Minor League Monday - Rob Maurer, 1991 Line Drive.

Realized it's also been awhile since I posted a minor league card. Decided to go ahead and get one up while I am thinking about it. Today we see Rob Maurer on card 312 of the 1991 Line Drive set. Following a pretty decent 1990 season with Double A Tulsa, Maurer got promoted to Triple A Oklahoma City to begin the 1991 season.

Rob appeared in 132 games for the 89ers in 1991, 120 of those games were as the team's first baseman. In spite of the infield designation on the front of his card, he played nowhere else other than first. Maurer's defensive issues continued as he made 16 errors in the course of the season to end with a .985 fielding percentage. That was a tic lower than the previous year.

Offense was another story however. Rob made 564 trips to the plate for OKC and put up a .301 batting average - almost identical to the year before. His on-base percentage jumped up to .420 though, in spite of his 135 strikeouts. Maurer did walk 96 times and that was an improvement over his time in Tulsa. Rob scored 76 runs while accounting for 77 RBI. He knocked 41 doubles, three triples, and 20 home runs.

Maurer's bat caught the attention of somebody in Arlington and when the rosters expanded in September, he got a call to join the Rangers. Rob made his Major League debut on September 8, 1991. He appeared in 13 games total for Texas in 1991. Two of those games were as the team's designated hitter, four other appearances were at first base. In the ten innings he played at first Maurer was flawless in the field. Once again, his offense was another story. Rob made 19 trips to the plate for Texas and struggled to a dismal .063 batting average. He did get his on-base percentage up to .211 but hit just one extra base hit - a double.

While Rob Maurer struggled in his limited time with the Rangers, he put up a solid season with the 89ers. Some stumbles are to be expected when a young player hits the Big Show and the Rangers weren't giving up on Maurer. He would again be assigned to Triple A for 1992.

Minor League Monday - Jeff Frye, 1991 Line Drive.

My apologies for the lack of recent posts. Had family in last week and things got away from me. Back in the saddle now though, just in time for the Rangers to lose yesterday. Well, looks like a good time for another installment of Minor League Monday.

Today we have Jeff Frye appearing on card 579 of the 1991 Line Drive set. After being drafted by the Rangers in 1988, Frye worked his way up the minor league ladder fairly quickly. He spent the 1990 season with the Single A Charlotte Rangers before being moved up to Double A for 1991.

Jeff played in 131 games for the Tulsa Drillers in 1991 and made 583 trips to the plate. He adjusted well to the new level of play, posting a .302 batting average and a .388 on-base percentage. Both were actually increases from the previous season. Frye scored 92 runs and knocked in 41 RBI while putting up 32 doubles, 11 triples, and four home runs. He also stole 15 bases while getting caught eight times. Continuing his tradition, he walked more than he struck out - 71 passes compared to 60 whiffs.

Defense had been Jeff's struggle with Charlotte and it continued with Tulsa. In spite of the designation on the front of his card, Frye played only at second base for the Drillers. He committed 26 errors in the 127 games he played there and ended the season with a .957 fielding percentage.

While Jeff Frye still needed a lot of work on his glove, his bat and plate discipline remained constant. The Rangers liked that and figured they could get Jeff's glove to come around in time. He would be assigned to Triple A Oklahoma City for the start of the 1992 season.

Minor League Monday - Greg Iavarone, 1991 Line Drive.

Greg Iavarone, shown here on card 585 of the 1991 Line Drive set, played his second season with the Tulsa Drillers in 1991. He had been with the Drillers in 1991 as well.

Of the five players who caught for Tulsa in 1991, Iavarone was fourth on the depth chart. He ended up appearing in just 12 games all season long. He did catch in 11 of those games and made two errors. That put his fielding percentage at .965 on the season.

Greg made 31 trips to the plate for Tulsa in 1991 and struggled to a .148 batting average. He had no extra base hits and scored just two runs while picking up only one RBI. He walked three times but eight strikeouts helped keep his on-base percentage at .258.

1991 was a disappointing season for Greg Iavarone. He watched as his bat evaporated and several other backstops passed him up in the Texas farm system. Due to the low number of games played, I suspect the Rangers released Iavarone before the end of the season. If not, they did so at the end of the season. 1991 would mark Greg Iavarone's final season as a pro baseball player.

Minor League Monday - Rob Brown, 1991 Line Drive.

