Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Newsday featured former major leaguer Jerry Koosman as he coached with short-season Pittsfield in 1991 and one of his players they spoke to was second-year pitcher Jim Manfred . "Those of us who were in extended spring training before the league opened in June have been with him for three months now and it's unbelievable how easy he makes it," Manfred told Newsday of Koosman. Manfred went on to see three seasons in the Mets system, making it to single-A. He then turned to independent ball and his home state St. Paul Saints, playing three seasons with them. Manfred's career began in 1990, taken by the Mets in the 35th round of the draft out of Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. He grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota. Manfred started with the Mets in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He saw 14 games, starting 3. He went 1-3, with a 3.18 ERA. Manfred then moved to Pittsfield for 1991. He went 6-4, with a 3.18 ERA. He arrived at single-A Columbia for 1992 and went ...