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Thursday, April 1, 2010

1990 Seattle Mariners minor leaguers


Features on each member of the 1990 Seattle Mariners farm system.

Complete: 

  • AAA - Calgary Cannons (28)
  • AA - Williamsport Bills (27)
  • High-A - San Bernardino Spirit (31)
  • Single-A - Peninsula Pilots (27)
  • Short-Season - Bellingham Mariners (39)

Calgary Cannons (28)

1 - Tony Blasucci, Going to Win
Moved to AA, Tony Blasucci was missed as a closer by his old team. He also missed the majors.
2 - Mickey Brantley, Career Crossroads
Mickey Brantley had a frustrating year in 1990. That came after four years with time in the bigs.
3 - Dave Burba, Bright Future
Dave Burba showed a bright future in closing 1991 strong. He played in 15 major league seasons.
4 - Casey Close, Positive Emphasis
Casey Close described his poor season in detail in 1988. He would likely never do that now as an agent.
5 - Dave Cochrane, Real Adversity
Dave Cochrane's career was threatened by infection. He came back to make the majors in five seasons.
6 - Mario Diaz, Helped Win
It took Mario Diaz a few years to make the bigs, then stayed for nine years.
7 - Tom Dodd, A Success
Tom Dodd played as a pro in 11 seasons and made majors once. He called his career a success.
8 - Greg Fulton, Best Defense
Greg Fulton was the best first baseman in the Eastern League. He never became a first baseman in the majors.
9 - Todd Haney, His Role
Todd Haney was ready to fill in for the Cubs in 1996. That was his role.
10 - Keith Helton, Go-To Guy
Keith Helton was the go-to guy for his short-season manager. He played six seasons, but never made bigs.
11 - Tommy Jones, Little Things
Tommy Jones thought his player got robbed. In the end, it was Jones who was robbed, by cancer.
12 - Ed Jurak, Impressive Spring
Ed Jurak hit well every spring. In six of those, he hit well enough to make majors.
13 - Vance Lovelace, No Quitter
Vance Lovelace endured setbacks, but he came back to pitch in the majors.
14 - Edgar Martinez, Greatest DH
Edgar Martinez had a career full of legendary moments with the Mariners. One may be still to come, with the Hall of Fame.
15 - Tino Martinez, Quality Player
The Mariners thought Tino Martinez would be a quality major league player. He was for 16 seasons.
16 - Bill McGuire, Few At-Bats
Bill McGuire hit a difference-making home run in his 13th major league game. He played in 23 total games.
17 - Jose Melendez, So Versatile
Jose Melendez was called awesome by his manager. He went on to play in five major league seasons.
18 - Pat Pacillo, Early Expectations
The Reds called Pat Pacillo the club's top prospect. He made the majors, but for just 18 games.
19 - Pat Rice, Pitched Until
Pat Rice thought he'd pitch until they fired him. He pitched until he got to the majors.
20 - Randy Roetter, Athlete Hydration
Randy Roetter has worked to keep the Mariners prospects healthy for more than 20 years as trainer.
21 - Jeff Schaefer, Talked To
Jeff Schaefer dreamed of his first major league home run trot for 25 years. Then he got it.
22 - Theo Shaw, Like A Kid
Theo Shaw got the clearance to pitch again and he felt like a kid again. He didn't make the majors.  
23 - Matt Sinatro, Commitment to Improve
Matt Sinatro had setbacks, but he kept returning to the majors for a decade.
24 - Terry Taylor, That Mistake
Terry Taylor made a mistake in his fifth major league outing, he gave up grand slam. It was also his last big league outing.
25 - Ed Vande Berg, Got to Act
Ed Vande Berg got a big work load for the Mariners in 1982. He played in seven major league seasons.
26 - Mike A. Walker, Got the Ball
Mike Walker made the majors with the Mariners, played spring training with the Pirates in the late 1980s and in 1995.
27 - Dan Warthen, That Promise
Dan Warthen received advice as a member of the Expos in the 1970s. He's now dispensing it as coach.
28 - Jim Weaver, His Strength
Jim Weaver's strength was in playing every day. When he made the majors, he hardly played.


