Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Alabama high schooler Joey Locke signed with the Astros in 1987, skipping a scholarship from the University of Alabama, his hometown Huntsville Times wrote . A few weeks in, Locke told The Times he was happy about his decision. "When you wake up, it's all baseball," Locke told The Times that June. "I didn't think practice would be like this, but I don't have any second thoughts. I love baseball, and this is my big chance." For Locke, however, his chance lasted three seasons. He made high-A . Locke's career began that year in 1987, taken by the Astros in the fourth round of the draft out of Sparkman High in Alabama. Locke was also credited as Roger Locke and Joe Locke. Locke started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw 13 starts and went 3-3, with a 4.73 ERA. He moved to single-A Asheville for 1988. He went 3-7 there, with a 6.56 ERA. His season at Asheville, however, also came with shoulder pain. He later had surgery and los...

Jorge Correa 's playing career didn't go very far, cut short by injury after three seasons. His post-playing career has gone far enough that he heads his own baseball instruction academy , with an Instagram following of more than 90,000. Correa's playing career began in 1990, taken by the Astros in the ninth round of the draft out of Miami Senior High School . At Miami High, Correa earned honorable mention all-county in 1988. He pitched a no-hitter in an April 1990 game as he struck out 11. He started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . The pitcher saw nine games, eight starts. He went 1-3, with a 6.13 ERA. He then returned to the GCL for 14 outings, 11 starts in 1991. He went 5-3, with a 3.48 ERA that year. Correa then made it to short-season Auburn for 1992, but his season proved brief. In six relief outings, 5.2 innings, he gave up 13 earned runs. He picked up a win in relief in a June game. But an injury helped end his career. That season marked his ...

After Brian Bennett 's first season in the minors in the Gulf Coast League, the scout that drafted him had good things to say to Bennett's hometown Palm Desert Post . The scout, Ross Sapp, told The Post that Bennett had improved his defense and his catching. He just had to work on his hitting. "He has a great desire for the game," Sapp told The Post . "He gives 120 percent all the time. That desire will carry him a long ways." For Bennett, he ultimately saw four pro seasons . He topped out at single A. Bennett's career began in 1987, taken by the Astros in the fifth round of the secondary phase of the previous June's draft out of the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California. Bennett eventually signed in early June 1987, after playing at San Bernardino County College, The Desert Sun wrote . "Mostly just relief knowing I can play baseball and not try to stay in school and do other things," Bennett told The Sun of his feelings on s...

The Louisville Courier-Journal checked in on Louisville RiverBats veteran top picks in June 2000, among them former Astros first-round pick Tom Nevers . By then, Nevers was in his 11th pro season, having started in 1990. The highest he'd gotten was AAA. "The media and the fans can take it as, 'Oh, you're a first-rounder, you're going to be a star.,'" Nevers told The Courier-Journal then. "But there are no guarantees in this game." Nevers went on to play in two more seasons. The former first rounder never made the majors . Nevers' career began in 1990, taken by the Astros 21st overall out of Edina High School in Minnesota. The Astros picked Nevers to play baseball as he also had hockey options. The Pittsburgh Penguins also selected Nevers in the fifth round of the 1989 NHL draft and he had a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. Ahead of the 1989 NHL draft, Nevers spoke to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune about his options. "I lov...

Twins minor leaguer Paul Russo worked with some big names in the offseason, friends of his from the Tampa area, The Racine Journal Times wrote in July 1991. Those friends included the likes of Dwight Gooden, Fred McGriff and Luis Gonzalez, The Journal Times wrote . "They've been more of an influence. They've made it to the show," Russo told The Journal Times . "Knowing that those guys made it, you've played with these guys all your life, it makes you a better player." For Russo, he was in his second season as a pro. He went on to play a decade, but he never could join his friends in the majors. He topped out at AAA . Russo's career began in 1990, taken by the Twins in the 16th round of the draft out of the University of Tampa Russo started with the Twins at rookie Elizabethton . He saw 62 games and hit .335. He then moved to single-A Kenosha, where he hit .271 over 125 games. He made AA Orlando for 1992. That July, he made the league All-Star tea...

