Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Features on each member of the 1990 Lakeland Tigers, high-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, as included in that year's team set.  Interview Hector Berrios , Tried It, 2/13/17 Lakeland Tigers (28) Eric Albright  worked to play every day over four pro seasons Doyle Balthazar  saw 9 seasons as catcher, helped pitchers Hector Berrios  took advice as player, gave it later as coach Doug Carpenter  worked hard, made AA, later as coach, scout Mark Cole  got new pro chance at Reno, saw 6 pro seasons Ron Cook  got his pro chance, played five seasons, made AA Ivan Cruz  remained realistic, saw four ML seasons, Japan John DeSilva  showed he could pitch, made 6 ML games John Doherty  wanted to play baseball, saw 5  ML seasons Mark Ettles  made 14 major league games, out of Australia Ed Ferm tested his arm at Lakeland; Played four pro seasons, made high-A , 9/7/21 Greg Gohr  got chance at bigs, saw majors over 4 seasons Jeff Goodale ...

As September came around in 1998, The Montreal Gazette looked to who the Expos would call up. One player, it wrote, likely wouldn't be among them, despite solid contributions: John DeSilva . DeSilva was almost 31, The Gazette noted . "When you talk about prospects, you invariably think about the younger guys," Ottawa manager Pat Kelly told The Gazette . "But I'll tell you what DeSilva has done. He's shown he can pitch in the big leagues." DeSilva didn't get the call that September, but he did previously make it. He'd seen the bigs over two  seasons - six outings in total - years earlier. He'd continue playing through 2004, but he wouldn't return to the majors. DeSilva's career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the eighth round of the draft out of Brigham Young University . DeSilva started with the Tigers at single-A Fayetteville and short-season Niagara Falls. He went 5-2 between them, with a 2.47 ERA. He made high-A Lakeland ...

Bob Reimink looked back in 2009 and credited local Grand Rapids baseball icon Bob Sullivan with getting him to the pros, he told The Holland Sentinel . Sullivan ran a local amateur baseball team and served as a scout for the Tigers. "I owe a lot to Bob," Reimink told The Sentinel . "It was probably because of him that I was drafted by the Detroit Tigers." Reimink went on with the Tigers to play five pro seasons . He made AAA in two of those campaigns. He fell short of the majors. Reimink's career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 30th round of the draft out of Western Michigan University. Reimink was also credited as Robert Reimink and as Bobby Reimink. At Western Michigan, Reimink picked up four hits and six RBI in an April 1988 game and had a two-run single in a May 1989 contest. Reimink started with the Tigers at short-season Niagara Falls . He hit .254 in 75 games. He then moved to high-A Lakeland for 1990. He hit .222 in 112 games there.  At Lak...

Ron Cook 's career came to an end in 1991, having topped out at AA, but he told his hometown paper, The Port Huron Times Herald he had no regrets. "It was the chance to be part of a pro sport," Cook told The Times Herald in December 1991. "It wasn't  near as  far as I wanted to get, but this is something I always hoped I could do." Cook played all five of his seasons in the Tigers system. He later went on to return home to Michigan - and play the game one more time in a movie. Cook's career began in 1987, taken by the Tigers in the 23rd round of the draft out of St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Mich. Cook started with the Tigers at rookie Bristol . He went 2-3, with a 2.39 ERA. He then moved to single-A Fayetteville for 1988 and went 9-6, with a 3.07 ERA.  "Overall it's going well," Cook told The Times Herald as he started 1989. "I'm throwing a lot of fastballs and working on my change-up. They don't thin...

Ivan Cruz was under no illusions in spring 1999 with the Pirates. The veteran of 11 major league games over a decade as a pro knew it'd be tough to make the team, but he also knew he had a chance, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote . "I have to be realistic," Cruz told The Post-Gazette then. "But I also understand the Pirates have a need for left-handed power off the bench." Cruz ultimately did make it to Pittsburgh that year, though briefly. By the time he was done, he saw the bigs - briefly - in two more campaigns, marking a big league career that totaled 41 contests . Cruz' career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 28th round of the draft out of Jacksonville University in Florida. Cruz' half brother Julio Cruz saw the majors over 10 seasons. Cruz started with the Tigers at short-season Niagara Falls . He hit .274 over 64 games. He then made high-A Lakeland in 1990,  then AA London in 1991. He also saw eight games at AAA Toledo that year. He...

