Black History Month: Top Players During OKC’s Indians/89ers Era (Part 2)

In celebration of Black History Month, teams across Minor League Baseball are honoring some of the best Black players in their respective histories.

This is the final installment of a three-part series tracing through Oklahoma City’s baseball history. Previous installments covered the Bricktown era and the Indians/89ers era between the 1950s through the mid-1960s. The final chapter covers the 89ers from the late-1960s through 1990s.

Players were selected based on a combination of individual season and career achievements while playing for Oklahoma City, as well as their Major League careers. They are presented below in chronological order.

Bob Watson (Provided provided by the Oklahoma City Dodgers archives)

Bob Watson (Outfielder/First Baseman; 1967-69)

Although Watson made his Major League debut with Houston in 1966 with a one-game, one-plate appearance cameo, he spent parts of the next three seasons in Oklahoma City. In his 122 total games with the 89ers, Watson batted .358 to go along with a .414 on-base percentage, 17 home runs and 79 RBI. In 1969, he put up an incredible .408/.462/.601 batting line over 61 games.

Watson played in parts of 19 seasons in the Majors with the Astros, Red Sox, Yankees and Braves. He was a two-time All-Star, making the National League roster in 1973 and 1976. Watson etched his name into the history books when he became the first player ever to hit for the cycle in both the National League (1977) and American League (1979). He was a career .295 hitter and finished just shy of 200 home runs (184) and 1,000 RBI (989).

Once his playing days ended, Watson transition to coaching and then moved on to the front office. He was hired by the Astros as their General Manager in 1993, becoming the second Black GM in MLB history. After joining the Yankees in the same role about two years later, he became the first Black GM to win a World Series in 1996. Watson also spent 10 years (2000-10) as a Vice President for on-field operations with Major League Baseball.

John Mayberry (Photo courtesy of The Oklahoman via “Glory Days of Summer: The History of Baseball in Oklahoma”)

John Mayberry (First Baseman; 1968-71)

Mayberry was barely a year removed from high school when he first played for the 89ers in 1968. During his first full season with the team in 1969 at only 20 years old, Mayberry batted .304/.393/.522 with 21 homers, 29 doubles and 78 RBI. He also played about half of the season with the 89ers in both the 1970 and 1971 campaigns as he went back and forth between OKC and Houston. Over 281 career games with the 89ers, Mayberry hit an impressive .297./405/.507 with 47 home runs and 161 RBI.

The slugging first baseman spent part of 15 seasons in the Majors (1968-82) with the Astros, Royals, Blue Jays and Yankees. The best seasons of his big league career came in Kansas City, making the All-Star Team in 1973 and 1974, and finishing second in American League MVP voting in 1975 when he batted .291 with 34 homers, 38 doubles, 106 RBI and a league-leading 119 walks. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1996.

Mayberry collected 255 home runs and 679 RBI throughout his ML career. He also walked 71 more times than he struck out.

Additionally, Mayberry has the distinction of being part of a rare two-generation tandem to play for Oklahoma City. His son, John Jr., spent nearly the entire 2008 season plying for the RedHawks.

(Photo courtesy of Topps via Vintage Card Prices)

Scipio Spinks (Pitcher; 1969-71)

Spinks started at least 19 games in each of his three seasons with the 89ers, totaling 70 starts – including 22 complete games – and 434.0 innings. After a rocky first season, Spinks posted a 3.28 ERA over his final two seasons with OKC.

He totaled 444 strikeouts, which is the unofficial 89ers career record. His 173 strikeouts in 1971 were the fifth-most in a single season during the 89ers era. In 1969, he threw a no-hitter during a seven-inning game against Omaha, albeit in a 2-1 loss.

Spinks spent parts of five seasons in the Majors with the Astros and Cardinals. His finest season was in 1972 with St. Louis, when he notched a 2.67 ERA over 16 starts. However, that promising season was derailed when he sustained a knee injury during a collision at home plate. It also began an unfortunate series of injuries that curtailed his playing career, and he retired following the 1975 season. Following his playing days, Spinks has served as a pitching coach in the Minors as well as a pro scout in the Astros and Diamondbacks organizations.

J.R. Richard (Photo courtesy of The Oklahoman via “Glory Days of Summer: The History of Baseball in Oklahoma”)

J.R. Richard (Pitcher; 1971-72)

American Association hitters did not prove to be too much of a match for Richard during his two seasons with Oklahoma City. Richard made a total of 43 starts, totaling 301.0 innings and a cumulative 2.69 ERA. He struck out 371 batters while only allowing 210 hits during that time.

He led the American Association with both a 2.45 ERA and 202 strikeouts during the 1971 season. It’s also the second-best single-season ERA by any pitcher during the 89ers era and the third-highest single-season strikeout total.

Richard debuted with the Astros in 1971, spending all 10 years of his Major League career with Houston. He led the National League with a 2.71 ERA in 1979 and paced the circuit in strikeouts in both 1978 and 1979, finishing in the top four of Cy Young Voting each year. Richard made his only All-Star team in 1980 and was the National League’s starting pitcher after going 10-4 with a 1.90 ERA through his first 17 starts.

Sadly, Richard suffered a stroke later that season, effectively ending his playing career just months after turning 30 years old. Richard finished with a career 3.15 ERA, 107 wins and 1,493 strikeouts. He remains third among Astros career record leaders in both strikeouts and ERA, and he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2019.

Lonnie Smith (Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma City Dodgers archives)

Lonnie Smith (Outfielder; 1976-79)

Smith spent nearly four full seasons with the 89ers during the club’s affiliation with the Phillies and was nicknamed “Lightnin’ Lonnie.” The speedy outfielder played in 494 career games for OKC, amassing 581 hits, a .307 batting average, 393 runs and 171 stolen bases – the unofficial 89ers career record.

Smith owns three of the top 10 highest single-season steals totals from the 89ers era, including a league-leading 66 in 1978, which also ranks second all-time in team history. In his final season with OKC, Smith batted .330 and led the American Association with 106 runs scored.

He went on to play 17 seasons in the Majors, and during his first full season in 1980, he not only won a World Series with the Phillies, but finished second for NL Rookie of the Year. Smith also captured championships with St. Louis in 1982 and Kansas City in 1985. He made his only All-Star team and finished second in NL MVP voting in 1982. After retiring following the strike of 1994, Smith finished his career with a .288 batting average, 1,488 hits, 909 runs and 370 stolen bases.

Tommy Dunbar (Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma City Dodgers archives)

Tommy Dunbar (Outfielder; 1983-86)

Similar to Smith, Dunbar spent parts of four seasons patrolling the outfield at All Sports Stadium. He played in 424 games, batting .291 with 443 hits, 82 doubles, and 233 RBI. He also drew 217 career walks and finished his 89ers tenure with more walks than strikeouts.

Dunbar won the league batting title in 1984 when he hit .337 – tied for fourth-best in club history. He also led the league with a .417 on-base percentage that season. During his final season with the 89ers in 1986, he set a career high with 91 RBI and ranked second in the league.

Dunbar’s Major League career spanned only parts of three seasons with the Rangers (1983-85), totaling 91 games and 249 plate appearances. He journeyed around Triple-A for most of his career and played through 1991, finishing his pro career with over 1,300 hits and 700 RBI.

Thank you for reading our series honoring Oklahoma City’s best Black baseball players throughout Black History Month. To learn more about Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine,” <a href=”https://www.milb.com/fans/the-nine” target=”blank”> click here._

Celebrating Black History Month: Highlighting Jimmy Rollins

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are looking back at some of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers from across the sport went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Over the month, we will highlight some of the best Black baseball players to ever suit up for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Jimmy Rollins

The Philadelphia Phillies selected Jimmy Rollins in the second round of the 1996 MLB Draft from Encinal High School in Alameda, California. Before establishing himself as a Major League All-Star, Most Valuable Player and World Series Champion, he made the steady climb through the minors and reached Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his fourth professional year.

Rollins played four games for the Red Barons in 1999 in his first call-up. He returned in 2000 for 133 games before making his big-league debut on September 17. “J-Roll” hit .274 during his last season in Triple-A with 12 home runs and 69 runs batted in, helping pace the Red Barons to an 85-win campaign and a trip to the International League postseason.

Rollins played 2,275 games in the Majors, spanning 17 seasons, and closed with a career .264 average, 231 home runs and 936 runs batted in. He was a Silver Slugger during his 2007 National League MVP season, claimed four Gold Gloves over his career and was a three-time All-Star.

In 2019, Rollins was tabbed for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s All-Time Team as part of their 30th Anniversary Season celebration.

Read the rest of the series:

Part One: Celebrating Marlon Anderson

Part Two: Celebrating Ryan Howard

Part Three: Celebrating Aaron Judge

Part Four: Celebrating Wendell Magee

In addition to the five players profiled this month, many other players merited consideration for their work on and off the field or in the community, including Tony Barron, Kim Batiste, Bobby Estalella, 2009 IL Rookie of the Year Austin Jackson, Kevin Jordan, IL Hall-of-Famer Billy McMillon, DJ Mitchell and Mason Williams.

The Nine: Former Mudcats making a difference with the Players Alliance

Founded in part by former Carolina Mudcats outfielder Cameron Maybin, the Players Alliance is a nonprofit that was formed in the summer of 2020 by a group of more than 100 current and former Black MLB and MiLB players.

