Memories That You Won't Remember: MLB, 1990 and Beyond...

[kenyan_cheena]

Okay, so we are midway through May right now. I just wanted to mention some transactions and injuries which have not been covered in the articles posted so far...

March 10: 20-year-old Seattle Mariners center fielder Ken Griffey Jr was diagnosed with a broken kneecap. The injury occurred in a March 6 Spring Training game. Griffey was expected to miss four months.

March 20: The Minnesota Twins signed first baseman Kent Hrbek to a 4-year contract extension worth $8.58 million. Hrbek's current contract ends at the end of 1990, with his salary for this season being $1.32 million. Hrbek turns 30 on May 21.

April 1: The Boston Red Sox signed starting pitcher Roger Clemens to a 6-year contract extension worth $16.56 million. 27-year-old Clemens has a 1990 salary of $900,000 and will make $2.76 million in each season of his new contract.

April 1: The Kansas City Royals signed 26-year-old starting pitcher Bret Saberhagen to a 6-year contract extension worth $18.44 million. The two-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series MVP is in his seventh season with the Royals, making $870,000 in 1990.

April 11: The Cincinnati Reds signed center fielder Eric Davis to a 5-year contract extension worth $14.60 million. The two-time All Star and three-time Gold Glove winner turns 28 on May 29 and has a 1990 salary of $810,000. He will make $3.16 million in the final year of his new contract, which will be in 1996, during which he will turn 34.

April 26: Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andy Van Slyke was diagnosed with a torn posterior cruciate ligament, and will miss 9-10 months. The injury occurred on April 24.

April 30: Montreal Expos left fielder Tim Raines was diagnosed with a broken kneecap and will miss 8-9 months. The injury occurred on April 27.

May 2: The Kansas City Royals signed starting pitcher Mark Gubicza to a 4-year contract extension worth $11.24 million. 27-year-old Gubicza is a two-time All Star and is making $730,000 in 1990. He has a Player Opt Out after the second year of the contract and a Player Option for the fourth year.

May 2: The Kansas City Royals signed left fielder Bo Jackson to a 4-year contract extension worth $4.17 million. The '89 All Star is making $465,000 in 1990.

May 9: The New York Mets signed third baseman Howard Johnson to a 5-year contract extension worth $14.60 million. 29-year-old Johnson is currently in his ninth season in the majors, and sixth with the Mets. His 1990 salary is $2.24 million, making him the eighteenth highest paid player in MLB.

May 10: The Cincinnati Reds signed 27-year-old Paul O'Neill to a 4-year contract extension worth $7.60 million. O'Neill's 1990 salary is $510,000.

May 10: The Los Angeles Dodgers signed veteran starting pitcher Orel Hershiser to a 2-year contract extension worth $5.92 million. 31-year-old Hershiser is making $2.64 million in 1990, his eighth season in the majors.

May 11: Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Rick Sutcliffe was diagnosed with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, and will miss 11 months. The injury occurred on May 8.

May 12: The San Francisco Giants signed 28-year-old left fielder Kevin Mitchell to a 6-year contract extension worth $18.68 million. Mitchell, the defending NL MVP, has a 1990 salary of $1.10 million.

[kenyan_cheena]

The San Diego Evening Tribune

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1990

CARTER HITS WALK-OFF HOMER
IN 11TH INNING, BEATS PHILLIES

Story by Martin Henderson

San Diego Padres center fielder Joe Carter had an evening he won't soon forget last night at Jack Murphy Stadium, driving in seven runs and smashing a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning. After trailing 4-1 at the end of the 6th, the Philadelphia Phillies rallied with two runs in both the 7th and 8th frames to take the lead, before San Diego levelled it with a run in the bottom of the 9th. Carter's extra innings heroics brought about the final 8-5 scoreline. Earlier, Carter crushed a two-out three-run homer to left field in the 3rd, part of a four-run inning for the Padres. Carter also accounted for San Diego's 9th inning game-tying run on a fielder's choice play, and finished the game 2-for-6 with two runs scored and seven RBI...

