Buck Atwater saw perfect high school record, 3 seasons

-
Buck Atwater helped his Southern Alamance High School team to a perfect record in 1988, 26-0.

That perfect record also included a state championship, the North Carolina school's second in its history, the Hendersonville Times-News wrote.

Atwater's work at Southern Alamance also caught the attention of scouts, with Atwater turning pro directly out of high school.

As a pro, though, Atwater couldn't continue that success. He played just three seasons, never making it above rookie ball.

Atwater's career began that year in 1988, taken by the Expos in the 15th round of the draft, out of Southern Alamance. Atwater is also sometimes referred to by his given name, Tyrone Atwater.

With the Expos, Atwater started in the rookie Gulf Coast League. The infielder got into 44 games, hitting .304. In a late-August win, Atwater went 2 for 6.

Atwater moved to rookie Gate City in the Pioneer League for 1990. In 59 games there, his averaged dipped to .245. He hit one home run and knocked in 16.

Atwater remained in Gate City for 1991, the team renamed for its home city, Pocatello. In 48 games, he hit .307, singling and scoring in a late June game. That season for Pocatello, though, was Atwater's final season as a pro.

Years later, in 2013, Atwater's 1988 Southern Alamance state-championship team was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
Originally published Dec. 28, 2013

Browse By:

-Player Name
-Player Team
-Date Featured

Players A to Z

Popular posts from this blog

Wally Heckel helped St. John's, made two pro seasons

-
Image
St. John's University was looking to advance in the 1988 Big East Tournament and Wally Heckel helped them do that, according to The Associated Press . Hitting against Seton Hall, Heckel picked up three hits, including a home run, helping his team to a 6-2 victory . Heckel's performance that year got the notice of scouts for the Blue Jays , the team taking him way down in the 65th round of the draft that year. Heckel instead stayed in school, but the Blue Jays didn't forget him. A year later, Heckel had improved his draft stock considerably, the Blue Jays taking him in the 12th round . Heckel is also credited by his full name, Walter Heckel. As a pro, though, Heckel couldn't show that same improvement. His professional career ended up consisting of just two seasons . Heckel's efforts at St. John's in 1988 earned him selection to that year's All-Tournament Team. In 1989, he also won First Team All-Conference honors . In summer of 1988, Heckel h...
Read more

Jimmy White showed patience, saw 7 pro seasons, made AA

-
Image
Astros farmhand Jimmy White assessed his progress in 1994 to his hometown Tampa Tribune . When he started four years earlier, he didn't know anything. He just went up and hit, he told The Tribune . "Now you look over how the pitcher pitched you last time. You go up there more prepared," he told The Tribune . "Things are a lot different. I'm more patient and confident." White made AA for the first time that season. In a career that spanned seven seasons , he didn't make it higher. White's career began in 1990, taken by the Astros in the sixth round of the draft out of Brandon High School in Florida. Ahead of the draft, The Tribune spoke to scouts to gauge his prospects. "He's an interesting project," one scout told The Tribune . "He reminds me of a young colt. He needs to grow and develop, but he has all the tools you like to see in a major-league prospect." White started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He...
Read more

Fionel Nieves struggled with control, saw 2 pro seasons

-
Image
In previewing the 1991 season, The Asheville Citizen-Times highlighted two of the team's pitchers as control pitchers, then two others, including Fionel Nieves , as having good fastballs. As it soon turned out, would soon show he was not the former .  Control issues would soon mean he would see only three starts. That season, his second as a pro , would also be his last. He topped out at single-A. Nieves' career began in 1990, signed by the Astros two years earlier as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic . Nieves started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He got 10 outings, 7 starts. He went 2-3, with a 5.52 ERA in 31 innings.  Nieves then moved on to Asheville to start 1991. In his first start in mid-April, he threw three first-inning wild pitches and took the loss. He went 3.1 and gave up four earned in his second start. He then walked six and was pulled in the second inning in his third. By the end of April, Nieves had been sent back to ex...
Read more

Tom Nevers made 1st round, saw 13 seasons, AAA, coached

-
Image
The Louisville Courier-Journal checked in on Louisville RiverBats veteran top picks in June 2000, among them former Astros first-round pick Tom Nevers . By then, Nevers was in his 11th pro season, having started in 1990. The highest he'd gotten was AAA. "The media and the fans can take it as, 'Oh, you're a first-rounder, you're going to be a star.,'" Nevers told The Courier-Journal then. "But there are no guarantees in this game." Nevers went on to play in two more seasons. The former first rounder never made the majors . Nevers' career began in 1990, taken by the Astros 21st overall out of Edina High School in Minnesota. The Astros picked Nevers to play baseball as he also had hockey options. The Pittsburgh Penguins also selected Nevers in the fifth round of the 1989 NHL draft and he had a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. Ahead of the 1989 NHL draft, Nevers spoke to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune about his options. "I lov...
Read more

Steve Boatman went from high school to two pro seasons

-
Image
Texas' Coppell High School lost the game and lost the pitcher The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described as the team's ace, Steve Boatman , then 13-2. Coppell's opponent Carroll High saw three players hit doubles in the 7-2 win, "but the biggest blow" came with a single lined off Boatman's foot, forcing him from the game and possibly braking his ankle, The Star-Telegram wrote . However serious the injury was, Boatman came back and soon turned pro. His pro career ultimately lasted two seasons. He played both in rookie ball. Coppell's career began in 1989, taken by the Astros in the 42nd round of the draft out of Coppell High. At Coppell, Boatman also played on the football team  in 1988. In May 1989 in baseball, Boatman gave up just one hit in a win.  Though drafted in 1989, Coppell didn't hit the field for the Astros until 1990, in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He got into 13 games, starting 10. He went 3-4, with a 3.12 ERA. He then returned tp the GCL...
Read more

Features from the 1990 minor league sets (By Date)

-
Image
What happened to your favorite minor league team in 1990? Find out here. Since late 2009, the players of 1990 have been featured at Greatest21Days.com, one at a time. Here, they've been ordered here by the date published, newest first.  Every player has a story. With the help of contemporaneous newspaper articles, find that story here. Most recent players added Dec. 1 ,  2024 Features in order of when the y appeared: February 2025  -  Doug Bair  did his job in major leagues over 15 seasons , 2/23/25  -  Nick Belmonte  played, managed, broadcast Florida games , 2/22/25  -  Mark Brewer  amassed coaching experience over long career , 2/21/25  -  Dan Shwam  had long independent league managerial career , 2/15/25  -  Jim Schifman  dreamed of pros, made it for eight games , 2/11/25  -  Steve Keighley  worked to hit over 4 seasons, made high-A , 2/9/25  -  Jim Doyle  helped Sal...
Read more

Jermaine Swinton followed heart to decade-plus in pros

-
Image
Taken in the second round of the 1989 draft by the Astros, it took 16-yea-old New York City high schooler Jermaine Swinton until that September to sign, Newsday wrote . The delay in choosing between college and the pros meant he missed the 1989 season, first hitting the field in 1990. "I would have been happy either way," Swinton told Newsday in July 1990 of his decision. "But it turned out to be a good decision ... I just followed my heart to play pro ball." Swinton's pro career ended up spanning more than a decade . He spent more than half of that in independent ball. He topped out in the minors at high-A. Swinton's career began that year in 1989, taken by the Astros 42nd overall out of Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn. After his selection in 1989, his coach spoke to Newsday . "It didn't surprise me at all," Fort Hamilton coach Jim Apicella told Newsday . "He has good speed and some tremendous power." Swinton started for t...
Read more