Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Julio Linares had a long career as a player in the minors, 15 seasons played with the Giants. But when the Astros came calling with a coaching job, Linares couldn't pass up the opportunity, he told The Johnson City Press in 1976. "I was 34 and I had to make a decision about my future," Linares told The Press . "At best I could play perhaps two more years or I could accept Houston's offer to coach. I really wanted to get into this phase of the game and I have no regrets." For Linares, it turned out to be the right decision - and the right organization. He went on to spend more than four decades in the Astros system, as a coach, manager and a scout. He even got time in the majors as a bench coach. Linares' career in baseball began in 1957 out of his native Dominican Republic at Class C Tucson. By 1960, he was formally with the Giants at Class D Quincy. He then continued with the Giants over the next 13 seasons. He first made AA at Rio Grande Valley in ...

Passed over in the 1978 draft out of the University of Florida, Nick Belmonte tried to make his mark with independent teams of the Northwest League, The Salem Statesman Journal wrote . He played well enough for brief looks with the Brewers and Expos, but then found himself back with the independent Salem Senators for 1979, The Statesman Journal wrote . "I don't want to say anything against the Senators - they've been great to me," Belmonte told The Statesman Journal . "It's just that this isn't what I planned for myself." Belmonte the player ultimately didn't work out. But his time in baseball ultimately did. He took his broadcast degree he earned at Florida to local TV sports - and eventually right back to Florida. He became the Gators' longtime baseball broadcaster , a job he's held for over three decades. Belmonte's career in baseball began in 1978, signed by independent Boise as a free agent out of Florida . He played that first...

Dennis Moeller made his major league debut with the Royals in July 1992 and, while the outing didn't turn out the way he'd hoped , that he got there was exactly what he'd hoped for. The outing, a start, included Moeller giving up three earned runs, two on back-to-back home runs, in 4.1 innings, The Associated Press wrote . "I wasn't really nervous, though," Moeller told The AP afterward. "I was excited. This was a long time coming." That debut came in Moeller's seventh pro season. He went on to return to the majors the next year with the Pirates. Those two seasons marked the extent of his major league career. Moeller's career began in 1986, taken by the Royals in the 17th round of the draft out of Los Angeles Valley College . He started with the Royals at short-season Eugene. He made single-A Appleton in 1987, then first saw AA Memphis in 1989. For 1990, he started at Memphis and then moved up to AAA Omaha . He moved up despite a rough s...

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...

Mike Spiers started his work in college baseball and, briefly, in the pros. But he went on to make his name in  another type of baseball , travel baseball. His work in travel baseball grew so much that the American Baseball Coaches Association called Spiers "a trailblazer in travel baseball" when it posthumously award him its 2024 ABCA Travel & Youth Baseball Service Award. Spiers passed away in 2013. "Beyond his success on the field, Spiers was widely-known for teaching not only baseball skills, but giving his players the tools to succeed in everyday life," the  association wrote in its award announcement. Spiers' work in baseball began in the 1980s, in college, where he played catcher. He then served as a coach at San Jose State University in 1987, then at San Mateo College in 1988 and 1989.  For 1990, he signed on as a coach with independent Salinas, but his tenure proved brief. He was out by the end of April . By 1992, Spiers started Amateur Basebal...

Still a young minor league manager in 1991, Osceola skipper Sal Butera compared to The Orlando Sentinel his job with players then to those of his own early playing career. "Being a manager also means handling players' frustrations, goals and inabilities on and off the field," Butera told The Sentinel that January. "Even though I went through those things as a player almost 20 years ago, things change." Butera's own playing career took him all the way to the majors over nine seasons. He also saw a World Series. His post-playing career saw him manage in the minors , coach in the majors and scout. Butera's career in baseball began in 1972, signed  as an undrafted free agent out of Suffolk County Community College . Butera started with the White Sox in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He moved to the Yankees and single-A Fort Lauderdale for 1973. He then arrived with the Twins at single-A Lynchburg for 1974. He made AA Orlando and AAA Tacoma for 1975, then...

Seton Hall's Marteese Robinson had a 21-game hitting streak his junior year and powered his club to an 18-4 record by early April, The Morristown Daily Record wrote . In addition to helping his team, he also looked ahead to the possibility of turning pro, The Daily Record wrote . "It all depends on how the scouts see my individual skills," Robinson told The Daily Record . "I'm trying to play as hard as I can defensively, too, because I feel that is an underrated part of my game." Robinson did go on to turn pro that year in the draft. His pro career ended up lasting four seasons . He topped out at AA. But he ended up staying in the game, as a scout himself. Robinson's career began in 1987,  taken by the Athletics  in the sixth round of the draft out of Seton Hall University. Robinson started with the Athletics between short-season Medford and single-A Modesto. He hit .231 in 54 games. He then moved to single-A Madison for 1988. He hit .251 in 125 games....

The Kansas City Star highlighted the Royals' efforts to sign Latin American talent in spring 1989, including the unusually difficult signing of Chris Garibaldo in Panama. Signing Garibaldo was the Royals'  Latin America scouting supervisor Herb Raybourn, The Star wrote .  "There was fighting in Panama, and they stopped him and wouldn't let him drive any further - they said the road was in a danger zone," Royals director of scouting Art Stewart told The Star . "So he went into this kid's down, about 4 or 5 miles away, on horseback. And he came out with a signed contract." Garibaldo's pro career ended up lasting for three seasons. He topped out at high-A .  Garibaldo's career began in 1988, signed by the Royals as a free agent out of his native Panama. Garibaldo was also credited as Christobal Garibaldo and Vicente Garibaldo. Garibaldo started with the Royals in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He saw 35 games and hit .228.  He then moved to si...

