After spending more than 11 seasons in the minors, Jeff Schwarz made the majors with the White Sox in 1993. After getting his first major league win that June, he was overjoyed, The St. Lucie News Tribune wrote.
In the process, he faced future Hall of Famer George Brett in Brett's 10,000th at bat and struck him our, The Tribune wrote.
"I can't believe it," Schwarz told The Associated Press after the win, according to The Tribune. "I don't know whether to cry or jump up and down. ... I'm going to FedEx that game ball to my mom and dad first thing tomorrow."
Schwarz went on to see time in two major league campaigns, including 41 total appearances that year with the White Sox.
Schwarz' career began in 1982, taken by the Cubs in the 24th round of the draft out of Fort Pierce Westwood High School in Florida.
Schwarz started with the Cubs in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He made single-A Quad City in 1984 then AA Pittsfield briefly in 1988.
Schwarz was actually drafted as a first baseman, but a scout saw him through and they tried him as a pitcher, he told The South Bend Tribune years later. He also had ultimately unfulfilled ambitions to pitch with both hands, having learned throwing lefthanded after a high school injury.
For 1989, he moved to the Orioles system and played between AA Hagerstown and AAA Rochester. He started back at Rochester in 1990 before moving to the Brewers and high-A Stockton.
He made AA El Paso in 1991. That July, he threw a four-hitter in a complete game win. He also got to pass the hat among fans and made $88, some minor league meal money, The El Paso Herald-Post wrote.
"Well, I already thawed the chicken out, so I will have to eat that (tonight)," Schwarz told The Herald-Post of his windfall. "But tomorrow I can eat lunch at Subway and have dinner at Denny's."
Schwarz moved to the White Sox for 1992, playing between AA Birmingham and AAA Vancouver. Then, in April 1993, he got his call to Chicago.
"My mom would always tell me the cream would rise to the top," Schwarz told The Moline Dispatch that June, "But I was always wondering if I would ever rise."
Schwarz ended up seeing 41 relief outings for the White Sox, 51 innings of work. He picked up two total wins and a 3.71 ERA.
He then returned for nine more relief outings with the White Sox in 1994 and four more that year with the Angels to round out his major league career.
Schwarz then saw brief time with Yokohama in Japan in 1995 and then at AAA with the Braves in 1996 to end his career.
Schwarz turned coach by 2001 at short-season Vermont. He's last recorded as coaching with the Marlins in the rookie Gulf Coast League in 2013.
- El Paso Herald-Post, July 17, 1991: Diablo pitcher gets to pass the hat
- St. Lucie News Tribune, June 14, 1993: Schwarz savors first win in big leagues
- Moline Dispatch, June 27, 1993: He played Peoria twice amid 11-year trip to bigs
- South Bend Tribune, July 25, 1993: Looking for colorful player? Try Jeff Schwarz
Made the Majors:1,404-32.2%-X
Never Made Majors:2,958-67.8%
10+ Seasons in the Minors:354-X
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