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The Seattle Times

FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1990

JOHNSON STRIKES OUT 15
IN WIN OVER BLUE JAYS

Story by Robb Gaskins

Seattle Mariners starter Randy Johnson was at his unhittable best yesterday afternoon, striking out a season-high fifteen batters in a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Skydome. Johnson went 8.2 innings, giving up six hits and walking four on 139 pitches. He improved his record to 6-2 with the win. His ERA is now 2.15, and it was the second time this season Johnson has struck out more than ten batters, following his fourteen-strikeout effort in his first start of the season on April 4. The Mariners are now 26-14, trailing the 1st placed Athletics by seven games in the AL West. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays sit at the bottom of the AL East at 12-28, despite the best efforts of starter David Wells, who took the loss against Johnson but is 2-2 with an ERA of 2.28...

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[kenyan_cheena]

THE LOS ANGELES DAILY MAIL

Monday, May 21, 1990

FINLEY NO-HITS BLUE JAYS

Story by Larry Gibbs

To say that the opening six weeks of the California Angels' 1990 MLB season have been quite underwhelming would be accurate, but starting pitcher Chuck Finley created at least one amazing moment yesterday afternoon at the Toronto Skydome when he threw a no-hitter in a 2-0 Angels victory over the Blue Jays. If not for a trio of incidents sprinkled throughout the game, Finley could have had himself a perfect game. He walked Rob Deer in the 3rd, before Fred McGriff reached base on a third strike passed ball in the 7th and Greg Myers made it to first on a throwing error by Finley himself in the 8th. 27-year-old Finley struck out six batters, threw 126 pitches and improved to 4-3 on the season with an ERA of 2.62.

McGriff flied out to replacement center fielder Lee Stevens in the bottom of the 9th to complete Finley's no-hitter, at which point he was mobbed by his teammates and applauded by the 30,500 fans in attendance at the Skydome. It was the eighth no-hitter thrown by an Angels pitcher (four of which Nolan Ryan hurled in the '70s), and the first since Mike Witt's in the final game of the '84 regular season in a 1-0 win over the Texas Rangers. Finley came close to throwing his first no-hitter only last season, in fact just a week short of exactly twelve months ago, on May 26 in a 5-0 win over the Red Sox (and Roger Clemens) at Fenway. Finley took the no-hitter into the bottom of the 8th, where it was broken up by shortstop Jody Reed...

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MONTREAL GAZETTE

Thursday 24 May 1990

NO-HITTER! MARTINEZ THROWS
MASTERPIECE AT STADE OLYMPIQUE

Story by Joel Acer

Having just turned 35 last week, and now sixteen years deep into his MLB career, Expos starter Dennis "El Presidente" Martinez threw his first no-hitter last night in a 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres at the Stade Olympique. Martinez actually took a perfect game into the 7th inning, where a fielding error by first baseman Andres Galarraga allowed Tony Gwynn to reach base. Amazingly, Martinez then smashed a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run in the bottom of the same frame to conclude the game's scoring. It was the first home run of his career.

Martinez struck out nine batters for the third time this season, and pushed the Padres into sixteen ground outs, also a season high for Martinez while on the mound. The win was Montreal's seventh in a row and improved their record to 30-15 while maintaining a 4.5-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East. It continued an outstanding start to the campaign for Martinez himself, as he is now 7-3 with an ERA of 2.48. He has recorded seventy strikeouts and just sixteen walks...

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The Boston Globe

TUESDAY, MAY 29, 1990

CLEMENS SETS SEASON MARK
WITH SIXTEEN STRIKEOUTS

Story by Bob Ryan

Red Sox ace Roger Clemens continued his outstanding start to the year last night, setting a new MLB season-high with sixteen strikeouts in Boston's 3-2 extra innings loss to the Rangers at Arlington Stadium. It was an eventful outing for Clemens, who also gave up eight hits while walking two batters on 133 pitches. Clemens came out of the game after the 8th inning with the score tied at 2-2, reliever Lee Smith taking the loss (his fifth of the season) when he gave up a double, three singles and a walk in the bottom of the 10th before Julio Franco eventually scored the winning run. Cecil Espy, who doubled to start the inning, had earlier been thrown out at home by Red Sox center fielder Ellis Burks.

