Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

As spring 1995 neared, Nikco Riesgo arrived at Expos camp to take part in the replacement spring. He had spent one, brief stint in the majors with the Expos four years earlier. But would he "consider himself a replacement player?" The Montreal Gazette asked . "I plan to take things one day at a time," Riesgo told The Gazette . "We'll see what happens. I'm in shape and ready to play baseball." Riesgo soon did garner the title of replacement player. He also eventually wrote about his experiences in his own book published 15 years later: "Strike Three!" - A Player's Journey through the Infamous Baseball Strike of 1994. Overall, Riesgo's professional career spanned seven seasons and one trip to the majors - four games played with the Expos over a single week in April 1991. Riesgo's career began in 1988, taken by the Padres in the eighth round of the draft out of San Diego State University. Riesgo started with the Padres at sho...

Chris Morrow's second pro season appeared to be over early in 1989 when a dive for a fly ball in July sprained his shoulder, The Salem Statesman Journal wrote. But, after rehab at home, Morrow returned in time for the playoff push and picked up the key hit in a Salem win, The Statesman Journal wrote . "It felt a little awkward and a little stiff," Morrow told The Statesman Journal afterward. "But it's good to be back." Morrow went on to return for six more seasons. He briefly made AAA, but he never made the majors . Morrow's career began in 1988, taken by the Dodgers in the 13th round of the draft out of Skyline College in California.  Morrow started with the Dodgers at rookie Great Falls . He got into 60 games there and hit .288. He then moved to single-A Bakersfield and short-season Salem for 1989. He knocked a two-run home run and got a second hit in a late-June game.  Morrow played 1990 back at Bakersfield. He hit .240 over 95 games. He hit high-...

Mike Busch made two big decisions in his career. Both ended up part of his major league journey. But the second decision, led to his arrival in the bigs being much less than he hoped . Busch's first decision led him to baseball over football. A tight end and and infielder at Iowa State, Busch got drafted in both sports , by Tampa Bay in football and by the Dodgers in baseball. He chose baseball . "Football won't come back into the picture unless I falter something terrible," Busch told The Des Moines Register as his first pro baseball season concluded in 1990. "(I) feel real confident with baseball. I'm happy with my situation." Busch soon moved up and made AAA by 1993 and 1994. He then made the majors in late-August 1995. But a decision he made that spring in 1995, during the strike, to play baseball instead of sit it out, led to a harsh arrival once he did get there. Ostracized by his teammates, he was cheered as an underdog by fans, T...

Ira Smith returned to his old high school in 2009 and spoke about failure, according to My Eastern Shore . He did so as he gave Kent County High School's commencement address, 24 years after he graduated and after a career that took him through pro baseball and later let to an athletic director job in California. "Failure is there to bring you wisdom," Smith told the graduates, according to My Eastern Shore . "Failure should not be an issue. … Regret lies not in doing, but in not doing. You don't want your resume to say 'I didn't succeed in life because I was afraid I'd fail.' … Success is around the corner." In baseball, Smith did over a career that spanned 14 seasons . He made AAA in four of those campaigns. He never made the majors, but he did come close once. Fellow players, though, helped end that chance. Smith's career in baseball began in 1990, taken by the Dodgers in the 37th round of the draft out of the University o...

Chuck Wanke started slow for short-season Bend in 1990 and picked up a tough-luck loss in his third outing, The Bend Bulletin wrote . Wanke went seven innings and allowed just four hits and an unearned run in the 1-0 defeat, The Bulletin wrote . "It's disappointing to lose," Wanke told The Bulletin afterward, "but not as disappointing as you might think. I knew I was a better pitcher than I'd been throwing, but there's always that doubt. The big thing tonight is that I proved it ... to myself." Wanke proved it enough in that first year as a pro to continue on. He later tried to prove himself after a breach of team rules. By the time his career concluded, he'd seen time in eight pro seasons. He made AA, but not the majors . Wanke's career began that year in 1990, signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Beaverton, Ore. Wanke started with the Giants at Bend. He got six starts there and went 0-3, with an overall 4.88 ER...

Pressed into the starters role in this August 1997 game, reliever Joel Adamson showed what he could do,  according to The Associated Press . He gave up four hits, two runs in six innings of work,  The AP wrote.  He also recorded the win. "It's something you can't think about. You just have to think that you're getting another opportunity to start," Adamson  told The AP  afterward of the surprise call. "Every time they give me an opportunity to prove myself I'm grateful for the chance " Adamson proved himself enough to make the majors for the first time the year before. His call up to the Marlins in 1996 proved a missed call the year before was no fluke. He also had to prove himself with his teammates, according to The South Florida Sun-Sentinel . Adamson's career began in 1990,  taken by the Phillies  in the seventh round of the draft out of Cerritos College in California. Adamson started with the Phillies at rookie Princeton . He ma...

