Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

The San Bernardino Spirit recorded three bat boys in 1990, each of the three appearing on San Bernardino cards. Bob Harvey, Jr., appeared on his own, while the other two appeared together on their card identified as only bat boys. A team photo in The San Bernardino Sun, however, appears to identify both : Dustin Avila and Steven Zinn, Avila top, right, Zinn bottom, left. And the bat boys in the photo appear consistent with those on the card. But, while both Avila and Harvey are referenced elsewhere, in a Sun article from two years prior, that team photo appears to be Zinn's only mention in The Sun connected to the team. Is there anything else that can be learned of Zinn in the archives? Maybe. Bat boy Harvey turned out to be the son of the team's radio announcer. Are there any other Zinns referenced in Sun stories connected to the team? Kind of, yes. Is it significant to bat boy Zinn's story? Unclear. The San Bernardino Spirit's general manager at the start of the 1990...

Dustin Avila loved being a San Bernardino bat boy, his grandfather  told The San Bernardino County Sun  in June 1988. Avila simply called it fun, The Sun wrote . "You get to know a lot of the guys, a lot of famous people," Avila, then 11, told The Sun . They treat me like one of the guys." Avila then was in his second season as bat boy for the single-A Spirit. He went on to see at least two more - and get on a baseball card. Avila's baseball card came two seasons later, in the San Bernardino Best set with fellow bat boy Steven Zinn.  Neither Avila, nor Zinn are actually identified on the card, only as batboys. However, an April 1990 team photo in The Sun appears to include both.  Both are identified as bat boys and their photos appear to match the card, Avila bottom, left, Zinn top, right. (A third bat boy, Bob Harvey Jr. , who also got a card is not pictured or referenced.) Avila appears to have gone on to play some baseball himself, at least on the high school lev...

The San Bernardino-area's KCKC broadcast the opening game of the San Bernardino Spirit 1987 season and it went so well they inked a deal to do more, veteran local announcer Bob Harvey told The San Bernardino County Sun . They then moved to broadcast each Saturday night game through the rest of the season . "We're very excited, and we like the association with the Spirit," Harvey told The Sun . The Spirit not only got a radio station and a well-known local announcer out of the deal, they also got a bat boy, Harvey's son, Bob Harvey Jr. The younger Harvey appears to have served as a bat boy for the Spirit for at least three seasons, 1988 to 1990, all while his father served as Spirit announcer. Harvey Jr. is referenced in the role in a June 1988 Sun feature on fellow bat boy Dustin Avila. The feature identified Harvey Jr. as the son of the Spirit radio announcer. Then, in 1990, Harvey got his own card in the Cal League set.  It was unclear exactly how long the youn...

San Bernardino Spirit trainer Lance Bland didn't think the team's catcher should play this night, due to an sprain from the previous game, but manager Keith Bodie thought he could find a spot for him, The San Bernardino County Sun wrote . That spot led to an 11th-inning game-winning single, The Sun wrote . "He was feeling better before the game," Bodie told The Sun of the catcher. "I talked to Lance before the game and said he would pinch hit for us but not catch." Bland made his assessment in his first season as a pro trainer. It also turned out to be his only season. He instead appears to have gone on to a career working with horses, as a farrier. Bland joined San Bernardino out of Southwest Texas State University , where he'd just graduated with a degree in sports medicine. With the Spirit that April, Bland assessed another player who heard a pop, diagnosing a "giant muscle spasm, The Sun wrote . That July, he responded to the catcher again , wh...

Pitcher Nick Felix improved at Mesa Community College and he credited his coach Roger Schmuck with getting him to do so, The Arizona Republic wrote in April 1987. "I was pretty lazy," Felix admitted to The Republic then. "He really kicked me in the butt. He really put me in my place and made me work hard." Felix eventually worked hard enough to move to a larger school, Texas A&M, and to turn pro. He ultimately saw six seasons. He topped out at AA . Felix' career began in 1988, taken by the Mariners in the 12th round of the draft out of Texas A&M. Felix started with the Mariners between short-season Bellingham and single-A San Bernardino. He went 4-1 between them, with a 1.18 ERA in 31 relief appearances. He moved to single-A Wausau for most of 1989. He went 4-5 there, with a 5.35 ERA in 38 outings, six starts. Felix played all of 1990 at San Bernardino , then moved to the Rangers system for 1991. He saw 29 games that year at high-A Port Charlotte a...

