Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Speaking in his second season of college summer ball in 2016, Jace VanDeBrake credited his father, Kevin VanDeBrake , a former minor leaguer, with helping him get to where he was, both personally and athletically, according to InfinityProSports.com . "He always told us to do what we love, whatever that may be," Jace VanDeBrake told the site . "But it turns out that for me and my younger brothers, we do want to play baseball." The younger VanDeBrake then also played for Gonzaga . The elder VanDeBrake made the pros. Kevin VanDeBrake played two seasons. He made low-A. Kevin VanDeBrake's career began in 1990, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of Taft College and Loyola Marymount University. VanDeBrake was also credited as Kevin Van De Brake. VanDeBrake played his high school ball in Selah, Washington. He also played basketball and football there.  Following the 1985 football season, The Tri-City Herald referred to VanDeBrake as the "league's most...

The Reynosa Broncos picked up a double-header sweep in this June 1995 series and helping them to the second win was Francisco Perez , according to a wire account . Perez came up in the fifth inning and knocked a two-run single to send Reynosa on to the win . Perez contributed to that win deep in his long career in the Mexican League. Previously, he briefly played in affiliated ball, in the rookie Gulf Coast League in 1990 with the Dodgers . Perez' career began by 1989, signed by the Mexico City Tigers out of his native Hermosillo , Mexico. Perez is recorded as playing for Mexico City in 1989 as an 18 year old . Then, in 1990, he's listed as signing with the Dodgers and playing in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He got into seven games, got to bat 15 times. He picked up one hit, marking the extent of his affiliated experience . Perez then returned to Mexico for a run that isn't recorded as ending until 2006 . He played with Mexico City for 1991, then Monterrey Industriales in ...

Baylor hitter Steve Kliafas had a .403 average in early April 1990, making his coaches happy, The Waco Tribune-Herald wrote . For Kliafas, he continued looking to improve, The Tribune-Herald wrote . "I guess I'm never really pleased with myself," Kliafas told The Tribune-Herald . "I'm probably a little harder on myself than I should be. If I mess up, it's usually because of a dumb mistake." Kliafas went on from Baylor to play in the pros. His pro career lasted five seasons . He made AA. Kliafas' career began that year in 1990, signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent out of Baylor University . Kliafas was also credited by his formal name Stephen Kliafas. Kliafas started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He also started well. He hit .400 over his first eight games .  He also soon got moved to short-season Yakima. He saw 20 games in the GCL and 39 at Yakima. At Yakima in August, he hit a rare home run to break out of a slump, ...

Features on each member of the 1990 Gulf Coast League Dodgers at Kissimmee, rookie-level affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. GCL Dodgers (32) 1 -  Henry Blanco  gave 100 percent over 16 seasons, coached 2 -  Jake Botts  threw high school no-hitter, saw 3 pro seasons 3 -  Jimmy Brown  saw some success in GCL, played 3 pro seasons 4 -  Jason Broyles  got relief win in Great Falls, saw two seasons 5 -  Donnie Carroll  missed college, signed pro, saw 5 seasons 6 -  Nelson Castro  pitched around plate over 6 pro seasons 7 -  Jose Cruz  signed from Puerto Rico, played single season 8 -  Keith Daniel  showed poise enough for pros, saw 2 seasons 9 -  Greg Davis  earned college honors, saw two pro seasons 10 -  Ivan DeJesus  played 15 ML seasons, coached, managed 11 -  Andres Diaz  went form Dominican to pros, saw two seasons 12...

Andres Diaz started his professional baseball career in his native Dominican Republic and he ended it in the United States. For Diaz, though, the recorded start and end to his career occurred within two seasons. He played one year in rookie ball in the United States and didn't make it further . Diaz' career began in 1988, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic. He's listed on his 1990 card as attending Liceo A. Perez High School and residing in Palenque, D.R. He hit the field in the Dominican Republic in 1989, with Santo Domingo. He got into 52 games and hit .352. He also hit 12 doubles and two home runs. Stateside, the Dodgers assigned Diaz to the rookie Gulf Coast League, at Kissimmee. He got into 60 games in the GCL. He hit .267, with one home run and 30 RBI to mark the extent of his career . More:  The 1990 Gulf Coast League Dodgers 1990 Minor League Tally Players/Coaches Featured: 3,139 Made the Majors: 1,140-36....

