1999 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman Warren Morris

 

Many Topps All-Star Rookies have a fun anecdote or two about their path to the big leagues, and Warren Morris is no different. He's best known for his College World Series heroics, and he was also an Olympian, helping Team USA Baseball win Bronze in the 1996 Summer Games. Three years later, he was the Pirates' everyday second baseman as a rookie. His offensive stats were just about league average for a second baseman, but coming in his rookie year, average is very good. His 73 RBI led all NL rookies and were the most by a Pirates' rookie since Ralph Kiner! He collected his first major league hit on Opening Day, a double. He had a torrid first half, hitting .301 with 11 doubles, 9 homers, and 47 RBI. All this made him the obvious choice for the Topps All-Star Rookie team.

The Pirates acquired Morris along with former top prospect Todd Van Poppel from the Rangers close to the Trade deadline in 1998. Morris would be given the chance to be the team's second baseman when the Pirates decided to part ways with Tony Womack before the start of the 1999 season. Morris made his case for the spot in the Arizona Fall League in '98, leading the short season league in slugging percentage, a stat that was never Womack's strong suit.  

Morris was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers out of LSU in the 5th Round of the 1996 June Draft. Morris still found time to lead Team USA in homers in the 1996 Summer Games while hitting a robust .409. Before winning Bronze in the Olympics, Morris was the hero of the 1996 College World Series. He had missed two months of the season and was batting ninth in the order for LSU after breaking his hamate bone early in the season. The Junior would come to the plate in the bottom of the ninth against Miami with two outs, a man on third, and his team trailing by a run (which was knocked in by future Red Sox Skipper Alex Cora). Morris swung at the first pitch curve ball, hoping to make solid contact and keep the line moving, but the ball kept carrying and sailed over the fence for a dramatic walk off win. 

Morris' rookie season with Pittsburgh would be his best in the big leagues. After hitting 15 homers in his rookie year, he'd hit just 3 in 2000. Much was made of his slugging ability in his previous stops in College and the Olympics, and he also had 19 homers and 103 RBI in 1998 for the Rangers and Pirates' AA affiliates. He had a 5 hit game in June of 2000, and a 4 hit game in September, but he wasn't able to translate that to consistent success at the big league level. While he had a career high 31 doubles in 2000, the rest of his offensive stats dipped and the sophomore slump was enough for the Pirates to move on from Morris to former Twin Pat Meares at second in 2001. He would split the 2001 season between AAA and the Pirates, and hit well in the minors, with a .305 average and an OPS over .800, which made him an intriguing option for several teams the following year.

In 2002, the Minnesota Twins picked up Morris after being released by the Pirates, but he was used by the Twins in just 4 big league games. In June, he was traded from the Twins' AAA affiliate to the Cardinals minor league system, and by the end of the season had found his way to Pawtucket via waivers, now playing for Boston's AAA affiliate. He played well enough to pique the interest of the Detroit Tigers, who gave him the everyday 2B job for the 2003 season. He was still a sneaky power bat at the bottom of the order, and had developed into a very good defensive second baseman. He was helped along the way under the wing of Bill Mazeroski, whose tutelage helped Morris to lead the NL in Range Factor for 2B in 2000. For Detroit, Morris appeared in 97 games and added another 6 homers to his career totals. In 2004, he spent the entire season in AAA Toledo, again showing signs of a decent bat and a slick glove. Both Cleveland and Milwaukee gave him a look in the minors in 2005, but Morris decided to call it a career at that point. He returned home to Alexandria, LA to his wife and infant twin daughters and took a job with a local bank, where he's been employed ever since. His degree from LSU is in Zoology- Geaux Tigers!

1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Ben Grieve

 

Many profiles of our next Topps All-Star Rookie want to know "What happened to Ben Grieve?" If you follow the trajectory of many phenoms / "can't miss" prospects, his story is probably a familiar one. Grieve had an MLB lineage (his father was a first round pick, too), to go along with a stellar prep career that had the scouts ready to fall all over themselves. Grieve backed up the hype in his rookie season with the A's - he set a franchise record for hits by a rookie, and made the MLB All-Star team en route to Rookie of the Year honors in the AL. Of course, that made him an ideal candidate for the Topps All-Star Rookie squad as well.