Dave Fleming had already pocketed wins by August 1992, his rookie campaign, so he went out this night for the Mariners and did the next thing on the list: He flirted with a no-hitter . Fleming, whose play in 1992 garnered Rookie of the Year consideration, took a no-hitter against the Indians into the sixth inning. He then went the distance on a two-hit shutout. "He'd have beat anyone tonight," Indians manager Mike Hargrove told The Associated Press afterward. "Even the '27 Yankees." Fleming received plenty of accolades that year. He ended the campaign with 17 wins to 10 losses and a 3.39 ERA. He also came in third in the Rookie of the Year balloting. But, while he picked up another 12 wins in 1993, a shoulder injury ultimately limited his major league career. Fleming's career began in 1990, taken by the Mariners in the third round of the draft out of the University of Georgia. He played his high school ball in Mahopac, NY. The Marin...

San Bernardino's Tony Manahan had a good day in this July 1990 game, but he also saw his teammates doing well, too, according to The San Bernardino County Sun . Manahan picked up three hits in the game, including a home run. Teammates had three and four hits, too, The Sun wrote . "I think right now we've got a lot of confidence at the plate," Manahan told The Sun afterward. "Everybody wants to hit. And you need that because we play in a tough pitching league. That's what I heard at least." Manahan showed confidence that year and over a career that spanned seven seasons . He made AAA in four of those seasons, but he never made the majors. Manahan's career began that year in 1990, taken by the Mariners 38th overall in the draft out of Arizona State University. Manahan is the brother of fellow first-round pick Austin Manahan . At Arizona State, Manahan was named first-team All-America by Baseball America and second-team All-America by t...

San Bernardino Spirit batboy Dustin Avila had a job any kid would want. He was a batboy for the San Bernardino Spirit in 1988, according to The San Bernardino County Sun . Avila got to hang out with pro players from the local Mariners affiliate. He also got in position to get some pointers from those real life pro players, including a slider lesson that came a few years too early, according to The Sun . "It's fun," Avila told The Sun that June as he made a food run for the players. "You get to know a lot of the guys, a lot of famous people. They treat me like one of the guys." Avila was one of two batboys for the Spirit in 1988. The other was Bob Harvey Jr., the son of the Spirit's radio announcer, The Sun wrote . Avila and Harvey were the batboys for the Spirit in 1988. The Spirit's batboys in 1990? Well, they got a card. The two batboys for the 1990 got their photos on cardboard in the Best set, but their actual names were not included. Ins...

The Los Angeles Times Magazine described the between-inning sound and sights at San Bernardino's Fiscalini Field. The sound involved the song "Wild Thing" by Sam Kinison. The sight involved the home team's mascot, called simply "The Bug," dancing on the third-base dugout . The Bug, the magazine wrote , was "a mascot with a huge baseball for a head, a middle-age paunch and a Spirit jersey with his name and number." The Bug was the mascot for the San Bernardino Spirit from at least 1989 to 1993, according to a 1993 Times article . That article included an interview with The Bug himself, real name local truck driver Chuck Sanders. The Times wrote that Sanders became The Bug by happenstance. The previous guy with the job called in sick. Sanders, a season ticket holder, volunteered. "Mini-bat night is kind of a frightening experience," Sanders told The Times of the promotions he feared. "The Whiffle ball bat giveaway is an...

Fiscalini Field in San Bernardino in 2012. Fiscalini was home to the San Bernardino Spirit in 1990. (Greatest 21 Days) Features on each member of the 1990 San Bernardino Spirit, high-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Players featured are as included in that year's team set. Click on the player's name to read more. Interview (1) 1 - Keith Bodie, The Reward Keith Bodie knows the reward for a minor league coach comes years later with a 'thank you.' San Bernardino Spirit (37) 1  -  Fernando Arguelles  won college title; Saw 4 pro seasons 2  -  Dustin Avila  had fun as a San Bernardino Spirit bat boy 3  -  San Bernardino Spirit Batboys  got to know famous people 4 -  Jim Bennett  saw three pro seasons, then long coaching career 5  -  Lance Bland  worked with minors players, later with horses 6  -  Keith Bodie  worked to improve players as minors manager 7 -  The Bug  had huge...

The Mariners needed a a reliever early and Calvin Jones was that guy . It didn't work out as Jones had hoped - five runs in four innings - but Jones was ready to do what was needed, he told The Seattle Times afterward. "They asked me and I told them I wanted to stay in," Jones told The Times . "It's been a tough year for me, but I'm not giving up, I'm not quitting." Jones went on to get into 38 games for the Mariners that year, his second season in the majors . His major league career also ended that year, but Jones continued on. He didn't quit playing in the minors or independent ball until 2002 . Jones' career began in 1984, taken by the Mariners in the first round of the January draft out of the University of Calfornia-Riverside. Jones played his first year at short-season Bellingham . He went 5-0, with a 2.41 ERA. He made single-A Wausau in 1985, then AA Chattanooga in 1987. He only got into 10 games in 1989 between singl...