New Jersey American Legion champs Brooklawn and Mike Racobaldo took on Boyertown, Pa. in the Mid-Atlantic Regional in August 1989, but Brooklawn couldn't come away with the win, according  to The Allentown Morning Call . Down 5-2 in the eighth, Brooklawn hurler and another reliever provided the pitching, but Boyertown pushed across four runs total, The Morning Call wrote . Racobaldo went on from Brooklawn to play in the pros, but his stay in the pros turned out to be brief. He played a single season, completely in rookie ball . Racobaldo's career began and ended in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the 22nd round of the draft out of Pennsauken High in New Jersey. Racobalco was also credited by his formal name, Michael Racobaldo. Racobaldo played his season with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League, at Kissimmee. He got into 16 game in relief. He finished five and saved two. He also picked up a win and turned in a 1.26 ERA. Those stats, though, marked the ext...

Jose Cruz joined the Dodgers system in 1990, hoping to make the majors. He resided in Lajas, Puerto Rico , on the western part of the island and at least one player had gone on from three to the majors. Luis Alvarado started in Lajas and went on to see nine major league seasons from 1968 to 1977. And there has been at least one player since to come out of Lajas to make the majors, Robinson Cancel . He first made the bigs in 1999. Cruz, however, could not add to that list of Lajas major leaguers. Cruz turned pro and played only a single season in rookie ball. Cruz' career began and ended in 1990, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of his native Puerto Rico . Assigned to the rookie Gulf Coast League, Cruz pitched in 17 total games, starting one. He went 0-4, with a 4.79 ERA to mark the extent of his pro career More:  The 1990 Gulf Coast League Dodgers 1990 Minor League Tally Players/Coaches Featured: 3,137 Made the Majors: 1,140-36.3% Never Made Majors...

Cabrillo College already had the lead in this March 1990 game and Peter Nurre helped extend it, according to The Santa Cruz Sentinel . With two runners on ahead of him, Nurre knocked a double to bring them home and the score to 7-4, The Sentinel wrote . Nurre went on from Cabrillo to the pros. His stay in the pros, though, proved brief. He played a single season . Nurre's career began and ended in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the 20th round of the draft out of Cabrillo College in California. At Cabrillo, Nurre pushed over a run in another March 1990 game on a groundout. Signing with the Dodgers, the club assigned Nurre to the rookie Gulf Coast League , at Kissimmee. He saw 29 games, playing mostly at catcher. He went 15 for 63 for a .238 average. He stole three bases and struck out 12 times to mark the extent of his pro career . Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 7, 1990: Tough day for Hawks on the road More:  The 1990 Gulf Coast League Dodgers 1990 Minor League Tall...

Great Falls hurler Ross Farnsworth pitched into the middle Game 2 of the 1991 Pioneer League championship series and he pitched well, but he just threw too many pitches, according to The Deseret News . Farnsworth hit his pitch count number and Great Falls manager Glenn Hoffman pulled him, The News wrote . "We're still here to develop the kids," Hoffman explained to The News after Great Falls went on to lose the close game to Salt Lake. Farnsworth pitched in that game to close out his second season as a pro. He went on to play in five more, though just one more in affiliated ball. He never developed enough to make AA. Farnsworth's career began in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the 41st round of the 1989 draft out of Pinole Valley High School in California. The Dodgers selected Farnsworth after he won All-East Bay honors for 1989 at Pinole. Farnsworth started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League in 1990, at Kissimmee. He got into 12 games...

Alton Pinkney helped his Vero Beach Dodgers extend the lead in this June 1992 game against St. Lucie, according to The Palm Beach Post . Pinkney knocked a single in Vero Beach's three-run fifth inning, then came around to score on a sacrifice fly, The Post wrote . Pinkney scored in that game in his third season as a pro. He could only extend his career for a season beyond that. He played four seasons. He never made AA . Pinkney's career began in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the draft out of Glynn Academy in Georgia. At Glynn, Pinkney was counted among the club's top hitters , hitting .371 in 1988, then .323 in 1989. The Brunswick News later gave him an honorable mention as among the area's top athletes of the 20th Century. Pinkney started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League , at Kissimmee. He hit .167 in 35 games. He moved to short-season Yakima and rookie Great Falls for 1991. In 52 games between them, he it .278, wit...