It was another frustrating evening for Boston, who fell to 19-30 on the season and remain in 5th place in the AL East, 7.5 games behind the 1st-placed Orioles. May has been a disastrous month for the Red Sox, as they started it 1-11 and are 7-6 since then. Clemens has been one of the few shining lights, though, as he keeps on racking up those Ks. In twelve starts he is 6-3 with an ERA of 2.72 and exactly 100 strikeouts. He has walked just 21 batters. The two-time Cy Young Award winner and 1986 AL MVP was clearly frustrated following last night's loss, lamenting his team's inability to produce adequate run support...

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[kenyan_cheena]

MLB Standings and Stats Leaders at the end of May 1990...

[kenyan_cheena]

1990 MLB PLAYER OF THE MONTH AWARDS

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AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTER OF THE MONTH

APRIL: Jose Canseco (Oakland Athletics), .333 AVG, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 24 R
MAY: Shane Mack (Minnesota Twins), .364 AVG, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 23 R

AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE MONTH

APRIL: Mike Moore (Oakland Athletics), 6-0, 32 K, 2.04 ERA, 53 IP
MAY: Mark Gubicza (Kansas City Royals), 6-1, 50 K, 2.41 ERA, 56 IP

AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

APRIL: Greg Vaughn (Milwaukee Brewers), .253 AVG, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 11 R
MAY: Ben McDonald (Baltimore Orioles), 6-0, 25 K, 3.65 ERA, 49.1 IP

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NATIONAL LEAGUE BATTER OF THE MONTH

APRIL: Eric Davis (Cincinnati Reds), .350 AVG, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R
MAY: Andre Dawson (Chicago Cubs), .343 AVG, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 20 R

NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE MONTH

APRIL: Bruce Hurst (San Diego Padres), 5-1, 42 K, 2.06 ERA, 48 IP
MAY: David Cone (New York Mets), 5-0, 55 K, 1.55 ERA, 52.1 IP

NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

APRIL: David Justice (Atlanta Braves), .245 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 14 R
MAY: David Justice (Atlanta Braves), .282 AVG, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 19 R

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[kenyan_cheena]

Something I overlooked when I listed all those contract extensions and injuries a couple of weeks ago...

May 10: The Texas Rangers traded 28-year-old third baseman Steve Buechele to the New York Yankees, getting 31-year-old closer Dave Righetti and 21-year-old minor league right fielder Bernie Williams in return.

So it looks like that's at least one piece of the real life Yankees dynasty that won't feature in this dynasty...

Williams is currently toiling away for the Oklahoma City 89ers in the AAA American Association.

[kenyan_cheena]

FORT WORTH
Star-Telegram

TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 1990

Ageless Ryan fans sixteen
in win over Angels

Story by Larry Garrison

At 43 years of age and in his 24th season in the majors, Nolan Ryan continues to defy father time. Pitching against one of his former clubs in the California Angels on Monday night at Arlington Stadium, Ryan produced his best performance of the season to date, tying Roger Clemens for the MLB-season mark by striking out sixteen batters in a 4-2 Rangers victory. Ryan gave up seven hits and walked three batters on 134 pitches in eight innings of work before reliever Dave Righetti took the mound in the 9th to secure the win. Ryan went head-to-head with an Angels pitcher who has been having a stellar season in Chuck Finley, and it was quite a duel. Finley threw a no-hitter against Toronto back on May 20, but took the loss against Ryan, striking out eight batters and walking three while giving up eight hits and two earned runs.

The game was scoreless going into the bottom of the 4th, where the Rangers scored twice following singles to Ruben Sierra and Harold Baines, an RBI-double for Pete Incaviglia and a ground out RBI for Jeff Huson. A one-out passed ball in the bottom of the 5th opened the gates to two more runs for Texas, before Ryan gave up a two-run home run to Devon White in the top of the 7th. The Angels could not get any closer, though, and Texas improved to 24-31 with the win. California are ahead of them at 26-30, but both teams are floundering down in 5th and 6th place in the AL West. Ryan is now 5-5 for the season in twelve starts with 92 strikeouts and 42 walks. He lowered his ERA to 4.38...

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The New York Times

SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1990

CONE DOMINATES PIRATES
IN COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT

Story by David Hayes

New York Mets starter David Cone continued his Cy Young-worthy opening to the 1990 season with an eleven-strikeout complete game gem against the Pittsburgh Pirates last night at Shea Stadium. Cone conceded five hits and walked five batters in the 7-0 victory, the win improving his season mark to an outstanding 9-1 in twelve starts. Cone was named the AL's Pitcher of the Month for May and has maintained his momentum into June, even though he suffered his first loss of the season last Sunday against the Phillies. Cone received some great run support up and down the lineup, with Darryl Strawberry and Gregg Jefferies both recording two hits and driving in two runs.