The Players Alliance has since grown to over 150 members, and has made major strides in accomplishing the goals set forth at its inception. Those goals include using the collective voice and platform of its roster of participating players to create new opportunities for the Black community in all areas of baseball and society.

Cameron Maybin with the 2008 Carolina Mudcats
NIKOLAUS

The Players Alliance roster features several former Mudcats including Maybin (2008 Mudcats), Quintin Berry (2011 Mudcats), Devin Williams (2018 Mudcats), Monte Harrison (2017 Mudcats), Corey Ray (2017 Mudcats), Troy Stokes Jr. (2017 Mudcats), Dillon Thomas (2018 Mudcats), and Travis Demeritte (2016 Mudcats).

That extensive list of former Mudcats also includes catcher and utility man Zavier Warren who played for Carolina during the 2021 season.

“My involvement (with the Players Alliance) started the year I was drafted,” said Warren. “The Players Alliance reached out and invited all of the African-American players from that draft (2020) to join a Zoom call with guys like Curtis Granderson and Dusty Baker. They let us know that we could contact them if we ever needed anything. They also let us know about the history and goals of the Players Alliance program.”

“I thought it was important to join mainly because many of these guys have done what I’m hoping to do,” added Warren. “Their guidance is very helpful in helping me achieve my goal of making the big leagues. It’s great to have a network of guys to lean on and reach out to, especially other Black players.”

The Brewers selected Warren in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Central Michigan. He was primarily an infielder in college but was drafted by the Brewers as a catcher. Warren would later make his professional debut in 2021 with the Mudcats and split his playing time playing in the infield and behind the plate. He sees himself as a utility player moving forward, but is eager to continue on the catching path.

“There haven’t been many Black catchers,” said Warren. “It’s a small group of guys, and I want to see if I can join that group of big-league catchers. I think it can be impactful for me to make it as a catcher and maybe inspire a kid that might look like me to pursue that position as well.”

“That’s where I hope I can make an impact with the Players Alliance too. A big part of what they do is getting kids involved in the game at an early age.”

Warren appeared in 53 games and hit .251/.374/.471 with a .845 OPS, eight doubles, 10 homers and 30 RBI with the Mudcats in 2021. He later finished the season with High-A Wisconsin where he would hit .267/.357/.400 with a .757 OPS over 36 games.

Warren was also one of several top prospects selected by the Brewers to participate in “Build-Up Camp” and early Spring Training ahead of the 2022 season.

Read More about 2022 Build-Up Camp

Learn More about the Players Alliance

Lugnuts to honor Bud Fowler, Page Fence Giants on June 24

 

LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts will honor incoming 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Bud Fowler with a bobblehead giveaway on a special Page Fence Giants Night on June 24 at Jackson® Field™, the Lugnuts announced today.

The tribute night, honoring Fowler and the dominant trailblazing 19th-century team he co-founded, is part of Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine,” a Black-community focused initiative that will celebrate the legacies of Black baseball pioneers throughout the upcoming season. The Lugnuts will wear the Page Fence Giants’ black and maroon uniforms, with the first 1,000 fans through the gates receiving a special Bud Fowler commemorative bobblehead, presented by Physicians Health Plan. LAFCU Fireworks will follow the game.

“Our connection with Bud Fowler and the Page Fence Giants began last year, when we learned their story as they were inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Lansing Lugnuts owner Tom Dickson. “Theirs is an important story to retell: a Black professional baseball team based out of Michigan that won an overwhelming number of the games they played. We are proud to continue to tell their story and join The Nine during the same summer that Bud Fowler rightfully takes his place in Cooperstown.”

“Celebrating the rich history of baseball in Michigan, especially when we honor players like Bud Fowler and the rest of the Page Fence Giants, is absolutely incredible. Lansing is proud to be the home of the Lugnuts, and even prouder to join with them for this great night of baseball. I look forward to seeing the Page Fence Giants’ uniforms in action at Jackson Field this season and saluting the memory of Bud Fowler,” stated Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.

Bud Fowler, born John W. Jackson, Jr., in 1858, was the first professional Black baseball player. He began his baseball career as a fine pitcher and catcher before turning to the infield after developing arm troubles. Wrote the Sporting Life, “With his splendid abilities he would long ago have been on some good club had his color been white instead of black. Those who know say there is no better second baseman in the country.” By the time he was done, Fowler had logged over 2,000 at-bats during a career lasting two decades. His final team in organized baseball was the 1895 Lansing Senators, with whom he batted .331 in 31 games.

In August of 1894, Fowler broke his leg in a game. He spent his rehabilitation time joining with young slugger Grant “Home Run” Johnson and a trio of white businessmen in Adrian to found the Page Fence Giants in September 1894. Sponsored by the Page Woven Wire Fence Company, the Giants traveled around the Midwest and Canada in their own private railroad car, winning over 100 games each year from 1895 through 1898. In their most famous moment, they convincingly defeated the Cuban X-Giants in 1896 in a series that was promoted as determining the best Black baseball team of the era.

The Lugnuts will open 2022 on Wednesday, April 6, playing the Michigan State Spartans in the Crosstown Showdown, before welcoming the Lake County Captains to Jackson® Field™ on Friday, April 8, raising the curtain on the 132-game High-A season.

For more information on “The Nine,” visit milb.com. For the latest information about the Lansing Lugnuts, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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The Top Black Players in Travelers History

 

In celebration of Black History Month throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

Narrowing the list of standout Black players who have been part of Travs history was not easy and left out many worthy candidates including Garry Templeton, Lance Johnson and Bernard Gilkey just to name a few.

This list is presented in alphabetical order and includes representatives from nearly every recent era of the franchise’s history. Let’s take a look at five of the best Black baseball players to play for the Arkansas Travelers.

Dick Allen, OF/3B/1B

Travelers 1963

Philadelphia Phillies 1963-69, 1975-76; St. Louis Cardinals 1970; Los Angeles Dodgers 1971; Chicago White Sox 1972-74; Oakland A’s 1977

Nearly elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame again this past winter, Dick Allen was the first Black player in Travelers history. Known as Richie Allen during his season in Arkansas, Allen played for the Travs during their time as the Phillies’ Triple-A club. He played 145 games as a 21 year old and hit 33 home runs, still the franchise record for a right-handed batter. At the end of the ‘63 season, he made his Major League debut and went on to become one of the most underrated star sluggers of his era.

Allen won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1964 and finished seventh in the MVP voting while launching 29 homers for a Phillies team that finished just a game back of the NL pennant. The next season marked the first of his seven All-Star selections in his 15 big league seasons with at least three of those coming in each league. Allen was on the move in the early 70’s being traded in three consecutive offseasons. He had his best season at the end of that stretch in 1972 when he won the American League MVP award with the White Sox while topping the AL in home runs (37), RBIs (113), walks (99), on-base percentage (.420) and slugging percentage (.603). He led his league in homers, on-base and slugging multiple times during his career.

Howie Kendrick, 2B/OF

Travelers 2005

Los Angeles Angels 2006-14; Los Angeles Dodgers 2015-16; Philadelphia Phillies 2017; Washington Nationals 2017-2020

As a 10th round pick in 2002 by the Angels out of community college, Kendrick showed a quick aptitude to hit professional pitching. A career .358 hitter in the minors, he earned a promotion to Double-A and the 2005 Travs for the final two months of the season and Texas League playoffs. While with Arkansas, Kendrick slashed .342/.382/.579 in 42 games and was part of a lineup that featured future big leaguers like Mike Napoli, Kendrys Morales, and Erick Aybar.

Kendrick was a consistent line drive hitter over a 15-year big league career posting a career batting average of .294. He played second base regularly for the Angels through 2014 and was named an All-Star in 2011. After nine seasons in Anaheim, he jumped to the National League and transitioned to a utility/bench bat role where he was feared for his late game plate appearances. Kendrick became a regular in October, making the playoffs in eight different seasons culminating in the 2019 Washington Nationals run where he was named MVP of the NLCS and won a World Series ring.

Fergie Jenkins, RHP

Travelers 1963-65

Philadelphia Phillies 1965-66; Chicago Cubs 1966-73, 82-83; Texas Rangers 1974-75, 1978-81; Boston Red Sox 1976-77

A 6’5” right-hander from Chatham, Ontario, Canada, Jenkins began his pro career as a member of the Phillies organization and was a Trav at the Triple-A level for the Phillies. He first reached Arkansas as a 20-year old in 1963 and spent time as a Traveler each of the next two seasons totaling 189 innings in 47 appearances before making his big league debut in 1965. Jenkins’ career took off after being traded from Philadelphia to the Cubs in April of 1966 and moving to the starting rotation full-time a year later.

Jenkins became the leader and workhorse of the Cubs rotation in 1967. Four times he led his league in complete games, three times in games started, twice in wins, once in strikeouts and once in innings pitched. A three-time All-Star selection, he won the 1971 National League Cy Young Award accumulating 24 wins with a 2.77 ERA and 30 complete games over 325 innings. He finished in the top 3 of his league’s Cy Young voting on four other occasions (1967, ’70, ’72, ’74) and was the first pitcher to end his career with at least 3,000 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 walks. Jenkins was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1991.