Williamsport Bills (27)
1 - Jim Blueberg, Late Bloomer
Jim Blueberg didn't grow until college. Then caught eye of the Mariners. He never made the bigs.
2 - Jim Bowie, Swing the Bat

The 1994 strike helped cut Jim Bowie's major league career to just six games. 
3 - Dave Brundage, Best Moment
Dave Brundage had his best moment as a manager sending a player to the bigs. Hasn't made it himself.
4 - Bobby Cuellar, What Happens
Bobby Cuellar allowed his pitchers a chance to fail, and succeed.
5 - Troy Evers, Quality Game

Troy Evers pitched a quality game at Fort Lauderdale. He played seven seasons, but not in the bigs.
6 - Fernando Figueroa, Third Save
Fernando Figueroa picked up his third save of 1990. He played eight seasons, but not in the bigs. 
7 - Mike Gardiner, Felt Capable
Mike Gardiner felt he was capable of playing in the bigs. He did so in six seasons.
8 - Mike Goff, Concentrate On

Mike Goff had experience as a reliever. He never made the majors.
9 - Ruben Gonzalez, Enjoyed Himself

Ruben Gonzalez got stuck behind others in the Mariners system. He then got hurt.
10 - Lee Hancock, Offensive Lineman
Lee Hancock knew if he did his job, nobody would know he'd been there.
11 - Chuck Hensley, Good Move

Chuck Hensley changed agents, then he made the majors.
12 - Jeff Hooper, Brief Chance
Jeff Hooper wanted to play pro ball and that's what he did. He played four seasons. 
13 - Chris Howard, Chosen Sport
Chris Howard got a college football scholarship to play his chosen sport of baseball.
14 - Bryan King, Could Compete

Bryan King was the shortest guy on his college team. He realized he could play with anyone.
15 - Dru Kosco, Improved Everyday

Dru Kosco felt he was improving every day. He never improved enough for the bigs.
16 - Shane Letterio, Felt Confident

Shane Letterio remained optimistic despite frustrations. He never made the bigs.
17 - Mark Merchant, Pretty Calm 
Mark Merchant waited for a pro career his entire life. He played 12 seasons, but not in the bigs.
18 - Mike McDonald, Game Winner

Mike McDonald hit a game-winning home run at AA in 1993. He never made the bigs. 
19 - Rich Morales, Full Potential
Rich Morales always had confidence in his ability. He later became a coach. 
20- Jeff Nelson, Good One
Jeff Nelson didn't feel he belonged in AAA. He was in the majors in 15 seasons. 
21 - Ken Pennington, Another Prospect
Ken Pennington was looked at as the Mariners third baseman of the future. He never made AAA.
22 - Mark Razook, Legion Ball
Mark Razook's legion play got him a college scholarship. He played three seasons as a pro.
23 - Dana Ridenour, Comparable To
Dana Ridenour had a good forkball. He played nine seasons, but not in the bigs.
24 - Ricky Rojas, Bore Down

Ricky Rojas kept his composure in high school. He played in the pros over eight seasons, but not in the majors.
25 - Chris Verna, Big Thrill
Chris Verna looked forward to career as baseball trainer. Still works as trainer in Florida.
26 - Ted Williams, Steal Bases
This Ted Williams stole bases. He also never made the majors. 
27 - Mark Wooden, Came Through
Mark Wooden came through for his college team. He played five seasons as a pro.



San Bernardino Spirit (31)
1 - Fernando Arguelles, On Top
Fernando Arguelles helped Florida Southern to two titles. He played four seasons as a pro.
2
 - Batboys, Fun Job
The San Bernardino Spirit batboy job was a fun one.
3 - Jim Bennett, Pitching Ahead
Jim Bennett's long coaching career now includes time in Australia.
4 - Keith Bodie, His Philosophy
Keith Bodie has tried to get players as good as they can be. 
5 - The Bug, Sight and Sound
San Bernardino's mascot "The Bug" was played by a truck driver.
6 - Isaiah Clark, Mature Person
Isaiah Clark suffered a knee injury 15 games into his career. He made it back, but he never made the majors. 
7 - Roberto Del Pozo, Delivered It
Roberto Del Pozo delivered the go-ahead run in a June 1991 game. He played four seasons as a pro.
8 - Rich DeLucia, Of Relief
Rich DeLucia always wanted to play baseball. He played ten years in the bigs.
9 - David Evans, Played Hard
David Evans was carried off the field injured in college. He played a decade in the pros.
Dave Fleming fully appreciated playing baseball.
11 - Manuel Furcal, Long Save
Manuel Furcal picked up a long save in 1990. He played four seasons as a pro.
12 - Calvin Jones, Didn't Quit
Calvin Jones had a poor outing for the Mariners, but he didn't quit.
13 - Jeff Keitges, Home Run