As he prepared to start 1991 at AAA Toledo, the Tigers one-time top draft choice Greg Gohr allowed himself the luxury of looking forward, The Detroit Free Press wrote . The Tigers' staff was getting older, and maybe ready to give way to the younger guys, The Free Press wrote . "I think I'm in a good spot right now," Gohr told The Free Press . "Some of those guys are getting up there, and we've got some good prospects. I know sooner or later they'll give us our chance." Gohr played that year largely at AAA, but he did get his chance. That came two seasons later and he went on to see a total of four campaigns in the bigs. Gohr's career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers 21st overall out of Santa Clara University in California. Gohr started with the Tigers with four games at single-A Fayetteville . He moved to high-A Lakeland for 1990 and went 13-5, with a 2.62 ERA over 25 starts.  He then played most of 1991 and 1992 at Toledo. He went 10-8 the...

After four seasons in the Yankees organization and his release, Doug Carpenter signed on with independent single-A Miami for 1987, with hopes of moving to the Orioles system, The Palm Beach Post wrote . He knew he just needed to perform, he told The Post . "It's like anywhere else," Carpenter told The Post . "You've got to put the numbers on the board, hope they notice, and see what happens." Carpenter's playing days, however, were about done, seeing just brief time the next two seasons . But he did go on to a post-playing career, as one of the guys out noticing, as a coach and scout. Carpenter's baseball career began in 1983, taken by the Yankees in the 32nd round of the draft out of Florida International University in Miami. He started between short-season Oneonta and single-A Greensboro . He got into 31 games between them and hit .163. Carpenter then played all of 1984 at Greensboro and then split 1984 and 1985 between single-A Fort Lauderdale ...

As Lino Rivera 's Dominican League team started the Caribbean Series in early 2020, talk turned to the sign-stealing scandal that enveloped two big league managers, Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora, according to The Los Angeles Times . Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico, responded with support and pride for both men, both fellow Puerto Ricans, The Times wrote . "The situation is unfortunate, same as Beltran's, but you have to live with it," Rivera told reporters in responding to a question about Cora. "My message is to have your mind clear, your head held high. Me, as a Puerto Rican, as a Latino, as a person in baseball, I'll always support them." By that point, Rivera had been a person in baseball for more than three decades , first as a player and then as a manager. He played in the minors, Mexico and Taiwan for almost two decades. He's then gone on to a career as a manager in Mexico and the Caribbean. Rivera's playing career began in 1985, signed by...

Upon his passing in 2016 at the age of 48, Tookie Spann 's old assistant coach at Tulane University offered praise for the former hitter to The New Orleans Advocate . "He had special skills as a baseball player," the assistant coach Joe Scheurmann told The Advocate . "He was from the same era as Joey Bell at LSU, and pound-for-pound he was every bit as good as Joey Bell was." Spann went on from Tulane to play six seasons as a pro. He topped out at AA . Spann's career began in 1988, taken by the Tigers in the third round of the draft out of Tulane. Spann was also credited by his given name, Emmanuel Spann Jr. At Tulane, Spann played both football and baseball. In May 1986, a late Spann error as he mishandled a grounder helped leave Tulane out of the College World Series, according to wire services . "I just looked up too soon," Spann told reporters afterward. "It happens. I have no excuses." Spann started with the Tigers at rookie Bristo...

In a season preview, The Tampa Tribune listed off high-A Lakeland's new pitching staff and included right-hander Ed Ferm . Lakeland manager Johnny Lipon wasn't sure exactly what he had, The Tribune wrote . "All these kids could have the greatest arms in the world, but it doesn't mean anything unless they can get the ball over the plate," Lipon told The Tribune . "That's what we have to find out." Ferm pitched that year in his third season as a pro. He went on to see just one more. His arm took him as high as high-A . Ferm's career began in 1988. A native of New Jersey, he'd been taken in the 38th round of the previous year's draft out of Long Beach City College in California.  Ferm started with the Tigers at rookie Bristol . He got into 16 games, all in relief. He went 1-2, with a 6.51 ERA. He moved to single-A Fayetteville for 1989. He went 6-10 there as a starter over 16 starts. He ended with a 3.96 ERA. He also threw two complete ga...