Ray Lankford, OF

Travelers 1989

St. Louis Cardinals 1990-2001, 2004; San Diego Padres 2001-02

One of the smoothest players to ever don a Travs uniform, Ray Lankford was the Cardinals 3rd round pick in 1987 out of Modesto Junior College. He made the jump from Low-A to Double-A at age 22 and hit .317/.396/.488 with 28 doubles, 12 triples, 11 homers and 98 runs batted in while stealing 38 bases. That 1989 team also featured future St. Louis regulars Bernard Gilkey and Geronimo Pena and went on to win the Texas League Championship.

Lankford made his big league debut late in 1990 and would be the Cards’ primary centerfielder for the next decade. Over a 14-year career, his combination of power and speed produced 356 doubles, 238 home runs, 258 stolen bases and an NL best 15 triples in his first full season. He finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting in that 1991 season and earned his lone All-Star nod in 1997. Lankford produced a career Wins Above Replacement of 38.2.

Terry Pendleton, 3B

Travelers 1983

St. Louis Cardinals 1984-1990; Atlanta Braves 1991-94, 1996; Florida Marlins 1995-96; Cincinnati Reds 1997; Kansas City Royals 1998

Drafted as a middle infielder by St. Louis in the 7th round in 1982 out of Fresno State, Terry Pendleton played 48 games (all at second base) for the Travs in 1983 at the age of 22. He hit .276 with 17 extra base hits and was named a league mid-season All-Star. His defensive shift to 3rd base began early in the 1984 season at the Triple-A level before he was promoted to the big leagues later that year.

Pendleton played the first seven of his 15 years in the Majors with St. Louis before signing a free agent deal with the Braves. His first season in Atlanta saw him win the 1991 NL Most Valuable Player Award and then he followed that with an MVP runner-up, leading the league in hits both years. He won three Gold Glove awards at third base in 1987, ’89 and ’92 and was an All-Star in 1992. Pendleton played on five different teams that reached the World Series yet his team never won a championship.

Top 5 Black Players in Fresno Grizzlies History

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up for the Fresno Grizzlies:

Fred Lewis

Fred Lewis was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 2nd round of the 2002 draft out of HBCU Southern University and A&M College. Lewis dominated the lower levels of the Giants system before being called up to Fresno for a cup of coffee in 2004. After that quick stint, Lewis would make it back to the Grizzlies for the 2006 season. Over 120 games, Lewis batted .276 with an .828 OPS and at the time, a single-season, franchise-record 11 triples. His season was extended as he earned a September call-up to the Giants. In 2007, Lewis split time with Fresno and the Giants, appearing in a combined 100 games with a .290 batting average. Lewis’ last stint in Fresno came in 2010, playing in seven games. Lewis finished his career in 2015, but was known as a crowd favorite among both Grizzlies and Giants fans.

Tony Kemp

Tony Kemp was selected by the Houston Astros in the 5th round of the 2013 draft out of baseball powerhouse Vanderbilt University. Kemp vaulted through the lower levels of the Houston system before reaching Fresno during the middle of the 2015 season. For the next couple of years, Kemp would bounce between the Grizzlies and Astros. When he donned the F-slash, Kemp was unstoppable. Over four seasons (2015-18) with the Grizzlies, Kemp appeared in 296 games, slashing .312/.373/.425. He also ranks in the Top 10 of four different offensive categories for Grizzlies career records. He is first in triples (21), fourth in steals (67), eighth in runs (206) and 10th in hits (372). Despite multiple trades and teams, Kemp is still talked about as one of the biggest and kindest-hearted players to ever play for the Fresno Grizzlies.

Calvin Murray

Calvin Murray was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 1st round of the 1989 draft, but decided to not sign and take his talents to the University of Texas. Three years later, the San Francisco Giants drafted Murray with the 7th overall pick and he signed. Murray was a part of the first 1998 Fresno Grizzlies team after spending a couple of seasons with the Phoenix Firebirds. He would spend three seasons in Fresno (1998-99, 2001), with the major chunk of it coming in 1999. In that year, Murray would go on to win the PCL Most Valuable Player, one of only two Grizzlies to ever earn those honors. Murray played 130 games, racking up 183 hits, 297 total bases and scoring 122 runs. The latter three statistics are all single-season Grizzlies records. Murray also stole 42 bases and batted .334 (top 10 single-season marks). That season will go down as one of the best offensive displays in Grizzlies history, despite it being only the second year of the Grizzlies’ existence. Besides that, Murray is known as the batter facing Randy Johnson when Johnson hit a dove with a fastball in a spring training game in 2001 and is the uncle of NFL Quarterback Kyler Murray.

Emmanuel Burriss

Emmanuel Burriss was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 1st round of the 2006 draft out of Kent State University. Burriss spent his first couple of seasons at the Single-A Level before making the leap to Fresno in 2008. After two weeks-worth of games, Burriss had his contract selected by the Giants. For the next four years, Burriss would split time between the Central Valley and the Bay Area. He enjoyed a couple of bright spots over those four years, which included being San Francisco’s youngest Opening Day starting second baseman (2009) since Robbie Thompson back in 1986. In 2011, Burriss batted .297 over 45 games with the Grizzlies, stealing 24 bases and scoring 31 times. Most notably, he swiped a Grizzlies franchise-record four bags on April 8th against the Las Vegas 51s. Burriss finished his Fresno career playing 172 games over five seasons and became one of the best do-it-all players in Grizzlies history.

Jalal Leach

Jalal Leach was selected by the New York Yankees in the 7th round of the 1990 draft out of Pepperdine University. After playing for eight years and a trio of teams, Leach still hadn’t cracked the big leagues. At that point, he was offered a coaching position by Brian Sabean, despite still wanting to play. After some roster moves, Leach was activated as a player and would head to Fresno for the next four years, which included joining the 1998 Grizzlies club. Over those four seasons, Leach became one of the most lethal bats in the Pacific Coast League and Grizzlies history. He finished his Fresno career with four Top-10 franchise records, which included homers (8th, 52), triples (6th, 15), doubles (7th, 73) and RBI (7th, 216). The culmination of his determination and prowess at the plate earned him his long-awaited call-up to the Giants in 2001. Leach is the definition of Farm Grown in Fresno.

“The Nine” – One day, everyone will remember Giancarlo Stanton’s name

 

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club. On February 1, the Jumbo Shrimp unveiled five of the best Black players to ever suit up for Jacksonville (Henry Aaron, Willie Wilson, Giancarlo Stanton, Frank White, Buck O’Neil), plus a legendary Negro leagues star with ties to the city (John Henry “Pop” Lloyd).

Here is a deeper look at Giancarlo Stanton, one of the best Black players in Jacksonville history.

Giancarlo Cruz Michael Stanton had a few of different options for college coming out of Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, Calif.). A three-sport athlete who starred in baseball, basketball and football as a wide receiver and cornerback, the University of Southern California offered him a baseball scholarship with an opportunity to walk-on to the football team coached at the time by Pete Carroll. UNLV offered the opposite; floating a football scholarship with the chance to walk-on to the school’s baseball team. Stanton ultimately accepted a baseball-only scholarship from Tulane.

But he never played for the Green Wave. The then-Florida Marlins had selected him in the second round of the 2007 draft and Stanton opted to sign to begin his professional baseball career.

Stanton was known then as Mike Stanton. His mother had wanted to name him Fidel but his father refused it, with the since-divorced couple ultimately settling on Giancarlo. That name, however, was not used at all during his minor league career or even his first two seasons in the major leagues. He had been going by “Mike” since sixth grade, when he tired of his legal name Giancarlo getting made fun of and his friends having trouble pronouncing it.

In the offseason following the 2011 campaign, Stanton took a baseball trip to Europe, performing clinics in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Italy. His mind was immediately encapsulated by what he saw on the continent, specifically with the architecture, food and culture that was so unlike what he had grown up with near Los Angeles and what he’d seen playing in the minor leagues and later in Miami. Stanton was so taken with Europe that he even loved hearing the way names like Gianpiero, Gianpaolo, Gianluigi, and yes, Giancarlo were pronounced. When he returned, he informed his parents and the Marlins that he wanted to be known as Giancarlo Stanton.

By this time, baseball was well acquainted with Stanton. During his time in the minor leagues, he had long been regarded as a top prospect. In 2009, at just 19 years old, Stanton wound up leading both High-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville in home runs despite playing in just 50 and 79 games, respectively, with the clubs.

Stanton returned to Jacksonville to start the 2010 campaign and mashed 15 home runs in his first 28 games, tallying 28 walks, 28 runs and 33 RBIs with a batting line of .340/.481/.854 during that stretch. After 52 games, he was hitting .313/.442/.729 with 21 home runs and 52 RBIs before the Marlins called him up to the major leagues.

In 12 MLB seasons since with the Marlins and New York Yankees, Stanton has walloped 347 long balls while batting .268/.358/.543 (143 OPS+). A four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Stanton was named the 2017 NL MVP after leading MLB in both home runs (59) and RBIs (132). His slugging percentage (.631) and OPS+ (169) topped the National League during that campaign. Stanton also finished second in the MVP balloting in 2014 after besting the NL in homers (37) and slugging percentage (.555).

As always, the biggest question surrounding Stanton has been his health. Through his age-31 season, he has played in more than 140 games in a campaign only four times. When he’s been able to get on the field, however, he has performed at a Hall of Fame-level, posting 5.4 WAR/162 games, a higher mark than the average Hall of Fame outfielder. On his Baseball-Reference page, three of the top four most similar batters through all age-31 seasons in baseball history are Hall of Famers in Harmon Killebrew, Ralph Kiner and Jim Thome.