Strawberry started things off with a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom og the 1st. Left fielder Kevin McReynolds also homered for the Mets leading off the 6th. It was a battle of 2nd versus 3rd in the AL East, and the Mets increased their buffer over the Pirates to five games, improving to 34-24. They are three-and-a-half games behind the 1st placed Expos. Cone has an outstanding AL-best ERA of 1.79, and does not look like slowing down any time soon...

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The New York Times

SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 1990

SAX COLLECTS SIX HITS
AND FOUR RBI IN WILD WIN

Story by David Hayes

The struggling New York Yankees enjoyed what must surely be the highlight of their season to date when they recorded a crazy 16-12 win over the 2nd placed Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium last night. The two two combined for forty hits, with second baseman Steve Sax leading the way for the Bronx Bombers. He was a perfect 6-for-6 with three runs scored and four RBI. Sax singled in the 1st, hit two-run singles in both the 2nd and 3rd, doubled in the 5th and then added two more singles in the 8th and 9th. He later said that it "almost felt like batting practice", upping his batting average from .208 to .227 following his memorable night. Designated hitter Dave Winfield (3-for-5, 5 RBI) and center fielder Roberto Kelly (3-for-6, 4 RBI) were also outstanding for the Yankees.

Both starting pitchers were out of the game before the end of the 5th, with Orioles hurler Bob Milacki lasting just 2.1 innings, during which he gave up eleven hits and ten earned runs while striking out just one batter. He also took the loss. Mark Leiter fared a bit better for New York, as he went 4.1 innings and allowed nine hits and six earned runs. The Yankees led 10-2 going into the bottom of the 3rd, and from that point the Orioles rallied with seven unanswered runs through the end of the 6th to pull within one run. But New York seemed to put it away with three runs in both the 8th and 9th, only for Baltimore to make things tough with three in the bottom of the 9th before their 27th out was recorded...

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Chicago Tribune

Friday, June 15, 1990

SOX RALLY IN 9TH,
DEFEAT ATHLETICS

Story by Mike Gibson

The two best teams in the American League produced an extraordinary first matchup for the season, with the hometown White Sox producing a bottom of the 9th rally to overcome a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Due to the vagaries of the MLB schedule, the two ballclubs had gone more than a third of the way into the season before crossing paths, which only made the clash even more anticipated. Having trailed the Athletics by four games at the end of April, Chicago had reduced that deficit to just a single game by the end of May, before drawing level on the 1st of June and taking the lead on the 2nd. Since then Oakland have never trailed by more than two games, which was the lead Chicago took into yesterday's showdown.

The Athletics could not have made a better start, with Doug Jennings' one-out single in the top of the 1st followed by a two-strike Jose Canseco blast to left field for a quick 2-0 lead. That's how it stayed until the top of the 6th, when Oakland added another run on a trio of singles by Walt Weiss, Stan Javier and Lance Blankenship resulted in Weiss scoring. Athletics starter Curt Young had pitched a blinder through the 8th, keeping the White Sox lineup to just five hits while walking one and striking out three. Veteran closer Dennis Eckersley was brought in to finish it off in the bottom of the 9th, but what had looked like being a strong win turned into a disaster for Oakland.

In an eight-pitch at-bat, Ivan Calderon eventually singled to right to lead off, before Frank Thomas homered to deep right field to suddenly make it 3-2. Dan Pasqua cracked the first pitch he saw into the gap between second and third for a single, before Robin Ventura flied out to deep center after two unsuccessful bunt attempts. Catcher Jerry Willard then brought the 26,000-plus in attendance at Cominskey to their feet with a crushing blow to center field to complete an amazing, but surprisingly quick fightback. It was estimated afterwards that Willard's homer travelled some 440 feet. Eckersley could only shake his head as he walked off the mound, and the Athletics could only lament one that had gotten away. The White Sox are now 45-20 and three games ahead of Oakland (42-23)...

