Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Southern Illinois shortstop Dave Wrona made his case to be drafted as he went 20 for 37 in 1990 post-season play, The Southern Illinoisan wrote . "I'm hoping," Wrona told The Southern Illinoisan . "I had a pretty good year. It's up to them. I just want a chance. I don't care where they play me." Wrona did get drafted that year, by the Brewers. His chance, though, amounted to three seasons . He topped out at high-A. Wrona's career began that year, taken by the Brewers in the 13th round of the draft out of Southern Illinois University. At Southern Illinois, Wrona hit .395 over his senior year and had a .337 career average as a switch-hitter. He made the school Hall of Fame in 1997. Wrona started with the Brewers at single-A Beloit . He saw 24 games and hit .300.  His season was shortened by mystery ankle pain, The Southern Illinoisan wrote . Despite his relatively brief time on the field, Wrona drew praise from his manager Rob Derksen.  "Not onl...

Beloit outfielder Rob Smith made what his manager called the play of the game in this August 1990 contest, The South Bend Tribune wrote . With the bases loaded, Smith raced toward a liner and made the running catch, The Tribune wrote . "I kind of anticipated it from the beginning," Smith told The Tribune afterward. "I know (the batter) swings the bat well and they needed something hit to the outfield. ... I just got a good jump on the ball." Smith made that catch in his fourth season as a pro. It also proved his last. He topped out at single-A . Smith's career began in 1987, taken by the Brewers in the 11th round of the draft out of Washington State University. Smith earned third-team All-American honors at Washington State.  He started with the Brewers at rookie Helena and single-A Beloit . He saw 70 games in all and hit .281.  Smith moved to single-A Stockton for 1988 and returned there for 1989. He hit .233 his first year there and .251 his second. In Ju...

Newly minted St. Louis Cardinal Tom McGraw described how he felt to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch .  His call-up to the majors marked his first, at age 29, in his eighth pro season . "I can't stop grinning," McGraw told The Post-Dispatch . "It's like I just went sky diving." McGraw's major league trip ultimately saw him get into two games in relief for the Cardinals, 1.2 innings. He didn't give up a run. Those two games proved to be the extent of his major league career. McGraw's career began in 1990, taken by the Brewers in the sixth round of the draft out of Washington State University. After being drafted. McGraw spoke to The Vancouver Columbian about his early expectations in the minors. "I'm looking forward to throwing to wood bats," McGraw told The Columbian . "That might lower my earned-run average. If you get the ball inside on somebody, there's less chance of a bloop hit." McGraw started with the Brewers at ...

Tim Clark thought his career might have ended when the Brewers released him after a brief team-induced try at pitching in spring 1992, The Philadelphia Daily News wrote . But then independent Salt Lake picked him up an, by 1993, he was in the Marlins system and leading all of the minors in RBI by mid-August, The Daily News wrote . "It is kind of weird how everything has turned out," Clark told The Daily News then. Clark went on from three to see five more campaigns, including time in Mexico and in Taiwan. He topped out at AA . Clark's career began in 1990, taken by the Brewers in the eighth round of the draft out of Louisiana State University . At LSU, Clark helped the team to the 1990 College World Series, including hitting a round-one two-run home run . He started with the Brewers at single-A Beloit . He saw 67 games and hit .260. He spoke to The Daily News about early confidence issues at Beloit. "Until recently, I was hitting  lefthanders better than I ever h...

Pohlman Field in Beloit, Wisc., in 2014. Pohlman was home of the 1990 Beloit Brewers. (Greatest 21 Days) Features on each member of the 1990 Beloit Brewers, single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Beloit Brewers (30) 1 -  Joe Andrzejewski  pitched in four pro seasons, made single-A 2 -  Arthur Butcher  saved Beloit game with throw, saw 3 seasons 3 -  John Byington  hit on spot over 7 pro seasons, made AAA 4 -  Larry Carter  won high school honors, saw 6 pro seasons 5 -  Tim Clark  tried pitching then led minors in RBI, saw AA 6 -  Daren Cornell  played 2 seasons, then chose photography 7 -  Ramser Correa  relied on faith over decade-plus career 8 -  Rob Derksen  worked to put best on field, passed in 2004 9 -  Sam Drake , International Diplomacy, 6/18/17 10 -  Keith Fleming , Stayed In, 6/20/17 11 -  Tim Fortugno , It All, 6/11/17 12 -  L...

The McMurry University Warhawks headed to the playoffs in 2016, a place they weren't exactly expected to be, and head coach John Byington explained to TV station KTXS why he believed the team made it. "I think it was simply having all three aspects of our game on spot, the hitting, the pitching and the defense," Byington told the station . "Everyone knew what we were up against, and it's always in the back of your mind, that kind of thing but use that fear as a way to have a greater desire to accomplish." Years earlier, Byington had his own hitting on spot enough to make the pros in seven seasons. He made AAA, but not the bigs . As a college player, on one day in particular, he had his hitting on spot enough to become a local legend. Byington's career in baseball began 1989, taken by the Brewers in the third round of the draft out of Texas A&M University . At Texas A&M, Byington earned All-American honors. He picked up 96 hits in ...