How much are we surprised by what we see on the field or court in sports nowadays? Every highlight is a simple notification or scroll on social media away, right at our fingertips. There’s just not much left to the imagination, and in many ways, that’s a great thing for fans.

Perhaps, though, this is why Giancarlo Stanton is so special. A lot of things still have to happen for him to one day have a plaque in Cooperstown, because, no, he hasn’t always been able to stay on the field. But when he has, even through all those highlights we are inundated with daily, he has still found a way to blow the mind.

With his 500-plus-foot home runs and 122-plus exit velocities, Giancarlo Stanton has seemingly changed what is possible for a hitter on a baseball field. And if that’s it, that’s the only thing his legacy ends up becoming… it’s one that most baseball fans will never be able to forget. Giancarlo Stanton will be known forever.

The Nine: Michael Taylor

 

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is the fourth installment of five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up for the Sacramento River Cats.

Former Sacramento River Cats outfielder Michael Taylor is one of the most successful hitters to don the RC logo.

Drafted out of Stanford University in the fifth round by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2007 MLB Draft, Taylor had a well-decorated MiLB career. His impressive production in the Philadelphia system led to his inclusion in the Phillies’ 2009 trade for Hall-of-Fame right-hander Roy Halladay.

Taylor was a five-time Player of the Week (one with Sacramento in 2012), two-time Mid-Season All-Star, a Post-Season All-Star, a Topps Double-A All-Star, and two-time Organization All-Star while with the River Cats in 2012 and 2013.

The 6’5 outfielder did everything for the River Cats during his five seasons in Sacramento.

He was the River Cats’ Most Improved Player in 2010, Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, and Most Exciting Player in 2013.

He still holds the title of River Cats’ all-time RBIs leader with 325 and also ranks second in games played (511), at-bats (1,900), runs (299), hits (521), doubles (112), walks (266), and steals (60).

Taylor played 37 games in the Majors for the Oakland A’s and Chicago White Sox, hitting his first MLB home run off left-hander Derek Holland on Sept. 20, 2011. He hit his 100th professional home run on May 1, 2014 against Tacoma.

Pensacola Ahead Of Its Time A Century Ago With Negro League Baseball Opportunities 

 

More than 100 years ago, Pensacola was ahead of its time with opportunities in baseball.

In a downtown area now occupied by Baptist Hospital and the Pensacola Retirement Village, was site of Kupfrian Park, a ballpark built by the city as a community centerpiece for the segregated African-American population. The 500-seat venue was framed by a pond, a horsetrack, a picnic area and fairground.

This is where Pensacola in 1890 had a thriving Black baseball league and its strong community impact before American Negro League Baseball was officially founded in 1920.

Kupfrian Park was essentially the origination of Pensacola’s Black baseball history.

“Pensacola, in reality, was color blind to a degree when it came to the game of baseball,” said author Scott Brown, whose book, “Baseball In Pensacola: American’s Pastime & The City Of Five Flags,” was published in 2013 and chronicles the city’s unique heritage in the sport.

As Major League Baseball celebrates Black History Month, the existence of Kupfrian Park enabled the sport to reach all parts of Pensacola. It was spurned baseball’s growth during segregation in Pensacola, even before the 19th Century.

Only 25 years after the Civil War ended, Pensacola leaders had a vision to grow the game in the Black community. Few cities that were Pensacola’s size had anything resembling Kupfrian Park.

“One of things in my research that just blew me away was the building and usage of Kupfrian Park,” Brown said. “That was a huge entertainment arena. The fact the city and the mayor at that time, William D. Chipley, got behind the construction of a field that sat 500 people in the grandstand, which was a big stadium back then, is just amazing.

“I mean, we are talking 1890 Pensacola. And here was a Deep South city building a ballpark for early Negro League teams to use. This wasn’t just a baseball park, it was a community center completely run by African-American employees. This was huge for Pensacola.”

This is what eventually led to the Pensacola Arthur Giants in 1920 becoming part of the Southern Negro League. And it led 25 years later to Jackie Robinson playing an exhibition game in Pensacola, while with the Kansas City Monarchs at Pensacola’s Legion Field.

So much of the foundation for the future began at Kupfrian Park on North Pace Boulevard.

“Not only did the city have the insight, but they also had the understanding this was huge entertainment venue and this was a money maker for the city,” Brown said. “It was, by-design, a place to rally the community.

“That for me was the beginning of everyone in Pensacola for Negro League Baseball. The fact the white community of Pensacola back then gave place, gave property, and gave funding, to get all of this started.”

There were several other key moments and teams that carried Pensacola’s connections with various Negro League Baseball organizations.

The first were the Pensacola African Americans, who played at Kupfrian Park and competed in the Emerald Coast Negro League. Many of those players in the early 1900’s advanced to higher levels.

Once the official start of Negro League Baseball formed in 1920, Pensacola had teams in various leagues. The teams were the Pensacola Arthur Giants, the Pepsi-Cola Stars and the Pensacola Seagulls.

Legion Field was Pensacola’s ballpark for both the Negro Southern League teams like the Pensacola Seagulls and Pepsi-Cola Stars, but also the Florida-Alabama Class D League Pensacola Dons and Senators.
Photo courtesy of UWF Historic Trust

The stadiums in town evolved into Maxent Park, which became Legion Field in 1928 and was located at its present location on Gregory Street and G Street. It was Maxent Park and Legion Field where MLB teams stopped to play during spring training on train rides back to Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Boston.

Pensacola’s Negro League teams played at those stadiums on designated days.

“While Pensacola was still playing in segregated leagues, the people I talked to who were children then and still living now, can remember when people in the white community of Pensacola would attend Negro League games and people in the black community would attend the white games,” Brown said.

“During the white games, the African American fans were restricted to the non-covered portion of Legion Field back then along the left field line.”

The Seagulls were a feeder affiliate team for the Negro Southern League. They had the longest tenure in Pensacola, later becoming an semipro, non-affiliated, integrated team, all the way into the 1970’s.

“We might not have been known as a Negro League town in the same way as cities such as Kansas City with the Kansas City Monarchs, but were turning out players who were high aptitude in the game,” said Brown, discussing his research. “That continued on to the 1960’s. We had players who had the ability to sustain themselves all the way into the major leagues.”

The best of those players was Johnny Joe Lewis. The Booker T. Washington High graduate played for the Seagulls. He was an outfielder, who then attended a Detroit Tigers tryout as a catcher.

The Tigers signed Lewis, traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals where he made his pro debut in 1959 in Wytheville, Va. Five years later, on April 14, 1964, Lewis made his MLB debut with the Cardinals and became Pensacola’s first African-American player to reach the big leagues.

“Johnny was the epitome of the kind of talent we turned out in Pensacola among African-American players back then,” Brown said.

All of this is part of Pensacola’s rich history with Negro League Baseball. It put the community in a different light from so many other places during those eras.

“It wasn’t so much that it was an answer of giving a place to play, as much as it was that Pensacola was enamored with the game of baseball,” Brown said. “Pensacola was color blind in that regard.

“From my research, it was just a natural thing to do then. We’re just going to play baseball. It was so natural for Pensacola to begin playing black baseball.”

A look at Pensacola’s three best known Negro League teams.

ARTHUR GIANTS – The team played at Pete Caldwell Field, now in an area off Fairfield Drive and Market Street that is near Pensacola Catholic High School. The team had distinction in the early 1900’s as Pensacola most accomplished Black baseball team. Team owner E.S. Cobb, a Pensacola physician, enabled the team to travel and gain interest of the national level Negro League scouts during the 1930’s. The team played into the 1940’s.

PEPSI COLA STARS – Pensacola’s team was part of a national set of Black baseball teams sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. The team played an exhibition game on Aug. 9. 1942 against the Montgomery (Ala.) Brown Bombers, a team connected to the national Negro League.

PENSACOLA SEAGULLS – The team had its own bus, enabling trips to nearby cities or as far away as San Francisco, where the Seagulls once traveled to play. The ballclub was a feeder affiliate for the Negro Southern League during the 1940’s and stayed a team long past Integration in Major League Baseball. The team stayed as an amateur or adult league teams.

The Seagulls were led by catcher William “Pit” Bell, who later became a long-time employee at Armstrong World Industries. The team played at Legion Field and had exhibition games against the Indianapolis Clowns and Kansas City Monarchs, two of the most famous teams in the elite Negro National League.

It was also the team that Johnny Joe Lewis played for as an outfielder, leading into his opportunity to rise in professional baseball and become Pensacola’s first Black player to reach the Major Leagues.

Black History Month: Flash of Excellence

 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers continue Minor League Baseball’s celebration of Black History Month with Tom Gordon’s seventeen starts as an Appleton Fox and his quick rise to the Major Leagues in 1988.

Before Tom Gordon spent 21 seasons in the Major Leagues, he spent three months in Appleton, Wisconsin. Gordon was twenty years old with the Appleton Foxes in 1988 and racked up strikeout numbers and amazing starts in seventeen games that most players don’t reach over an entire season.

