1999 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Carlos Beltrán

Ok cats and kittens, let's talk Carlos Beltrán. The folks at Topps love a good overnight sensation story, and Beltrán was ready to deliver it. He skipped AAA and jumped to the big leagues to stay in 1999, shocking many by winning the AL Rookie of the Year award. So of course he was also headlining the 1999 Topps All-Star Rookie Squad.

A 2nd Round pick in 1995 out of Puerto Rico, Beltrán was well-known in Kansas City circles, but not considered a major league prospect in his first few pro seasons. He had a great glove, and was even named KC's best defensive minor league player in 1997. In 1998, he forced his way into the Royals' future plans by making a meteoric rise through the system. Still just 21 years old, he was promoted mid season to AA Wichita, where he hit .352/.427/.687 in 47 games. He was also stealing bases and playing elite defense in Center field. The surprising totals earned him a September call-up. He had started the year as the 93rd ranked prospect in baseball and found himself as the 14th by the time spring training rolled around in 1999. He made the Opening Day roster and began making his mark in the big leagues from there.

The early 00s Royals were probably one of the most exciting cellar dwellers in baseball. The outfield alone consisted of Beltrán, Johnny Damon, and Jermaine Dye. Well, at least for a little while. The Royals weren't major players in free agency, and at the time really struggled to re-sign their talented youngsters. Damon was traded in 2001 before the season started, then by mid season Dye was off to Oakland to join him. Beltrán stuck around a bit longer, through some fairly lean years. His talent was enough to keep fans interested and invested in the Royals, where he could be counted on for 20+ homers, 30+ steals, and Gold Glove worthy defense for parts of 7 seasons. He was a legit 5-tool player, and coming up on his prime (and free agent) years, which meant it was only a matter of time before he was traded.

In 2004,  the Astros spent big in the offseason to add Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte to their starting rotation. They already had future hall of famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell in their lineup, but there was one position that had been a glaring weakness for some time. The Astros needed a center fielder. When the team pulled off a three-team deal in June, they finally found the man they'd been missing. Houston execs gushed about Beltrán, and they got exactly the player they were hoping for. In 90 regular season games, he belted 23 homers, stole 28 bases, and had a 135 OPS+ to go with 4.5 WAR. That was just an appetizer for the post-season. In the NLDS against Atlanta, he went 10-22 with 4 homers and 9 RBI. He scored 9 runs and stole a pair of bases. He played equally well in the NLCS, hitting 4 more homers, scoring 12 times in the 7 game series and producing a WPA (win probability added) of .82 for the series, which trailed only the great Albert Pujols. The Astros were eliminated in that final game, but for that brief time, Beltrán made his value clear.  

Now a free agent and just entering his prime at age 28, Beltrán made his way to New York to try to make a legacy for himself and the Mets. Things didn't go quite as he planned, though hindsight shows that he was even better in New York (129 OPS+) than he was in Kansas City (111 OPS+). He was undone again by the Cardinals in the post season of 2006, losing in 7 games in the NLCS. Beltrán had the the final at bat in the series, and was locked up by an Adam Wainwright curve ball, which some Mets fans still hold against him. All told, he spent 7 seasons in Queens. Despite 5 All-Star Appearances and 3 Gold Gloves, Beltrán was often blasted by the New York media for the team's inability to win titles. He was well respected by his teammates and coaches, but just like his time in KC, as his contract came to a close, the writing was on the wall that a move would be made.

 

Just shy of the trading deadline in 2011, the Mets sent Beltrán to San Francisco in exchange for pitcher Zack Wheeler. Beltrán hit well for his new team down the stretch, slashing .323/.369/.551 with 7 homers, but the Giants finished 2nd in the NL West and missed the playoffs. A free agent again, Beltrán attempted the old fashioned "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy and signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had a pair of All-Star campaigns, as well as more post season glory. In the 2012 NLDS, he hit .444 with a pair of homers. He tormented the Dodgers the following year in the NLCS with 6 hits including the Game 1 walk off winner. 

He returned to New York in 2014, now as an elder statesman and reserve outfielder. He'd reach the post season in 2015 for a cameo appearance (1-4), then again with the Rangers in 2016 as a DH. The only thing left for Beltrán, with all his personal success in the post season and in his career, was to find a way to bring home a championship for his team.