To give some perspective about how highly the A's thought of Grieve, he had more plate appearances that season than Rickey Henderson. Grieve's 41 doubles led the A's, as did his 168 base hits. Just 22 years old, Grieve was ready to take his place in Oakland A's history. 

The Oakland A's selected Grieve #2 Overall out of high school in Arlington, TX. He grew up with his father Tom Grieve as a 9 year veteran MLB pitcher and later coach and GM. Ben's older brother Tim was also a talented pitcher, and Ben even got the chance to face off against him in the minor leagues. The MLB connection included getting hitting instruction from the then Texas Rangers hitting coach Tom Robson while Ben was in high school. 

As prospects go, few were hotter than Grieve - he was the 1997 Minor League Player of the Year, have forced his way onto the MLB roster to finish the season. He slugged .610 with 24 homers in double A, then surpassed that with a SLG north of .700 in a handful of games in AAA Edmonton. He had already made an impression in 1996, hitting .356 for the season in Modesto. There was little doubt that Grieve was on his way to star status.

Despite the fact that Grieve's 1998 season was his only All-Star Appearance, his entire A's career was a success. Grieve follow up his Rookie of the Year campaign with a career high 28 homers. In 2000 he once again reached 40 doubles, this time with 27 homers, making it the highest slugging of his MLB career to date. He also topped 100 RBI for the first time, finishing the year with 104. That season marked his first appearance in post season play, where he struggled with a 2-17 with 7 strikeouts performance in the ALDS against the Yankees. Over the first 3 full seasons in the big leagues, Grieve was averaging 35 doubles, 25 homers, and over 90 RBI. 

Before the 2001 season began, Grieve was traded to Tampa in a wild three team deal that sent Johnny Damon to Oakland, Angel Berroa and Roberto Hernandez to Kansas City, along with several other players flipping between Oakland and KC. Grieve was the lone player coming to Tampa Bay, and they certainly thought they were getting a steal. It's about this time when people started the "what happened to Ben Grieve" narratives, with his first season with Rays just 11 homers and a 100 point drop in his slugging percentage. After the trade, Grieve had gone from second banana behind Jason Giambi to top dog in Tampa. He was hitting 5th in the order after an older Fred McGriff and Greg Vaughn. He was making less contact in Tampa (certainly the roof in St. Pete was less inviting than California sun), setting a career high with 159 strikeouts. The positives? He still rattled off a pair of 30 double seasons, and his walk rate had improved considerably. Maybe the opposition was willing (and able) to pitch around Grieve now that he was the main focus of the lineup? 2003 added injury to insult, as a blood clot in his shoulder required surgery. He would play in just 55 games that year, his last in Tampa. 

He was entering a free agent season after the injury, and was left with fewer options than a former ROY would normally expect. He landed in Milwaukee, where he was used in platoon situations for 108 games. He was on the move again the next year, taking a brief tour of the NL Central division. While the Pirates signed him initially, he would end up playing for the Cubs for a handful of games in 2004 and 2005. He moved to the south side after that, playing minor league ball for the White Sox for two more seasons. 

Do you have any Ben Grieve memories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading!

I Love The 80s - 1982 Pittsburgh Pirates

 This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

In 1981, the Pirates were now twice removed from their last World Championship. The 1980 season ended with a September swoon, and 1981 never really got off the ground. The team was 5.5 games out of first place in the NL East when the strike began in 81, and there was optimism that a fresh start was just what the veteran ballclub needed. They needed a bit more than that, as they slipped even further in the standings in the 2nd half, trailing 5 other clubs. They would have the 4th best record overall that year in the NL East, finishing the season with a 46-56 record. 