Gordon entered his season in the Midwest League with a lot of hype. His 1987 season with Eugene in the Northwest was incredible with a 9-0 record, a 2.86 ERA, and 91 strikeouts in 72-1/3 innings pitched over fifteen games. Plus, he added three starts in the Florida State League with Fort Myers with a 1-0 record.

Brian Poldberg, the manager of the Foxes in 1988, named Gordon as his Opening Day starter for a game on April 8 at Wausau Athletic Park against the Wausau Timbers. Gordon pitched four scoreless innings, allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out seven. The article in the paper noted that Gordon pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the fourth.

Gordon’s next start was on April 13 and it was his first Goodland Field appearance. This time out, Gordon allowed on hit, walked one, and struck out eleven over five scoreless innings. He even recorded four strikeouts in one inning. Gordon left after reaching his 85-pitch limit and had a no decision in Appleton’s 1-0 victory.

“I didn’t feel as loose as I did in my first start, but I had pretty good stuff,” Gordon told Gary Shriver of The Post-Crescent after the game. “I was using fastball, change. I did tighten up some at the end.”

The Foxes failed to score in Gordon’s next two starts: A 5-0 loss at Springfield on April 18 and a 2-0 loss to Madison at home. Gordon was charged with the loss in both games despite allowing three earned runs over twelve innings. He had just two strikeouts at Springfield – Gordon’s season-low in Appleton. He had eight punchouts against Madison while giving up just one run.

Appleton’s offense made up for the lack of support and Gordon earned his first Midwest League win at Kenosha on April 30. He worked 6-2/3 innings, struck out seven and gave up three runs – two earned – as the Foxes won 12-5.

Tom Gordon’s Starts in April, 1988

DATE OPPONENT DEC IP H R ER BB SO
4/8 @Wausau ND 4.0 3 0 0 2 7
4/13 Peoria ND 5.0 1 0 0 1 11
4/18 @Springfield Loss 6.0 4 3 2 3 2
4/25 Madison Loss 6.0 4 1 1 2 8
4/30 @Kenosha Win 6.2 6 3 2 1 7
1-2 27.2 18 7 5 9 35

That result launched Gordon on a four start stretch in May that leaves an observer looking back at just the numbers leave one amazed.

It all started at Goodland Field against Beloit on May 5. Gordon allowed one run on three hits with four walks and seventeen strikeouts for a no decision. He had a 1-0 lead going into the top of the ninth inning, but David Nilsson had an RBI triple to tie the game. Terry Shumpert won the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventeenth inning for a 5-4 Foxes win.

Gordon was understated in his comments to Dan Vanderpas of The Post-Crescent after the game.

“I had a pretty good night. I threw the ball well. I felt good,” Gordon said. “My fastball was my best pitch tonight – high 80s, lower 90s. A game like this feels good because you had a good outing but I wanted to win. The thing I was looking for was to go out there and improve.”

The win followed in his next start. He pitched a nine-inning complete game against Quad Cities on May 11 in front of 2,646 fans at Goodland Field. Once again, Gordon allowed just one run in the game. Plus, he added eleven strikeouts in a 6-1 victory.

“I’m not hurting, but some days you just don’t feel your best. I didn’t feel my best, but I do see this as one of my better (pitching) days,” Gordon told Vanderpas. “The fastball worked real good for me tonight. That’s the ball that struck out most of the guys. It wasn’t the fastball I’m used to having. I had to work on it. I had to think to win. I had to think a little better than they did. That’s basically what I did.”

On May 16, Gordon made another start at home and pitched nine more innings to defat Burlington 3-1. This time out the youngster from Florida scattered six hits, allowed one run, walked two, and struck out sixteen for a complete game on 127 pitches in just over two hours as a birthday present for fellow Foxes pitcher Tim Odom and his manager.

“The more they hit the ball, the better I felt. It was just my team helping me and me helping my team,” said Gordon. “you can do a lot with A3 run lead because they’ve got to play catch up in baseball three runs is not a lot but if you’ve got a good pitcher on the mound you can fairly get by most teams.”

Poldberg fielded a question about how much longer Gordon would be in Appleton while snacking on some birthday cake in the clubhouse after the game.

“We haven’t had too many quick games lately, but when Tommy comes out there and you score a couple of runs you have a good chance of winning the game,” said the Foxes skipper. “Right now (to be called up), it’s just a matter of him getting command of himself because the higher up he goes a lot of the hitters will be taking the high fastballs that the younger hitters are swinging at.”

The final start in this stretch was a legendary appearance. It was in Waterloo, Iowa on May 21. Gordon gave up one hit, walked three, and struck out NINETEEN over seven scoreless innings. The only thing wrong with this night was that the Foxes bullpen blew a 3-0 lead. Waterloo scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth and held on for a 5-4 win.

Gordon had three impressive strikeout streaks – five in a row, six in a row, and seven in a row – during his seven innings. The only hit off Gordon was a single in the fourth inning. Waterloo put just three balls in fair territory against Gordon.

Russ L. Smith of the Waterloo Courier wondered why Gordon came out of the game and Poldberg had the answer.

“You got a young kid like that, you’ve got to protect his arm,” said Poldberg. “He has an embargo of 130 pitches in a game and he had 125 after the seventh. There’s no use starting him out to throw five pitches in the eighth.”

The month of May ended with a no decision and a loss for Gordon. He allowed six runs in 4-1/3 innings at Cedar Rapids on May 26 and was uncharacteristically wild with five walks and five strikeouts in that game. Then, he lost to Kenosha on May 31 at home despite allowing three runs over six innings.

In May, Gordon pitched 44-1/3 innings and recorded 74 strikeouts against just 20 walks.

Tom Gordon’s Starts in May, 1988

DATE OPPONENT DEC IP H R ER BB SO
5/5 Beloit ND 9.0 3 1 1 4 17
5/11 Quad Cities Win 9.0 5 1 1 2 11
5/16 Burlington Wiin 9.0 6 1 1 2 16
5/21 @Waterloo ND 7.0 1 0 0 3 19
5/26 @Cedar Rapids ND 4.1 5 6 6 5 5
5/31 Kenosha Loss 6.0 5 3 3 4 6
2-1 44.1 25 12 12 20 74

In June, Gordon made six starts and he was 4-0 in his first four. The first of that quartet was his first nine-inning, complete-game shutout with the Foxes.

Riverview Stadium in Clinton, Iowa was the site. June 5 was the date. Gordon allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out twelve in a 7-1 win.

Less that a week later, the Clinton Giants made the trip to Goodland Field. Gordon allowed one run with no walks and eleven strikeouts on June 10 for another complete game despite not feeling like he would be able to do much before the game.

“I was weak tonight,” said Gordon. “I just felt weak. I just didn’t feel like it was my night to pitch.”

“He didn’t have the great fastball early in the game and he went to his curveball a little more than I would have liked him to,” said Poldberg. “But he knew he didn’t have his best pitch, so he went to his next best pitch and that’s the curveball.”

Next up for Gordon was a start at South Bend on June 15. This was another win for Gordon as he allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and ten strikeouts in seven innings. While not as dominant as his previous two starts, this one impressed White Sox manager Steve Dillard.

“I’ve been wanting to see him,” Dillard told Curt Rallo of the South Bend Tribune. “I know he signed two years ago and I heard he threw in the middle 90s. But now he’s got a curve and that might be his best pitch. He didn’t strike a guy out until the third inning and he ended up with ten. We were overmatched.”

The final game in this four-start winning streak was on June 20 against Beloit at Goodland Field. Gordon should have had six scoreless innings to go along with his seven strikeouts. However, Bobby Knecht, an infielder moved to the outfield after an injury to starting left fielder Mike Gassman, couldn’t find a flyball – as he said – “against that bright, blue sky” with two runners on and two outs. The routine ball dropped in and by the time it was retrieved the Brewers had a three-run, inside-the-park home run to cut Appleton’s 4-0 lead to a single run.

The bullpen preserved the win for Gordon with two scoreless innings from Doug Nelson and a scoreless ninth from Brian McCormack to send Gordon’s record to 7-3 and 3,509 Foxes faithful home happy.

Gordon’s final two starts with Appleton were both losses, but the offense scored two runs total. South Bend won 5-2 at Goodland on June 25 and Burlington won 2-0 in Iowa on June 30.

The loss to the Burlington Braves was no fault of Gordon’s. He pitched eight innings, walked one, allowed two runs – one earned, and gave up five hits while striking out fourteen. The Foxes offense managed just three hits.

Tom Gordon’s Starts in June, 1988

DATE OPPONENT DEC IP H R ER BB SO
6/5 @Clinton Win 9.0 2 0 0 4 12
6/10 Clinton Win 9.0 6 1 1 0 11
6/15 @South Bend Win 7.0 3 2 2 1 10
6/20 Beloit Win 6.0 4 3 3 3 7
6/25 South Bend Loss 7.0 5 3 3 5 9
6/30 @Burlington Loss 8.0 5 2 1 1 14
4-2 46.0 25 11 10 14 63

John Boles, the Director of Minor League Operations for the Royals, was asked about Gordon’s future for an article in the July 3 edition of The Post-Crescent. Boles was very direct in his response.

“Tommy Gordon is going to pitch in the major leagues. No doubt about it. He’s one of the best prospects in minor league baseball, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be going to be moving anywhere soon.”

That last part from Boles is the only thing wrong in his quote.