In 2017, he'd get his chance. He was a well-loved and well-respected icon among his teammates, and they even jokingly held a funeral for his outfielder's glove in July, as Beltrán had become at that point more of a player/coach and pinch hitter. He was always a student of the game and like his coach Alex Cora, extremely adept at reading opponent's signs and tendencies.

R.I.P. Beltrán's legacy?

Now at this point, we have only the various accounts of other teammates, coaches and opposing players to guide what Beltrán did as part of the 2017 Astros' sign stealing scandal. What seems most damning is that his name was only one singled out among the players in the official report of the investigation. What his exact role and level of involvement was, we might never really know. Certainly he was working to help his team win by any means necessary and certainly crossed a line. His coach Alex Cora would say as much - but also wanted to make it crystal clear when he said that this wasn't a two man operation. Cora shared responsibility for the scandal with the whole team, didn't say he was any less guilty, but also didn't think what happened with Beltrán after the investigation was totally "fair."

Beltrán was hired to manage the Mets shortly before the news of the sign stealing scandal was released. he would resign his position before ever taking the field as manager, and hasn't returned to baseball since. He did just get hired by the Yankees of all teams to be an analyst for their broadcasts in 2022 (if MLB has any broadcasts is still up in the air at the moment). 

So, tally it all up - a Rookie of the Year, 2X Silver Slugger, 3X Gold Glove winner, 9X All-Star, and "World Series Champion" with some legit career numbers. His post-season career was quite impressive, earning him the nickname Señor Octubre. Out of all the people involved with the scandal, so far he seems to have been negatively impacted the most. It didn't hurt Marwin Gonzalez, George Springer, A.J. Hinch, or Alex Cora in the long term- it remains to be seen how Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve fare with their next contracts, but chances are they'll get paid well too.  

Maybe we'll get to hear more from Beltrán in the future about his role in all of this. He's scheduled to appear on the 2023 Hall of Fame Ballot, so one way or another we're bound to hear plenty of other people talk about it. 

I Love the 80s - 1982 San Francisco Giants

 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!

The 1981 Giants were a veteran club that struggled to make up ground on the NL West frontrunners - they finished 5th in the first half, 3rd in the 2nd half, good for (you guessed it) the 4th best record overall in the division. They were led by Frank Robinson - who was MVP in both leagues as a player, and by virtue of his first managerial gig in the senior circuit, he became the 1st African American manager hired in both leagues as well. 

In 1982, Robinson would see his team improve across the board by completely overhauling the starting rotation, as well as getting quite a bit younger at several key positions. They finished 1982 with a record of 87-75. While this was only good for a 3rd place finish, they also were able to hang their hats on playing the role of spoiler. In the season's final weekend, the Giants were just one game out of first place. The rival Dodgers came to town and a Jerry Reuss shutout in the opener pushed the Giants out of the picture. The Giants would get their revenge the following day, knocking the Dodgers out of playoff contention. The weekend was capped by a home run from 38 year old Joe Morgan, who remarked after the game "I wanted this one for the Giants and the fans." Morgan would depart as a free agent following that final at bat and helped the 1983 Phillies go all the way to the World Series. The Giants would continue to get younger - and nearly landed a generational talent in the draft. Their 2nd round pick in 1982 was Barry Bonds. They ended up losing him the same way they lost the chance to sign Hank Aaron so many years ago, by not offering the best contract. Bonds asked for $75,000; the General Manager at the time wouldn't budge past $70,000. That led Barry to stick to his guns and opt to attend College rather than sign for less than he was worth. 

The Cards:

Fleer #384 Vida Blue - Blue was the headliner of a Giants' rotation in 1981 that was built on experience. Blue was still just 31 years old, but it would be his last season in San Francisco. He came to the Giants in 1978 in a Spring Training trade that sent 7 players and cash to the Oakland A's. He was coming off a season in which he lost an AL leading 19 games, however that can be attributed to the dismantling of the A's dynasty around him rather than any particular shortcomings on the mound. He was an All Star despite the tough luck losses, then followed it up with a stellar season again his first time pitching in the National League. He would make the 5th All-Star squad in his career, pitching to an 18-10 record with a 2.79 ERA. He'd finish 3rd in the NL Cy Young race. In 1981, he made just 18 starts in the strike shortened campaign, but again he pitched quite well. His ERA+ of 140 was his best in nearly a decade, buoyed by a 2.45 ERA. It would be his 6th and final All-Star nod. In 1982, he signed with Kansas City before returning to the Giants for the 1985 and 1986 seasons. While he won both Cy Young and MVP honors in 1971, he was largely overlooked by the Hall of Fame voters, falling off the ballot after 5 years of eligibility. His career matches up favorably with former teammate Catfish Hunter, as well as hall of famers Hal Newhouser and Don Drysdale. 

