Mark Razook was looking at the possibility of having to go to a junior college to get his playing skills noticed, before signing on with American Legion ball.The West Corvina, Ca., native told the Los Angeles Times in 1986 that American Legion baseball brought better competition to hone his game.
"If I wasn't playing Legion ball, I wouldn't be where I'm at now," Razook told the paper.
Where he was was at Cal State Fullerton with a four-year scholarship. While at Cal State, Razook continued to play extra baseball, taking part in 1987 in the Alaska Baseball League, home to the legendary Midnight Sun game.
Razook's Anchorage Glacier Pilots had won the National Baseball Congress championship the year before. But the Pilots, with fellow 1990 CMC setter Ben McDonald, fell short in 1987, eliminated in a game that Razook went 2 for 4. He hit .311 that summer.
The extra work helped get Razook drafted. He was taken in the 16th round of the 1988 draft. But his bat wouldn't match Alaska.
Razook signed after his junior year at Cal State and was sent straight to the Mariners' single-A team in Wausau, Wisc. He hit just .199 for the Timbers in 1988. He hit .265 the next year before a promotion to the AA Williamsport Bills and a batting average drop to .238.
His time with the Bills in 1990 was even worse. In 88 games, he hit a career low .171 and his baseball career was over.
- Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1986: A Summer of Seasoning
Cards Reviewed: 49/880 - 5.6%
Made the Majors: 28 - 57%
Never Made the Majors: 21 - 43%
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 11
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 17
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