Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

The AA New Britain Red Sox took this August 1989 game to the 15th inning and reliever Paul Kuzniar helped them get there with five scoreless, The Hartford Courant wrote . He gave up three hits in that span and had trouble in only one frame, the 14th, but left the bases loaded, The Courant wrote . "My control didn't seem good," Kuzniar told The Courant afterward. "But I had command of my pitches." Kuzniar pitched in that game toward the end of his fourth professional season. He played in just one more. He topped out there at AA . Kuzniar's career began in 1987, taken by the Indians in the second round of the previous year's June-secondary draft out of the University of Houston. He was also credited as Kooz Kuzniar. He started with the Indians at single-A Waterloo. He went 6-6 over 51 relief appearances, with a 2.38 ERA and seven saves. He then got an invite to the Fall Instructional League . Kuzniar moved to AA Williamsport for 1988. He went 7-4 there...

New Britain's AA Eastern League franchise had a new name in November 1994 and soon would have a new stadium . Assistant general manager Steve Archibald had his own vision for both the new field and the new Rock Cats mascot, according to The Associated Press . "What I picture in the new stadium," Archibald told The AP , "is a mascot running around playing a guitar with the lyrics from Elvis Presley's songs: 'One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go 'Cats go,'" Archibald served as business manager for the club and then assistant general manager, staying with the club into 1996. Archibald's time in baseball began by 1990, serving that year as the club's business manager. He returned in that role for 1991. By 1994, he'd moved up to assistant general manager and he worked to get the New Britain club a new stadium. He worked that May to help get the club a state grant. That August, he got a reminder to ...

The Portland Sea Dogs readied to start their home schedule in April 1996, except the weather didn't cooperate as temperatures dipped into the 30s, according to The Bangor Daily News . The Sea Dogs, though, didn't seem to mind, The Daily News wrote . Club assistant general manager John Kameisha believed he knew why. "They're just happy to be playing," Kameisha told The Daily News . "Obviously they would prefer it to be 85 degrees." Kameisha has apparently been happy to be involved in minor league baseball himself. He's been involved now for more than three decades. He continues with the Sea Dogs in 2016 as senior vice president. Kameisha's career in the minors began in 1986, working for the Columbus Clippers. He stayed there a year and spent another year at AA Reading. He arrived at AA New Britain in 1988, staying through 1993, serving as assistant general manager. He moved to Portland for 1994 at the behest of the new club's n...

Gerry Berthiaume put in long hours with the New Britain Red Sox. Others did, too. The club's vice president and general manager did whatever was needed. He'd even sometimes work the concession stands, according to The New York Times in 1991. "You really get to know the fans when you're the general manager of a minor league ball club," Berthiaume told The Times . Berthiaume got to know a lot of fans over his career in minor league baseball, both a brief career as a player and a long career as a minor league general manager. Berthiaume spent a season in the minors as a outfielder and 15 seasons with New Britain as GM. Berthiaume's career in baseball began in 1975, signed by the Reds out of the University of Maine at Portland-Gorham. He played that season at rookie Billings . He got into 24 games, hitting .293 in 75 at bats. He stole one base and knocked in two runs. He also got into one game on the mound for Billings, giving up one earned in t...

Bob Spencer 's appearance on a baseball card in 1990 must have been a surreal experience, considering baseball cards represented his living. Spencer, also known by his full name Robert G. Spencer, Jr., served as president of American Card Investors , a North Haven, Conn., based card business. (Spencer's role in the company isn't identified on his card, but internet searches identify him with the company.) Spencer appeared to get his card after his company invested in sponsoring the New Britain Red Sox Best card release. Its logo appears on the back of each New Britain card issued in the Best set. The story behind his picture is unclear. Spencer's card back includes a larger logo, accompanied by the business's motto "Invest in the Best" and its contact information. Along with his role at American Card investors, Spencer also served 20 years as a longshoreman at the Coastline Terminal of New Haven . In baseball, he served as a coach for the Woodbr...

John Valentin finished it in this June 1996 game with a double - after starting with a home run, triple and a single. Valentin hit for the cycle, the 14th Red Sox player to do it, The Associated Press wrote . "I was looking for a good ball to hit, trying to be aggressive," Valentin told The AP afterward, "but to be honest with you I didn't think I'd ever accomplish this fete." Valentin accomplished that fete two years after accomplishing another rare baseball play - an unassisted triple play . Valentin hit for the cycle in 1996 in in his fifth major league season. He went on to play in 11 major league campaigns , hitting .279 on his career and knocking 124 home runs. Valentin's career began in 1988, taken by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the draft out of Seton Hall University. Valentin started at short-season Elmira, then hit single-A Lynchburg and Winter Haven in 1989. He made AA New Britain in 1990, then AAA Pawtucket in 1991. ...

