Tatar was 6-3 in 11 starts for the West Virginia club, with a stellar 1.62 ERA. He'd also thrown two shutouts and struck out 77 in 72 innings of work.
With that start, an all-star selection was a given. Tatar, though, couldn't go, and he was probably fine with that. He couldn't go, The News and Courier wrote, because he had already been moved up to AA.
For Tatar, AA would be as high as he would get. He played two more shortened seasons there, but he never made the majors.
Tatar's career began in 1990, signed by the Reds as an undrafted free agent out of Wittenberg University in Ohio.
Over his career at Wittenberg, Tatar went 29-5, with a 2.30 ERA, striking out 219. In 1990, Tatar threw what was called the "greatest pitching season in school history," with an 11-0 record and a 1.17 ERA, according to the school.
That 1990 season also earned Tatar first-team Division III All-America honors. In 2006, he was inducted into the school's Hall of Honor.
With the Reds, Tatar started at rookie Billings. There, he went 3-3 in 13 starts, with a 4.64 ERA.
Then came his 1991 campaign at Charleston, Tatar earning that mid-season boost to AA Chattanooga. At Chattanooga, Tatar did not fare as well. In 12 starts, he went 3-8, with a 5.19 ERA.
Tatar returned to Chattanooga for 1992, but got only nine starts on the season. He went 5-4, with a 3.13 ERA. His 1993 season was even shorter, just four starts.
Though he posted a 1.93 ERA in those starts, those outings were his last as a pro, his career claimed by what his alma mater called a significant injury.
- Charleston News and Courier, June 24, 1991: Sprained wrist puts Bows' Ostermeyer out of all-star game
- Wittenberg University, Aug. 16, 2006: Kevin Tatar
Players/Coaches Featured:1,115
Made the Majors: 662 - 59.4%
Never Made Majors: 453-40.6%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors: 287
10+ Seasons in the Minors: 171
No comments:
Post a Comment