Michigan State player Mike Ericson did much for his team in spring 1990, serving as both a relief pitcher and designated hitter, The Lansing State Journal wrote . His efforts even included collisions at the plate, The State Journal wrote . "Helping the team in any way that I can," Ericson told The State Journal that May. "I'll do anything." Ericson eventually did enough to turn pro and play five seasons. He topped out at AA . He then went on to use his knowledge of both sides of the game in a long career as a scout. Ericson's career began in 1990, taken by the independent high-A Miami Miracle in the 16th round of the draft out of Michigan State. Ericson started with the Miracle that summer as a pitcher . He saw 25 games, one start, and went 2-2, with a 4.00 ERA. He returned to Miami for 1991 and saw eight starts, going 1-3, with a 2.70 ERA. That August, Ericson and the Miracle played their first game at the new state-of-the-art Homestead Sports Complex, ...

In his sixth pro season, at age 27, Clay Daniel found himself still playing, but at high-A independent Miami . To The South Florida Sun Sentinel , Daniel recounted how he continued looking for his chance at the majors. "The game is played between the ears," Daniel told The Sun Sentinel . "How do you know if someone can play in the big leagues unless given a chance. They might say my fastball is a little bit short for the big leagues. But how do they know?" For Daniel, he never got his shot at the majors. That season proved his last as a pro . But Daniel has gone on to his own career evaluating major league talent himself, as a scout. Daniel's career began in 1984, taken by the Reds in the 20th round of the draft out of the University of Florida . He started with the Reds at rookie Billings and at single-A Tampa . He went 7-0 at Billings, with a 2.56 ERA. Late that July, he threw a no-hitter, striking out 14, The Billings Gazette wrote . "Once you start th...

Late in the 1987 season, Mal Fichman's Boise Hawks took a loss, one so bad he called his team out for quitting, publicly, The Spokane Chronicle wrote . He even started walking back to the team hotel to avoid the bus. But they they came back and won a gutsy performance the next night and Fichman couldn't help but be pleased, The Chronicle wrote . "They were pumped," Fichman explained to The Chronicle of the win. "They were trying to stick it up my rear end. And you know what? They're gonna try to do it again tomorrow. And I hope they do." The entire incident marked one colorful moment in a long minor league career of colorful moments for Fichman.  But it was still hardly a comparison to the incident for which he is best remembered. The time two seasons later when an ejected Fichman returned to the field disguised as the team's mascot . Fichman's long career in baseball began in the 1960s in various jobs with minor league clubs. He got his start i...

Boise Hawks reliever Mike Larson turned in a sterling performance this night in July 1988, The Idaho Statesman wrote . He went 4.1 innings, while giving up four hits and no runs for the save, The Idaho Statesman wrote . "It really helps to have a good outing like that," Larson told The Statesman afterward. "Lately I haven't lasted very long, either because of the situation or because I didn't throw well. But this was really good for the confidence." Larson went on from there to see three pro campaigns, all at short-season . His post-playing career, however, has consisted of watching - and evaluating - player outings as a scout.  Larson's career began in 1988, signed by independent co-op Boise as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Wisconsin. He played high school with Waseca High School in Minnesota. With Boise that first year, Larson saw 27 relief appearances. He went 0-6, with a 3.18 ERA. That August, he got his team out of a bases-load...

North Florida assistant baseball coach Brad Weitzel moved on in December 1991, to scouting, The Palm Beach post wrote . Weitzel was named then as Minnesota Twins scouting supervisor for Florida, The Post wrote . "My dream was always to get a chance to play pro ball," Weitzel told The Post then, "but this is the next best thing." Weitzel may never have played professionally, but he did go on to a long career as a scout - and back as a coach in college, including 12 seasons spent as an assistant at Florida. Weitzel played in college, at Palm Beach Community College and at Georgia. After missing on the pros, he returned to Palm Beach as a coach. He then moved to North Florida - and moonlighted in the pros . In 1990, he served as a coach for the independent co-op Erie Sailors. Weitzel continued as a scout for the Twins through 2007. Along the way, he signed the likes of A.J. Pierzynski and Doug Mientkiewicz . In May 1995, Weitzel explained to The Naples Daily New ...

His brief playing career over, Jim Gabella turned to a new career by 1985, coaching in college, at Broward Community, The Fort Lauderdale News wrote that August. But he still had the same aspirations he had as a player, he told The News - the majors. "My goal has always ben to get to the big leagues," Gabella told The News , before turning his thoughts to the task then, "but there is still a lot more I want to accomplish at BCC." Gabella soon made it back to the pros from college, as a coach and manager. Though he continued a long career there, he missed the bigs. Gabella's career in baseball began in 1976, taken by the White Sox in the 10th round of the draft out of Deerfield Beach High School in Florida. He started with the White Sox in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .137 in 29 games. He isn't recorded as playing in 1977, but returned with the Mariners at short-season Bellingham in 1978 and single-A Alexandria in 1979. He saw his final playing t...