During the 81 season,  the team added Jason Thompson to take over at first base for the great Willie Stargell, whose production had fallen off. Thompson and Bill Madlock made up the vast majority of the offense for the Pirates, with former MVP Dave Parker slowed by injury and added insult from media, fans, and the front office. Pittsburgh fans moved on to the college ranks early to follow the exploits of a young Dan Marino, who led Pitt to a national #1 Ranking for most of the season. Their lone loss came at the hands of in-state rival Penn State.

In 1982, it was Madlock and Thompson again leading the way, the team actually had the 2nd most runs scored in the NL. The team's pitching was not keeping up with the offense, however, and they would end up right where they were in 1981. Another 4th place finish, fueled by a late season fade like 1980. They did however greatly improve their record, going 84-78 for the year, and improvement of nearly 60 points worth of winning pct. The early 80s would not be kind to the Pirates in the NL East, as other younger teams would rise and flourish before Pittsburgh could rejuvenate their roster for the tail end of the decade.

The Cards:

Fleer #490 Tony Peña - An All-Star in 1982 in the National League, Peña was just 25 but establishing himself as one of the best receivers in the Senior Circuit. He threw out his fair share of base runners, but at the time he display even more value at the plate. In his rookie year, he hit an even .300 and finished 6th in the ROY balloting. 1982 was his sophomore campaign, and he nearly hit .300 again while also starting a string of 5 straight seasons with 10 or more homers. Peña was a 4 time gold glove winner and had a tremendous season in 1984 with 5.9 WAR, nearly half of which came from his defense. Peña would be the main prize in the trade that brought Andy Van Slyke to the Pirates from Saint Louis. In the 1987 World Series, he hit .409 over the 7 games, driving in 4 runs and stealing a base against the Twins. 

Fleer #488 Steve Nicosia - Backing up the young star Peña meant plenty of time for chewing gum and blowing bubbles. Nicosia caught in 39 games and was a solid replacement when called upon, hitting .280 for the Pirates in 1982. As a rookie in 1979, he platooned with Ed Ott and even saw action in 4 World Series games for the Fam-A-Lee. His work during the regular season in limited duty was enough to make his the 1979 Topps All-Star Rookie Catcher. He would continue his role as a backup behind Tony Peña and then in San Francisco. He hit .303 in 48 games in 1984, but also had a nasty collision at home plate with Mike Scioscia that resulted in a pair of broken ribs. We would finish his MLB career catching for both Montreal and Toronto during the 1985 season. 

Fleer #481 Mike Easler - The 1982 everyday left fielder was proving to be a late-blooming success, making his first All-Star team in 1981,  having a career year for the Pirates in 1980 at the age of 29. Originally drafted and signed in 1969 by the Astros, Easler had a long and winding path through the minor leagues, finding the road to the show blocked by happenstance and the misfortune of crowded outfields on his way up. By the time he made his first significant foray as a reserve for the Pirates during the 1979 season, he had already played in nearly 10 different uniforms in the minors, majors, and winter leagues.  He didn't display much speed in the big leagues, but was a solid defender and could hit for power. His best season would come with the Red Sox in 1984, when he hit .313, socked 27 homers, and drove in 91 runs. He also played a pair of seasons in Japan, and went on to coach and serve as a hitting instructor for several minor league and big league teams.

Topps #106 Enrique Romo - Romo was the setup man for Kent Tekulve in 1979 and 1980, while briefly assuming the closer role in 1981. He came to the majors in 1977 for the expansion Mariners having already established himself for years as an elite hurler in the Mexican League. He led his team in Mexico to three league championships as a starter including a season as a 20 game winner in 1976. Soon after joining the Mariners, he was converted to the bullpen, which allowed his mix of off-speed pitches to play up against MLB hitters. He and Mike Easler played together in the Mexican Winter League following the Pirates World series win. His signature pitch was a screwball, which he taught to Bobby Castillo, who in turn taught it to Dodger great Fernando Valenzuela. Romo was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. 