The Gulf Coast League Dodgers took the 1990 league title over West Palm Beach and the Expos and one of the players that helped them there was Andres Macu . The Dodgers took the best-of-three series 2 games to 0. Macu helped get them there with a .274 average during the regular season. Macu, though, couldn't help another team to a league title. He played just that single season as a pro. He never made it out of rookie ball. Macu's career began in 1988, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of his native Puerto Rico . He played there at Liceo Puerto Rico High. He started with the Dodgers in the Dominican Republic. He played in 1988 and 1989 for Santo Domingo. He hit .244 over 33 games there in 1988. He then hit .331 over 46 games there in 1989. He also stole 14 bases that year. Maco moved stateside to the rookie Gulf Coast League at Kissimmee for 1990. He picked up 32 hits in 117 at bats, along with a double, a triple and two home runs. He also stole four ba...

Dodger scout Bob Miske saw good movement on Tom Matthews ' fastball, as well as a deceptive change in the young hurler's arsenal, Miske told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in June 1990. But what impressed the scout most, Miske told The Post-Gazette was Matthews' attitude on the mound. "He has the fire that is hard to find in someone his age," Miske told The Post-Gazette . "He is a very tough competitor." Matthews took his competitiveness to the pros that year in 1990. But it couldn't get him a long career. His career consisted of that single season . Matthews' career began and ended that year, taken by the Dodgers in the 46th round of the draft out of Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. He played his high school ball at Moon Area High in Coraopolis, Pa. Matthews went 4-5, with a 5.42 ERA at Edinboro in spring 1990. Matthews played his season with the Dodgers in the Gulf Coast League , at Kissimmee. By mid-August, he was 3-2. He p...

Rob Sweeney 's pro career took him from the receiving end of pitches to throwing them. Sweeney began his career as a catcher for the rookie Gulf Coast League Dodgers at Kissimmee. He then got a taste of pitching that same season, seeing two appearances on the mound. He switched full-time to pitching by his second full season in the pros. But the switch couldn't get him a long career. He pitched in one more campaign. He never made AA . Sweeney's career began in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the 48th round of the draft out of Waukesha County Technical College in Wisconsin. Sweeney was also credited by his full name Robert Sweeney. He played his high school ball at Muskego High School in Muskego, Wisc. The Wisconsin State Journal checked in on him and other Wisconsin-natives in 1992. Sweeney started with the Dodgers at Kissimmee. He got into 21 games as a hitter, 18 of them as a catcher. He also played twice in the outfield. He picked up four hits in 32 at bat...

The Dodgers saw a promising future for hurler Keith Daniel , Dodger scout Gene LaRocque told Daniel's hometown Wilmington Star-News in June 1989. "Keith has a great amount of poise," LaRocque told The Star-News . "We feel he can develop into a real solid pitcher. He has a lot of maturity and a tremendous attitude." LaRocque spoke to The Star-News upon the high schooler signing his first pro contract with the club.  Daniel's career, however, turned out brief. He played two seasons . He never made it out of rookie ball. Daniel's career started that year in 1989, selected by the Dodgers  in the 15th round of the draft out of Pender High School in Currie, N.C. At Pender High, Daniel went 12-1 his senior season . He started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League , at Kissimmee. He went 2-2 over 16 outings, two starts. He also posted a 3.89 ERA as he helped the club to the league championship series . Daniel returned to the Gulf Coast...

Great Falls started off the 1991 playoffs with a win against Salt Lake at home. Great Falls infielder Leroy Williams pointed to experience playing at Salt Lake as being on their side going back to Utah, according to The Great Falls Tribune . "We were nervous playing in front of big crowds in Salt Lake. We had never been there before," Williams, who went 3 for 4 in the opener, told The Tribune . "We've experienced that now, so we should be a lot more relaxed this time. I think we'll play better." Williams made the playoffs with Great Falls that year in his second season as a pro. He'd miss 1992 to injury and return for one more campaign in 1993. He never made AA . Williams' career started in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the second round of the draft out of East St. John High in Garyville, La. Williams started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League , at Kissimmee. He hit .313 over 58 games. He moved to Great Falls for 1991, but...

