Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Dennis Reed started out his college career as a catcher. He then went to Canada before his senior campaign at San Luis Obispo and returned wanting to pitch, The San Luis Obispo Tribune wrote . For Reed, it turned out to be a good enough choice as the Astros selected him in that June's draft as a pitcher . "I think it wasn't a bad pick to take him because there's probably a lot more in him that an organization can develop," Reed's college pitching coach Kent Agler told The Tribune . Reed went on from there to see time in three pro seasons. He topped out at single-A . Reed's career began that year in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 22nd round of the draft out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo . Earlier in his college career, Reed's coach saw him, then a sophomore, as an experienced catcher as the team looked to fill the starting catcher's role, The Tribune wrote  in January 1988. Reed was among a couple of candidates. "Catching is young on paper, b...

Into his second season in the majors, Brian Williams described the experience to his hometown Rock Hill Herald . He also described his efforts to remain himself , both on and off the mound. "I want to be liked and I take care of how I project myself," Williams told The Herald . "The way I see myself, I'm a nice person who likes to joke around and is always smiling. I'm a perfectionist, always striving for the best, but life has been good to me and I'm just happy for all the things I've experienced." By that point, his third season as a pro, Williams had already experienced the majors over two campaigns.  He went on to see the majors over nine, with six clubs . Williams' career began in 1990, taken by the Astros late in the first round of the draft out of the University of South Carolina . Williams started with the Astros at short-season Auburn . He started three games, giving up three earned in 6.2 innings. For 1991, he started at high-A Osceol...

Huston-Tillotson head coach Alvin Moore assessed his team in March 1990 to The Austin American-Statesman . He settled on one player, Juan Martinez , as having the best chance of going pro. Martinez had a fastball clocked at 91 mph the previous year - and he even had a 4.0 grade point average, More told The American-Statesman . Moore turned out to be correct in his assessment , at least for Martinez. He did soon turn pro. His career, though, just two seasons. He played both at short-season. Martinez' career began that year in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 20th round of the draft out of Huston-Tillotson in Austin. His hometown is listed as St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Martinez was also credited as Luis Martinez, Louie Martinez and by his listed full name Juan Luis Martinez. Martinez, however, moved to Austin and enrolled at Huston-Tillotson due to limited opportunities in the Virgin Islands. Others from the islands also did the same, becoming teammates. Martinez had considered jo...

Features on each member of the 1990 Gulf Coast League Astros, rookie league affiliate of the Houston Astros, as included in that year's roster.  1990 Gulf Coast League Astros (44) Sam August saw 8 pro seasons, then returned to surfing , 4/7/25 Marsalis Basey  played minors baseball, college basketball , 5/11/25 Brian Bennett started as catcher, pitched, saw 4 seasons , 4/26/25 Jeff Bennington fulfilled dream as pro; passed in 2023 , 5/29/25 Scott Black got degree, drafted, played single season , 4/24/25 Steve Boatman went from high school to two pro seasons , 3/27/25 Duane Brown 's career spanned decade, saw high-A, Taiwan , 2/25/25 Scott Bullard got credit for 4 pro games, passed in 2020 , 6/1/25 Miguel Cabrera , of the Dominican, played 3 pro seasons , 5/21/25 Raul Chavez saw bigs over 11 seasons with Astros, others , 5/19/25 Gary Christopherson showed maturity early, saw 3 seasons , 3/16/25 Jorge Correa played 3 seasons, turned coach, instructor , 4/28/25 Ruben Cru...

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 ...

John Vandemark started his career with two seasons in the Astros system, but he didn't appreciate his position, The Fargo Forum wrote later. Instead, he left baseball and soon joined the Marines .  "Back then they couldn't pay me enough to play," Vandemark told The Forum . "Now I'd pay them to play." Vandemark spoke to The Forum in June 1998, having resumed his pro career, first in affiliated ball then in independent ball, with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks.  Overall, Vandemark saw nine pro seasons. He topped out at high-A . Vandemark's career began in 1990, taken by the Astros in the 62nd round of the previous year's draft out of Lockport High School in Lockport, New York. Vandemark started with the Astros in 1990 briefly as a position player, in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He got into nine games. He picked up five hits in 23 at bats for a .217 average. He moved to pitching for 1991, but saw only three outings , two in the GCL with the Astr...