Topps #343 Dave Parker - In 1982, Dave Parker was 31 years old, and had appeared in just 73 games for the Pirates, hitting .270/.330/.447 - well below the MVP pace he had set in 1978. Pirates management, along with the local media and fans, took the injury history of Parker and opted instead to accuse him of laziness. He had been signed to a lucrative contract extension just prior to the 1979 season. His performance in the All-Star game, including a laser throw to prevent a run late in the game, had given evidence that it was worth it. He was named MVP of the contest, and the Pirates would go on to win the World Series thanks in no small part to his .345 average and 4 RBI. That's what made the next few years so painful for everyone involved, as Parker's production began to go into a tailspin following a series of leg injuries suffered on the astroturf of Three Rivers Stadium. He would resurrect his career in Cincinnati, and go on to provide veteran leadership for a young and hungry Oakland A's franchise, including another World Series win in 1989 to add to his resume. Parker is on a very short list of players that have not yet been called to Cooperstown despite multiple championships and yearly awards to go along with impressive career totals. He was a 7 time All-Star, won 2 batting titles, 3 Gold Gloves, 3 Silver Sluggers, and finished his career with two "DH of the Year" awards. 

Topps #618 Tim Foli - I chose this card for the black on black uniform variation - The Pirates had Black Tops with Yellow pants, Yellow Tops with Black Pants, all Yellow, all Black, and white pinstripe variations at any given time in the early 80s. Foli departed from Pittsburgh for California prior to the 1982 season, in a trade for catcher Brian Harper. Foli was the everyday Shortstop for the Pirates in 79, 80 and 1981. He was a slick defender, and was extremely tough to strike out. He led the league 1979, 80, and 82 with the highest ratio of ABs to Ks each of those seasons. He was originally drafted by the Mets, then traded to Montreal in the Rusty Staub deal. With the Expos, he was the starting SS from the beginning. He was the first player in Expos history to hit for the cycle, and consistently ranked near the top of the league in several fielding categories. 

Donruss #653 Bill Madlock - In 1981, Madlock won his 3rd batting title with a .341 average for the Pirates. He would finish 2nd in the league in 1982 then win it all again in 1983. He would actually finish with more batting titles than All-Star appearances, so if you're trying to come up with underrated players, don't forget Bill! His mid season acquisition by the Pirates in 1979 certainly tipped the scales in their favor to make the post season and his .375 batting average during the Fall Classic was instrumental as well. Madlock took on the roles of "professional hitter" and "savvy veteran" for the Dodgers in 1985 and again for the Tigers in 1987. He had 3 homers for LA in the 1985 NLCS,  and hit .279 over the 2nd half of the 1987 season helping the Tigers take the AL East pennant. 

O-Pee-Chee #188 Willie Stargell - No real reason for picking the OPC version of this card, it was what I had handy. "Pops," as he became affectionately known, was a 21 year MLB veteran in 1982, having played his entire career with the Pirates. Stargell was a member both the 1971 and 1979 World Championship teams, forming a bridge to the Roberto Clemente era. By 1981 and 82, he was more valuable as mentor to the younger generation of players than anything he would provide on the field. The 1979 season was his grand finale - he was league MVP, as well as MVP of both the NLCS and the World Series. Much like Clemente's performance in the 1971 series, Stargell took the team on his back and willed them to victory. He hit an even .400 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI for the series. Unlike Parker (Who had 500 more hits than Willie) or Bill Madlock (whose career average was more than 20 points higher), Stargell had no trouble getting into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot. His 475 career homers and 1,540 career RBI were at the top of everyone's mind, as was his heroics during the 1979 post season. 

Donruss #311 Kent Tekulve - "Teke" still ranks in the top ten in games pitched with 1,050 career MLB appearances. He saved 184 games over the course of his career, which may not seem like much compared to the closers of the current era, but he was used in a much different way. He was every manager's not so secret weapon, coming into the the game whenever outs were needed the most. He saved 3 games in the 1979 World Series, appearing in 5 of the 7 games total. He made the All-Star squad just once, in 1980, but was among the most called upon and most trusted bullpen arms for 16 seasons in the big leagues. His career ERA is 2.85 and ERA+ is 132. He didn't have the K rates like Kimbrel or Josh Hader, but he was incredibly stingy with the homer and rarely walked batters. He featured a sinker, a slider, and curveball; all delivered submarine style.

