Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Asheville Tourists starter Duane Brown went seven innings in this May 1991 game, giving up two hits and no runs for the win, The Asheville Citizen-Times wrote . The outing drew high praise from Asheville manager Frank Cacciatore afterward. "That was a very, very clutch pitching performance by Duane Brown," Cacciatore told The Citizen-Times , noting the staff had suffered a letdown in recent games. "So it was very important that Brown came in and did the job tonight." Brown eventually worked to do the job over a career that spanned more than a decade . He topped out at high-A, though he briefly saw Taiwan. Brown's career began in 1989, taken by the Astros in the 37th round of the draft out of South Umpqua High School in Oregon. Brown started with the Astros between short-season Auburn and the rookie Gulf Coast League. He saw 15 outings, 13 starts between them. He went 3-8, with a 2.61 ERA. Brown played 1990 between the Gulf Coast League, Auburn and single-A ...

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...

Asheville Tourists pitching coach Mark Brewer explained to The Asheville Citizen-Times in 2016 the impact injuries and call-ups have on a staff. Every team dealt with them, Brewer told The Citizen-Times that July. "If the guy who moves up is performing on a consistent basis, then, sure, (it’s tough on the staff)," Brewer told The Citizen-Times . "You have to wait to see if the guy replacing him has the same capabilities, and if he doesn't you have to work on putting him in a situation where he can succeed more often than not." Brewer spoke with the experience of well over two decades in the game as a minor league coach , time that started in college ball and in independent work. Brewer's time in baseball actually started growing up. His father Jim Brewer played and made the majors over 17 seasons, 16 of those with the Dodgers. Mark Brewer is recorded as having been drafted by the Giants , taken in the 32nd round of the 1978 draft out of Coronado High Sch...

Dan Shwam 's Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks got a big win in this August 1993 contest, a 9-2 victory over Sioux Falls, The Sioux Falls Argus Leader wrote . Shwam assessed the victory afterward to The Argus Leader . "It is nice to in," Shwam told The Argus Leader . "It is positive when we score that many runs. The three home runs is not our style but we'll take them when we can get them." By that point, Shwam had worked at winning as a manager and coach in the minors and independent ball. He'd also worked as a scout and high school coach. He went on to manage multiple teams in independent ball up through at least the mid-2000s. Shwam's career began in Utah in 1987 , as a coach for the independent Salt Lake City Trappers . Shwam's name was also spelled Dan Schwam. While coaching with Salt Lake City, Shwam spent his off seasons coaching baseball and basketball at Salt Lake's Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School. He continued there until at least 1996...

Vanderbilt's Jim Schifman had a disappointing junior season, but he hoped to turn it around his senior year and turn pro, he told his hometown Kansas City Star in July 1989. 'It's a dream of mine," Schifman told The Star of turning pro. "With a good senior year, I'll get some kind of chance." Schifman did get his chance, though it was a brief one . He signed with the independent Salt Lake City Trappers. He played in all of eight games. Schifman's pro career began and ended in 1990, signed by Salt Lake City out of Vanderbilt. Schifman went to Vanderbilt after catching the eye of coaches in the summer Ban Johnson League, The Star wrote . "Speed is definitely Jim's greatest asset," Schifman's Ban Johnson manager Cary Lundy told The Star in July 1987. "If he puts the ball into play, it's gong to be close at first base." By May 1990, Schifman was Vanderbilt's leading hitter and all-conference. He then got signed by...

Memphis State hitter Steve Keighley had a big day at the plate in early May 1989, The Anderson Independent-Mail wrote as he hit two home runs. Afterward, he attempted to explain to The Independent-Mail how he did it. "I was just going up there trying to hit line drives," Keighley told The Independent-Mail . "It just so happened I got the bat on the ball and the wind got hold of them and carried them out." Keighley went on from Memphis State to the pros. His pro career saw four seasons . He topped out at high-A. Keighley's pro career began in 1990, signed by the independent Salt Lake City Trappers out of Memphis State . At Salt Lake City, Keighley got into 34 games . He hit .261, with one home run. His home run came in a June contest, where he helped shepherd his team to a win from behind the plate, and critiqued the opposing team's hitters, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote . "They swung at the ball in the dirt all night," Keighley told The Tribune ....

Never mind it was a rain-shortened contest, the Salt Lake City Trappers ended a five game loosing streak in July 1990. Right fielder Jim Doyle , along with his teammates, couldn't have been happier, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote . "A cheap win?" Doyle told The Tribune afterward. "Just to get a win feels great." Doyle helped get wins that year in his first season as a pro. That season also turned out to be his only season as a pro .  Doyle's career began and ended that year, signed by independent Salt Lake City . His school and where he hailed from could not be found. Doyle started with the Trappers that June . He knocked in a run on a hit in one July game. In another game that month, he got a run across on a sacrifice fly and later scored on a sacrifice fly .  He then hit a two-run home run in an early August game. By later that month, though, Doyle was considering returning to school . Overall, Doyle saw 40 games and hit .203 with that one home run. Those...