Rob Brown, shown here on card 576 of the 1991 Line Drive set, was coming off a pretty impressive 1990 season with A+ Charlotte. As a reward for his efforts, he would find himself assigned to Double A Tulsa for the 1991 campaign.

Primarily a reliever, Brown appeared in 43 games for the Drillers in 1990. All but four of those appearances were out of the bullpen. Interestingly, Rob pitched a complete game in one of the starts he made. Brown's numbers were a mixed bag in the 117.2 innings he pitched. His ERA rose to 3.29 and his WHIP skyrocketed to 1.436. However, he still struck out more opposing batters than he walked - 86 whiffs compared to 39 free passes. He ended the season with four saves and a 7-6 record.

1991 hadn't been a terrible season for Rob Brown. He saw his ERA go up but that was to be expected with a promotion and things hadn't gotten too far out of hand. He also kept his strikeout to walk ratio looking pretty good and proved his versatility by pitching in several roles throughout the season. His WHIP was a matter of concern though. Brown was getting hit more often than he had the previous year, much more. It was something to keep an eye on. The Rangers decided to start Rob at Double A in 1992 and see what developed. If things went the way Brown was hoping, a ticket to Triple A Oklahoma City was a definite possibility.

Minor League Monday - Barry Manuel, 1991 Line Drive.

1991 would be Barry Manuel's second stint with the Double A Tulsa Drillers. Manuel, shown here on card 586 of the 1991 Line Drive set, hadn't had a real positive experience in his previous appearance as a starter at Double A in 1989. The result was a return to Single A and the 1990 season being spent in a conversion from starter to reliever. Barry handled that task well enough to earn a return ticket to Tulsa for 1991.

Strictly a reliever, Manuel came out of the bullpen 56 times for the Drillers in 1991. Over 68.1 innings he put up a 3.29 ERA and a 1.420 WHIP. Both were jumps up from the previous season with Charlotte. Barry also walked 34 but did manage to strike out 45 opposing batsmen. He earned 25 saves for his trouble but ended the season with a 2-7 record.

Apparently the Rangers were impressed with Manuel's progress as a reliever. They called him up when the rosters expanded in September and he made his Major League debut on September 6, 1991. Through the end of the season he appeared in 8 games for Texas and pitched a total of 16 innings. Using the opportunity, Barry posted an attention grabbing 1.12 ERA and 0.812 WHIP. He did walk six batters but used his five strikeouts to help get out of jams as well.

The Rangers liked what they saw from Barry Manuel in his brief Major League stint. While he wasn't ready for the big time yet, he had lots of promise. He would move to Triple A Oklahoma City to start off the 1992 campaign.

Minor League Monday - Bobby Reed, 1991 Line Drive.

Pitcher Bobby Reed appears on card 591 of the 1991 Line drive set today. Reed was drafted by the White Sox in 1989 but didn't sign. The Rangers drafted him in the third round of the June, 1990 draft and that time he signed.

Texas started Bobby off at Single A and he turned in impressive performances there and at Double A Tulsa in 1990. Not wanting to rush the young talent, the Rangers left Reed at Double A for the 1991 season.

Primarily a starter, 11 of Bobby's 12 appearances for the Drillers were starts. Over the 67 innings he pitched he put up a decent 2.55 ERA (lower than his Double A stint the previous season) and an 1.254 WHIP (also lower than the year before). He struck out 33 opposing batters but still had some control issues, as attested to by his 22 walks. He ended the season at 4-4.

It seems to me that Bobby Reed had an abbreviated season in 1991. I would have expected to see more appearances and maybe even a mid-season promotion to Triple A. Instead he disappears for the entire 1992 season and resurfaces in 1993 at Single A Charlotte. At that point his numbers are not even comparable to those before the hiatus. That speaks to me of an injury, obviously a serious one. Unfortunately I can't find any information on what happened to make 1991 the high point of Bobby Reed's career.

Minor League Monday - Frederic Samson, 1991 Line Drive.

Either Frederic(k) Serna Samson's first name is misspelled on card 596 of the 1991 Line drive set or Baseball-Reference has it wrong. Baseball-Reference adds the "k" on the end.

Originally drafted by the Tigers in the 14th round of the June, 1984 draft, Samson did not sign. The Rangers inked him as a free agent in May of 1986. Fred started his pro career that same year with the Rookie League Gulf Coast Rangers. He stalled out at Double A, bouncing from there to Single A in the 1988 and 1989 seasons. In 1990 he spent the entire season with the A+ Charlotte Rangers trying to get up to speed. He would be assigned to Double A Tulsa for one last try in 1991.

