and a 1.99 ERA. For 1989, he arrived at single-A Baseball City . He would stay there for four-straight seasons, including injury abbreviated seasons in 1989 and...

Leading into his first big league camp in 1989, Royals minor leaguer Darren Watkins needed to be ready. Out running a week before spring training, though, he suffered ligament damage and underwent surgery, The Kansas City Times wrote . He also was out for the season, The Times wrote . "It's a shame because it's his first big-league camp, and you want to impress everybody," Royals manager John Wathan told The Times . "It crushed him." Watkins eventually returned from that injury and played two more seasons. He saw five in all . He briefly played at AAA. Watkins' career began in 1986, taken in the 29th round of the previous year's draft out of Cascade High School in Everett, Wash. His name was also misspelled Daren Watkins. Watkins played his first season with the Royals in 1986, in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .236 in 24 games. He then played 1987 between short-season Eugene and single-A Appleton then 1988 mostly at Appleton, but also at s...

Appleton Fox Linton Dyer went through a rough patch in May 1988, then he changed his approach, he told The Appleton Post-Crescent . His change then helped result in a 4 for 5 performance with two RBI, The Post-Crescent wrote . "I was struggling," Dyer told The Post-Crescent . "I was trying to hit home runs. Today, I tried to put the ball in play rather than trying to put it out of the park." Dyer had that game in his fourth season with time in the pros. He saw two more campaigns. He topped out at high-A . Dyer's career began in 1985, taken by the Royals in the 17th round of the draft out of William E. Grady Vocational Technical High School in Brooklyn. Dyer started with the Royals in the rookie Gulf Coast League , He saw 18 games and hit .303. He then saw 11 games in 1986 and just six more in 1987. He saw his first extended time in 1988, 62 games at single-A Appleton . He hit .231 on the year. He hit a two-run double in a July game. Dyer, usually a catcher, al...

Appleton Fox Don Wright helped extend his team's lead with a double this game in May 1988, The Appleton Post-Crescent wrote . Wright explained to The Post-Crescent afterward how he did it: Paying attention to the pitches he was thrown. "I knew he was going to throw an off-speed pitch," Wright told The Post-Crescent . "I knew that because he had set me up with a pitch before with a fastball inside. I was fortunate to get one of our key hits tonight." Wright got that hit in his second season as a pro. He went on to see time in two more. He topped out at high-A . Wright's career began in 1987, taken by the Royals in the 20th round of the draft out of San Jacinto College in Texas. Wright started with the Royals at short-season Eugene . He saw 63 games and hit .235. He then moved to single-A Appleton for 1988. He saw 135 games and hit .270. He also stole 31 bases.  He returned to Appleton for 1989. He hit .249 in 124 games. That June, he picked right on a pitc...

Sahuaro High School pitcher Mike Webster needed to improve his strength going into his senior season, so his coaches suggested a weight-focused program for the fall - no throwing, The Arizona Daily Star wrote . "You love to play, but getting stronger was the big thing if I was gonna be successful," Webster told The Daily Star . "Physically, I wasn't there yet. Now, I think I'm in pretty good shape." Webster eventually got strong enough to play in college and, from there, the pros. His pro career lasted two seasons . He made high-A. Webster's pro career began in 1989, taken by the Royals in the 19th round of the draft out of Grand Canyon University. At Grand Canyon, Webster turned starter as a junior, proving his worth with a four-hit shutout in February 1987, The Arizona Republic wrote . "(Webster) established himself as one of our three starters ...," Grand Canyon coach Gil Stafford told The Republic . "Mike is our only left-hander on t...

The Royals selected high schooler Hugh Walker 18th overall in the 1988 draft and the team couldn't have been happier, Royals director of scouting Art Stewart told The Kansas City Times . "He reminds all of our scouts so much of Bo Jackson in high school," Royals director of scouting Art Stewart told The Times . "We couldn't be more thrilled." Walker, however, never could live up to that comparison, or the hopes that came with his draft position. He saw a decade in the pros, but he only briefly made AAA . Walker did, like Jackson, end up playing a second sport beyond high school along with baseball. Toward the end of his baseball career, he went back to college and made the school's football team. Walker's career began that year in 1988,  taken by the Royals  18th overall out of Jacksonville High School in Arkansas. Days after the Royals selected him in the first round of the 1988 draft, Hugh Walker found himself in Kansas City, practicing with the m...

Speaking to Kansas City Royals farmhand Jeff Garber 's hometown Chambersburg (Pa.) Public Opinion in June 1994, Royals team spokesman Muzzy Jackson was blunt. Garber would have been let go previously but for one important thing: His work ethic . "Yes, there were times when we almost released him, but because of his work ethic and dedication, we stayed with him," Jackson told The Public Opinion . "He's definitely gotten the most out of his ability." Garber played that season, his seventh as a pro, between AA Memphis and AAA Omaha. He would see time in just one more campaign . His work ethic didn't get him to the bigs as a player. He then became a coach. Garber's career began in 1988, taken by the Royals in the 10th round of the draft out of James Madison University in Virginia. Garber started with the Royals at short-season Eugene . He hit .251 in 65 games. He then moved to single-A Appleton in 1989. He hit .263 there in 117 games. In October 1989, ...