Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

New Vero Beach Dodger Jody Treadwell admitted to The Indian River Press Journal to being a little jittery. This game in late June 1990 was his first pro start , after all. "I just concentrated on getting ahead of the hitters," Treadwell told The Press Journal afterward. "I knew as long as I did that, I'd be OK." Treadwell eventually was OK enough to see the pros over 11 seasons . He spent six of those at AAA and one in Taiwan, but missed the majors. Treadwell's career began that year in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the 27th round of the draft out of Jacksonville University in Florida. Treadwell started at high-A Vero Beach . He went 9-1 over 16 outings, eight starts. He ended with a 1.79 ERA. He played 1991 between high-A Bakersfield and AA San Antonio. He went 8-7 between them, with a 4.14 ERA. Treadwell returned to San Antonio for all of 1992, then hit AAA Albuquerque for 1993. He then stayed with Albuquerque through 1997 - five total seasons. In 199...

Albert Bustillos saw it as his time to give the pros a shot in May 1988. The Dodgers were happy to have him, according to The Hollister Free Lance . Bustillos, drafted by Los Angeles the previous June, finally signed after spending another season at Gavilan College, The Free Lance wrote . "Bustillos throws hard," Dodgers scout Gib Bodet told The Free Lance then, dismissing a 7-7 won-loss record. "He's a big, strong kid with mounds of potential. The key is he has the chance to get better under our system." Bustillos eventually realized enough potential to spend a decade in the pros. He saw AAA over five of those seasons and even saw Taiwan. But he never made the majors . Bustillos' career began that year in 1988, taken by the Dodgers in the 47th round of the previous year's draft out of Gavilan in California. At Gavilan, Bustillos earned the confidence of his coach Bob Nickerson, The Free Lance wrote in February 1988. "With Albert on the mound th...

Arizona State's Gordy Farmer came on in relief in this must-win 1988 College World Series game and he proceeded to have perhaps his best outing of the year, The Arizona Republic wrote . Farmer went 2.2 innings of relief, giving up one hit and striking out three, allowing his team time to get the win against Wichita State and stay alive, The Republic wrote . "Gordy came in when they still were totally in control of the game and handled it magnificently," coach Jim Brock told The Republic . "That's the best slider, curveball, slurve ... whatever you want to call it, that we've had at ASU." By that point, Farmer had already been drafted, and he soon signed. He went on to a pro career that saw five seasons. He topped out at high-A, and he's recorded as seeing Taiwan . Farmer's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Astros in the eighth round of the draft out of Arizona State . Farmer is also credited as Gordon Farmer. Farmer went to Arizona S...

Daryl Smith had played professionally for a decade, but hadn't gotten his call. It took a chance meeting for him to the majors, The Kansas City Star wrote in September 1990. After a season out due to injury, the Royals director of player personnel ran into him, the same director who'd helped originally sign Smith with the Rangers a decade earlier, The Star wrote . "Baseball is in my heart," Smith told The Star after he took that chance to his only major league callup. "It's part of my life as well as my family. I treated it with the utmost respect because of the talent God gave me." Smith's callup that September led to two outings, 6.2 innings of work. In a career that spanned 17 seasons, those marked his only two outings in the majors. Smith's career began in 1980, taken by the Rangers in the sixth round of the January draft out of the Community College of Baltimore County, Essex Campus. Smith was also credited as Dar Smith. Smith started w...

El Paso Diablo Ron Gerstein started the 1995 season badly, as in 1-8 badly. But he then worked to turn it around, and came back with a 5-2 stretch, The El Paso Times wrote that August. His fifth win in that stretch came as he nearly pitched a complete game and came out of the game to cheers, The Times wrote . "I made some adjustments after my horrible first half start," Gerstein told The Times . "Before, I would go five innings and out after giving up some runs. It was nice to get this far and have the cheers." If Gerstein started that season rough, his career started rough, as well. Injuries limited his first two campaigns to nine total outings. He then came back to see time in five more campaigns, as well as Taiwan and Italy. He topped out at AA . Gerstein's career began in 1990, signed by the independent Salt Lake City Trappers out of Oklahoma State University  and Tulane. At Salt Lake City, Gerstein saw two games and then got hurt, injuring his elbow . H...