Fred appeared in 69 games for the Drillers in 1991 and made 240 trips to the plate. He struggled to a .208 batting average and a .304 on-base percentage. Part of his problem was that he was still looking for the hole in his swing, he struck out 63 times while getting just 25 walks. He had only spotty power: 12 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Samson did score 31 runs but only accounted for 15 RBI himself.

Primarily a third baseman, Fred played there in 25 games. He committed four errors at the hot corner for a .927 fielding percentage. He also appeared in three games at first base and one game at second base with no errors. He had three miscues in the five games he appeared at short stop for a .909 fielding percentage there. Interestingly, Samson also played outfield for the first time in his pro career in 1991. In 20 appearances in the outfield he botched two plays and ended the season with a .929 fielding percentage.

Unfortunately for Fred Samson, he hadn't been able to deliver with Tulsa in 1991. After failing to hit even .210 at Double A in three stints, he found himself without a team following the 1991 season. He would sign with the independent Salt Lake City Trappers of the Pioneer League for the 1992 season. A single season with the Trappers would round out his professional playing career.

Minor League Monday - Luke Sable, 1991 Line Drive.

In spite of a rather ordinary season in 1990, Luke Sable was promoted to Double A Tulsa for the 1991 season. Sable's 1991 Line Drive card 595 was a great improvement over his card from the previous season. The Rangers were looking for great improvement from Luke on the field as well.

Although he was primarily a third baseman, Sable continued his versatility in the field with the Drillers. Luke appeared in 75 games at third base, committed 16 errors there, and put up a .925 fielding percentage. He also appeared seven games at second base, and two games each at short stop, in the outfield, and as a pitcher. Sable's tours at second and in the outfield were perfect. He muffed one play at short for a .900 fielding percentage there. Luke was obviously an emergency option on the mound. He pitched just two innings and finished one game. His 36.00 ERA and 4.500 WHIP were predictable for a position player.

Sable made 373 trips to the plate over 95 games for the Drillers in 1991. He improved his batting average almost 20 points to .289 and his on-base percentage stayed about the same at .340. He still didn't have a lot of power: 12 doubles and just seven triples during the season. No home runs. Luke scored 32 runs and bumped in 33 RBI. Unfortunately the hole in his swing was still with him, he struck out 53 times while working only 25 walks.

Luke Sable turned in a serviceable season in 1991 for the Tulsa Drillers. Unfortunately, he needed more than a serviceable season to catch a ticket to Triple A in the Rangers system. Texas was set at third base in 1991 with Dean Palmer. In Deano the club already had a third baseman with a propensity to strike out and defense issues. Of course, Palmer also had a lot of power in his bat and connected for quite a few dingers. Sable needed to get the holes in his defense and bat closed or suddenly develop some eye-catching power or he was going to find himself blocked right out of the Rangers farm system. He would have a chance to make those improvements with Tulsa in 1992.

Minor League Monday - Rod Morris, 1991 Line Drive.

Coming off a decent 1990 season, Rod Morris was promoted from Single A Port Charlotte to Double A Tulsa for the 1991 season. Rod looks rather contemplative about the process on the front of card 588 in the 1991 Line Drive set.

Morris spent 102 of the 103 games he appeared in playing outfield. Not sure if he had a set spot out there or played all three positions for the Drillers. He made seven errors in the course of the season to put his fielding percentage at .966. That was eleven points lower than the previous season.

Rod made 420 trips to the plate for Tulsa. He put up a .269 batting average and a .321 on-base percentage. Surprisingly, that was 14 point increase in batting average and the on-base percentage was about the same as the previous season in A ball. Once again, Morris had more speed than power. He hit 17 doubles and eight triples but no home runs. He stole nine bases but also got caught six times. He scored 44 runs and picked up 35 RBI during the course of the season. Of concern were his 60 strikeouts as opposed to just 28 walks.

Rod Morris seemed to have made the transition from Single to Double A well in some respects. In others he still needed to catch up. His defense needed work and he was getting caught on the base paths more than he should. While his bat seemed to have stayed with him, he needed to find and correct the hole in his swing. Too many strikeouts could cause a problem for an outfielder with little power looking to move up the early 1990's Texas minor league ladder.

Minor League Monday - Chris Shiflett, 1991 Line Drive.