Jason Broyles came on in relief in this August 1991 game for rookie Great Falls and he helped seal the win, according to The Great Falls Tribune . Broyles pitched two innings, didn't give up a run and took the relief win, The Tribune wrote . Broyles picked up that relief win in his second season as a pro. It also proved his last season. His career ended that year. He never made single-A . Broyles' career began in 1990, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of Dewitt High School in Michigan. At Dewitt, Broyles played well enough to go 10-0 and make the all-area team . Broyles started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League at Kissimmee. He started 11 games there and went 4-2, with a 2.58 ERA. He moved to Great Falls and short-season Yakima for 1991. He also turned reliever. He saw 17 relief outings at Great Falls and five at Yakima. Overall, he picked up two wins, one save and ended with a 6.12 ERA to end his career . Great Falls Tribune, Aug. 24...

Henry Blanco 's major league career was barely two seasons old in 2000 when he lost his father to cancer, according to The Racine Journal Times . Blanco, though, took his father's passing as a challenge to play harder for him, he told The Journal Times . "He taught me just to give 100 percent all the time," Blanco told The Journal Times . "I remember that every day, especially when I'm tired. I take that with me, just like if he was beside me." Blanco continued to give his all and he did so over the next 13 major league seasons. By the time his career was done, he'd seen time in a total of 16 big league campaigns and nearly a quarter century of baseball. He's since gone on to continue in the game as a coach. Blanco's career began in 1989, signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent out of his native Venezuela . Blanco started with the Dodgers in 1990, in the rookie Gulf Coast League at Kissimmee. The third baseman hit .219...

Jake Botts one-hit one team at California's North Monterey County High School in 1989 then he did it one better about two weeks later: He threw a no-hitter, according to The Santa Cruz Sentinel . "I felt really good," Botts told The Sentinel after the no-hitter. "I had good movement on my fastball and I had all my breaking pitches working." Botts pitched well enough in high school to get a direct look at the pros. His minor league career lasted three seasons. He never made single-A . Botts' pro career began in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the ninth round out of North Monterey County . Botts started with the Dodgers in the rookie Gulf Coast League , at Kissimmee. He got into 15 games, started seven and went 5-5, with a 4.60 ERA. Botts moved to rookie Great Falls for 1991. He picked up 13 starts there, going 5-3, with a 2.47 ERA. He isn't recorded as playing in 1992, but returned for 1993 at short-season Yakima . He went 1-6, with a 6.80...

The Salem Dodgers needed some runs and Jose Perez did his best to get things going, according to The Salem Statesman-Journal . Perez led off the fifth inning with a single, his club down 2-1. He then came around to score one of three runs in the frame as Salem went on to the win, The Statesman-Journal wrote . Perez led off that rally in his first season as a pro. He went on to play in just one more. He never made single-A . Perez' career began that summer, signed by the Dodgers as a free agent out of his native Caracas, Venezuela . Perez started with the Dodgers at short-season Salem . He hit .242 over 55 games. He knocked in 13 and stole 10 bases. For 1990, Perez moved with the short-season Salem franchise to Yakima, Wash. The infielder saw 22 games there and hit .282. He rounded out that career with time in the rookie Gulf Coast League. In 26 games there, he hit .217. That season also marked the end of his career . Originally published Nov. 24, 2017 Salem Statesm...

Jose Valdez  started his career at home. Signed by the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in late 1987 out of his native Dominican Republic, Valdez played his first two seasons for Santo Domingo. He moved stateside for 1990, but his pro career in the United States proved brief. He played a single season . Valdez' career on the field started in 1988 as an 19-year-old for Santo Domingo. He hit .374 over 40 games. He also knocked in 61 . He returned to Santo Domingo for six games in 1989, where he went 3 for 13. The Dodgers brought him to Florida for 1990. He played the year at rookie Kissimmee in the Gulf Coast league. The catcher got into 59 games, hitting .320 and recording 43 RBI.  That season proved his only season with the Dodgers and marked the extent of his minor league career. More:  The 1990 Gulf Coast League Dodgers 1990 Minor League Tally Players/Coaches Featured: 3,125 Made the Majors: 1,139-36.4% Never Made Majors: 1,986-63.6% ...