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Jose Guillen

Jose Guillen  has one of the better All-Star Rookie cards of all time. Posing with the statue of the great Roberto Clemente, and poised to become the Pirates' right fielder of the future, Guillen beamed. He shared some of the same skills that made Clemente so good, in particular a throwing arm that dazzled and delighted fans. He was a Topps All-Star rookie at just the age of 20, with a long and productive MLB career ahead of him.

Guillen would have a decent season for the Pirates as their everyday Right Fielder in 1997. He hit 14 homers and drove in 70 runs. He was the 4th youngest player in the league but was still entrusted with the second most plate appearances on the Pirates' squad. While he had a great arm (9 assists as a rookie), he struggled a bit with the leather, ranking 2nd in errors among right fielders. He ranked below league average in rate stats, however was still learning the finer points of the game.

Guillen was signed in 1993 by the Pirates as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He would spent his minor league career in Single A clubs, with an MVP season in 1996 for the high A Lynchburg Hillcats. His final minor league season, he hit .322 with 21 homers and 24 stolen bases. The steals were somewhat of a mirage, as he never stole more than 5 bases in a season before or since. He followed up his 1997 season with a nearly identical 1998 season. He performed even better in the field, and led the NL in RF assists. Despite two seasons with 14 homers and nearly as many errors, Guillen was still considered a top prospect by many observers, who were more than willing to compare him to Roberto Clemente or Dave Winfield, who did have somewhat slow starts to their Hall of Fame careers. 

After leaving Pittsburgh, Guillen began a whirlwind tour of the big leagues, never stopping in one place for more than a couple seasons. He was either burning bridges or providing tantalizing potential at seemingly every stop along the way. Tampa picked him up in 1999 near the trade deadline, and he would muster just 15 homers over the next 2 and a half seasons before being released. The Arizona Diamondbacks gave him a chance, and after hitting .229 over 54 games, he was cut loose. The Rockies had him for just two days, and decided to go in  another direction before he hooked up with the Reds in Cincinnati to finish the 2002 season. He actually played his best baseball in Cincy, including a torrid first half in 2003, when he slashed .337/.385/.629 with a 165 OPS+. He found his power stroke, hitting 23 homers for the Reds before becoming a deadline deal to the Oakland A's. It was in Oakland the he had his only taste of post season play, hitting .455 in 4 games against Boston in the 2003 ALDS. 

He then signed a deal with AL West rivals the Angels, but butted heads with Mike Scioscia on numerous occasions. Even with a career high 104 RBI, he was on the move again after one season in Anaheim. Now in D.C., Guillen had a good season, followed by an atrocious one in which he hit just .216 with just 9 homers. The next year he was in Seattle, and managed to knock in 99 runs, but wore out his welcome there just as quickly. He then signed a 3 year deal with Kansas City, and nearly fulfilled the whole contract before being traded midway through the 2010 season to San Francisco. By that point he had publicly called his teammates babies and openly complained about K.C.'s losing culture. 

His final MLB stop was a stretch run in San Francisco for the Giants team that finally got over the hump and won a championship. Guillen missed the on field celebration, he had been left off the post season roster while being investigated for the alleged use of HGH. He hit .266 with 5 homers and 13 RBI for the Giants in the closing months of the 2010 season, and they would be the last games he would play in the league.

His Career MLB Totals

I'll leave you with a more positive note, here's video of Guillen's tremendous throwing arm taken from a game in 1998. 

Do you have any Jose Guillen Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

1996 Topps All-Star Rookie Third Baseman Joe Randa

Hitting over .300 with 20+ doubles and 10+ steals will get you most of the way towards a spot on the Topps All-Star Rookie roster. throw in some good defense and a successful minor league track record and you are nearly a lock!