Chris Shiflett, shown here on card 598 of the 1991 Line Drive set, had a stabilizing season of sorts in 1990. It wasn't a blow the doors off year but it was better than the rough time he experienced in 1988 and 1989 or his injury-shortened 1986 and 1987 campaigns. The 1990 effort kept the former first rounder at Double A Tulsa for the 1991 season. Texas was looking for Shiflett to make some serious strides forward in his development.

Injury derailed the plan. Chris appeared in just four games for Tulsa in 1991 and pitched only nine innings. He got hammered to the tune of a 5.59 ERA and an 1.241 WHIP. He walked five but also struck out 12.

The Rangers had to be getting frustrated with Shiflett. 1991 was the third season he pitched fewer than ten innings. Maybe the prospect was too fragile to make it to the Majors. Only time would tell but that time appeared to be running out for Chris Shiflett's career.

Minor League Monday - Brian Romero, 1991 Line Drive.

Coming off a great 1990 season, Brian Romero was trying to continue his climb up the Texas farm system ladder in 1991. Romero, shown here on card 594 of the 1991 Line Drive set, had been a pleasant surprise for a 50th round draft pick who missed his first season due to injury. He would start the 1991 season with the Double A Tulsa Drillers.

Primarily a starter, Romero saw significant relief action for the first time in his career in 1991. In the 23 games he appeared in for Tulsa, only 14 were starts. The season didn't take long to get rough. Over the 94 innings Brian pitched he posted a 4.98 ERA and a 1.532 WHIP. Both were extreme increases from 1990. The 52 walks Romero issued didn't help his cause but at least the 79 times he whiffed opposing batsmen outnumbered the free passes. Romero stayed with Tulsa for the entire season and ended the year with a 6.5 record and one save, the first (and only) of his pro career.

1991 was a rough season for Brian Romero. His impressive climb towards the Majors came to a screeching halt. At least the Rangers did not demote him. They really didn't have that kind of time for a 50th round pick, even a left-hander. Romero would make good, or he would not. Either way, he would do so at Double A. The Rangers left Brian assigned to Tulsa for the beginning of the 1992 season. Time to pull it back together.

Minor League Monday - Everett Cunningham, 1991 Line Drive.

Coming into the 1990 season, Everett Cunningham was at the make or break point. A fourth round pick in the 1988 draft, Cunningham had confidence issues that slowed his climb up the minor league ladder. He finally seemed to get those bugs worked out and turned in an impressive season for Charlotte in 1989. 1990 had been a mixed bag. The first part of the season was great and earned Everett a promotion to Double A. The second half of the season was not nearly as good and ensured that he would not make the jump to Triple A going into 1991.

Apparently the Rangers decided Cunningham might do better out of the bullpen than as a starter. They moved him out of the Tulsa rotation for 1991. Everett would make 21 appearances for the Drillers, all but one in relief. He pitched 41.1 rough innings and walked 28 opposing batters while striking out just 25. His ERA climbed to a then career high 6.97 while his WHIP reached a career worst 1.790. Those numbers resulted in am 0-3 record.

The Rangers had seen enough and decided Cunningham had to go. I'm not sure if he was traded or cut. Either way he did not end the season with the Drillers. Somehow Everett ended up with the Double A Wichita Wranglers in the San Diego Padres system to finish the 1991 campaign. The 16 games he pitched out of the bullpen for Wichita went worse than his time in Tulsa. An 8.17 ERA and an 1.737 WHIP during that stint ensured that 1991 would be the last season of Everett Cunningham's pro career.

Minor League Monday - Mike Burton, 1991 ProCards.

The Rangers liked Mike Burton's potential. They originally drafted him in the 45th round of the June 1987 draft. He didn't sign. Texas came back in the 17th round of the June 1989 draft and selected Burton again. That time he signed.

Mike began his pro career in 1989 with the Rookie League GCL Rangers. In 1990 he played for Single A Gastonia, as shown here on card 99 of the 1991 ProCards set. He would be assigned to Double A Tulsa for the 1991 season.

Burton appeared in a total of 106 games for Tulsa in 1991 and logged 423 plate appearances. He tallied a .241 batting average and a .344 on-base percentage. While his 56 walks certainly helped with the on-base percentage, his 88 strikeouts did little to help his cause. Scoring 43 runs, Mike was responsible for 49 RBI. He hammered 18 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs during the course of the season.