Gordon missed his next Foxes start due to a strained leg muscle. Then, on July 12, he was added to the roster of the Memphis Chicks, Kansas City’s Double-A affiliate. Six starts and 62 strikeouts later, Gordon was promoted to Omaha in Triple-A.

Despite being almost 6-1/2 years younger than the league average of the American Association, Gordon was not intimidated. He was 3-0 in three starts, allowed three runs, and had 29 strikeouts.

In an August 28 article in the Kansas City Star, Gordon talks with Jack Etkin about his whirlwind of a 1988, “I wake up sometimes,” he admits, “ and say, ‘I can’t believe I’m in Omaha.’ People say, ‘Can Tom Gordon make it to the big leagues this year?’ It seems like it’s a dream. It’s unbelievable. There can’t be too many people at 20 who’ve moved from A ball to Triple-A and are being thought about to play in the big leagues.”

The call came after Omaha’s season ended and Gordon would make his MLB debut in relief of Brett Saberhagen on Sept 9 in Kansas City against the Oakland Athletics. He pitched two perfect innings on 23 pitches, including a three-pitch strikeout of Jose Canseco.

Dave Parker, who popped out against Gordon in the game, was informed that Gordon was just twenty and he responded, “If he’s that young, that’s an advantage. This guy’s got a good idea of what he wants to do from what I saw tonight. I was impressed with him.”

He wasn’t the only person impressed with Tom Gordon. Baseball America named Gordon their Minor League Player of the Year for 1988.

What a year! And it all started for Gordon with the Appleton Foxes.

Previous Articles for Black History Month 2022:

February 1: Top 5

February 8: Ervin Lee Ford

February 15: Deacon Jones & Bernie Smith Make History

Yard Goats Recognize Influential Black Players In History 

 

We take a look back at some of the most influential black players in the long history of the Yard Goats organization during the month of February.

As we celebrate Black History Month, Minor League Baseball® announced the launch of “The Nine,” a new, Black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport, provide new opportunities for youth baseball and softball participation, further diversify the business of baseball, and embrace millions of passionate fans throughout MiLB’s 120 communities nationwide.

The Nine was named for the number Jackie Robinson wore during his only season playing in MiLB with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1946. The Hartford Yard Goats celebrated this launch by recognizing some of the top black players in our franchise history.

As many know, the Yard Goats franchise can be traced back to 1973 when the Bristol Red Sox became the Red Sox Double-A affiliate. This would be the birth of the longest continuous professional sports team in the state of Connecticut. The franchise began with a home run as 20-year-old outfielder Jim Rice won the league batting title before going on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Boston Red Sox. Rice, who was an All-Star in Double-A, led the league with a .317 batting average and was the team leader in batting, hits, home runs (27), RBI (93), Slugging, and OPS.

Bristol also had star pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, who went 14-8 with a 2.81 ERA in his only season at the Double-A level in 1982. “The Can” was called up directly from Bristol and pitched three games for Boston that season. He joined the Red Sox rotation full time the following season and played ten years in the Major Leagues while helping lead the Red Sox to the 1986 American League Pennant.

The Bristol Red Sox relocated to New Britain, and future American League MVP and Connecticut native Mo Vaughn arrived in 1989. The “Hit Dog” actually began his professional career in the Hardware City and batted .278 with 15 doubles, 8 home runs and 38 RBI in 74 games after a stellar college career where he became one of the most prolific hitters in Seton Hall history. In the Major Leagues, Vaughn blasted 26 plus home runs in nine consecutive seasons and was named to three All-Star teams. The Norwalk product led the AL with 126 RBI in his MVP season of 1995 and is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Former 18-year Major League veteran Ellis Burks had his longest minor league stint with this franchise. The two-time MLB All-Star played in 257 games in New Britain, including the entire 1985 and 1986 seasons before starting his major league career in 1987. The former first round pick, played six seasons in Boston, a year with the White Sox, and became an All-Star again with the Colorado Rockies. After five seasons with the Rockies, Burks played three with the Giants and Indians and then returned to Boston where he finished his career in 2004. He is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

The New Britain Red Sox became the New Britain Rock Cats with a new affiliation, the Minnesota Twins. In 1996, a 20-year-old outfielder Torii Hunter arrived and became the team’s first big star. Like Burks, Hunter spent most of his minor league time in New Britain, playing in over 300 career games with the Rock Cats. Over that span, he cranked 21 homers and had 121 RBI, and his spectacular defense gave everyone a preview of his future nine gold gloves that he would win in the majors. The five-time MLB All-Star played 11 seasons with the Twins, five with the Angels, and two with the Tigers, before returning to Minnesota for his final season in 2015. He is a member of the Twins Hall of Fame.

Some of the other tremendous black players to wear the Rock Cats uniform include outfielders Matt Lawton, Jacque Jones, Denard Span, Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks who all went on to play eight or more seasons in the Major Leagues. Lawton was a two-time All-Star, Jones helped the Twins win three straight American League Central Division titles, Span led the majors in triples in 2013 and set a Nationals’ franchise hits record while leading the National League in 2014, Revere led the NL in runs scored in 2014, and Hicks, about to start his 10th season in the Majors, has enjoyed 3 years where he finished in the top 5 in outfield assists.

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was on the fast track to the bigs after being the second overall pick in the 2012 draft out of high school. Buxton reached New Britain as a 20-year-old, with just over a year of professional experience with the wooden bat. It was unfortunate that Buxton got hurt in his only game as a Rock Cats player but many knew that he had a bright future. He is known for his outstanding play in the outfield and is one of the fastest runners in Major League Baseball. Buxton is coming off one of his best offensive seasons in 2021 when he batted .306 with 23 doubles, 19 home runs and 32 RBI with the Twins.

On April 13, 2017 the Harford Yard Goats played their first ever game at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford. Right-handed pitcher Yency Almonte started for the home team and pitched well, recording eight strikeouts in five innings of work in front of a capacity crowd. The following season in 2018, Almonte reached the Major Leagues and posted a 1.84 ERA in 14 relief outings with the Colorado Rockies. He spent parts of the past four seasons in Colorado.

Curve Join Minor League Baseball in Celebration of Black History Month: Josh Harrison

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

After taking a look back at the careers of LHP Shane Youman, speedster Rajai Davis, and the always popular Andrew McCutchen, let’s throw it back to the 2010 season with infielder Josh Harrison.

IF Josh Harrison (2010)

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio native, Harrison was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 6th round of the 2008 Amateur Draft out of the University of Cincinnati. As the 2009 trade deadline approached, the Pirates acquired Harrison in a five-player deal that sent pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to Chicago.

The Pirates identified a speedy player with a versatile glove on the infield and a knack for making solid contact that would blossom into an All-Star contributor for their playoff teams in the mid 2010’s. After finishing off the 2009 season with a Carolina League Championship at High-A, Harrison opened the 2010 season in Altoona with many of his same teammates and immediately established himself as one of the Eastern League’s best hitters.

On Opening Day 2010, Altoona was greeted by a prospect-laden roster that included four of the Pirates Top-10 prospects according to Baseball America and eight of the Top-30 overall prospects. It was also a roster that had veteran talent, and it proved to be the perfect mix to get Altoona off to a nearly perfect start as the club started the season 7-1, a drastic turnaround after starting 2009, 0-8.

Included in those first eight games was one day where everything seemed to fall into place for a memorable afternoon at BCB. After the first three games of the season were played under dreary cold conditions, mother nature opened the skies for a perfect 67-degree day on April 11th when the national spotlight turned to Altoona for the first professional start of Harrisburg Senators phenom Stephen Strasburg. More than 70 media members from around the country and upwards of 7,800 people came to watch the professional debut of the heralded Strasburg on the picture-perfect day in Curve, Pa. The Curve managed to get four runs off the future Major League All-Star but fell 6-4 to the Senators.

Harrison bounced between second and third base that season on the field. He went on to knock 156 hits, tied for the fourth-most in a single season in Curve history. He also set the record for the most doubles in a game with four on June 27 against Bowie. He was selected as an Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star.

The Curve remained at the top of the Western Division standings throughout the summer and eventually finished the season with an 82-60 record, the second-most wins in a season in franchise history and the team’s second-ever division title.

Bouncing between second and third base, Harrison finished off the regular season with an even .300 average, 33 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 75 runs batted in. He added 19 stolen bases and played a significant role in Altoona’s push toward the Eastern League Championship. After defeating the Harrisburg Senators in four games, the Curve overcame another Major League All-Star on the mound, New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte, in the opening game of the Eastern League Championship Series and secured their first title in franchise history. During the playoff run, Harrison recorded a team-best 11 hits in eight postseason games and homered three times, matching Chase D’Arnaud and Jordy Mercer for the team lead.

Harrison began the 2011 season with Triple-A Indianapolis and got the call to Pittsburgh for the first time on May 31, 2011 and suited up against the New York Mets, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. His debut season saw him work mostly in a bench role with 65 appearances on the diamond, showcasing a versatile glove and a solid approach at the plate.

After shuttling back and forth between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, Harrison finally took hold of an everyday spot in the starting lineup in 2014. Named to the National League All-Star team that summer, Harrison batted .315 with a career-high 38 doubles, 13 home runs and 52 runs batted in. Harrison’s season finished the season ninth in the MVP voting helping the Pirates to an appearance in the National Wild Card Game. His .315 batting average was second-best in the National League, just behind Colorado’s Justin Morneau.