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[kenyan_cheena]

The Detroit News

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1990

TIGERS DRAFT OAKLEY
WITH #1 PICK

Story by Larry Masters

It would be true to say that of the four major American sports, baseball is the one where its annual player draft probably draws the least interest. MLB draftees are nearly always assigned to the minor leagues and therefore do not make an immediate and tangible impact on the fortunes of the teams that draft them. While that will most likely be the case again this year, there has been a greater degree of intrigue heading into the 1990 MLB Draft, as a number of the players who declared for it have been spotlighted as having the talent to succeed as likely future superstars in the majors.

With that in mind, the teams selecting at the top of the draft had an unusual bevy of riches to choose from. Having finished the 1989 season with an MLB-worst 59-103 record, it was the Detroit Tigers who owned the #1 pick. There was much speculation over who they would select, and in the end it was a player who had been high on a number of pre-draft prediction lists, Los Angeles-born power-hitting left fielder Dustin Oakley. Of Native American descent, Oakley will celebrate his 23rd birthday on June 21, and his is something of a fairytale story.

Studying a degree at the University of Florida, Oakley only became interested in baseball in his junior year and quickly discovered that he was a gifted and powerful hitter. However, he has had to work harder on his fielding skills, but it is something he has dedicated himself to 100%. In 51 games for UF this year, Oakley batted .357 with 18 home runs and 63 RBI. Tigers general manager Danny Hinojosa conceded that Oakley is raw, but has enough natural talent to be worth the gamble of being selected as the #1 overall pick. It's likely that once his contract is taken care of, Oakley will be assigned to Detroit's Single A affiliate the Fayetteville Generals of the South Atlantic League...

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The Philadelphia Inquirer

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1990

Braves select Philly native
at #2 in MLB Draft

Story by Jacob Hughes

The Atlanta Braves selected a highly-touted Philadelphia-born shortstop with the second overall pick on day one of the MLB Draft in New Jersey yesterday. 18-year-old Jake Williams, whose family moved to Hamilton County in Ohio when he was 12, is a student at St. Bernard High School, where he has excelled for the school team. Williams hit an amazing .560 in 26 games for the Titans this year, with three home runs, 37 RBI and an OBP of .620. The switch hitter was speechless when his name was called so early in the draft, as he declared for it with more of a hope that he would be picked than anything else. Williams had plans to attend Xavier University, and now has quite a decision to make after this unexpected development...

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The Palm Beach Post

Saturday, June 16, 1990

BELLE GLADE SLUGGER
PICKED 3RD BY PHILLIES

Story by Deon Bridges

The life of Belle Glade native Romy Alvarez changed, possibly forever yesterday, when he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies with the #3 pick in major league baseball's first-year player draft. The 20-year-old has been a student at Palm Beach State College for the last two years, where he is the starting shortstop for the school's baseball team, which competes in the Southern Conference of the FSCAA. Alvarez's parents defected from Cuba in 1959 during Fidel Castro's revolution and settled in Belle Glade. Born in 1969, Romy is the third of five children. Life has often been a struggle for the Alvarez clan, and Romy's selection by the Phillies has the potential to change the trajectory of the family's future, which is something the young man has been striving to achieve...

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Chicago Tribune

Saturday, June 16, 1990

SPRINGFIELD FLAMETHROWER
SELECTED 4TH BY WHITE SOX

Story by Mike Gibson

The White Sox were the first team to draft a pitcher in the first round of yesterday's opening to the 1990 MLB Draft, selecting Missouri-born 22-year-old Eli Wert with the #4 overall pick. Wert, a native of Springfield, was a senior at Boston College this year, where he was 9-2 in seventeen starts with an ERA of 2.10, 159 strikeouts and 36 walks in 111.2 innings pitched. Wert was the consensus #1 pitcher in the nation going into the draft, and White Sox GM Dave Mendoza was over the moon when Wert was still available following the opening three picks of the night. Wert has earned the nickname "The Springfield Flamethrower" thanks mostly to his scorching fastball, which has been clocked at 95 miles per hour...

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(to be continued)

[royalflush]

Yea Dustin! Great job.

[kenyan_cheena]

I will try to finish revealing the destinations of our other players when I get home tonight. One thing I should have asked as part of the sign-up process was how old everyone wanted their players to be, and by extension whether they were in high school or college. I had everyone in college by default, but the game is inconsistent when it assigns a school/college that the players went to. As an example, it had Jake Williams at St. Bernard in Ohio, and there's definitely not a college there, so I changed it to make him a high school student.