His Beloit Brewers already on the board in this August 1990 game, Henry Reynoso kept the scoring going . With one in and a runner on second, Reynoso knocked a single to plate the runner to stretch the early score to 2-0. Reynoso went 2 for 4 overall in that game, with that one RBI. That game, however, turned out to be one of his last as a pro. Reynoso played two seasons , making it as high as single-A. Reynoso's career began in 1989, signed by the Brewers as an undrafted free agent the previous year out of his native Dominican Republic. He attended Liseo Ansonia in the Dominican. Reynoso played his first season with the Brewers between three teams , the rookie Arizona League and Pioneer League, and single-A Beloit. In 58 games between the three levels, Reynoso hit .284, with 21 RBI and 29 stolen bases. He moved to Beloit exclusively for 1990. In 94 games there, the infielder hit .223, with 13 RBI and 27 stolen bases, marking the extent of his career . Charlie's...

Scott Meissner has spent his life in the medical field, but in very different areas . His early career consisted of serving as a trainer in the Brewers system. He trained in the Arizona, Midwest and California leagues. Meissner also served as a trainer in junior college and high school athletics. Meissner then stayed in medicine, but turned to other areas, including urgent care, rural care and correctional medicine. More recently, he joined the medical staff of a hospital in his native Montana. Meissner's received his bachelor's degree in  secondary education and sports medicine  from Western Montana College in 1988. A year earlier, he served as trainer for the  Montana East-West Shrine Game . His pro training career began in 1989, when he served as trainer for the rookie Arizona League Brewers as they won the league title . He moved to single-A Beloit in 1990, where he was credited on one card under the name Scooter Meissner. Meissner is last recorded as tr...

Rob Derksen began building an Olympic baseball squad in early 2002. The challenge: Building a team in time for the 2004 games for Greece, a country with little connection to the game. Over the next two years, team manager Derksen scoured minor league squads for any players when even hints of Greek ancestry. By May 2004, Derksen seemed to have had enough success  in finding players to talk more than simple participation. "If we put our best team on the field," Derksen told The New York Daily News then, "I would definitely put us in medal contention." Derksen, however, never made it to Athens. A veteran of two prior Olympics helming other teams, Derksen  passed away that June from a heart attack. He was 44. Derksen's career in the game spanned more than two decades. He played in three pro seasons as a pitcher. He then turned to coaching, managing and scouting. He managed at single-A and coached at AA. He later served as an international scout for th...

Rancho Santiago College sped off to an 8-0 win in this March 1988 game and Brett Snyder helped fuel the win . Snyder picked up four hits in the game, according to The Los Angeles Times , including a solo home run late to cap off the victory. Snyder went on to play at Yavapai College and in the pros. His pro career, however, was brief. He played a single season . Snyder's pro career began and ended in 1990, signed by the Brewers as an undrafted free agent out of Yavapai. Snyder's name has also been spelled Bret Snyder and Brett Synder. In high school in California, Snyder won section player of the year honors in 1987. He threw a two-hitter in a March 1987 contest. Snyder picked up a win for Rancho Santiago in a May 1988 game. The Rangers drafted him that June, but he didn't sign. At Yavapai, Snyder knocked an RBI single in a March 1989 game. He then signed with the Brewers that September. Snyder played with the Brewers at single-A Beloit . He got into ...

Vilato Marrero has gone on to a career in training and developing sales forces. But he reaches back to his younger days for his "character defining job," according to his website bio . "My character defining job," Marrero wrote , "was at the early age of 16 years old as a professional baseball player with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. There I learned and still present values like commitment, determination, excellence, friendship, appreciation, courage, believe and respect." Marrero spent five seasons at that job, often playing along side his brother Oreste Marrero along the way. Vilato Marrero made it to high-A, then turned his pursuits elsewhere, eventually to sales. Marrero's career began in 1987, signed by the Brewers as a free agent the previous year out of his native Puerto Rico. Marrero started with the Brewers at rookie Helena. He got into 61 games and hit .288, with six home runs and 47 RBI. He returned to Helena for 1988,...

Daren Cornell described his rise in his chosen profession in November 2016 to Voyage LA . "It was tough in the beginning and at times it still can be but I was driven and worked my ass off learning the craft for a long time," Cornell told the site . "I put in the work so to speak and feel very blessed but it hasn't always been easy." Cornell soon rose in that profession to be one of the best in his profession . His profession: Photography. Cornell became a photographer after previously working as a set painter on movies like 2002's Spider-Man and Se7en. Before that, Cornell played baseball . Cornell served two seasons in the pros, before an injury sent him  on a different path. Cornell's baseball career began in 1989, taken by the Brewers in the 12th round of the draft out of California Lutheran University . At Cal Lutheran, Cornell proved a solid player at short, leaving a void for the team when he turned pro. With the Brewers, Corne...

