Brian Sullivan got drafted into pros, then came injury

Cumberland starter Brian Sullivan turned in what The Tennessean called a superb pitching performance in this April 1990 game, going six innings, giving up one run and picking up the victory.

Afterward, he turned to his teammates and fellow pitchers' progress, according to The Tennesean.

"At the beginning of the season, people were doubtful about our pitching staff," Sullivan told The Tennessean. "We've really been pitching consistently lately, everybody  has, but we've had the power behind us, too. Our hitters are just crushing the ball."

Sullivan's pitching performances that year were enough for him to turn pro. His pro career, however, ended up being over before it began. Injury apparently resulted in him never getting into a game.

Sullivan's brief pro experience came that year in 1990, taken by the Cardinals in the 31st round of the draft out of Cumberland University in Tennessee.

In May 1990, Sullivan turned in another strong performance, going seven innings and giving up one run in a district tournament win. Earlier in the year, he'd even thrown a no-hitter against the University of South-Sewanee, The Tennessean wrote.

"I think this win was sweeter than the no-hitter because it's here in the tournament and counts more," Sullivan told The Tennessean. "I'm a little disappointed I didn't get the shutout, but I'm enjoying the win."

Sullivan ultimately went 9-3 with Cumberland and he set the school's single-season strikeout record at 79.

With the Cardinals, Sullivan was assigned to rookie Johnson City. In a pre-season workout, however, his arm "came up tender," manager Mark DeJohn told The Johnson City Press. Sullivan didn't make it into a game, ending his career as it began.

• The Tennessean, April 25, 1990: Cumberland cashes in homers, sweet, homers
• The Tennessean, May 12, 1990: Cumberland, Belmont both moving on
• Johnson City Press, June 19, 1990: Newly arrived JC Cards get in workout under the lights

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,437
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,014-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Jim Spivey took temperament, work ethic to pros, 2 seasons

Former Southeastern Illinois College outfielder and catcher Jim Spivey signed as a pro after a tryout with the Cardinals in 1990 and his old coach saw potential, The Carbondale Southern Illinoisan wrote.

"He's got the temperament and the work ethic to go a long way," Southeastern Illinois coach Dave Montfort told The Southern Illinoisan wrote.

Spivey went from there on to two pro seasons. He topped out at single-A.

Spivey's career began that year in 1990, signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out Southeastern Illinois and Arkansas State-Little Rock.

Spivey started with the Cardinals at rookie Johnson City. He got a start in late July and hoped to show what he could do, hitting a late two-run home run that proved the difference, The Johnson City Press wrote.

"I've got to try to prove myself as quickly as possible," Spivey told The Press. "I want to get some playing time so I have to do something when I'm in there."

He saw 23 games in all for Johnson City that year.  He also saw six at single-A Savannah. Overall, he hit .297 in 29 games, with four home runs.

Spivey returned to Savannah for 1991. He got into 28 games and hit .178. That season proved his last as a pro.

• Carbondale Southern Illinoisan, July 6, 1990: SIC's Spivey signs
• Johnson City Press, July 31, 1990: Spivey makes most of chance for Cards

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,436
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,013-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Joe Aversa played multiple positions over 8 pro seasons

Normally an infielder, Portland Sea Dog Joe Aversa sometimes found himself playing elsewhere, including pitching,  The Portland Press Herald wrote.

On this night in May 1996, he got an outfield assignment - and played a perfect carom to prevent a double, The Press Herald wrote.

"Man, you just found yourself another position," Portland teammate Pookie Wilson responded to Aversa, The Press Herald wrote.

That season marked Aversa's seventh in the pros. He went on to see one more. He topped out at AAA. 

Aversa's career began in 1990, taken by the Cardinals in the 45th round of the draft out of Southern California Christian College.

Aversa started with the Cardinals at rookie Johnson City and in the rookie Arizona League. That August, as the regular Johnson City third basemen, he got an early fill-in role on the mound. Overall, he hit .177 in 50 games and pitched in two games.

He moved to single-A Springfield for 1991. In 78 games there, he hit .234. He had an RBI single in a May game.

He saw high-A St. Petersburg and AA Arkansas in 1993, then Arkansas again in 1993. He made AAA Louisville in 1995. He saw 85 games there and hit .220.

