After a decade in the pros, including a brief stint with the Royals in Kansas City five years earlier, Archie Corbin seemed to have finally found a home with the Orioles in 1996, The Baltimore Sun wrote.
The Orioles signed Corbin that May and Manager Davey Johnson worked to unlock Corbin's potential as a solid middle reliever, The Sun wrote.
"I'm having a lot of fun," Corbin told The Sun that September. "This is why you get into this."
Corbin's fun that year included a post-season roster spot. He went on to return to the bigs, but not for three more seasons, with the Mariners in 1999, for a big league career that saw three seasons, but spanned nine.
Corbin's career began in 1986, taken by the Mets in the 16th round of the draft out of Charlton-Pollard High School in Texas.
Corbin started with the Mets at rookie Kingsport. Out of the gate, he told The Kingsport Times-News he hoped to move up quickly.
"They really haven't said what their plans are," Corbin told The Times-News of the Mets organization. "I'm just going to go out and throw hard and do the best I can."
Corbin, however, ended up staying in Kingsport for his first three seasons. He made single-A Columbia in 1989, then high-A St. Lucie in 1990.
The Mets then traded him to the Royals for 1991. He started the year at AA Memphis. Then, in September, he got called up to Kansas City.
Corbin saw two games in relief and gave up one earned in 2.1 innings of work. Royals manager Hal McRae gave praise and advice for Corbin to The Kansas City Star.
"He has good stuff," McRae told The Star. "If he throws strikes, he has a chance."
Corbin returned to Memphis for much of 1992, then moved to the Expos and AA Harrisburg to conclude the year and for 1993. After going through the Pirates system for 1994 and 1995 without seeing Pittsburgh, he arrived with the Orioles for 1996, after being released in Mexico.
Corbin saw 20 outings at AAA Rochester in 1996, but also 18 with the Orioles in Baltimore. He picked up two wins in 27.1 innings and had a 2.30 ERA.
He made the playoff roster, but didn't see action. Afterward, he told The Sun he was surprised, but not upset he didn't pitch. He also wanted to return.
"I definitely do feel like I'm a major-league pitcher, without a doubt," Corbin told The Sun. "I hope I can come back here, but if not I'll go to somebody else and try to do what I did this year. I just want to make me a living in the major leagues. But it's just been great here."
Corbin played 1997 back at Rochester, then 1998 between the Marlins and Padres systems. In 1999, he returned to the majors with the Marlins. He went 0-1 over 17 relief outings, with a 7.29 ERA.
Corbin played five more seasons in the minors and in independent ball. He's last credited with independent Atlantic City in 2004.
- Kingsport Times-News, June 15, 1986: K-Mets' Archie Corbin
- Kansas City Star, Sept. 18, 1991: Control is the key for Corbin
- Baltimore Sun, Sept. 8, 1996: Ripken was right: Baseball is filled with great stories
- New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Oct. 14, 1996: Murray would be O-so-happy to return
Made the Majors:1,280-33.8%-X
Never Made Majors:2,510-66.2%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:526
10+ Seasons in the Minors:316-X
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