Pete Kuld played on into his eighth pro season in 1994 his second in independent ball. Speaking to The Los Angeles Times that September, Kuld explained why he continued. "I felt I was never given a real opportunity in minor-league ball," Kuld told The Times . "I'm wearing this uniform because I still want to play in the major leagues." Kuld played a total of six seasons in the minors, making it as high as AA. He played a total of four in independent ball. He never made the majors - or back to the minors. Kuld's career began in 1987, taken by the Indians in the 13th round of the June secondary draft out of Pepperdine. Kuld is also credited by his full name, Peter Kuld. At Pepperdine, Kuld knocked two hits in a February 1987 game. He also made the All-Conference team that year He started with the Indians at single-A Kinston . The catcher hit .185 in 35 games. He then moved to single-A Waterloo for 1988, then briefly returned to Kinston for th...

Kevin O'Connor had some decisions to make in summer 1987, according to The Los Angeles Times . O'Connor could go pro and sign with the Cubs. He could head to his first-choice college, Cal State Fullerton. He also could wait and follow former Fullerton coach Augie Garrido to Illinois, The Times wrote . "The decision he had to make was really weighing on him," O'Connor's high school coach Bob Ickes told The Times after O'Connor's initial decision to head to Fullerton. "You could tell he was bothered by it." O'Connor eventually did follow his coach to Illinois. He also eventually turned pro . His pro career lasted six seasons. He saw AAA, but not the bigs. O'Connor's pro career began in 1990, taken by the Braves in the 32nd round of the draft out of Illinois. O'Connor played at Illinois in 1989 and 1990. He hit .319 over his career there . He was also invited to try out for the U.S. national team . With the Brave...

Mike Guilfoyle pitched into his 14th professional season in 2003. He saw half that time in the minors and the other half in independent ball and a brief stint in Korea. As he continued his career in May 2003 with the independent Bridgeport Bluefish, Guilfoyle explained to The Hudson Reporter why he continued. "Because baseball is in me," Guilfoyle told The Reporter . "I'm never going to get rid of that feeling." Guilfoyle ended his long career that year. He made it as high as AAA , but he never saw the majors. He's since started a new career, in law enforcement. Guilfoyle's baseball career began in 1990, taken by the Tigers in the 19th round of the draft out of St. Peter's College in New Jersey. Guilfoyle started with the Tigers at rookie Bristol. The hurler went 4-6 over 16 games, seven starts. He moved to single-A Fayetteville for 1991, then high-A Lakeland for 1992. For Lakland in 1992, Guilfoyle saved the league championship-wi...

As the spring wound down in 1995, Bernie Jenkins knew reality could set in, according to The San Francisco Chronicle . A judge's ruling put the start of the season in doubt for players like Jenkins , the replacement players. "It will disappoint you, but we knew it when we got here," Jenkins, an outfielder for the replacement Giants, told The Chronicle . Jenkins played with the Giants that spring after a six-season career that saw him make AA, but not the bigs. He extended his playing time that year, but did so briefly. He got into six regular-season games back at AA, ending his career. Jenkins' career began in 1988, taken by the Astros in the seventh round of the draft out of St. Francis College in Brooklyn. Jenkins started with the Astros at short-season Auburn . He hit .244 over 58 games. He got hit by a pitch and scored in an August game. He moved to single-A Osceola for 1989, improving his average to .292 on the year. He singled and scored in ...

A trip to the College World Series on the line, University of Miami reliever Mike Browning took the mound focused in this May 1981 game, according to The Associated Press . He had to be. Florida's Dave Falcone, the possible final out of the eighth inning, took Browning deep in their last meeting, The AP wrote . "When I came in I had Falcone on my mind," Browning told The AP after preserving the Miami win. "I didn't even think about the other hitters. I figured I'd get them, but I couldn't wait to get Falcone." Browning turned pro soon after and he likely couldn't wait to move up. His career went on for a decade and a half. He made it as high as AAA, but as long as he waited, he never made the majors . Browning's career began that year in 1981, taken by the Yankees in the 14th round of the draft out of Miami . Browning started with the Yankees at single-A Fort Lauderdale . He picked up one win and one save in 17 relief outings. ...

