Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Helena Gold Sox player  Todd Brown hit well early in the 1985 season, enough so that by late July the Brewers minor leaguer was being asked in the local Helena Independent-Record if he was disappointed not to have moved up. "I just take it day-by-day," Brown told The Independent-Record then. "I'm having a good time right now. Things will work out for me. I'm satisfied just helping the team." Brown eventually did move up that year, to single-A Beloit. In a career that spanned more than a decade, however, he never saw the majors . Brown's career began that year in 1985, taken by the Brewers in the fifth round of the draft out of Arizona State . Brown joined Arizona State as a walk-on and was hitting .360 with 12 home runs by April in 1984, The Arizona Republic wrote .  "We knew we had something when we first saw him," Arizona State coach Jim Brock told The Republic then. "The two things you look for are speed  and some pop in the bat. H...

After becoming a bona fide major league star by 1990, the Astros' Glenn Davis looked beyond his work as a baseball player and toward what he could do off the field, according to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram . He turned to kids, specifically building a home for underprivileged children in Columbus, Georgia, where he'd once played in the minors, having had a rough upbringing himself, The Star-Telegram wrote . "When I was younger, a lot of people held out their hand and helped," Davis told the Star-Telegram . "Where would I be without that? I don't know." Where he ended up was in a major league career that spanned a decade, slowed at the end by injury. Along the way, he hit 30 or more home runs three times and made the all-star team twice . Davis' career began in 1981, taken by the Astros in the first round of the January draft-secondary phase out of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota . Davis started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast Le...

Into his second season in the majors, Brian Williams described the experience to his hometown Rock Hill Herald . He also described his efforts to remain himself , both on and off the mound. "I want to be liked and I take care of how I project myself," Williams told The Herald . "The way I see myself, I'm a nice person who likes to joke around and is always smiling. I'm a perfectionist, always striving for the best, but life has been good to me and I'm just happy for all the things I've experienced." By that point, his third season as a pro, Williams had already experienced the majors over two campaigns.  He went on to see the majors over nine, with six clubs . Williams' career began in 1990, taken by the Astros late in the first round of the draft out of the University of South Carolina . Williams started with the Astros at short-season Auburn . He started three games, giving up three earned in 6.2 innings. For 1991, he started at high-A Osceol...

When Venezuelan-native Roberto Petagine first signed as a pro, he and his father celebrated with a unique gold Astros chain, The Jackson Clarion-Ledger wrote  in 1993.  Ten months later, Petagine's father died .  "I said, 'Baseball, go away,'" Petagine told The Clarion-Ledger of his first reaction to his father's death, "but then I said, 'No, no, I'm going to make it to the big leagues for him." Petagine did make the big leagues. He saw the majors over seven seasons spanning more than a decade. On his way up, he wore the chain he got with his dad, a chain visible on several of his cards . Petagine's career began in 1990, signed by the Astros out of his native Venezuela .  Petagine started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw 55 games and hit .289. He made single-A Burlington for 1991, then high-A Osceola and AA Jackson in 1992. He made AAA Tucson and then Houston in 1994. Petagine saw eight games with the Astros ....

A two-sport star in high school, with college prospects in both baseball and basketball, the junior Brent Brede told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that, though he always liked basketball best, he thought he had a better future in baseball. "It wasn't until my sophomore year that I really came on in baseball," Brede told The Post-Dispatch . "I'd like to do both in college, although I know that is hard to do. If I had to do one or the other, I'd rather play baseball. I think the potential is there." Brede ended up not playing either in college, but playing one, baseball, as a pro. He eventually realized his potential, making the majors over three seasons and seeing Japan. Brede's career started in 1990, taken by the Twins in the fifth round of the draft out of Wesclin High School in Illinois. Brede started with the Twins at rookie Elizabethton . He got into 46 games and hit .245. He started 1991 at single-A Kenosha. He spoke to his hometown Bellevil...

After spending more than 11 seasons in the minors, Jeff Schwarz made the majors with the White Sox in 1993. After getting his first major league win that June, he was overjoyed, The St. Lucie News Tribune wrote . In the process, he faced future Hall of Famer George Brett in Brett's 10,000th at bat and struck him our, The Tribune wrote . "I can't believe it," Schwarz told The Associated Press after the win, according to The Tribune . "I don't know whether to cry or jump up and down. ... I'm going to FedEx that game ball to my mom and dad first thing tomorrow." Schwarz went on to see time in two major league campaigns , including 41 total appearances that year with the White Sox. Schwarz' career began in 1982, taken by the Cubs in the 24th round of the draft out of Fort Pierce Westwood High School in Florida. Schwarz started with the Cubs in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He made single-A Quad City in 1984 then AA Pittsfield briefly in 1988. Schw...

Peninsula Pilots manager Jim Nettles set out his goals and those of his players to The Newport News Daily Press in August 1990. The former big league player wanted to return there, and get his players there , too. "Everybody here wants to go to the major leagues," Nettles told The Daily Press . "That's where things happen. That's what it's all about. That's why the kids are here and that's why we (the managers) are here, too." Nettles major league time as a player spanned six seasons and Japan. He then had a lengthy career in the minors as a manager, but did not get back to the bigs. Nettles' career in baseball began in 1968, taken by the Twins in the fourth round of the draft out of San Diego State University. Nettles is the brother of fellow major leaguer Graig Nettles . Nettles started with the Twins at short-season St. Cloud . He then moved to AA Charlotte for 1969 and AAA Evansville in 1970. Nettles also made Minnesota. He saw 13 game...