Bird-dog scout Doug Gassaway believed he saw a good pitcher in Texas right-hander Greg Landry , according to Knight-Ridder Newspapers . Landry needed work though, Gassaway told Knight-Ridder . "The best arm I saw," Gassaway told Knight-Ridder in June 1988. "Problem with the boy is he don't throw strikes. But if he ever learns, watch out." Landry signed that year with the Brewers, starting his pro career. Landry, however, never found the control needed to advance. Landry played four seasons , making it to high-A. Landry's career began in 1988, taken by the Brewers in the sixth round of the draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. Landry started with the Brewers at rookie Helena . He got into 13 games, starting five. He went 1-2, with a 6.62 ERA. He returned to Helena for part of 1989, playing the rest of the year at single-A Beloit. Overall, he picked up a 6-10 record, with a 5.37 ERA. Landry then played an abbreviated 1990 at Beloit...

Making the major leagues was important to Ramser Correa , just not as important as his faith, he told The Los Angeles Times in 1996. A Seventh Day Adventist, Correa couldn't pitch from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, something that had come up over his career to that point, The Times wrote , and Correa was fine with that. "If it comes down to my religion or making the major leagues," Correa told The Times , "the major leagues will have to go. It's not that I don't love the game, but I'm not going to sacrifice my beliefs." Correa spoke to The Times starting his 10th season in the pros. He played in more, but he never made the majors. Correa's career began in 1987, signed by the Brewers as a 16-year-old free agent out of his native Puerto Rico . The brother of major leaguer Edwin Correa , Ramser Correa was a sought-after sign. He went 6-0 in a Puerto Rican amateur league, with a 1.79 ERA in seven complete games, according to UPI ...

The game on the line, Beloit outfielder Arthur Butcher fielded the ball and threw a strike to the catcher in this August 1989 game, according to The Kenosha News . The runner racing toward home represented the game-tying run. Butcher's throw, however, cut him down at the plate, The News wrote . Butcher saved that game near the end of his first season as a pro. He returned the next year and in one more season after that. He never had the opportunity to make a game-saving throw higher than high-A. Butcher's career began that year in 1989, taken by the Brewers in the 20th round of the draft out of the University of Texas . Butcher was also credited as Art Butcher. At Texas, Butcher went up against college phenom Ben McDonald and went 3 for 3 in a game. He  singled and walked in a June 1989 College World Series game. With the Brewers, Butcher started at single-A Beloit. He got into 48 games and hit .172. He hit one home run and knocked in 10. He returned to Belo...

Oreste Marrero appreciated his call to the majors in June 1996, not only because it marked his second trip to the bigs, but also because of his father, according to The Los Angeles Times . "I'm very, very excited," Marrero told The Times after his promotion. "What made it so special was that I called my father today and asked how he was going. He said: 'Thank you. You gave me the greatest Father's Day present.' I feel very happy I came up on this day." Marrero made the Dodgers in his 10th season as a pro . He previously made the bigs briefly in 1993 with the Expos. His overall career lasted a total of 19 seasons. Marrero made the bigs in just those two, 42 games in all. Marrero's career began in 1987, signed by the Brewers as a free agent out of his native Puerto Rico. The Brewers also signed his brother, Vilato Marrero . Marrero started with the Brewers at rookie Helena . He hit .325 in 51 games there. He played at Helena, single-A ...

The Salem State College Vikings started a new season in 1986 and The NCAA News described returning right-hander Scott Kimball recording one of the best ERAs in the region the previous year. Kimball turned in 7-1 record for the Vikings, along with his 1.90 ERA the previous year. Kimball went on to earn All-American honors for Salem State and make the school's Hall of Fame. He turned pro in 1989. His pro career lasted two seasons . He made it up to single-A Beloit, but didn't make it higher. Kimball's career began in 1989, signed by the Brewers as an undrafted free agent. The team selected Kimball two years earlier in the 10th round, but he didn't sign. At Salem State, Kimball made All-American in 1987. He went 21-7 over his career, losing his entire senior year to arm troubles . He struck out 204 over 178 innings. He amassed 13 complete games, according to the school , including a no-hitter. He made the school's Hall of Fame in 1996. With the Bre...

Joe Andrzejewski assessed his performances to The Baltimore Sun in August 1991. In a word, those performances were erratic, he told The Sun . "Some days, I go out there and pitch great," Andrzejewski told The Sun . "Other days, I go up there and I'll constantly be behind the hitters, and they won't really hit me hard. I'll just walk a lot of people. I commit suicide out there." Andrzejewski pitched that year, his fourth year as a pro , with short-season Erie. That season also proved to be his last. Andrzejewski made it as high as single-A. Andrzejewski's career began in 1988, taken by the Brewers in the third round of the draft out of Chesapeake High School in Maryland. Andrzejewski started with the Brewers at rookie Helena . He got into a single game in 1988. He then returned to Helena the next year. In 11 games, 10 starts, Andrzejewski went 3-2, with a 6.13 ERA. In July, Andrzejewski combined with two relievers to strike out 16. ...