Rick Stiner helped his high school team to the Indiana state championship , then played two seasons as a pro. In November 1997, he opened his own youth baseball facility in his hometown of Kokomo, The Kokomo Tribune wrote . "Batting was something I've always known a lot about and teaching was something I'd always wanted to do," Stiner told The Tribune then . Stiner's pro career saw him top out at high-A . Stiner's brief pro career began in 1990, signed by the Brewers as an undrafted free agent out of Grand Canyon College. At Grand Canyon, Stiner participated in a record scoring game, where his team scored 45 runs, The Associated Press wrote . "In the eighth inning, one of our coaches said let's score 30 runs," Stiner told The AP . "And then, when we got to 30, we said, why don't we try for forty? When we got to 45, everybody was wanting 50 real bad." Stiner signed as a pro in February 1990. He spoke to The Tribune then expressed ...

Two months after completing a round of chemotherapy, Mariners minor leaguer Lem Pilkinton had his sights set on getting back to the field, on spring training 1992, The Newport News Daily Press wrote . He'd discovered a lump on one of his testicles that turned out to be cancerous, but the chemotherapy appeared to have him cancer-free, The Daily Press wrote . "I asked my doctors what they would tell a patient normally, not an athlete but a normal patient," Pilkinton told The Daily Press . "They said it would be June before you'd feel pretty good. Then I asked them what they'd tell a young person. They said June. I said, 'Well, it's going to be March for me." Pilkinton did make it back for spring , but he didn't make it back to a pro game. He saw five seasons and made high-A. But he has stayed in the game, as a coach and as a youth instructor . Pilkinton's career began in 1986, taken by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the draft out of Col...

Todd Stephan started with an independent team, then made it to the Orioles and, by May 1993, AAA Rochester, he noted to his hometown The La Crosse Tribune .  He just needed to take that next step, get that break, he told The Tribune . "I was fortunate to get an opportunity to go with the Orioles and do well in every spot," Stephan told The Tribune . "I am close ... that is how I feel. Organizations have different thoughts and different feelings about different people. Sometimes it takes a special break." Stephan spoke in his fifth pro season, second at Rochester. That season also proved his last. He fell short of the majors . Stephan's career began in 1989, signed by independent Peninsula . He'd played college ball at Point Park in Pittsburgh and Bethany Lutheran in Minnesota. He'd also played high school ball at Onalaska in Wisconsin. Stephan started at Peninsula and saw 35 games, 16 starts. He went 6-8, with a 4.72 ERA. Stephan's work drew praise ...

Spotted by a scout at a local league game in summer 1987, Steve Mondile got an invitation to a tryout - and got signed, his hometown Camden Courier-Post wrote . "It's something I've always wanted since I started playing," Mondile told The Courier-Post then. "Everything's happened so quick. But it's been a good day. It's my dad's birthday, plus, I got a major league contract." Mondile went from there to rookie ball. He then went on to see time in four pro seasons . He topped out at high-A, but he eventually stayed in the game as a scout himself, as well as a coach and instructor. Mondile's career began that year in 1987, signed by the Orioles as an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky Wesleyan College. Mondile started with the Orioles at rookie Bluefield . He went 1-1, with a 4.43 ERA over 10 relief outings.  He moved to short-season Erie for 1989 and saw 27 games in relief. He went 2-2 there, with a 1.07 ERA. He then played 1989 at si...

Larry Hawks played multiple positions in college, at the University of Central Missouri. He played the outfield, catcher and even pitched, The Kansas City Star wrote in April 1990. He liked catching the best, but he really just liked to play, he told The Star then. "I like the diversity of it," Hawks told The Star of his efforts at different spots. "And I like to win, and to help us win I need to play a lot of places." Hawks took his abilities from college, on to the pros. His pro career lasted three seasons . He topped out briefly at AAA. Hawks' career began that year in 1990, taken by the Padres in the 33rd round of the draft out of Central Missouri. Hawks' work at Central Missouri earned him induction to the school's Hall of Fame in 2021. He then still ranked among the school's all-time leader in pitching appearances, saves, triples and put outs . His ERA in 1990 of 0.89 remained a school record. He started with the Padres at short-season Spo...

Well into his new career as a coach and instructor, Ronnie Ortegon looked back in September 2000 in The Quad-City Times on his time in 1990 playing for single-A Quad City, as well as playing for his manager there, Don Long. The occasion was the 10-year anniversary of Quad City's 1990 Midwest League championship.  "I find myself using a lot of the same approaches that Don used," Ortegon told The Times then as a high school baseball coach near Dallas. "I find myself trying to get kids to work hard and develop the same drive that he developed in us. I learned a lot that year." That year proved one of two Ortegon would play in the pros. He played both at single-A. After that, however, he's gone on to a long post-playing career as a coach and instructor at multiple levels and in multiple roles. He's even written his own book on the topic - "The Hitter's Discipline." Ortegon's career in baseball began in 1989, signed by the Angels as a...