Jeff Keitges helped his team to a win in 1990 with a home run. He played four seasons as a pro.
14 - Tyrone Kingwood, Raw Ability
Tyrone Kingwood had raw athletic ability. That's why the Expos took him. He didn't get to the bigs.
15 - Chuck Kniffin, With Strengths
Chuck Kniffin got his chance to coach in bigs with the Diamondbacks. He played in the minors with the Phillies.
16 - Pat Lennon, Raised Him
Pat Lennon didn't have control. He then changed he made the bigs.
17 - Bobby Magallanes, No Joke
Bobby Magallanes helped send players to the majors as a manager.
18
 - Tony Manahan, Showed Confidence
Tony Manahan showed confidence in his seven pro seasons.
19 - Ellerton Maynard, His Wheels
Ellerton Maynard showed his wheels at single-A in 1990. He played six seasons, but not in the bigs. 
20 - Steve Murray, Big Difference
Steve Murray's hit turned a 1984 College World Series game, He played in eight pro seasons.
21 - Tim Newlin, Door Slammed
Jim Newlin helped Wichita State to the 1989 College World Series title. He played seven seasons as a pro. 
22 - Greg Pirkl, New Position
Greg Pirkl did well enough at his new position to make the Mariners. He then tried pitching.
23 - Scott Pitcher, Adjustment Made
Scott Pitcher improved with a minor adjustment. It wasn't enough for him to make the majors.
24 - Roger Salkeld, Through Injury

Roger Salkeld never lived up to his first-round status. He still made the bigs in three seasons.
25 - David Smith, First Pitch
David Smith made a first pitch a double in a 1989 game. He played just two seasons as a pro. 
26 - Tim Stargell, Team MVPs
Tim Stargell made team MVP in first three seasons. He only played in four.
27 - Scott Taylor, Much Fun
Scott Taylor held off on his pharmaceutical career, he then made the majors.
28 - Brian Turang, Motivated Him
Brian Turang wasn't a major league prospect. But he still made it to the majors.
29 - Johnny Wiggs, With Emotion
Johnny Wiggs pitched with emotion as a reliever. He played five seasons as a pro. 
30 - Ray Williams, Two Sports
Ray Williams played two sports in college. He tried both as a pro.
31 - Kerry Woodson, Big Butterflies
Kerry Woodson had big butterflies in his major league debut. He played in just eight games.

Peninsula Pilots (27)