[kenyan_cheena]

The Seattle Times

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1990

MARINERS DRAFT NOVA SCOTIA
OUTFIELDER WITH 5TH PICK

Story by Robb Gaskins

The Seattle Mariners thought outside of the square, and outside of the USA, when they made their first pick in the MLB Draft yesterday. Selecting at #5, the Mariners drafted Nova Scotia native Iain Craige, a junior at Vancouver College in British Columbia. The 20-year-old right fielder had been a dynamo around the bases for Vancouver this year, stealing 34 bases in 61 games to go along with a .315 batting average, eleven home runs, 55 RBI and 70 runs scored in 61 games. The Mariners have extremely high hopes for Craige and believe that he will eventually be part of the nucleus of a contender, something the ballclub is striving to become after failing to finish higher than 4th and above .500 in its brief thirteen year history...

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THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Sunday, 17 June, 1990

Sydney native picked 6th
in American baseball draft

Story by David Jackson

Six years ago, Sydney-born 21-year-old Daniel Young developed a dream and an ambition to one day make it in the big time of what is known as The American Pasttime, baseball. Young, a cricketer since the age of eight with the West Ryde Rovers club in the northern suburbs, happened to catch a broadcast on channel nine one night back in 1984 of game one of the World Series between the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres. As Daniel himself put it, he was hooked after watching the Tigers score a 3-2 victory. While his summers continued to be dominated by cricket, his winters belonged to baseball, but by the time he was eighteen, baseball had taken over his entire calendar.

Daniel picked up on the skills and nuances of the sport quickly, his natural talent as a cricketer transferring over to certain aspects of baseball frighteningly well. In particular, his powerful right arm saw him perfectly suited for the position of third baseman, where laser-like throws across the diamond to first base can be the difference between the opposition mounting an attack and staying scoreless. It was not long before he had come to the attention of major league talent scouts, and yesterday, Daniel's dream became a reality as he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 6th pick in the annual MLB Draft. He found out the news by phone, waiting in the lounge room of his Ryde home with his parents while the draft unfolded...

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The Wichita Eagle

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1990

Indians nab Schaplowsky at #7

Story by Keith Powell

Wichita-born college baseball standout Mike Schaplowsky was drafted by the Cleveland Indians with the 7th pick on day one of the MLB Draft in New Jersey yesterday. While from the outside there was nothing unusual about the pick, it was something of a surprise amongst observers as Schaplowsky had been predicted by many to be taken within the top three of the draft. The young man himself was not the least bit concerned and clearly delighted to have been drafted by the Indians as he mounted the stage and shook commissioner Vincent's hand. Schaplowsky will be 23 in August and completed his senior year at MSU in May, where he starred for the Bears with a .343 average, eighteen home runs and 57 RBI. He also scored 76 runs, had an OBP of .422 and stole 24 bases in 55 games...

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1990 MLB DRAFT - ROUND ONE PICKS

1. DETROIT TIGERS - DUSTIN OAKLEY, LF, 22
2. ATLANTA BRAVES - JAKE WILLIAMS, SS, 18
3. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - ROMY ALVAREZ, SS, 20
4. CHICAGO WHITE SOX - ELI WERT, SP, 22
5. SEATTLE MARINERS - IAIN CRAIGE, RF, 20
6. PITTSBURGH PIRATES - DANIEL YOUNG, 3B, 21
7. CLEVELAND INDIANS - MIKE SCHAPLOWSKY, 1B, 22
8. NEW YORK YANKEES - MANNY RAMIREZ, CF, 18
9. CINCINNATI REDS - CLIFF FLOYD, 1B, 17
10. LOS ANGELES DODGERS - JORGE POSADA, C, 18
11. MINNESOTA TWINS - MIKE SWEENEY, C, 16
12. MILWAUKEE BREWERS - BOBBY ABREU, LF, 16
13. MONTREAL EXPOS - JEFF CIRILLO, 3B, 20
14. TEXAS RANGERS - ANDY PETTITTE, SP, 18
15. BOSTON RED SOX - MIKE CAMERON, CF, 17
16. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - EDGARDO ALFONZO, SS, 16
17. HOUSTON ASTROS - EDUARDO PEREZ, 3B, 20
18. BALTIMORE ORIOLES - JAMES MOUTON, 2B, 21
19. NEW YORK METS - FERNANDO VINA, 2B, 21
20. TORONTO BLUE JAYS - SCOTT HATTEBERG, C, 20
21. SAN DIEGO PADRES - MARK CLARK, SP, 22
22. CALIFORNIA ANGELS - ISMAEL VALDEZ, RP, 16
23. KANSAS CITY ROYALS - BOBBY JONES, SP, 20
24. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - DMITRI YOUNG, 1B, 16
25. CHICAGO CUBS - MARK GRUDZIELANEK, SS, 19
26. OAKLAND ATHLETICS - TONY WOMACK, SS, 20