It was a minor adjustment for Mariners minor leaguer Scott Pitcher , but it seemed to be working, according to The Newport News Daily Press . It had to do with where he started his pitching motion - at his chest, instead of his belt, The Daily Press wrote . "He was all tied up," Pitcher's pitching coach at high-A Peninsula Paul Lindblad told The Daily Press . "It's a matter of getting your hands away from your body so you can get good arm circle. ... He's a lot more confident now in making adjustments while he's out there." Pitcher was in his fifth season as a pro that year. He soon found himself at AA , but the adjustments he made never got him to the majors. Pitcher's career started in 1987, taken by the Mariners in the 34th round of the draft out of Hillsborough Community College in Florida. At Hillsborough, Pitcher was involved in a legendary game and gave a legendary pitching performance. It was a 32-inning game against Manat...

The Astros let AA Corpus Christi manager Keith Bodie go after the 2014 season citing philosophical differences, Bodie told The Houston Chronicle in September. It was a determination that Bodie didn't understand, he told The Chronicle . "I don't know where that stems from," Bodie told The Chronicle . "Because my philosophy was to get each and every player as good as they can be according to their individual skills, and hopefully that would take them to the next level and ultimately to the big leagues." Bodie took that philosophy through a minor league coaching and managing career that has now spanned three decades. That came after a 10-season playing career . He hasn't seen the majors himself. Bodie's career in baseball began in 1974, taken by the Mets in the third round of the draft out of South Shore High School in Brooklyn. Bodie played his first two seasons at rookie Marion. He made AA Jackson in 1977 and stayed there for three se...

Birmingham Barons manager Bobby Magallanes got his reliever Hector Santiago on the phone in June 2011 with a question on whether Santiago could go that night out of the bullpen, according to The Newark Star-Ledger . The reason Magallanes asked had Santiago asking if it was a joke, The Star-Ledger wrote : Santiago was going to the majors. "I wouldn't joke around with something like this," Santiago recounted to The Star-Ledger of Magallanes' response. "It's too big to joke around with." Magallanes got to send Santiago to the majors as part of a minor league managerial career that spanned a decade. That came after Magallanes' own playing career that also spanned a decade. Magallanes, though, never got his own call to the majors. He played in Mexico and in high-A ball, but he didn't get higher . Magallanes' career began in 1989, taken by the Mariners in the 50th round of the draft out of Cerritos College in California. Magallanes...

Manuel Furcal got the save in this July 1990 game the hard way - he had to get nine outs to do it . Furcal came on in the bottom of the seventh inning, his San Bernardino Spirit just taking a 4-2 lead over rival Stockton, according to The Lodi News-Sentinel . The sometimes starter Furcal then held on for one of the two saves he recorded on the year, according to The News-Sentinel . Furcal got that long save in his second professional season. He went on to play in just two more. He never saw AA . Furcal's career began in 1989, signed by the Mariners as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic. Furcal was also sometimes referred to as Manny Furcal. Furcal played his first season between single-A Wausau and the rookie Arizona League. He picked up five wins in 18 relief appearances in Arizona. He also picked up five saves. Overall, he had a 2.52 ERA on the year. Furcal moved to high-A San Bernardino for 1990. In 35 outings, 14 starts, Furcal had a 4.65 ERA an...

Ellerton Maynard not only showed off his wheels in this June 1990 week, but he also showed other things, according to The Seattle Times . He stole 11 bases in six games that week. He also picked up 10 hits in 25 at bats, according to The Times . "He's swinging the bat better, getting some hits," Maynard's manager at San Bernardino Keith Bodie told The Times . "He's had some multi-hit games." By the time he was done stealing bases that year, Maynard had swiped 80 of them . He stole 87 more the next year between high-A and AA. Maynard went on to play in six professional seasons. He ran himself into a brief stay at AAA, but he never could run himself to the majors. Maynard's career began in 1988, taken by the Mariners in the 17th round of the draft out of Miami-Dade College. He is a native of the Virgin Islands. He is also sometimes referred to by the nickname Tow Maynard. At Miami-Dade, Maynard picked up three hits , one of them a home ...