  1. Lash Bailey hit pitches over two seasons, then suffered double vision; Made high-A, 7/16/23
  2. Rick Balabon knew there were no gifts in baseball; Saw seven seasons, made AAA, 7/24/23
  3. Dan Barbara didn't like pitchers; Saw three seasons, made AA, later entered bar business, 7/28/23
  4. Mark Brakebill changed over seven pro seasons; Baseball went from life, to secondary, 6/28/23
  5. Jim Campanis followed his father to pros; Played six seasons, made AA, wrote book, 7/7/23
  6. Jeff Darwin used his pitches to make majors over three seasons; Followed brother Danny to bigs, 8/6/23
  7. Kyle Duke went high in the draft, saw six seasons, made AA, 6/26/23
  8. Marcos Garcia turned pitcher and accepted that; Saw four pro seasons, made AA, later turned pitching coach, 6/25/23
  9. Anthony Gordon worked on consistency, as his brother Tom said; Saw seven seasons, made AA, 7/17/23
  10. Ross Grimsley spoke from experience as minors coach; Saw 11 majors seasons as player, 7/11/23
  11. Jim Gutierrez started pro career in home state; Played decade, made AAA, 6/26/23
  12. Scott Lodgek saw two pro seasons, made high-A; Pitched against Soviet Union, 6/27/23
  13. Darin Loe got out of a jam at Peninsula; Saw three pro seasons, made high-A, later coached, 7/30/23
  14. Allan Lovinger served briefly as minors trainer, then went on to other jobs, including real estate, 6/26/23
  15. Ron Mullins used strategy to get key out in 1988 single-A save; Saw six seasons, made AA, 7/2/23
  16. Jim Nettles made the majors as a player, looked to get there later as a manager, 8/10/23
  17. Ron Pezzoni felt challenged in independent ball; Saw six seasons, made AA, later turned softball coach, 7/5/23
  18. Lem Pilkinton survived cancer, became coach, instructor; Played five seasons, made high-A, 8/7/23
  19. Rod Poissant returned from injuries to play over seven pro seasons; Made AA, 8/5/23
  20. Oscar Rivas used guts in college performance; Saw three pro seasons, made high-A, 7/16/23
  21. Jorge Robles got his education, then turned pro; Saw two seasons, made high-A, 8/11/23
  22. Damon Saetre played at high-A Peninsula over two seasons, then settled there, 8/12/23
  23. Ruben Santana worked to be consistent as hitter; Saw 13 pro seasons, made AAA, Taiwan, Italy, 6/27/23
  24. Jesus Tavarez continued working hard over five major league seasons, later saw Korea, 7/1/23
  25. Delvin Thomas chose pro baseball over college football; Saw four seasons, made high-A, 7/29/23
  26. Kelvin Thomas filled in at pitcher at Peninsula; Saw four seasons, made high-A, 7/30/23
  27. Landon Williams picked up big hit after slow 1990 start; Saw two seasons, made high-A, 6/25/23
Bellingham Mariners (39)
1 - Dave Adam, His Spots, 10/16/17
2 - Rob Callistro, His Faith, 10/19/17
3 - P.J. Carey, His Time, 10/29/17
4 - Jim Converse, First Win, 11/7/17
5 - John Cummings, Learned To, 11/5/17
6 - Kyle Duke, Top Prospect, 10/23/17
7 - Doug Fitzer, That Coaching, 10/17/17
8 - Rick Green, Home Run, 10/9/17
9 - John Hoffman, Second Generation, 11/8/17
10 - Greg Hunter, Enjoyed It, 10/20/17
11 - Kevin King, Good Game, 11/10/17
12 - Clay Klavitter, Mentally Ready, 11/5/17
13 - Matt Kluge, Strong Defense, 10/26/17
14 - Tony Kounas, His Chance, 11/12/17
15 - Rich Lodding, Physical Effort, 10/15/17
16 - Bobby Magallanes, No Joke, 10/8/17
17 - Jim Magill, All Around, 10/18/17
18 - Dave McDonald, Nice Job, 11/14/17
19 - Fred McNair, Good Bat, 10/25/17
20 - Lipso Nava, Kept Learning, 11/11/17
21 - Rob Nichols, Fired Up, 10/22/17
22 - Myron Pines, Unique Situation, 11/1/17
23 - Glen Raasch, College Prospect, 10/20/17
24 - Randy Rivera, Could Go, 10/15/17
25 - Willie Romay, Their Projection, 11/6/17
26 - Ruben Santana, Little Things, 10/10/17
27 - Brian Stephens, Extra Concentration, 10/28/17
28 - Doug Tegtmeier, Summer Title, 10/16/17
29 - James Terrell, Pretty Fun, 10/28/17
30 - Bill Tucker, True Passion, 11/13/17
31 - Sean Twitty, Closest Friends, 10/14/17
32 - Jerry Walker, Eclipsed Perspective, 11/4/17
33 - Spyder Webb, His Name, 11/2/17
34 - Gary Wheelock, Further Development, 10/30/17
35 - Willie Wilder, His Dedication, 10/9/17
36 - Willie Wilkerson, Home State, 10/21/17
37 - Tyler Williams, Six Innings, 10/27/17
38 - Kevin Yianacopolus, Highest Ability, 11/15/17
39 - Todd Youngblood, Bulldog Type, 10/21/17

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