Gordon Hurlbert got his call to the bigs in 1992 - the hockey bigs, according to The Hartford Courant . A trainer in the Red Sox system since 1989, including three seasons in his home state of Connecticut, Hurlbert accepted a job in the fall of 1992 with the newly minted Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. "But it came to the point where the pros outweighed the cons," Hurlbert told The Courant of his decision to leave his home state for Florida. "No more sneaking into my parents' yard and stealing tomatoes from the garden. No more dinners over there. But as a career move, I had to go." Hurlbert has made several career moves since. He's also since moved back closer to home to the New York City area. Hurlbert went into athletic training out of Central Connecticut State University. He got his bachelor of science degree from there, then got his training certification in 1987, according to his Best card. He joined the Red Sox in 1989...

Features on each member of the 1990 New Britain Red Sox, AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Interview (1) 1 -  Vinnie Degifico recalls pros, coaching college New Britain Red Sox (31) 1  -  Steve Archibald  served in New Britain Red Sox front office 2  -  Jeff Bagwell  put up good numbers at New Britain and in bigs 3  -  Gerry Berthiaume  put in long hours with AA Red Sox, loved it 4  -  Mike Carista  returned from arm surgery, saw six pro seasons 5  -  Vinnie Degifico  used big bat over 5 pro seasons, made AA 6 - Tom Fischer, Level of Play Tom Fischer found the pro game similar to college. He never made the majors. 7 - Don Florence, Held Them Don Florence went out there and held them and he did so in the bigs. 8 - Rich Gale, Had To Rich Gale played seven major league seasons, had a long coaching career. He was also there at a 1981 tragedy. 9 - Butch Hobson, Back Up Butch Hobson ...

Mike Carista came back from arm surgery in 1987 and won 13 games at single-A. His task in 1988 was to replicate that feat at AA . By June, Carista was doing just that at New Britain, with a 1.25 ERA, according to The Reading Eagle . "I know I can, so I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do," Carista told The Eagle . Carista continued pitching for two more seasons, but his career ended in 1990 after a dispute over a change in roles to reliving. He then returned years later, for one last and unsuccessful attempt at the bigs. Carista's career began in 1985, taken by the Red Sox in the 14th round of the draft, out of Saugus High School in Massachusetts. With the Red Sox, Carista started at short-season Elmira. He went 6-5, with a 2.30 ERA . He then lost all of 1986 to that arm surgery , recording just one outing on the year. Carista returned to the field in 1987, making single-A Greensboro. He went 13-6 on the year, with a 2.89 ERA. He picked up his e...

The Lynchburg Red Sox were making a stretch run in 1989 and the organization brought in Vinnie Degifico to help them do that . Degifico joined a team that included Red Sox prospect Phil Plantier and Degifico soon helped the team with a home run and three RBI in an 11-0 win, according to The Newport News Daily Press . "I figured they brought me here for a reason," Degifico told The Daily Press . "They needed another big bat in the lineup from the left side to help Plantier get his pitch. If I can give them that, it's going to help." Degifico was in his third season as a pro that year. He would end up getting two more, never seeing the majors . Degifico's career began in 1987, taken by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the draft, out of the University of Southern Maine . At Southern Maine, Degifico played well. In May 1986, Degifico won his school's Athlete of the Month honor. That month, Degifico stole second and later stole home to help his...

Mike Twardoski brought some power to the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team, but what his coach Barry Shollenberger liked about him were his fundamentals, according to The Tuscaloosa News . "Mike handles the bat well," Shollenberger told The News in February 1986. "He's one of the best bunters on the team. He can handle the hit-and-run or go to the opposite field to advance a runner." Twardoski took those fundamentals to a pro career that lasted a decade. It was a career where Twardoski made AAA in five seasons, but he could never make the majors . Twardoski has since took those to his new role as a coach, teaching them to college players as head coach at Emory University in Atlanta . Twardoski's professional career began in 1986, taken by the Indians in the 29th round of the draft, out of Alabama. With the Indians, Twardoski started at short-season Batavia , moving to single-A Kinston for 1987. He played at AA Canton-Akron for 1989, then move...