With apologies to his team, the single-A Miami Marlins, Scott Diez didn't want to be there, he told The Miami News in June 1988. In the seventh season since his career began, he hadn't seen AA. He just wanted to move up . "This is getting old, I'm dying to get to a higher level," he told The News , "... I've paid my dues and struggled. There is a heavy demand for left-handed pitchers. If I was given the opportunity, I know I could definitely contribute to any team. Diez eventually did make it to AA, but he didn't make it higher .  Diez's career began in 1982, taken by the Red Sox in the 14th round of the draft out of  Miami Dade College . Diez started with the Red Sox at short-season Elmira . He went 4-3, with a 3.66 ERA in 14 outings, 6 starts. He then moved to single-A Winston-Salem for 1983. He returned to Elmira for 1984. The organization looked Diez to show his potential, The Elmira Star-Gazette wrote that June. "This is his third ye...

Tim Clark thought his career might have ended when the Brewers released him after a brief team-induced try at pitching in spring 1992, The Philadelphia Daily News wrote . But then independent Salt Lake picked him up an, by 1993, he was in the Marlins system and leading all of the minors in RBI by mid-August, The Daily News wrote . "It is kind of weird how everything has turned out," Clark told The Daily News then. Clark went on from three to see five more campaigns, including time in Mexico and in Taiwan. He topped out at AA . Clark's career began in 1990, taken by the Brewers in the eighth round of the draft out of Louisiana State University . At LSU, Clark helped the team to the 1990 College World Series, including hitting a round-one two-run home run . He started with the Brewers at single-A Beloit . He saw 67 games and hit .260. He spoke to The Daily News about early confidence issues at Beloit. "Until recently, I was hitting  lefthanders better than I ever h...

After seeing AA twice earlier, Astros minor leaguer Ed Ponte found himself back at single-A to start 1993, The Moline Dispatch wrote . Ponte just wanted to be back at AA, making progress, he told The Dispatch that April. "I would like to be out of here by next month," Ponte told The Dispatch . "I want to put up as good of numbers as possible." Ponte, though, never made it back to AA. He played three more seasons in independent ball, for 9 campaigns total. He topped out in those AA trips. Ponte's career began in 1988, signed by the Astros as an undrafted free agent out of State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota . Ponte started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He moved to single-A Asheville for 1989, where he went 11-3, with a 3.27 ERA in 42 relief appearances. He played 1990 between high-A Osceola and AA Columbus . He saw 18 relief appearances at Columbus and went 1-2, with a 3.00 ERA. Ponte played 1991 back at Osceola and then 1992 betwee...

Lincoln Mikkelsen took to the mound for the AA Harrisburg Senators in April 1995 and impressed, The Carlisle Sentinel wrote . In six innings of work, he gave up just two hits for the win, The Sentinel wrote . "We got some great pitching tonight," Harrisburg manager Pat Kelly told The Sentinel afterward. "Mikkelsen was just super. He had good control of all his pitches, and was able to throw his breaking ball for strikes." Mikkelsen gave that performance in his sixth season as a pro, and after spending part of the previous year in Taiwan. He went on to continue to play for another decade-plus, in independent ball, Taiwan and even Italy, last recorded playing in 2008. He topped out at AA. Mikkelsen's career began in 1990, signed by independent co-op Erie out of Lamar University in Texas. He played his high school ball in Montague, Mich. Mikkelsen was also credited as Linc Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen played that year in 1990 at short-season Erie . Mikkelsen went 7-5 on...

Into his 10th professional season in 1998, all in the minors or overseas, Kevin Castleberry explained to The Oklahoman that July why he continued. "I'm 30 years old, and I'm still playing baseball," Castleberry told The Oklahoman . "I don't have anybody I have to take care of except myself. I can't think of an easier way to do it." For Castleberry, that season included 23 games spent with the Cubs at AAA Iowa. That season also proved his last. He topped out at AAA . Castleberry's career began in 1989, taken by the Braves in the third round of the draft out of the University of Oklahoma . Castleberry started with the Braves at single-A Burlington . He hit .246 in 64 games. He moved to single-A Durham for 1990. He hit .242 in 119 games. That April in 1990, he spoke to The Durham Sun about how he got used to pro ball, referencing a story from Burlington where the team was losing 11-1. "It was pretty depressing," Castleberry told The Su...

