Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Closing out his first professional season in 1990, Gary Painter relayed to his hometown Tampa Tribune his contentment at having the opportunity to play. "I'm doing what I want to do," Painter told The Tribune then. "I've always dreamed of playing baseball professionally. And now I have my chance." Painter went on to play professionally over six seasons . He made AA in four of them, but topped out there. Painter's career began that year in 1990, signed by the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent out of Florida State University. Painter started with the Red Sox in the rookie Gulf Coast League and at high-A Winter Haven. He saw nine starts between them and went 3-3, with a 2.33 ERA. He returned to Winter Haven for 1991 and made AA New Britain . He saw 15 starts at New Britain and went 3-7, with a 4.84 ERA. That June, Painter pitched on three days' rest to throw six scoreless for his first AA win, The Hartford Courant wrote .  "Outstanding,...