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[kenyan_cheena]

I came up with the idea of making my character pretty much "me" when I started typing out that post. Thought it would be kind of cool to make my life part of his. I actually did start playing cricket for West Ryde when I was 8, and, like I have already mentioned, I discovered baseball when I was 15, watching the Reds-Athletics 1990 world series.

[kenyan_cheena]

From the Sunday 6/17/90 edition of THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER...

Reds sign first round pick
to minor league contract

Story by Jason Caylor

The Cincinnati Reds have wasted no time agreeing to terms with their first round draft pick Cliff Floyd, signing the talented center fielder to a minor league contract just one day after selecting him with the 9th overall pick in the MLB draft. Also included in the deal was a signing bonus of $1.43 million, a detail that the 17-year-old Chicago native became quite emotional over in the aftermath. He told of how his father Cornelius had worked double shifts at a U.S. Steel plant to allow the family to live in a safe neighbourhood, and that when he received the check from the Reds, it would be going straight to his dad.

A three-sport star at Thornwood High School in South Holland, Floyd was being heavily recruited by a number of universities, including Arizona State and Stanford, but said that he would be repaying the Reds' faith in him by dedicating himself to becoming a better player in the organisation's minor league system. Floyd is the first member of the 1990 draft class to sign a contract, and it will be interesting to see how the contracts for the other top picks turn out during the days and weeks to come. There is a one-month time limit on signing draft picks, which comes to an end on July 15...

[royalflush]

At the end of each season, will you show us where our players are at?

[xepicx2729]

Taken #2!

[kenyan_cheena]

Originally Posted by royalflush

At the end of each season, will you show us where our players are at?

No probs.

[royalflush]

Thanks

[kenyan_cheena]

Oakland Tribune

MONDAY, JUNE 18, 1990

ATHLETICS SECURE SERIES WIN,
DRAW LEVEL WITH WHITE SOX

Story by Dave Newhouse

The Oakland Athletics scored a 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox yesterday afternoon at Comiskey Park, completing a 3-1 series win to draw level with them at the top of the AL West at 45-23. After dropping the series opener on Thursday 4-3 thanks to a 9th inning collapse, the Athletics dominated the other three games, winning 2-0 on Friday and 11-3 on Saturday before yesterday's clash. Oakland scored three runs in a bizarre 2nd inning where White Sox starter Alex Fernandez walked the first three batters he faced (Bruce Fields, Scott Brosius and Lance Blankenship). Curt Wilkerson's grounder to second scored Fields and moved Brosius to third before Felix Rose hit a two-out two-RBI single to right field later in the inning to make it 3-0.

There were also solo home runs for Jose in the 7th and Mark McGwire in the 9th, while Chicago's run came from a Mike Marshall double in the bottom of the 5th. The White Sox struggled against Oakland starter Bob Welch, who gave up just four hits while strking out five batters and walking two on 124 pitches in a complete game outing. Welch improved his record to 10-4 on the season with an ERA of 2.95. Meanwhile, Fernandez suffered the first loss of his MLB career, recording a trio of sevens (hits, walks and strikeouts) and throwing a personal season-high 163 pitches...

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Wednesday June 20: The Los Angeles Dodgers traded 34-year-old first baseman Eddie Murray and $65,000 in cash to the Chicago Cubs, getting 22-year-old minor league second baseman Alex Arias, 24-year-old minor league second baseman Jeff Small and 23-year-old starting pitcher Shawn Boskie in return.