 Joe Randa did all of that in his first full MLB season as the Kansas City Royals' primary 3rd baseman. George Brett had now been retired for a few years and long since moved over from 3rd to 1st (and DH), so a new hotshot at the hot corner was a welcome sight indeed. His .303 batting average in 1996 was best on the team among the regular starters.

Randa was drafted first by the Angels out of high school, but Volunteered to go to the University of Tennessee instead. After setting RBI records with the school, the Royals made him an 11th Round pick in 1991. He turned out to be more than ready for professional baseball, becoming the Northwest League Player of the Year, suiting up for the Eugene Emeralds. Throughout his minor league climb, Randa hit for average and flashed speed and power on occasion to go with solid defense at third.

His Royals career spanned 8 seasons, broken up by a pair of years with other organizations in the late 90s. Randa earned the nickname "The Joker" because he was often seen sporting a wry, mischievous grin.  Tony Muser's explanation was that it was just his resting face. Ok Tony. He did have plenty to smile about as a Royal however, including his two most productive MLB seasons in 1999 and 2000. In '99 Randa hit .314 and 16 homers, then followed it up by driving in over 100 runs for the only time in his career. Over 1,000 of his career hits came in a Royals uni. In 2004 he became just the 3rd player in Royals history to get 6 hits in a game. He also ended up scoring 6 runs in the contest.

His career also included a Grover Cleveland-esque non consecutive 2 year stint in Pittsburgh (1997 and 2006), and stops in Detroit, Cincinnati, and San Diego. He was very briefly an Arizona Diamondback (drafted in the expansion draft, then traded to the Tigers for Travis Fryman), and a New York Met (acquired on Dec 4th for Willie Blair, then traded to KC on Dec 10th for Juan LeBron - maybe the Mets confused him for Carlos Beltran just like Topps did?). His Reds tenure was also short lived, but memorable. He hit the first Opening Day walk-off homer in Reds history, and followed that with a 6 RBI encore in game 2 of the opening series in 2005. Between Cincy and San Diego that season, he belted a career high 17 homers. San Diego also provided him with his only playoff experience, hitting .364 in three games. His final stop in Pittsburgh saw his production and playing time decline, so he called it a career following the season. He retired with more base hits than games played, and over 700 career RBI.

Let's hear your Joe Randa stories! 

1994 Topps Rookie All-Star Short Stop Chris Gomez

The 1994 Topps Rookie All-Star squad returns for Labor Day with a player who exemplifies hard work. Chris Gomez played both 2nd and Short for the Tigers in 1994, and makes the Topps Roster as the team's SS.

Gomez was developed as a glove first middle infielder, but it was his unexpected power surge in 1994 that convinced Sparky Anderson to continue to pencil him into the lineup for the Tigers. The team of course had Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker for the umpteenth season in the middle infield, as well as super utility man Tony Phillips to fill in, limiting Gomez to 84 games played.

The Tigers drafted Gomez in the third round of the 1992 draft out of Long Beach State. He originally attended Loyola Marymount after High School in Lakewood California. He was drafted out of high school by the Angels but opted to go to school for an education and to develop his skills. By his senior season, Gomez was an elite defender and capable with the bat, becoming an All-American selection at Short.

Gomez had the tall task of supplanting Alan Trammell as the everyday SS for the Tigers, and the early returns were promising. His defense was predictably solid, and he did hit 11 homers in 1995, but had just a .223 batting average. The Tigers had been spoiled for nearly 2 decades with a perennial All-Star at the position and would end up trading him to San Diego in 1996 in a trade including Brad Ausmus and Andujar Cedeño. 

Gomez would play parts of 5 seasons with the Friars, including a big offensive year in 1998, when he hit a career best 32 doubles. He hit .364 for the 1998 World Series, including a triple. His superlative defense continued as well, leading the NL fielding pct and was second in double plays turned.

Following his Padres' run and a successful season as the Rays' shortstop, Gomez became a valuable utility player for several teams, playing all over the infield for Minnesota, Toronto, Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and almost Philadelphia.