The front of Burton's card makes it appear as if he played several infield positions. Not so in 1991. All of the 105 games he played in the field for Tulsa that year were at first base. Mike made an astounding 11 errors during the season to drop his fielding percentage to. 989.

1991 was the year Mike Burton's pro career hit a snag. He saw his batting average, on-base percentage, and power at the plate drop. He also struck out more times than in almost thirty games more the previous season. Additionally, his glove seemed to have turned to cement as he committed almost as many errors in one campaign for Tulsa as in the previous two seasons combined.

These were not numbers to warrant a promotion. What they did do was put Mike on the Rangers radar, and not in a good way. Even though he improved his draft spot by not signing the first time around, Texas still expected quick improvement from their young first baseman. This was not quick improvement.

Minor League Monday - Dan Rohrmeier, 1991 ProCards.

This scan does not do justice to the 1991 ProCards design. For some reason the card border comes off a light peach in the scan. In reality it is a bright blaze orange. Gives the cards a very minor league look.

Dan Rohrmeier had a decent offensive season for the Tulsa Drillers in 1990. His defense was another story and he ended up staying in Tulsa for the 1991 campaign as well.

Appearing in 121 games for the Drillers in 1991, Rohrmeier made 493 trips to the plate. He posted a .292 batting average (lower than the previous season) and a .380 on-base percentage (higher than the previous season). His power dipped a bit as he punched 20 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. Interestingly, his 60 walks outnumbered the 57 times he struck out, the first time for such an occurrence in his pro career.

Often used as a DH or pinch hitter, Dan played in 103 games in the outfield. He muffed just three plays all season and ended the year with a .984 fielding percentage. That was five points better than the year before.

1991 was not a bad season for Dan Rohrmeier. He improved his discipline at the plate and his defense, the two big areas he needed to work on coming out of 1990. On the other side of the ledger, his power dipped and he was already 25 years old. The Rangers had plenty of outfielders with power and average defensive skills. They apparently saw no reason to use a spot on the Drillers' roster for one whose power seemed to be starting to slip away. On January 20, 1992 Texas released Rohrmeier.

Minor League Monday - Juan Gonzalez, 1989 Baseball America.

Today's card is one of those odd-ball cards that find their way into every collection, card AA-26 of a set issued in 1989 (I think) by Baseball America. I think this is the only minor league card I have of Ranger great Juan Gonzalez.

Gonzalez didn't spend much time in the minors after signing with the Rangers at age 16 in 1986. By 1989 he had worked his way up to Double A and was considered one of the top prospects in baseball.

Starting the 1989 season off with the Double A Tulsa Drillers, Juan would appear in 133 games, all in the outfield. His nine errors would drop his fielding percentage to .972. That's a little lower than most teams want to see from a top prospect but Gonzalez's bat more than made up the difference.

In 547 plate appearances, Juan posted a .293 batting average and a .342 on-base percentage. He walked 31 times but also showed a tendency to strike out as he did so 98 times during the season. With those strikeout numbers some power was to be expected and Gonzalez delivered: 30 doubles, seven triples, and 21 home runs. He scored 73 runs showed his fondness for the RBI by tallying 85 of them.

Texas was impressed with what that had in Juan Gonzalez and called him up to the Big Show when the rosters expanded in September. He made his Major League debut on September 1, 1989 and appeared in 24 games for Texas before the end of the season. Most of the time the Rangers used Gonzalez in center field, all but two of the 169 innings he played were there. He committed two errors to give him a .964 fielding percentage. That was well below the league average .980 but Juan also had significantly more range than the average American League center fielder.

At the plate, Gonzalez found out that Major League pitching was a bit different than Double A stuff. He posted a .150 batting average and a .227 on-base percentage. Again, his strikeouts way outnumbered his walks - 17 to six. There was some power though, three doubles and one home run.

Juan struggled a bit after being called up to the Majors but he got his feet wet and Texas still liked him a lot. The potential was there and, once the adjustment was made to the higher level of play, the Rangers fully expected Gonzalez to deliver in a big way. They assigned him Triple A Oklahoma City to begin the 1990 season with the expectation that he would not stay there long.

Minor League Monday - Coaching Staff, 1990 CMC.

Today we come to the end of my current collection of 1990 CMC Oklahoma City 89ers. Going to finish things up with three cards of the coaching staff.