Harrison picked up a second National League All-Star selection in 2017 with a slight bump in the power department, smashing a career-best 16 home runs, and finished his eighth season with the Pirates in 2018. A .317 hitter in his time in the Steel City, Harrison has since appeared with the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics. Headed into his age-34 season in 2022, Harrison has played in more than 1,000 major league games and holds a career batting average of .277. He is currently a free agent after finishing off the 2021 campaign with 48 appearances with the Athletics.

The Nine: Highlighting Black stars in Omaha baseball history

 

As part of honoring Black History month and Minor League Baseball’s initiative, “The Nine,” a new, Black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport, provide new opportunities for youth baseball and softball participation, further diversify the business of baseball, and embrace millions of passionate fans throughout MiLB’s 120 communities nationwide, the Omaha Storm Chasers are highlighting five of the franchise’s and city’s top Black players.

 

Bob Gibson (Omaha Cardinals, 1957-1959)

Bob Gibson’s baseball career has gone down as not only as one of the best by an Omaha native, but also one of the best in the history of the state of Nebraska. He’s one of six members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame born in Nebraska, a group that includes Grover Cleveland Alexander, Richie Ashburn, Wade Boggs, Sam Crawford, and Billy Southworth.

A two-time Cy Young Award winner, 1968 NL MVP, nine-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glover, two-time World Series champion and World Series MVP, Gibson began his baseball career in Omaha at Creighton University, where he played both baseball and basketball for the Bluejays.

Gibson played professionally for Omaha from 1957-1959, when he suited up for the Omaha Cardinals of the American Association and played at Omaha Municipal Stadium (later known at Rosenblatt Stadium). He made 33 starts for the Omaha Cardinals over the course of three seasons, striking out 170 in 264.0 innings while breaking into the Major Leagues in 1959.

Now commemorated with a statue outside Werner Park, Gibson is best-remembered for authoring one of the greatest pitching seasons in baseball history in 1968, posting a 1.12 ERA (a post-integration record) in 34 starts, striking out 268 in 304.2 innings while posting a 22-9 record and throwing 13 shutouts.

Frank White (1973)

A member of the Royals’ Hall of Fame, White is one of six people (and three players) to have their number retired at Werner Park. He spent most of the 1973 season playing for the Omaha Royals while also making his Major League debut with the Kansas City Royals that season and playing 51 Major League games. In 86 games with Omaha, White batted .264/.341/.365 with 19 doubles to help anchor a lineup that also featured future Hall of Famer George Brett.

White spent his entire Major League career with Kansas City, earning All-Star honors five times and Gold Glove honors eight times over the course of his 18 seasons. In 1985, White helped lead Kansas City to the franchise’s first World Series title while becoming the first second baseman since Jackie Robinson to bat cleanup in a World Series game. His best World Series performance game in Game 3, when he doubled, homered, and drove in three to give the Royals their first win of the series.

Willie Wilson (1977)

A member of the Royals Hall of Fame, Wilson played his lone season with Omaha in 1977, the year after he made his Major League debut as a September call-up from Double-A. Wilson tied for first on the 1977 Omaha Royals in games played (132), ranked second in hits (145) behind Clint Hurdle, and set a franchise record for steals (74) that would be broken just two seasons later by Germán Barranca (75). Wilson’s 74 steals in 1977 were the most in Triple-A and the fifth-most in Minor League Baseball (Ricky Henderson led Minor League Baseball with 95 steals for Class A Modesto).

He went on to play a total of 15 seasons with Kansas City, earning All-Star honors in 1982 and 1983 and helping the Royals win the 1985 World Series by going 11-for-30 (.367) in the Fall Classic. One of the fastest players in the league, Wilson racked up 668 stolen bases in his career (12th all time) and led the league in triples five times. While he won the batting title with a .332 average in 1982, his best season came in 1980, when he hit .326/.357/.421 while leading the league in runs (133), hits (230), and triples (15). He also rapped 28 doubles and stole 79 bases in 1980 en route to finishing fourth in an American League MVP race won by George Brett.

Dwayne Hosey (1994-1995)

One of five players in franchise history to earn league MVP honors, Hosey posted one of the best all-around seasons in franchise history in 1994, his first of two seasons in Omaha.

In 1994, Hosey was named American Association MVP after batting .333/424/.628 with 95 runs scored, 23 doubles, 27 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases in 112 games and recording 13 outfield assists as the team’s primary centerfielder. He finished second in the league in average (.333) and on-base percentage (.424) while leading the league in slugging (.628) by 48 points and tying for second in the circuit in homers (27). His 95 runs, eight triples, and 27 steals were all tops across Triple-A. Hosey returned to Omaha in 1995 and played 75 games, smacking 21 doubles and 12 homers while stealing 15 bases and hitting .295/.363/.535.

Hosey made his Major League debut with Boston in 1995, playing 52 total games for the Red Sox between 1995 and 1996 before enjoying a standout season with the Nippon Professional Baseball League’s (Japan) Yakult Swallows in 1997, when he was named a member of the league’s Best Nine team.

An Omaha resident since 2003, Hosey has owned and operated Hosey Baseball Training Center in Keystone since 2015.

Lorenzo Cain (2011-2012, 2014, 2016)

One of the most dynamic players in modern franchise history and in the Storm Chasers era (2011-pres.), Lorenzo Cain anchored Omaha’s 2011 Pacific Coast League Championship team in his lone full season with Omaha.

Cain played 128 games for Omaha in 2011, batting .312/.380/.497 with 28 doubles, 16 home runs, and 16 stolen bases. He was the starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter for the first-ever Storm Chasers home game at Werner Park on April 16, 2011, sharing the field with current Major Leaguers Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Manny Piña, Danny Duffy, and Jesse Chavez. Cain hit third in the Chasers’ lineup throughout the 2011 postseason, batting .438 (14-for-32) with three doubles, a triple, and two RBIs.

Currently in his second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers, Cain spent seven seasons with Kansas City, earning All-Star honors in 2015 en route to leading the Royals to a World Series title. He also helped the Royals win the American League pennant in 2014, earning ALCS MVP honors by batting .533 (8-for-15) with five runs scored and two doubles during the American League Championship Series against Baltimore.

The Omaha Storm Chasers are scheduled to begin the 2022 season on April 5 at Indianapolis before welcoming fans to Werner Park for the home opener on April 12 vs. Louisville. The full 2022 schedule can be found here and single-game tickets are now available here.

For more tickets and more information, please visit omahastormchasers.com, call the Werner Park Ticket office at (402) 738-5100, and follow the team on social media. You can follow the team on Twitter @omastormchasers, on Instagram @omahastormchasers, and “like” the team on Facebook at facebook.com/omahastormchasers.

Hens recognize five of the best Black players in Toledo history

 

In celebration of Black History Month throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players to suit up for the Toledo Mud Hens.

MOSES FLEETWOOD WALKER

Walker made his first appearance in Toledo during the 1883 season, appearing in 60 of the Toledo Blue Stockings 84 games as a catcher. He hit .251 that year, helping Toledo to a league championship in the Northwestern League.

On Opening Day 1884, Walker once again suited up as the catcher for the Blue Stockings as the team joined Ben Johnson’s Western Association (which would later become the modern-day American League). By doing so, he became the first African-American player to play a major league game.

During that season, Walker hit .263 but due to battling injuries he was limited to just 42 games during the 104-game season. His brother Weldy joined the Blue Stockings during that season, playing in a total of six games.

IKE BROWN

Brown spent his entire baseball career inside the Detroit organization that included multiple years in Toledo from 1967 through 1969. His first season in Toledo was as a 25-year-old when he posted a .269 batting average with 18 doubles, seven home runs, and 57 RBI to go along with 15 stolen bases.

A fan favorite in Toledo, Brown finished his Hens career with 34 home runs, 168 RBI, 33 stolen bases, and 48 doubles while appearing in 255 games.

He went on to join the Tigers after scorching Triple-A baseball in the 1969 season with a .356 average in 53 games for the Hens. That started a stretch of six seasons in MLB baseball, all with Detroit. The Memphis, Tennessee native appeared in 280 games for Detroit with a .256 average to go along 15 doubles, four triples, 20 homers, and 65 RBI. He also scored 85 runs in his major league career.

KIRBY PUCKETT

Puckett arrived in Toledo as a 24-year-old that skipped right over Double-A to start the 1984 season in Toledo. It was a short stay as after just 21 games, the Minnesota Twins decided to call up their first round pick (#3 overall) from 1982 to join the club. Puckett stole eight bases while hitting .263 for the Hens before joining the big league club.

The Chicago, Illinois native would never see the minor leagues again after his stay with the Hens, going on to play in 12 seasons for the Twins, including two World Series Championships. Over ten consecutive seasons he was named an MLB All-Star from his first appearance in 1986 to his last in 1995, which was also his final season. Six times he was named a Silver Slugger Award winner and matched that number with Gold Glove awards.

Puckett finished his career with a .318 batting average, 2,304 hits, 414 doubles, 57 triples, 207 homers, and 1,085 RBI. He topped baseball with a .339 batting average, while also leading the league in RBI once with 112 in the 1994 season at age 34. Puckett was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

TONY CLARK

Clark rocketed through the minor leagues after being selected by the Detroit Tigers second overall in the 1990 draft. He reached Triple-A and first wore a Hens uniform for 25 games at the end of the 1994 season. As just a 23-year-old, Clark cracked 14 home runs with 63 RBI in 110 games for the Hens in 1995 that led to his first big league call-up.