For 1996, he played 13 games with the Mets at AA Binghamton and 54 with the Marlins at AA Portland. He hit .234 overall in 67 games. 

That August, he struck out against Bowie pitcher Jim Dedrick, who he grew up with and who was also his wife's brother, The Press Herald wrote. Both families also were in town for the game.

"You know, 20 years down the road this is probably some place we'll be back to visit," Aversa told The Press Herald after leading his relatives on a tour. "We'll say remember when?"

Aversa played one more season, 1997 at single-A Kane County, to end his career. He's then credited as briefly coaching in 2000 with short-season Utica.

• Portland Press Herald, June 1, 1996: Sea Dogs
• Portland Press Herald, Aug. 18, 1996: When Joe Aversa

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,435
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,012-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Tim Jordan did what he could over seven pro seasons

Lafayette Leopards outfielder Tim Jordan went 2 for 4 in this August 1994 game, increasing his average to .315, The Lafayette Journal and Courier wrote.

Jordan also had success that year with home runs, 14, and RBIs, 54, The Journal and Courier wrote.

"I'm just concentrating and thinking about what I'm doing and not putting a lot of pressure on myself," Jordan explained to The Journal and Courier then. "That's the key  - not trying to do more than I can do."

Jordan had that performance in his sixth season as a pro, his first in independent ball. He saw time in just one more campaign. He topped out at single-A.

Jordan's career began in 1989, taken by the Cardinals in the 45th round of the draft out of Fernandina Beach High School in Florida.

Jordan started with the Cardinals in the rookie Arizona League. He got into 36 games and hit .211. 

He moved to rookie Johnson City for 1990. That July, he hit a two-run home run to help his team make up a deficit, The Johnson City Press wrote.

"We had a man on first and I knew I had to put the ball in play and make something happen," Jordan told The Press. "I wasn't thinking home run, but when I hit it I was pretty sure."

Jordan saw 61 games overall for Johnson City that year. He hit .276, with four home runs. 

He played 1991 between single-A Savannah and Johnson City, then 1992 at short-season Hamilton. He saw just three games in 1993, at single-A Springfield. 

For 1994, he moved to independent ball and Lafayette. In 49 games, he hit .353.He then played 1995 at independent Mohawk Valley. He got into 63 games there and hit .233 to end his career.

• Johnson City Press, July 28, 1990: Red-hot Twins hold off Cards
• Lafayette Journal and Courier, Aug. 25, 1994: Leopards foil Bandits again

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,434
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,011-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Dave Norris saw 2 seasons in Cardinals system, single-A

Johnson City Cardinals hurler Dave Norris took the mound in the second game of this August 1990 double header and proceeded to have little trouble, The Johnson City Press wrote.

He went six innings in the contest and gave up five hits, before two consecutive walks led to him being lifted. Norris picked up the win.

Norris got that win in his first season as a pro. He went on to see just one more campaign. He topped out at single-A.

Norris' career began that year in 1990, taken by the Cardinals in the 18th round of the draft out of Saint Mary's College of California.

He started with the Cardinals at rookie Johnson City. He went two innings and gave up one unearned in a July game. He took the loss in an August game, going seven and giving up two runs.

Overall, Norris got into 24 games that year, starting five. He went 2-2, with a 4.50 ERA.

He then moved to single-A Springfield for 1991. He went 2-0, with a 4.03 ERA in 12 relief outings to end his career.

• Johnson City Press, Aug. 9, 1990: JC Cards manage split with Pulaski

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,433
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,010-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Tremayne Donald provided excitement over 4 pro seasons

Johnson City Cardinals hitter Tremayne Donald didn't hit home runs, but his speed made him "pure excitement" on the bases, The Johnson City Press wrote in July 1990.

"That's one of the things the Cardinals like, guys who can run," Donald told The Press then. "They like little guys who are fast and can hit the gaps. I've got God-given talent to run so I have to get on base as much as possible so I can use my speed."

Donald used his speed that year to steal 44 bases. He ended up stealing 122 over his career. But he could only use his speed to make four pro seasons. He topped out at high-A.