Pitching coach Dick Egan starts things off on card 172. Egan's Major League career spanned four seasons, from 1963-1967 with the Tigers, Angels, and Dodgers. 1967 would be the only season he did not spend time in the minors. His minor league career started in 1957 and ended after the 1969 season. After his retirement as a player, Dick moved into scouting. He spent the 1988 and 1989 seasons as the bullpen coach for the Rangers. Judging by the football Egan is holding, some of Texas' pitching coach Tom House's training techniques rubbed off on him during his time in Arlington. Texas must have liked Dick's work with the young players in their system. He would be named manager of the Rookie League Butte Copper Kings for the 1991 season.

Stan Hough, shown here on card 173, had been a coach in the Rangers farm system for four seasons by the time this card was issued. Prior to that he played pro ball in the Mets and Astros systems from 1974 to 1985. Mostly a catcher, with some first base and outfield thrown in, Hough made it up to Triple A but never got the call to the Big Show. He started his coaching career in 1983 and 1984 as a player-coach for Houston at Single A. In 1987 he made his managerial debut with the GCL Rangers of the Gulf Coast League. That assignment lasted just one season. in 1989 he was named as a coach for Oklahoma City. He continued in that role for the 1990 season. Eventually, Stan left the Rangers organization and managed in the minors for the Yankees and Expos. In 2002 he was a coach for the Clinton Lumber Kings and in 2003 he managed for Baltimore's Single A affiliate. In 2006 Hough returned to Texas, this time as manager of the independent Fort Worth Cats. He managed the Cats in 2006, 2007, and 2011.

Rounding out today's trio of coaches is OKC trainer Ray Ramirez, seen here on card 174. Ray's first season with the 89ers was in 1987 and he stayed on the job through the 1991 season. In 1992 he moved up to Arlington and served as an assistant trainer with the Rangers. Tracking trainers is a bit difficult, but it looks like Ray landed a job as the head trainer for the New York Mets in 2005.

Minor League Monday - John Hoover, 1990 CMC.

John Hoover, shown here on card 153 of the 1990 CMC set, was drafted by the Yankees in the 1983 draft. He didn't sign and went on to play for the US Olympic Baseball team in 1984 before being drafted by the Orioles in the first round of the June, 1984 draft. The O's immediately assigned John to Triple A.

Hoover didn't last at Triple A and began a descent of the minor league chain. Double A in 1985 and Single A in 1986. After that, John began a slow climb back up the ladder. On February 16, 1988 Baltimore traded Hoover to Montreal. A season at Double A for the Expos preceded an April, 1989 release.

Texas signed signed Hoover as a free agent on May 3, 1989 and assigned him to Double A Tulsa. He spent the entire season there, serving mostly as a starter. His 3.38 ERA and 1.224 WHIP were decent but not enough to get a mid-season promotion.

1990 was the year of the move for Hoover. I'm not sure which order everything came in so I am starting off with Double A Tulsa. In four games, all starts, John pitched 23.2 innings. He put up an unsightly 4.56 ERA and a 1.690 WHIP to earn a 2-1 record. With Triple A Oklahoma City Hoover appeared in 24 games. He started ten of those contests and pitched a total of 87 innings. His ERA went the wrong way, to 6.00 but his WHIP was lower than with Tulsa, 1.575.

On May 23, 1990 John Hoover made his Major League debut with the Texas Rangers. He was the last member of the 1984 Olympic team to make the Majors (several never did). Unfortunately, things did not go smoothly. In two appearances out of the bullpen, John pitched 4.2 innings. His ERA tallied to an ugly 11.57 and his WHIP to 2.357. Those numbers earned him a return ticket to the minors.

Apparently Texas was not impressed with Hoover's post-debut performance in the minors. On July 21, 1990 they released him. The Expos picked him up on August 18, 1990 but he never saw any action with them and was granted free agency on October 15, 1990. Nobody signed him and that was the end of his pro career.

Minor League Monday - David Miller, 1990 CMC.

David Miller shows off perhaps the most unusual pose for a pitcher on card 156 of the 1990 CMC set. Not only is Miller posing with a bat, he's playing for an American League affiliate. I can't imagine most American League teams want their farm teams spending a lot of time honing a pitcher's batting skills. After all, Dave would have a total of zero plate appearances during his time with Oklahoma City.