Sacramento high schooler Rob Bargas showed promise in 1986, enough that Bargas hoped to draw attention of college scouts, The Sacramento Bee wrote that May. "I feel like something good will happen if I just keep playing the way I can," Bargas told The Bee . "I'm very confident this year. I go up to the plate knowing I will hit the ball hard somewhere no matter who's pitching." Bargas soon did make it to college, locally in Sacramento. But he then earned a spot across the country at Florida State. From there, he then turned pro. His pro career lasted two seasons . He made high-A. Bargas' career began in 1990, signed by the independent Salt Lake City Trappers out of Florida State. At Florida State in 1989, Bargas knocked in four runs and went 5 for 5 in a regional win, The Orlando Sentinel wrote . "It happened for me today, that's all," Bargas told The Sentinel after that big game. Overall, Bargas hit .328 at Florida State in 1989, then ....

University of Southwestern Louisiana outfielder Joe Burnett got drafted in 1990. It was just he wasn't so sure about the team that'd drafted him - the independent Miami Miracle, The Lafayette Daily Advertiser wrote . "I was shocked," Burnett told The Daily Advertiser of his selection. "When they called was the first time I'd heard of them. I really didn't expect it to happen. I don't really know what to think. I'm going to try and make the best of it. That's all I can do." For Burnett, the best of it turned out to be a single pro season , spent between Miami and independent Salt Lake City, before a single pitch ended his season and ultimately his career Burnett's career began and ended that year in 1990, taken by independent Miami in the 17th round of the draft out of Southwestern Louisiana. At Southwestern Louisiana, Burnett was known for stealing bases. By late May 1990, he'd already broken the school's single-season sto...

Young high school pitcher Dustin Hagy looked forward to the opportunity to play in the pros. His dad Jeff Hagy did, too, The Daytona Beach News Journal wrote in May 2013. "And, my dad played one year of pro ball with the Salt Lake City Trappers," Dustin Hagy told The News Journal , "so he is excited for me to have that experience." The older Hagy's pro experience lasted that one season in Utah . The younger Hagy, however, never made it. Jeff Hagy's pro experience began and ended in 1990, signed by the independent Salt Lake City Trappers apparently out of UNLV . Hagy had been a starter in college, but turned reliever in an early game with Salt Lake City, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote . He came on to record a crucial strike out. "I liked (relieving) because I didn't have time to think too much," Hagy told The Tribune . Hagy then got into another June game and gave up two runs, one earned, in two innings of work , then two no-hit innings in a J...

Salinas Spurs hitter Ken Briggs started the 1991 season slowly, hitting .197 by mid-May, but he got going in this game, The Salinas Californian wrote . Briggs knocked two singles and a solo home run to help end an 11-game Salinas losing streak, The Californian wrote . "It's encouraging," Briggs told The Californian afterward. "We're happy. But we've got to come back to do it again Tuesday. But the clubhouse will be smiling." Briggs had that game in his third season as a pro. He went on to see just one more. He topped out at high-A . Briggs' career began in 1989, taken by the Twins in the 24th round of the draft out of Chapman University in California. Briggs went to Chapman out of Cypress College . Briggs was also credited as Kenny Briggs. Briggs played with the Twins at single-A Kenosha and rookie Elizabethton. He saw 43 games between them and hit .253. For 1990, he moved to independent rookie Salt Lake City . He got into 35 games there and hit...

With the 1990 College World Series title on the line, Oklahoma State's Brian Kelly broke for home and got thrown out, The Associated Press wrote . The seventh inning play would have tied the game. His coach Gary Ward, however, couldn't fault Kelly, The AP wrote . "It's good baseball," Ward told The AP afterward. "He made the decision. We live with that. In 2-1 games, you can find all kinds of hairs to split." Kelly went on from that game to play professionally. His pro career, though, proved brief, a single season . Kelly's career began and ended that year in 1990, signed by the independent Salt Lake City Trappers out of Oklahoma State. He also played at Seminole State College . With Salt Lake City, Kelly tripled and scored in a July game, knocked in four on a home run and a double in another July game and knocked in a run on a double in a third July contest as he went 3 for 4, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote . "We put guys in there like Danny ...