Todd Krumm returned to the field in 1990, just not the kind of field on which he'd last played, The Detroit Free Press wrote . Krumm signed with he Tigers that year, for baseball. Two year's earlier, he'd played football, with the Chicago Bears in the National Football League. "It felt a little funny putting on a uniform again," Krumm told The Free Press that March in 1990. "Last year was the first time in a long time that I wasn't in one kind of uniform or another." Krumm had played baseball in college, and had even been drafted. But he detoured into football, as a defensive back. His return to baseball , however, proved brief. He played two seasons and topped out at AA. Krumm's baseball career began in 1990, signed by the Tigers as a free agent after he'd played his college ball at Michigan State. Krumm was also credited as Todd Krum. On the football field in college, Krumm was  credited with making the difference in a September 1986 wi...

Keith Kimberlin injured his knee playing off-season soccer going into 1992, forcing reconstructive surgery and leading to a lost season, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote . But, back on the field and with a new organization in 1993, Kimberlin felt his career rejuvenated, he told The Post-Dispatch . "At times, it wasn't a whole lot of fun going to the ballpark," Kimberlin told The Post-Dispatch of his time with his original team, the Tigers. "But now I'm having more fun than I've ever had with the game." Kimberlin had that fun with the Phillies at AA Reading. He ended up making AAA the next season, but, no matter how he felt, he ultimately fell short of the bigs . Kimberlin's career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 20th round of the draft out of Missouri Baptist University. When he was informed by a scout that the Tigers had selected him, Kimberlin described to The Post-Dispatch his reaction. "After he told me that I had been drafted...

The strike still fresh from being over in April 1995, columnist Mitch Albom looked for a reason for people to give baseball another chance and he turned to Tigers hurler John Doherty . Doherty, Albom wrote , was a major league pitcher who still acted like a kid. "Look at me, I mean, whadda I need?" Doherty told Albom on the topic of living cheaply on the road.  "I wear sweatpants every day of my life. I don't own any $2,000 suits. If I'm running out of money, I tell my fiancee to bring some when she comes to visit me.  "I just wanna play baseball, you know?" Doherty added to Albom . Doherty saw his fourth season playing baseball in the bigs that year. He ended up just playing in one more. Doherty's career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 19th round of the draft out of Concordia College in New York. Doherty started with the Tigers at short-season Niagara Falls . He saved 14 over 26 outings and had a 0.95 ERA. He moved to single-A Fayett...

Mark Ettles started off playing cricket in his native Australia. But he picked up baseball and eventually continued on in college in the United States, The Wichita Eagle wrote later. But he soon noticed his playing style and that of his American counterparts weren't the same, he told The Eagle . "America is different from Australia," Ettles told The Eagle in 1997. "When I came here I wasn't as aggressive as the rest of the players who have been playing since they came out of the womb." But, it turned out Ettles had enough aggressiveness to turn pro - and make the majors . Ettles made the bigs for 14 games with the Padres in 1993.  Ettles' career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 33rd round of the draft out of the University of South Alabama. He is a native of Perth, Australia . Ettles started with the Tigers at single-A Fayetteville and at short-season Niagara Falls. He went 5-2, with a 1.79 ERA between them. He then played at single-A Lakel...

Mark Cole started his career with the Tigers. But, by 1991, the Tigers didn't see him in their future and released him, The Sacramento Bee wrote . So, Cole caught on with co-op Reno in the California League, believing he had the potential to play in the big leagues, he told The Bee . He then got off to a good start. "I am very happy," Cole told The Bee . "I'm getting a chance to play every day, and I've been playing well." Cole eventually returned affiliated ball later that same year, with the Brewers at high-A. He then briefly made it to AA two seasons later. He topped out there . Cole's career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 15th round of the draft out of the University of Oklahoma. He went to Oklahoma out of Kennedy High School in Sacramento. Cole started with the Tigers at single-A Fayetteville . He got into 49 games there and hit .237.  Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom visited Fayetteville and interviewed Cole and other pla...

Dan Raley was known at Wichita State to get a little upset during games, taking it out on batting helmets or benches, The Wichita Eagle wrote in 1988. That April, though, Raley told The Eagle he worked to remain focused on hitting. "I'm not tearing myself apart," Raley told The Eagle . "I'm not taking myself too seriously. I'm just more relaxed." Raley eventually relaxed enough to turn pro. His pro career lasted three seasons , but he has gone on to a career as a youth coach. Raley's career began that year in 1988, signed by the Tigers as an undrafted free agent out of Wichita State. With Wichita State in April 1988, Raley hit a late three-run, inside-the-park home run to lead his team to the win, The Eagle wrote .  "It took a funny kick and ended up in right-center. No one was there," Raley told The Eagle of his game-winner. "I didn't know if I would make it or not." With the Tigers, Raley started at single-A Fayettevill...