Red Sox minor leaguer Nate Minchey thought his 1993 season was over at the close of the minors campaign. Instead, days later, he got his call to Boston and made his major league debut, The Associated Press wrote . "I just pulled into my driveway when the call came," Minchey told The AP after his debut. "As a matter of fact, I didn't pick up a baseball until the other day when I got here." Minchey ended up seeing five starts for the Red Sox down the stretch. He went 1-2, with a 3.55 ERA. He then saw brief time in three more seasons - and then extensive time in Japan - as he pitched over 18 total pro campaigns. Minchey's career began in 1987, taken by the Expos in the second round of the draft out of Pflugerville High School in Texas. Minchey started with the Expos in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He moved to single-A Rockford for 1989, then to the Braves and single-A Burlington mid-1989 in a trade. He made AA Greenville in 1992, then moved to the Red So...

Coming off a season where he'd seen 17 games with the Red Sox, Greg Blosser looked for more in 1994, The Associated Press wrote .  That spring, he went on a 7-for-13 run and seemed to have himself in a good position to return to Boston, if not out of spring training, later in the season, The AP wrote . "I've kind of got one foot in the door right now, so if I would go to Triple A it would be a panic situation," Blosser told The AP then. "I fully expected that to happen coming out of spring training, anyway." For Blosser, he did return to Boston that year, but for five more games. Those five games proved to be the last of his big league career . Blosser's career began in 1989, taken by the Red Sox 16th overall in the draft out of Sarasota High School . Blosser started with the Red Sox between single-A Winter Haven and the rookie Gulf Coast League. He moved to high-A Lynchburg for 1990 and then AA New Britain for 1991. He'd hit .282 at Lynchburg i...

After two seasons with limited time in the bigs, the Orioles Sherman Obando in spring 1996 looked to make it for good, The Washington Post wrote . "That's my goal, to make the team," Obando told The Post after a good intrarsquad outing early that spring. "I'm ready for whatever role they give me." Obando did make the bigs that year and for extended time. But he did it with the Expos , after a trade. Ultimately, in a career that spanned 18 seasons, Obando saw time in four big league seasons, and six in Japan. Obando's career began in 1988, signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent out of his native Panama. Obando started with the Yankees in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He made short-season Oneonta in 1989 and high-A Prince William in 1990. He got up to AA Albany-Colonie in 1992, where he hit .281 in 109 games. The Orioles then selected him in the Rule 5 draft. Obando played 19 games in 1993 at AA Bowie - and 31 in Baltimore . He hit .272 during h...

With parts of three major league seasons under his belt, elbow issues forced the Padres' Scott Sanders to consider Tommy John surgery in late 1995, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote . Sanders, however, opted against the knife and chose rehab. Then, come October 1996, Sanders' hard work paid off as he prepared to start Game 2 of the National League Division Series for San Diego, The Post-Dispatch wrote . "I thank God every day that I was talked out of the surgery, that I worked hard and that the rest and therapy brought me back," Sanders told The Post-Dispatch then. "If I had the surgery, right now I'd be rehabbing and getting ready to go to winter ball." Sanders ultimately played three more seasons after that, including a 67-outing effort in 1999 with the Cubs. Sanders' career began in 1990, taken by the Padres 32nd overall in the draft out of Nicholls State University. Assigned to short-season Spokane , Sanders showed what he could do early, as ...

Barry Manuel came from humble beginnings in his native Louisiana, his father paying to send him to a baseball camp in Missouri out of his rice-drying paycheck, T he Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote . That trip, Manuel recalled to The Star-Telegram in 1992, marked his first time on a bus. "I remember I was scared to death," Manuel told The Star-Telegram that April. "But that's where I really began to learn to pitch." Manuel spoke with The Star-Telegram on occasion of him seeing time in his second major league season. He went on to see time in three more, including in 1998, when he gave up an early home run to Mark McGwire. Manuel's career began in 1987, taken by the Rangers in the second round of the draft out of Louisiana State University. Manuel started with the Rangers at single-A Port Charlotte . He first made AA Tulsa in 1989. He spent most of 1991 at Tulsa, then, that September, he got his first call to the Rangers. Manuel saw eight outings with Texa...

Bobby Jones got the September call to the Rangers and he made the most of it early on, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote . In one early September game, he knocked in all three Texas runs, two on a home run, The Star-Telegram wrote . "I didn't even expect to be called up," Jones told The Star-Telegram afterward. "When I was here before, I never got a chance to play." Jones hit that home run in the fifth season in which he had seen the bigs. He went on to see four more . Later, he worked to get others called up as a minor league manager and stay there as a major league coach. Jones' long career in baseball began in 1967, taken by the then-Washington Senators in the 36th round of the draft out of Dawson County High School in Georgia. Jones was also credited as Bob Jones. Jones started with the Rangers at short-season Geneva . He then spent five seasons at single-A, then saw AAA Denver in 1972.  In between, in 1970, Jones served in Vietnam .  "We had gu...

Up and down with the Dodgers over two seasons, Kip Gross wasn't interested in continuing that, he told The Boston Globe years later. So, when he got another call at AAA Albuquerque in 1994, he declined, he recounted to The Globe . Instead, he went to Japan. "Best decision I ever made in my life," Gross told The Globe in 1999. Gross' decision turned into a regular slot with the Nippon Ham Fighters over the next five seasons. He eventually returned stateside for two final seasons. He ended up seeing six seasons in the bigs in all. Gross' career began in 1986, taken by the Mets in the fourth round of the draft out of the University of Nebraska. Gross started with the Mets at single-A Lynchburg . He went 7-4, with a 2.72 ERA over 16 outings, 15 starts. He saw single-A St. Lucie in 1988, then AA Jackson and AAA Tidewater in 1989. He arrived with the Reds for 1990 in a trade. He debuted with Cincinnati that April.  Gross saw five relief outings with the Reds and ...