Donald's career began in 1989, taken by the Cardinals in the 24th round of the draft out of Paducah Tilghman High School in Kentucky.

Donald started with the Cardinals in the rookie Arizona League. He got into 34 games and hit .281. He also stole six bases.

He moved to rookie Johnson City for 1990. He got into 63 games, stole those 44 bases, but hit just .187.

Donald hit those numbers as the Cardinals tried to make him a switch-hitter early in the year, The Press wrote.

"We hope Donald can take to switch-hitting," Cardinals farm director Ted Simmons told The Press then. "He has good speed and is a good 'Whitey (Herzog)-type' player."

Donald moved to single-A Springfield for 1991. He saw 77 games and hit .250, while stealing 38. He then played 1992 at high-A St. Petersburg. He hit .229 there in 112 games, stealing 34. That season proved his last as a pro.

Donald soon turned to coaching. By 2019, he'd been coaching at various schools for 21 years. He was named then the head coach at his alma mater, Paducah Tilghman. He continued in that role in 2024, having taken the squad to region runner-up in 2023 with graduating seniors, The Paducah Sun wrote.

"This is the most inexperienced team I've had since being at Tilghman and the youngest team, but our expectations are not going to change," Donald told The Sun to start the 2024 campaign. "We're not going to make excuses that we're young and inexperienced; we're going to go out there and play in a way we know how and see what happens."

• Johnson City Press, June 22, 1990: Simmons likes Cards' farm system, Part 2
• Johnson City Press, July 11, 1990: Fleet-footed Donald makes things happen in Card-like fashion
• Paducah Sun, March 9, 2024: Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado enters season with youthful roster

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,432
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,009-67.9%-X

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356

Bob Milliken played, then coached decades with Cardinals

Cardinals minor league pitching instructor Bob Milliken had a message for short-season Hamilton Redbird pitchers in June 1990, as the far-away major league staff struggled with injury and performance, The Hamilton Spectator wrote.

Issues in the majors usually led to chain reactions in the minors, The Spectator wrote.

"There will always be room for pitching," Milliken told The Spectator then. "If I was still a pitcher and I looked at it I would say 'there's a place for me' and I'd go get it. I'd bear down and work."

Milliken spoke with decades of experience both in the minors and in the majors. He made the majors as a player over two seasons with Brooklyn. He later returned there as a coach with the Cardinals.

Milliken's long career in baseball began in 1947, signed by the Dodgers out of Cameron High School in West Virginia.

He started with the Dodgers at Class B Nashua. He made AA Fort Worth in 1949 and AAA Montreal in 1950. He then spent time in the military before returning to make Brooklyn in 1953.

That September in 1953, Milliken came on in emergency first-inning relief and proceeded to go 8.1 innings of hitless ball.

"Funny thing was, I pitched the last three innings with a blister on my middle finger," Milliken told The Brooklyn Eagle afterward. 

Milliken went 8-4 overall that year in 37 outings, 10 starts. He also had a 3.37 ERA. He returned for 24 more outings, three starts in 1954. He went 5-2 then, with a 4.02 ERA.

Milliken returned to the minors for 1955. He then moved to the Cardinals system for 1960 and continued playing in the minors into 1962.

He then soon started his coaching career. By 1967, he was back in the majors as bullpen coach for the Cardinals. He stayed there at least four seasons before returning to the minors as a pitching instructor. For 1976, he became Cardinals pitching coach. 

He soon returned to the minors and instructing. By 1991, he'd worked with the Cardinals for 30 years. That October, he worked with a rehabbing Todd Worrell.

"That slider," Milliken told Worrell, according to The Tampa Tribune, "really bit. It was one of those things no one can hit."

Milliken passed away in 2007 at the age of 80.

• Brooklyn Eagle, Sept. 10, 1953: Great Showing in Relief Role Gives Dressen Ideas
• Hamilton Spectator, June 19, 1990: Making a pitch for 'bigs'
• Tampa Tribune, Oct. 29, 1991: Worrell continues to make a pitch for ultimate save

More: The 1990 Johnson City Cardinals

1990 Minor League Tally 

Players/Coaches Featured:4,431
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1-X
Never Made Majors:3,008-67.9%

5+ Seasons in the Majors:577

10+ Seasons in the Minors:356