Interesting story - in December of 2004, Baltimore scooped up Chris Gomez from the free agent class just before the Rule V draft. The Orioles didn't have room on the major league roster at the moment as they were exploring trades to possibly net Tim Hudson from the A's. The O's placed Gomez temporarily on the AA Bowie BaySox roster. The Phillies swooped in and opted to use one of their minor league Rule V selections to pick Gomez, and Baltimore nearly lost their free agent to a technicality. The Phillies wanted Gomez as insurance for possibly losing Placido Polanco, but once the Phils reunited with him, they gave the O's a chance to buy back Gomez.

Any Chris Gomez memories to share? Maybe Cleveland fans that recall the playoff push in 2007? Or Padres fans from a decade before?

1994 Topps All-Star Rookie OF Raúl Mondesí

As we continue to look at Topps All-Star Rookies, Raúl Mondesí is one who looked for all the world to be an all-time great. Is his story a tragedy? You be the judge.

Mondesí was born in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic- where baseball was big. José Rijo would precede him to the majors, and he would be followed by a flood of players including Ervin Santana, Francisco Liriano, José Guillén, Michael Pineda, Pedro Strop, Miguel Andújar, among others. By the time Mondesí arrived in the majors, he was drawing comparisons to the great Roberto Clemente for his prodigious outfield arm and the solid skills he displayed in all facets of the game. 

After signing as a free agent in 1988 with the Dodgers, Mondesí spent 2 seasons in his home country developing his skills. He made his professional debut in 1990 with the Great Falls Dodgers in the Pioneer League. At the age of 19, he hit over .300, slugged .543, and stole 30 bases in just 44 games. The following season, he was promoted from A to AA to AAA, slashing .277 / .315 / .454 combined across all levels, with an OPS+ of 149. He had a setback in 1992, playing in just 53 games due to a rash of injuries. He would return to AAA in 1993 and posted career highs in nearly every offensive category. Most importantly, Mondesí played in 110 games, proving that he could remain healthy for a full season. 

Eric Karros was the 1992 Rookie of the Year, Mike Piazza won the award in 1993, and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Mondesí would follow suit in 1994. The strike shortened campaign tempered his final tallies a bit, but he posted solid numbers across all categories. 16 homers, 11 stolen bases, a .303 batting average, and a league leading 16 outfield assists. He would follow up that rookie campaign with a monster year. In 1995, Mondesí made his only All-Star appearance, won his first Gold Glove, and posted 26 homers and 27 stolen bases.

As he reached his peak years in his mid to late 20s, Mondesí would find an even higher level of production. He became the first Dodger to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a season (1997), and continued to rack up outfield assists and a 2nd Gold Glove. All told, Mondesí hit 163 homers and stole 140 bases for L.A. in 7 seasons. He had a similar start to future Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Andre Dawson.

He was traded from L.A. to Toronto as the main piece of the Shawn Green trade, and he enjoyed a mostly productive stint over 2 and a half seasons. Injuries would start to creep in, sidetracking his 2000 season after 96 games. His average with Jays dropped from his .288 career mark to the .250s, but he continued to mix power and speed with 66 homers and 61 steals.

Following his Blue Jays career, Mondesí would bounce around to 5 different teams- New York, Arizona, Pittsburgh, the Angels, and finally Atlanta in 2005. He would conclude his career with 271 career homers, over 1500 hits, 229 stolen bases and 909 runs scored.

He returned to the Dominican Republic and ran for political office, ultimately becoming the mayor of his hometown San Cristóbal in 2010. The city was also the birthplace of the Domincan Republic´s long-time dictator, Rafael Trujillo, known for his cruelty and corruption. Mondesí did not fall into the former, but unfortunately became embroiled in a scandal involving the latter. During his playing career, he reportedly earned over $66 Million dollars on his contracts- but as mayor he was accused of misappropriating funds and embezzlement during his 6-year term. He is currently serving an 8 year prison sentence, and is barred from political office in the D.R. for 10 years. During his time as mayor, his son Adalberto Mondesí became a World Series champ with the Kansas City Royals. The younger Mondesí is still on the Royals, currently on the 10 day IL with a shoulder injury.