Boi Rodriguez started his career in the Expos system, making it to AA Jacksonville in his third season and returning there in his fourth. He then got traded to the Braves for 1991 and took that next step, playing much of that next season at AAA Richmond. Then his advancement stopped . "People who get traded to Atlanta are in trouble," Rodriguez lamented to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1995 after spending four seasons in the Braves system without seeing Atlanta. "You either move slow or don't move at all." Rodriguez hoped to take that final step with the Pirates in 1995. He went on to play professionally for another decade, playing in Mexico and even Japan. He never made the majors . Rodriguez' career began in 1987, taken by the Expos in the fourth round of the draft out of Indiana State University. At Indiana State, Rodriguez smacked an 11th-inning triple in May 1986 to send his team on to the College World Series. With the Expos, Rodrigu...

Rich Aldrete believes in the importance of lessons. If kids hope play beyond youth baseball, lessons could help, he told The Monterey Herald in August 2011. "On a college baseball team today, 90 percent of the players took individual lessons when they were younger," Aldrete told The Herald . "When I was in college, nobody took lessons." Aldrete spoke as the owner of his own baseball academy in California. He got the overall lack of lessens in his youth to go on from college to the pros. He played six seasons, but he couldn't make the majors. Aldrete's career began in 1987, taken by the Giants in the 31st round of the draft out of the University of California. Aldrete is the brother of former major leaguer Mike Aldrete . Aldrete started with the Giants at short-season Everett . He hit .300 over 59 games. He moved to single-A San Jose for 1988. He hit .301, with 12 home runs and a whopping 109 RBI that year. "I really don't care, it r...

Brian Cornelius went on a hot streak in June and July 1990 - a Fayetteville record 21-game hitting streak to be precise, The Fayetteville Observer wrote . His manager Gene Roof told The Observer his outfielder's streak resulted from hard work. "Obviously I can't take credit for the hitting streak," Roof told The Observer . "But what we've tried to work with him on in batting practice is to work on his stroke in batting practice. We want him to just hit and spray it around the field; to hit correctly. We've worked on getting his proper mechanics down." Cornelius used the mechanics he learned to go on to a career that spanned 13 seasons . He spent six of those seasons in affiliated ball, the rest on the independent circuit. He never made the majors. Cornelius' career began in 1989, taken by the Tigers in the 43rd round of the draft out of Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana. Born in Guyana, he grew up in Brooklyn ...

Randy Marshall got off to about as hot a start for Fayetteville in 1990 as anyone, according to The Detroit Free Press . The Fayetteville starter won his first 10 starts for a 10-0 record, The Free Press wrote . "I'm surprised by the start," Marshall told The Free Press late that May. "But then I'm not surprised because of the way I approach each game. I go out to win every time." Marshall went on to go 13-0 for the single-A Generals and 20-2 on the year after a promotion to high-A Lakeland. That season marked his second as a pro. He went on to get in eight seasons. He made AAA, but not the majors. Marshall's career began in 1989 , taken by the Tigers late in the 1988 draft out of Eastern Michigan University. Marshall started with the Tigers at single-A Fayetteville and short-season Niagara Falls in 1989. He went 5-5 between them, with a 3.97 ERA. He then returned to Fayetteville for 1990 and took off. In 14 starts there, he went 13-0, ...

The Port St. Lucie Mets pulled out the win in this May 1988 game and St. Lucie manager Clint Hurdle pointed to his starter Chris Rauth 's performance as the big reason, according to The Palm Beach Post . Rauth gave up five hits en route to the 4-1 victory, The Post wrote . "The key tonight was that Rauth kept away from that big inning," Hurdle told The Post afterward. "He was constantly ahead of the batters and he pitched aggressively." Rauth worked on hitters over seven professional seasons . He made AAA, but he never made the majors. Rauth's career began in 1985, taken by the Mets in the 15th round of the draft out of Ithaca College. At Ithaca, Rauth helped take his team to the 1985 Division III World Series with 12 wins. He threw eight shutout innings in a regional contest. With the Mets, Rauth started at short-season Little Falls. He went 6-5 in 15 starts, with a 3.84 ERA. He threw 10 innings in an August 1-1 tie. He played 1986 betwe...

Mel Wearing started off playing football in college. That's what his college scholarship said, according to The Newport News Daily Press . He soon switched to baseball, a move he told The Daily Press that came from the heart. "Baseball is my love," Wearing told The Daily Press in May 1991. "A lot of people thought it was football, but no. I really love baseball and I wanted to be comfortable, so I made the switch." Wearing made the switch and then went on to a professional career that spanned more than a dozen seasons. He made AAA in that time, but he never made the majors . Wearing's career began in 1989, taken by the Orioles in the 25th round of the draft out of Norfolk State University. At Norfolk State, Wearing won conference MVP honors three times, and Division II All-American twice. He hit .431 over his career, along with 35 home runs and 167 RBI. All three remain school records, according to the school . Wearing started with the Or...