Former minor leaguer Dan Williams recounted the end of his playing days to his hometown Corvallis Gazette-Times in April 1992: A team official simply told him he'd no longer be playing, he'd be coaching. Then, after a season coaching at high-A Kinston, Williams was ready for more, he told The Gazette Times . "I got a real good review," Williams told The Gazette-Times . "Right now, I'm down here running the schedule. They want to see how well I do, and I'll probably manage somewhere next year." Williams didn't manage, but he did continue to coach . Then, for 1995, he made the majors as the Indians bullpen catcher.  Williams' playing cays began in 1988, taken by the Indians in the 37th round of the draft out of Western Oregon University.  Williams started with the Indians at rookie Burlington . The catcher saw 39 games and hit .210. He then moved to short-season Watertown for 1989. He got into 52 games there and hit .295. He arrived at Kinst...

Starting his fifth season where he played at least partially in the high-A Carolina League, Greg Ferlenda found himself thankful, he told The Roanoke Times in April 1990. He wasn't bothered by it at all, he told The Times . "It doesn't matter as long as I'm pitching," Ferlenda told The Times . "I know what my role is and as long as I'm helping the team, I'm happy." Ferlenda spoke to The Times in his eighth season overall. It also proved his last. He saw four separate organizations over his career. He topped out at AA . Ferlenda's career began in 1983, taken by the Blue Jays in the 14th round of the January draft out of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY. Ferlenda started with the Blue Jays at rookie Medicine Hat . He went 4-6, with a 6.01 ERA over 16 outings, 11 starts. He moved to single-A Florence for 1984 and 1985. Sent to the Rangers in a November trade, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram identified Ferlenda as among a large pool o...

Playing at AA Vermont to start 1987, Marty Brown had already long-earned the title of "hard-nosed" player, according to The Burlington Free Press . "I've always been this way," Brown told The Free Press . "When I was a kid, I really liked Pete Rose. He always played hard and I respected that. That's the way I want to play." Brown soon took his style of baseball on to the majors and he saw the bigs for brief stretches over three seasons with the Reds and the Orioles.  He later took that style on to managing in the minors and in Japan , and most recently, to his own baseball academy back home in Missouri. Brown's career in baseball began in 1985, taken by the Reds in the 12th round of the draft out of the University of Georgia . Brown started with the Reds at rookie Billings . He hit .339 in 68 games and stole 11 bases. He then moved to single-A Cedar Rapids for 1986 and hit .299, with 58 stolen bases.  That May in 1986, Brown spoke to The Ce...

Tim MacNeil came on in relief for Rancho Santiago College in this April 1988 game and he impressed, The Los Angeles Times wrote .  He got out of jams and protected the lead, The Times wrote . "Nothing seems to rattle him," Rancho Santiago coach Don Sneddon told The Times afterward. "I thought he showed a lot poise and character out there. He did a solid job again for us in a big game." MacNeil eventually impressed enough that year to turn pro. He saw three seasons . He topped out at high-A. MacNeil's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Rangers in the 13th round of the draft out of Rancho Santiago College. Moved to relief at Rancho Santiago and he initially had trouble, The Times wrote in July 1987, calling his previous season as a reliever "forgettable." "I wasn't ready to be a reliever on that level," MacNeil told The Times . "I had a lot to learn, and still do, about pitching, and coming in late in the game was strange...

Rob Lukachyk spent 1995 - his ninth pro season - with the Toledo Mud Hens, without getting a call up to Detroit. Cut, he signed on with the Expos for 1996 - after a month at home, The Ottawa Citizen wrote . With some early success in the minors with the Expos, Lukachyk spoke to The Citizen about continuing on and coming back from that Tigers disappointment. "It hurt, really hurt, to be cut, but I'm just trying to go out now and have fun every day," Lukachyk told The Citizen . "It's like when you were a kid playing baseball. I don't put any pressure on myself. I'm just trying to be a 27-year-old kid again." For Lukachyk, his success continued in the ensuing weeks and, soon, he'd made Montreal. Lukachyk saw time in two major league games that July, games that would mark the extent of his major league career. Lukachyk's career began in 1987, taken by the White Sox in the 10th round of the draft out of Brookdale Community College in New Jerse...