1993 Topps All-Star Rookie Left Handed Pitcher Steve Cooke

Lefty starter Steve Cooke was born in Hawaii, a descendant of some of the earliest U.S. citizens to travel to the island chain. His ancestors played baseball with innovator Alexander Cartwright while he was a firefighter in Honolulu in the 1800s. Cooke's own baseball journey began on the islands, but he would attend high school in Tigard, OR.

After pitching in college at Southern Idaho, Cooke was a 35th round selection of the Pirates in 1989. In the minors he made steady progress by displaying impeccable control and limiting damage. Cooke made his MLB debut in July of 1992, pitching the last 2 frames of a blowout loss to the Cubs. He made 10 more appearances that year for the major league club, setting the stage for his rookie year in 1993, where he would slot into the middle of the rotation.

Cooke's rookie season was something Pirates fans had not seen in some time. He led the team in strikeouts, Innings pitched, ERA, and finished second in victories behind the legend Bob Walk. The last time a rookie led the Pirates in strikeouts was aaaallll the way back in 1949! His 10 victories were the third most among rookies in 1992, and a lefty with a pulse, he was a highly coveted asset for the Pirates. As is often the case with young pitchers, injuries can quickly derail even the most promising of starts. Cooke had shoulder issues crop up which would require surgery, and knock him out of major league action for nearly 2 full seasons. He would make a comeback for the Pirates in 1997.

Cooke would find rough sailing upon his return but it was still a thrill and a pleasure to be back in a big league uniform. He'd top 100 strikeouts again in 1997, for the first time since his rookie campaign, and had 9 victories for the Buccos over 32 starts.

In 1998, he'd make one start for the Cincinnati Reds, allowing 1 run over 6 innings, but injuries again would limit his time on the field. He was diagnosed with tendinitis in his elbow after missing his second start, and would not pitch again in 1998. He'd sign with the Rays for 1999, but did not make the team. He pitched 5 games for the Padres' AAA affiliate, then spent 2 seasons in independent baseball before retiring.

1993 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman Carlos Garcia

Carlos Garcia wasn't a superstar, but he was an All-Star. He took over for the recently traded Jose Lind as the Pirates' regular second baseman in 1993. Garcia had languished for three seasons in AAA, blocked by both Lind and Jay Bell. Garcia was a Short Stop in the minors, but would not be taking Jay Bell's place. Garcia had 10 homers in 89, 10 in 1990 and 13 in 1992-- making his case to be a major leaguer for Pirates.

He would finish a distant 7th in the Rookie of the Year voting, but his 12 homers in 1993 were significant. The last Pirate Second Baseman to hit 10 or more homers? Bill Mazeroski in 1966! Things were looking pretty good for Carlos Garcia!

Following his Topps All-Star Rookie nod, he was the Pirates' lone representative for the 1994 All-Star Game, getting a base hit in his only at bat. Take that, Tim Salmon! Garcia was the Pirates' regular starter at second through the 1996 season.

1993 ended being a career year for Carlos, with career highs in homers, hits, runs scored, doubles, triples, stolen bases... you get the picture. In 1995, he had a 21 game hitting streak and driving in a career high 50 runs. 1996 was his best year for batting average, hitting nearly .300 in his last season with the Pirates.

His final Topps card came following his 1997 season in Toronto. He'd go on to a season with the Angels and their AAA affiliate in 1998, then a season with the Padres and their AAA affiliate in 1999. He would play 2 more years for the Yankees' AAA team before hanging up the spikes.

Looks cold in Toronto! Also cool - Garcia wore #13 in honor of Dave Concepcion, the long time Cincinnati Reds' player. Following his playing career, Garcia went into coaching and found some success in the minors managing in the Pirates' organization. He managed the single A Bradenton team and two seasons for the AA Altona Curve. Last year he was managing in the Mexican League.