Greenville Braves hurler Marcos Vasquez had just closed out two games in July 1993. Earlier, he'd been used in middle relief and even started, The Greenville News wrote . For Vasquez, he was just concerned with pitching, he told The News . "I just go out and do whatever my job is," Vasquez told The News then. "Whether it's starter or reliver, I'm learning from that. You just get out there and get it done quick. I don't mind being the closer. I like it." Vasquez ended up going out and doing the job professionally over 11 seasons. He briefly made AAA and even saw Taiwan. Vasquez, however, never got to do his job in the bigs. Vasquez' career began in 1987, signed by the Braves as a free agent out of his native Puerto Rico . Vasquez started with the Braves in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He went 3-5 over 12 starts, with a 3.71 ERA. He moved to single-A Sumter for 1988, then returned for much of 1989. He went 10-10 in 1989, with a 3.27 ERA in 2...

Scott Fredrickson broke his wrist in high school. After recovering, he seemed to have a new pitch, his cut fastball, he recalled to The San Bernardino County Sun at high-A High Desert in 1991. While he had success with it, it was also sometimes hard to catch. It also seemed to cause some early troubles for him at High Desert, The Sun wrote . "I'm not going to jump ship," Fredrickson told The Sun of his pitch. "It's my money pitch and I just need to throw strikes." Fredrickson eventually threw cut fastballs - and strikes - to make the majors. He saw 25 relief outings with the Rockies in 1993, the extent of his major league career. Fredrickson's career began in 1990, taken by the Padres in the 14th round of the draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. He started with the Padres at short-season Spokane . He went 3-3, with a 3.28 ERA over 26 outings, one start. He moved to single-A Waterloo and high-A High Desert for 1991. He went 7-6 between th...

Corey Kapano thought he'd be drafted higher in 1988. So, after finally getting taken in the 40th round, it took him some time to get over it, he told The Moline Dispatch in May 1990. But then he thought about it some more, he told The Dispatch . He'd still been drafted. "I'm getting the chance just like anyone else," Kapano told The Dispatch . "The 40th round means nothing to me. I was drafted and I got the chance to play." Kapano eventually took that chance to a career that spanned more than a decade in the pros. He briefly made it to AAA and even to Taiwan, but fell short of the bigs. Kapano's career began in 1988, taken by the Angels in the 40th round out. He's credited as playing at Mount San Antonio College and Citrus College, as well as Azusa High School in California.  Kapano hit the field for the Angels in 1989, at short-season Bend . He hit .251 in 63 games, with six home runs. He made single-A Quad City in 1990, where he hit .244. ...

Eddie Zambrano didn't even know he was playing that May 1994 evening, he told The Chicago Tribune later.  He ended up being one of the game's heroes as he hit two home runs, knocking in four in the 6-3 win, The Tribune wrote . "I came out early for extra hitting and found out I was in the lineup," Zambrano told The Tribune . "I'm happy to play, but even more happy to win. We really needed a win." Zambrano had that two-homer night in his second season with time in the bigs . He saw 67 games that year. He continued playing for several more seasons, but he didn't get back. Zambrano's career began in 1985, signed by the Red Sox as a free agent out of his native Venezuela. Zambrano was also credited by his formal name, Eduardo Zambrano. He started with the Red Sox playing two seasons at single-A Greensboro . He hit .271 and .238 there. Zambrano made AA briefly in 1987 at AA New Britain , then full-time in 1988 and hit .223.  He moved to the Indians...

Fidel Compres went out after a game with the AAA Las Vegas Stars in July 1994. He then ended up inside his apartment, along with a teammate, two women and his two guns, The Associated Press reported of the police account. By the time the night was over, one of the two women was dead, shot in the neck, from a gun held by Compres, The AP wrote of the police account. "Compres began playing with two guns he keeps at his apartment, a .38-caliber revolver and a 9mm semi-automatic," The AP wrote . "While allegedly twirling the 9mm around on a finger, it discharged, sending a bullet into the neck of the woman, who died instantly, (the police spokesman) said." The shooting was ultimately determined not criminal, an accident. Compres played on elsewhere , but his time in affiliated ball had concluded. He last saw time in independent ball in 2000. Compres' career in baseball began in 1984, signed by the Indians as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic . Com...