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FORT WORTH
Star-Telegram

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1990

Ryan strikes out eleven,
shuts out Twins at Arlington

Story by Larry Garrison

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nolan Ryan produced another gem last night at Arlington Stadium, striking out eleven batters and walking just two in a complete game 4-0 win over the Minnesota Twins. Ryan gave up six hits and threw 136 pitches to improve his season record to 7-5. His ERA is 4.39. Harold Baines hit a two-run home run in the 6th inning and shortstop Jeff Huson was 3-for-4, but did not score or drive in a run. This was the third time in four starts where Ryan has struck out at least ten batters, and the fourth time he has achieved the feat this season. Even so, the Rangers remain in 5th and fifteen games behind the AL West-leading White Sox at 33-38, with the struggling Twins are even further back in last, at 28-44...

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Oakland Tribune

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1990

STEINBACH HITS FOR THE CYCLE
AS ATHLETICS TROUNCE TIGERS

Story by Dave Newhouse

Oakland Athletics catcher Terry Steinbach achieved one of the more difficult feats in baseball yesterday afternoon when he hit for the cycle in his side's 18-3 demolition of the AL East-leading Detroit Tigers at Oakland Coliseum. Steinbach was 4-for-5 in the game with three runs scored and four RBI. There was little to indicate what was to come when he flied out in the bottom of the 2nd. However, he followed that up with a grand slam home run in Oakland's nine-run 3rd, a full count triple in the 4th, a double leading off the 7th and a single in the 8th. So in the end, it was a "reverse natural cycle". Steinbach is now hitting .285 for the season with four home runs and 31 RBI.

Obviously, the Athletics catcher was not their only player who had a great afternoon. The trio of batters at the top of the lineup each recorded three RBI. Carney Lansford was 3-for-5 with three runs, Dave Henderson was 3-for-5 with two runs and a home run and Jose Canseco was 2-for-5 with one run scored. He hit a two-out RBI double in the 7th. Mark McGwire and Felix Jose also homered for the Athletics, who finished with seventeen hits and improved to 49-27, just a single game behind the 1st-placed White Sox. Detroit fell to 43-35, but still holds a one-and-a-half game lead atop the AL East...

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Wednesday June 27: The Oakland Athletics signed 28-year-old catcher Terry Steinbach to a 5-year contract extension worth a total of $4,404,000.

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MONTREAL GAZETTE

Sunday 1 July 1990

EXPOS STAY HOT
GOING INTO JULY

Story by Joel Acer

The Montreal Expos scored a 6-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves last night at the Stade Olympique, maintaining a hot run of form that has seen them finish June 10-3 in their last thirteen games. They are now 52-28 and hold an eight-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East. Starting pitcher Mark Gardner outduelled the Braves ace Tom Glavine, striking out five and walking four while giving up just five hits on 139 pitches. Gardner is now 8-4 on the season with an excellent ERA of 2.15.

Glavine was taken out of the game after Andres Galarraga smoked a lead-off home run in the bottom of the 6th. He conceded ten hits and six earned runs while only striking out one batter. Expos shortstop Spike Owen was 4-for-4 with two doubles while Tim Wallach hit a two-out two-RBI home run in the 1st and Dave Martinez was 2-for-4 with a two-out solo home run in the 5th...

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1ST ROUND DRAFT PICKS WHO HAVE SIGNED CONTRACTS,
AS AT THE END OF JUNE 30...

JUNE 16

Cincinnati Reds (9th pick) Cliff Floyd, minor league contract, $1.43million signing bonus

JUNE 20

Oakland Athletics (26th pick) Tony Womack, minor league contract, $530,000 signing bonus

JUNE 22

Texas Rangers (14th pick) Andy Pettitte, minor league contract, $715,000 signing bonus

JUNE 27

Chicago Cubs (25th pick) Mark Grudzielanek, minor league contract, $285,000 signing bonus

JUNE 28

Minnesota Twins (11th pick) Mike Sweeney, minor league contract, $675,000 signing bonus

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Also...

Saturday June 30: The California Angels traded 26-year-old right fielder Dante Bichette to the Atlanta Braves, getting 22-year-old minor league right fielder Al Martin and 18-year-old minor league shortstop Tony Graffanino in return.

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