Butch Hobson had eight seasons with time in the majors behind him in 1983 and he wanted a ninth. And he was doing his best to try and make that happen with the Yankees at AAA Columbus . "I think if you love to play the game the way I do, it's not difficult to come down here and play hard," Hobson told The Toledo Blade that June. "I want to get back up and I'm not gonna do it doing nothing." Hobson did get back up, but just not as a player. He got back up to the majors in 1992 in his post-playing career, as a manager . By 1996, Hobson was trying to get back up again, but in a different sense of the phrase. In 1996, Hobson was trying to get back up after being arrested on a drug charge while he a manager at AAA. He never got back to the majors, but he did return to managing, finding a home in independent ball . Hobson's long career in baseball began in 1973, taken by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the draft, out of the University of Alab...

Mike Kelly had a successful run at the University of South Florida in 1987. He hit .395 that year, scoring 58 and knocking in 66. It was all enough for Kelly to earn conference Player of the Year honors . It was also enough for Kelly to be taken in the ninth round of that year's draft. But it wasn't enough for a long pro career. Kelly played four seasons , making AA, but never making the majors. Kelly's pro career began that year in 1987 with his selection by the Red Sox , taken out of South Florida. At South Florida, Kelly only played that one year in 1987. Kelly's .395 average the best career average at the school. His nine triples that one year is also tied for eighth best for a career at the school. His 96 hits that year is third best in a single season at the school. His average that year is sixth best in a single season . With the Red Sox, Kelly started at short-season Elmira. He hit .302 there over 51 games. He moved to single-A Winter Haven in 1...

Originally published May 21, 2010 Sports Illustrated described the shirt as dazzling and paisley. The shirt was found in the spring training locker of Twins minor leaguer Julius McDougal by new manager Tom Kelly . Kelly took a liking to it, so much so that the young manager borrowed it and wore it out to practice . "I like to keep the game fun," Kelly told the magazine . While the game was fun for his manager that spring, the game had to be fun for McDougal. He played it for parts of nine seasons, never making the majors. By spring 1987, McDougal had spent three years in the minors, reaching AA Orlando in 1986 and Baseball Digest had him challenging for a utility position for 1987. By the time his career was over McDougal got as high as AAA, but no further. A native of Jackson, Miss., McDougal was originally taken by the Cubs in the third round of the 1984 draft. McDougal had been a stand-out at Jackson State . He spent three seasons with the Cubs system, ...

In his 10th major league outing in September 1995, Don Florence picked up his third win . All three of those wins were picked up in relief. After that third win, Florence tried to explain that success to The Associated Press . "All you do is go out there and hold them, and hopefully score runs," Florence told The AP . "Luckily we've been scoring runs in the seventh through ninth innings lately." Florence made the majors for the first time that year, in his eighth season as a pro . He got just one more season and he didn't return to the majors. Florence's career began in 1988, signed by the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent, out of Manchester Memorial High School in New Hampshire. Florence started with the Red Sox at single-A Winter Haven , staying there for 1988 and 1989. He began splitting time between starting and relieving, then focused on reliving. At Winter Haven in 1989, Florence got 51 outings, with a 2.88 ERA. Florence made AA ...

By his sixth season as a pro, Dave Walters had become a "closer type" of pitcher, Red Sox director of minor league operations Ed Kenney told Walters' hometown Wilmington Morning Star in August 1991. That year, Walters ended up saving 12 games a step away from Boston, at AAA Pawtucket . "I guess the biggest thing about David is that he has a real good makeup," Kenney told The Morning Star . "He's the type that pitching coaches and managers like." Walters played just one more season . He wasn't able to take that makeup to the majors. By that point, however, Walters had taken his makeup to the Soviet Union as part of a tour to teach the game there, and understanding. Walters' pro career began in 1986, taken by the Red Sox in the 12th round of the draft out of Campbell University in North Carolina. With the Red Sox, Walters started at short-season Elmira as a starter. He went 2-5, with a 4.56 ERA over 14 starts. He moved to si...

Randy Randle tried to help power his San Jacinto team to a victory in an early May 1985 contest, hitting a two-run home run to extend his team's lead . Soon, he would help San Jacinto to the Junior College World Series. He would also help them to the title, making the All-Tournament Team and winning tournament MVP honors for his efforts. Randle turned pro soon after that tournament performance, but he couldn't replicate his college success in the pros. He played seven seasons, never making AAA . Randle's pro career began that year as the Astros selected him in the second round of the January draft out of San Jacinto College. He first hit the field for the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League , hitting .244, over 41 games. Randle moved to single-A Osceola for 1986, staying there for 1987. He hit .197 his first year there and .220 his second. In July 1987, Randle hit two doubles in a game, helping Osceola to a 2-1 win. He started 1988 at AA Columbus, gett...