Miller was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 3rd round of the 1984 January Draft. He must not have signed though because he never played in their system and didn't begin his pro career until 1986. Somehow, in the intervening time, the Braves got hold of David. He played from 1986 through 1988 in the Atlanta system, working his way up the chain to Triple A. I'm not sure how Miller came to the Rangers system, but 1989 was his first season there and he spent the entire year at Triple A with OKC. His ERA and WHIP were the highest they had been since a short stint with Pulaski in Rookie Ball during the 1986 season. That denied him a shot with Texas and left him at Triple A for the 1990 season.

Dave appeared in 31 games for the 89ers in 1990. 21 of those appearances were starts and he pitched a total of 143 innings during the season. Miller struck out 92 opposing batters while walking just 53. That was about the highlight of the year. David's ERA climbed .65 points to 4.78 and his WHIP went up .214 points to 1.524. He ended the season with a 7-9 record.

Miller was not the same pitcher in the Texas farm system as he had been in the Atlanta chain. He turned in two seasons with his ERA north of four and his WHIP well over one. Even the pitching-hungry Rangers would raise their eyebrows at those numbers. I'm not sure what caused the change, perhaps an injury, the batters catching up with Dave, or maybe just the change in coaching. Whatever the reason, 1990 was Miller's last with Texas and the last of his playing career. At 25 years of age, his pro playing days were behind him.

Minor League Monday - Gar Millay, 1990 CMC.

Garrick Daniel Millay, shown here on card 168 of the 1990 CMC set, was drafted by the Mets in the 9th round of the 1983 June Draft. He did not sign. The Rangers drafted him in the 28th round of the 1986 June Draft. He signed. I'm not sure what happened to cause teams to shy away from Millay for two years and made his draft status drop so significantly.

Gar started his pro career immediately at Single A. He split 1987 between Single and Double A and 1988 between Double and Triple A. Apparently the Rangers decided Millay needed some more work so he spent the entire 1989 season at Double A Tulsa. He was assigned to Triple A Oklahoma City for the 1990 season.

In 104 games for the 89ers, Gar posted a .257 batting average and a .344 on-base percentage. His moderate power was demonstrated by his 16 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. He scored 39 runs while accounting for 42 RBI. His four stolen bases showed he could steal on occasion. The four times he got caught stealing showed he could also get caught on occasion. Unfortunately, Millay walked just 38 times while striking out 53 times.

Gar was the third most used outfielder with OKC. He played in 68 games in the outfield and committed just one error in 124 chances. That gave him a .992 fielding percentage. When not in the outfield Millay played 22 games at first base, chalking up six errors in 176 chances for a .966 fielding percentage. Gar also took the mound for the 89ers in one game, pitching one inning and giving up two runs. That left his career ERA at 18.00 to go along with his 3.000 WHIP.

1990 was a mixed bag for Gar Millay. His batting average went up while his on-base percentage dipped. His power also dipped while his strikeouts and walks switched places from the previous season. He was serviceable at first base and a decent outfielder. The problem was that the Rangers had Rafael Palmeiro at first base and a pretty crowded outfield in the early 1990's. Millay was effectively blocked unless he could get a big enough power bat to draw some attention.

Minor League Monday - Jack Hardy, 1990 CMC.

Jack Hardy had something to smile about when he appeared on card 151 of the 1990 CMC set. Unlike a lot of his Oklahoma City teammates, Hardy had already made it to the Major Leagues. The Chicago White Sox drafted Jack in 1981 and he spent eight long years working his way up the minor league chain. He spent most of 1989 at Triple A but did get a call up to the Big Show in May. He appeared in five games and pitched 12.1 innings for the ChiSox. Unfortunately, his 4.63 ERA and 1.541 WHIP did not impress and he found himself back at Triple A for the rest of the season. He made it though, and that is far more than most players.

Following the 1989 season, Hardy moved to the Rangers farm system. I'm not sure if Chicago released him or if he became a free agent. I can't find any record of a trade. However he got to the Rangers, they assigned him to Triple A for the 1990 season.

Jack appeared in 53 games for the 89ers in 1990, all in relief. He put up a respectable 2.34 ERA over the 88.1 innings he pitched. His 1.200 WHIP was a little more concerning and probably why he never got a call to Arlington. Hardy ended the season with a 5-4 record.

I'm not sure what happened after the 1990 season ended. Maybe Jack Hardy only signed a one year deal with Texas. Maybe the club decided a 30-year-old right hander with little Major League experience was not a good use of a Triple A roster spot. Maybe Hardy himself decided to go out on top. Whatever happened, 1990 would be Jack Hardy's last season as a professional baseball player.