The Salt Lake City Trappers went on a bit of a run in July 1990, winning four straight, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote .  After the fourth win, Salt Lake hitter Tom Duffin , who'd provided two key singles and a stolen base in the fourth win, attempted to explain to The Tribune his team's success. "Our manager wants us to run at every opportunity and it's paying off," Duffin told The Tribune . "Also, we are playing better now because we are more relaxed." Duffin spoke then in his second pro season . It also proved his last. He made single-A. He then went on to a coaching career himself, where he became one of the top high school coaches in Florida. Duffin's pro career began in 1989, taken by the Mariners in the 30th round of the draft out of the University of South Alabama. Duffin played his high school ball at the Miami-area Pace High - the same high school he would later coach. He impressed as a player . "He can hit, he can field, he can run,...

Going into the 1990 season, Salt Lake City manager Nick Belmonte sized up his new team, including his new first baseman Butch Harris , to The Salt Lake City Tribune . At 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds, what stood out was Harris' size, Belmonte told The Tribune . "He looks more like a football player," Belmonte told The Tribune of Harris. "But he's got some power and he can adjust well to the count and situation. I'm really impressed watching him hit." For Harris, though, he ended up getting to hit in just that one season for independent Salt Lake City. He didn't get a second. Harris' career began and ended that year in 1990, signed by Salt Lake City as a free agent out of the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Harris was also referred to by his given name, Freeman Harris.  He also played at Seminole State College, where he made the school's Hall of Fame . At Southwestern Louisiana, Harris earned conference Player of the Week honors in April ...

Sacramento State product Pat Jurado looked to extend his playing career to the pros in June 1990 and headed to a tryout for the independent Salt Lake City Trappers, The Salt Lake Tribune wrote . It took the team a few weeks, but eventually they called and he was on a plane to Utah, The Tribune wrote . "I did fairly well" at the tryout, Jurado told The Tribune .  "(The Trappers) said some positive things, but they said the same things to the other guys, so I really didn't expect to hear from them." Eventually, he did. And later, he heard from the Expos as he moved to their system. His pro career ended up lasting two seasons. He made single-A . Jurado's career began that year in 1990, signed by the Trappers as an undrafted free agent out of Sacramento State . At Sacramento State, Jurado gave up one earned run in six innings of an early-season 1989 game, where the temperature didn't make it out of the 40s, The Sacramento Bee wrote . "Me and this weat...

UC Santa Barbara came back from two poor seasons to clinch second place in their conference in 1990 and The Los Angeles Times cited Mike Czarnetzki as a key reason why. Czarnetzki had a .387 average to that point, had knocked in 44 runs and stolen 37 bases. The senior Czarnetzki spread the credit to his teammates, according to The Times . "It was just a matter of young guys maturing," Czarnetzki told The Times. "It's all coming together now." For Czarnetzki, it all came together that year for him to turn pro. His pro career, though, proved brief . He played a single season. Czarnetzki's pro career began and ended that year in 1990 signed by independent Salt Lake City out of UC Santa Barbara. At UC Santa Barbara in April 1990, Czarnetzki hit a three-run game-winning home run . In the pros, he played at rookie independent Salt Lake City and was credited with one appearance with high-A Miami without an at bat. The Salt Lake Tribune noted Czarnetzki arrived...

The Salt Lake City Trappers' Geno Mirabella opened the 1991 season with a rough start, giving up four runs without getting out of the third inning, The Deseret News wrote . Mirabella looked to his concentration, The News wrote .  "If I get through the first three innings without a run, I'm OK," Mirabella told The News . "My mechanics are fine. When I'm going bad, it's not my arm, it's my concentration. Don't let a second go by without thinking." Mirabella ultimately worked on his concentration over three pro seasons . He spent all three in rookie ball. Mirabella's career began in 1989, taken by the Indians in the 39th round of the draft out of Brookdale Community College . Mirabella was also credited as Gene Mirabella. At Brookdale, Mirabella helped the team to the National Junior College World Series. He lost a lead in one game, but righted the ship on midgame advice from his coach for the win, The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel wrote ....

The Salt Lake City Trappers clinched the division title in this 1990 game, led by infielder Brian Biggers , The Salt Lake Tribune wrote . Biggers scored twice, knocked in two and went 3 for 4 on the night, The Tribune wrote . "It's nice to go 3-for-4 in a game you'll remember for the rest of your life," Biggers told The Tribune afterward. That season marked Biggers' first season as a pro. He played in one more . He spent both at independent rookie Salt Lake City. Biggers' career began in 1990, signed by Salt Lake City as a free agent out of Texas State University . At Texas State, Biggers hit a game-winning grand slam in an April 1990 win. He then signed with Salt Lake City. He went 2 for 5 in a June win. Overall, he saw 38 games and hit .296. Biggers returned to Salt Lake City for 1991. He picked up three hits in a July game. He saw 49 games that year and hit .257 to end his career . Biggers later became an assistant coach at Connors State and at Lamar ...