1996 became his first of a 15-year MLB career that saw him finish third in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1996 and also saw him as an All-Star in 2001 season. Most of Clark’s career was spent with Detroit (seven seasons) but he also played for Arizona, both the New York Yankees and New York Mets, and also the San Diego Padres. The Newton, Kansas native finished his career with 251 homers, 824 RBI, a .262 batting average, and 1,188 hits.

Clark continues to shape the future of baseball as the current head of the baseball players union.

MARCUS THAMES

After being a 30th round pick by the New York Yankees in 1996, Thames found his way to Toledo in the 2004 season after making his Major League debut with New York in 2002 and playing part of 2003 in Texas. That started a stretch of six consecutive seasons for him in the Detroit organization.

Most of his 151 appearances in a Hens uniform came from the 2004 and 2005 seasons with 137 games played during those two years. In 2004, the Louisville, Mississippi native hit 24 home runs with 59 RBI while hitting .329 in just 64 games. The next year while part of one of the best Hens teams of all-time, Thames showcased that power again with 22 bombs and 56 RBI to go along with a .340 average in 73 contests. That year was the first of back-to-back IL Championships for Toledo. In total as a Mud Hen, he hit 49 home runs with 123 RBI.

Thames went on to play in 640 career Major League games with 485 coming in a Tigers uniform. He was a huge part of the 2006 Tigers team that advanced to the World Series only to lose to St. Louis in five games. That year he was third on the Tigers with 26 home runs. Post his playing days, Thames spent four years as hitting coach for the New York Yankees from 2017-2021 and will have that role in 2022 with the Miami Marlins.

Black History Month: Top Players in Fort Wayne’s Franchise History

 

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up in Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne’s Black baseball history dates back to at least the 1880s. Over the years, the Summit City hosted Hall of Fame players like Hank Aaron, Rube Foster, Smokey Joe Williams, and Sol White. Fort Wayne was even the site for Game 4 of the 1932 Negro League World Series. You can find out more about that rich history here. But meanwhile, it’s also fitting that in the modern era of Minor League Baseball in Fort Wayne, the legacy of those legends lives on.

Indiana native LaTroy Hawkins was a member of the inaugural Fort Wayne Wizards in 1993. Not only did the right-hander from Gary go on to become the first player in the organization’s history to reach the big leagues when he debuted with the Minnesota Twins in 1995, he also put together one of the most respected careers in MLB history. Hawkins ranks 10th all-time in career appearances for a pitcher with 1,042 games pitched across 21 seasons in The Show with 11 clubs. He was included on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2021 class.

Hawkins set the tone for his prolific career during his first full professional season in ’93 as he won the Midwest League’s pitching triple crown, leading the circuit in ERA (2.06), strikeouts (179), and wins (15). “Hawk” established Fort Wayne franchise records that still stand nearly 30 years later for ERA, strikeouts, complete games (4), and shutouts (3).

Hawkins remains very involved in the game today in a variety of ways, such as coaching, broadcasting, and advocating on behalf of The Players Alliance, which works to improve representation of Black Americans in all levels of baseball.

Fun Fact: LaTroy is Patrick Mahomes’ godfather.

Follow: @LaTroyHawkins32 on Twitter & Instagram

Check out the video below as LaTroy reminisces about his season in Fort Wayne.

A season after Hawkins established the standard for Fort Wayne pitchers, the franchise was fortunate to have Torii Hunter do the same for position players. Hunter, a first-round selection of the Twins out of high school, was only 18 years old for most of his time as a Wizard. Nevertheless, despite being a few years younger than most of his competition, he more than held his own, slashing a .293 batting average / .358 on-base percentage / .439 slugging percentage (.796 OPS). During his days at the old Memorial Stadium, Hunter also showcased his amazing ability as an outfielder. Take a look back at some highlights.

Hunter went on to reach the big leagues with the Twins by the age of 21 in 1997. He was selected as an American League All-Star five times and won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2001-09, playing for the Angels and Tigers as well. Hunter has been included on the last two National Baseball Hall of Fame ballots, and will be again next year, too.

Fun Fact: In 2018, former Notre Dame wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. played at Parkview Field against the TinCaps with the Burlington Bees (then an Angels affiliate).

Torii Sr. is still staying busy today, in part by running restaurants.

Follow: @toriihunter48 on Twitter & @tnutts48 on Instagram

Will Venable originally went to Princeton to play basketball. While he was a First Team All-Ivy League guard who played in March Madness, as a sophomore, he joined the baseball team, too. Eventually, he was a seventh-round pick of the Padres in 2005 and assigned to Fort Wayne the following year.

The left-handed hitting outfielder put together one of the best seasons in franchise history. Venable slashed .314 / .389 / .477 (.866 OPS). His 91 RBIs that year set a franchise record that’s only been passed by one player since (Fernando Perez, 95 in 2014). Beyond that, in terms of club history, Venable ranks fourth in average, fifth in OPS, sixth in slugging, and 10th in on-base. He was a 2006 Midwest League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star.

Venable’s success continued as he debuted with San Diego in 2008. With the Pads into 2015, Venable finished ninth in the National League in stolen bases twice, while he was top eight in triples four times. He also played for the Rangers in 2015 and finished his playing career with the Dodgers in 2016.

In short order, Venable has become one of the top rising young coaches in MLB. He served as the Cubs’ first base coach in 2018 and ’19 before moving to third base coach in ’20. The upcoming season will be his second as bench coach for the Red Sox.

Fun Fact: His father, Max, who also played in the majors, was his hitting coach in Fort Wayne in 2006… By the way, the only other student-athlete in Ivy League history to be First Team all-conference in both baseball and basketball is Chris Young, who was teammates with Will at Princeton. Young, a pitcher, also spent part of his career with the Padres and now is the General Manager of the Texas Rangers.

Joe Ross was a first-round pick of the Padres out of high school in 2011. After spending part of the 2012 season in Fort Wayne as a teenager, he returned in ’13 to headline a loaded rotation that included fellow future MLB starters Max Fried (Braves) and Zach Eflin (Phillies).

Ross got the Opening Day start and rolled from there, earning Midwest League All-Star status.

He made his big league debut with the Nationals in 2015. The righty from Northern California, who pitched in the Midwest League Playoffs in both of his seasons as a TinCap, started Game 5 of the 2019 World Series, as Washington went on to win the title.

Fun Fact: Joe’s older brother, Tyson, also pitched in the majors. Their mother, Jean, is an emergency room nurse, while their father, Willie, is a doctor.

Follow: @JoeRoss21 on Twitter & [@jross21](https://www.instagram.com/jross21/)_

While Ross was on the mound, Mallex Smith, at just 19 years old, was Fort Wayne’s leadoff batter on Opening Day in 2013. Smith homered in his Midwest League debut, though his game is more about speed than power. The lightning fast outfielder had a solid ’13 campaign, highlighted by stealing 64 bases — just one shy of tying the franchise record. (Smith accomplished that in 110 games compared to Rymer Liriano and Jeremy Owens swiping 65 in 116 and 129 games, respectively.)

The Padres reassigned Smith to the TinCaps to begin the following year. He then found another gear, as his average, on-base percentage, and slugging all rose significantly. Midway through the season, the center fielder had stolen 48 bases in 64 games, prior to a promotion to High-A. The effervescent Floridian capped off his Fort Wayne career in the Midwest League All-Star Game, where he also won the “Lost Art of the Bunt Contest” that was held by the West Michigan Whitecaps in lieu of a home run derby. He finished the year leading all players in both Minor League and Major League Baseball in stolen bags with 88 in 119 games.

Later, Smith made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2016. He hasn’t slowed down. After time with the Rays, Smith led the big leagues in stolen bases in 2019 with 46 for the Mariners. He spent the 2021 season in the minors for the Blue Jays and remains under contract with Toronto.

Fun Fact: Believe it or not, in the story below, Mallex says he’s not even the fastest runner in his immediate family. He’s credited his base-stealing and hitting success, in part, to writing scouting reports on pitchers in a marble notebook.

Also Of Note

The Wizards and TinCaps have had many more outstanding Black players, including outfielder Matt Lawton (1993), a two-time MLB All-Star… Kyle Blanks (2006), a Midwest League All-Star who went on to play for the Padres, A’s, and Rangers… Keyvius Sampson (2011), a Midwest League All-Star who’s pitched for the Reds.

Who’s Next

Shortstop CJ Abrams (2019) is the top Padres prospect, and ranked by MLB.com as the No. 6 prospect in all of baseball… Infielder Xavier Edwards (2019) was a Midwest League All-Star and now ranks as the No. 70 overall prospect in the sport as a member of the Rays’ farm system… Outfielder Joshua Mears is considered the top power-hitting prospect for the Padres. The 21-year-old grew up in the state of Washington and was committed to play collegiately at Purdue before being drafted and signing with San Diego. He’s projected to call Parkview Field home in 2022… Outfielder James Woods was San Diego’s second draft pick in 2021 and is already regarded as a top five prospect for the Pads. He could be a TinCap in the next year or two.