Coming out of college in 1990, Tim Costo drew some weighty comparisons, even to Cal Ripken, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote.
But the University of Iowa product knew he had a lot to do to live up to any of it, The Post-Dispatch wrote.
"If I field a ground ball, I have to build on that," Costo told The Post-Dispatch. "If I hit a ball, I have to tell myself, 'I'm hitting well. I'm a good hitter.' But I've gotten a lot better. If I would go 0 for four in high school, I would be devastated. I've learned to deal with a lot of things now."
Costo's expectations turned turned into a top selection in the draft. Costo, however, could never live up to those expectations in the pros. He made the major over two seasons, 43 total games.
Costo's career began that year in 1990, taken by the Indians in the first round, eighth overall, out of Iowa.
At Iowa, Costo hit 21 home runs his sophomore season and 16 more his junior campaign as he won first-team All-America honors.
Costo started with the Indians at high-A Kinston. He hit .316 in 56 games. The Indians also moved him from shortstop to first base.
"He fits the position nicely," Kinston manager Brian Graham told The Tampa Bay Times of the move. "He's got tremendous power potential and he has a chance to move up quickly."
Costo then started 1991 at AA Canton-Akron. He then moved to the Reds in a trade and played the rest of the year at AA Chattanooga. He hit .276, with six home runs on the year.
He returned to Chattanooga for 1992 and hit .241, with 28 home runs. The Reds then called him up that September. Reds GM Bob Quinn offered praise for Costo upon his call up, according to The Cincinnati Post.
"He can hit the ball out of any part of the ballpark," Quinn told The Post. "He's got real, real good power. And that's a commodity that you're hard pressed to find."
Costo hit .212 in 36 at bats that year, without a home run. He then returned for 31 games in 1993. He hit .224, with three home runs. That proved the extent of his major league time.
Costo, however, continued playing at AAA for five more seasons. He played with the Reds, Indians, Cardinals and the Blue Jays. In his final season in 1998, he hit .296 in 101 games at AAA Syracuse to end his career.
Costo soon settled in Chattanooga. In July 2016, he was named head baseball coach of McCallie Athletics. He continues in that role in 2022.
"We feel Tim's baseball knowledge and playing experiences are unmatched in the area," the school's Dean of Athletics Jeff Romero said upon Costo's hiring, according to Local News 3. "He is an outstanding teacher of the game and will bring out the very best in our student-athletes."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 4, 1990: 'Best Collegian' Costo Not Bragging
- Tampa Bay Times, Sept. 15, 1990: Move is working out for Indians top pick
- Cincinnati Post, Sept. 17, 1992: Costo packs power
- Local News 3, July 16, 2016: Tim Costo to lead McCallie baseball
Made the Majors:1,334-33.3%-X
Never Made Majors:2,676-66.7%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:547
10+ Seasons in the Minors:329
No comments:
Post a Comment