Topps #777 Tom Griffin - The eldest of the 3 30+ year old starting pitchers of the 1981 staff, Griffin moved into the rotation after several seasons as bullpen arm and spot starter. His 22 starts were the most since 1974, when he had one of his best years for Houston. He was an instant success in 1969 with the Astros, leading the NL in strikeouts per 9 innings. He cracked the 200K mark as a rookie that year. He had a reputation for owning the inner portion of the plate. He led the NL in 1980 (as a reliever) and 1981 in batters hit by pitch. Griffin also had a decent career swinging the bat, hitting 10 homers over his 14 MLB seasons, just five of those spent as a full-time starting pitcher.

Donruss #398 Darrell Evans - Evans was underrated as a 3rd baseman. He led the NL in errors in 1975, however he also led the NL in range factor six times in the 1970s, as well as finishing in the top five in Assists as a 3rd Baseman seven times in his career. He never won a Gold Glove for his efforts, not surprising given that Mike Schmidt was the annual Gold Glove Winner at the position from 1976 until 1984. My own memories of Evans center on his later seasons in Detroit, hitting 40 homers at the age of 38 to lead the AL in 1985 was quite a feat. Before he became an "aging slugger," Evans made a career out of working counts, drawing walks, and punishing mistakes. Evans led the NL in walks in 1973 and 1974, and that was in the same lineup as Hank Aaron - typically pitchers did not want guys on base for Hank to hammer home. Evans never really hit for average, which might explain the lack of All-Star appearances (just 2), as well as the lukewarm response to his Hall of Fame ballot appearance in 1995. If not for Mike Schmidt being a once in a generation talent, who knows what Evans' career would like compared to everyone else?

Fleer #387 Jack Clark - In 1981, Clark was the youngest regular in the Giants' lineup at 25 years old. He was already a two time All Star for the Giants, playing in the mid summer classic in 1978 and 1979. Clark was a masher and had some speed in his younger days. He had double digit steals three straight years from 77 to 79. In his later years, he developed similar skills to Evans, hitting 25+ homers and drawing 100+ walks every year from 1987 through 1990. His 1987 season in particular was stunning - he led the NL with 136 walks and was the league leader in OBP, SLG, OPS, and OPS+. The Cardinals really missed his bat in the 1987 World Series, injuries kept him from playing and may have been a deciding factor in the tightly contested seven game series. Clark was a classic case of a  career with a very high but very short peak. His overall counting stats (340 Homers, 1800+ hits, 1100 runs and 1100 RBI) don't scream "Hall of fame" career, however his OBP, SLG, and OPS+ stats rank favorably among his peers. 

Donruss #186 Fred Breining - Breining had a short but efficient MLB career. He was a stopper in the bullpen, a spot starter, a full time member of the Giants' 1983 rotation, a reliever again, and then out of MLB baseball all in a five year stretch. As a bullpen arm in 1981, Breining made just 1 start, but appeared in 45 games for the Giants, finishing 15 of them. He wasn't the closer, however, getting just one save. The following year, he'd make 9 starts, 2 of them complete games, while also finishing 16 games out of the bullpen. He had the least amount of success as a full time starter, going 11-12 with a 3.82 ERA over 32 starts. 1983 as a starter was actually the lowest WHIP of his career, but also the only time his ERA+ fell below league average. He appeared in 4 games in relief for Montreal in 1984 before injuring his shoulder fielding a bunt. 

Donruss #377 Al Holland - Holland was the set up man for the Giants from 1980 through 1982, a role at which he excelled to the tune of a 19-11 record with a 2.56 ERA. He picked up 19 saves as well over those seasons, which prepared him for the closer role in Philadelphia. He saved 25+ games in 1983 and 84 for the Phillies, and was an All-Star in 84. He appeared in 2 games in the NLCS and 2 more in the 1983 World Series, giving up 0 runs in relief. He was the 1983 Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the year. He is also a College baseball Hall of Famer, thanks to his stellar career for North Carolina A&T, leading the NCAA in ERA in 1975 with a 0.26 mark. 

Fleer #394 Jerry Martin - Not to be confused with Jerry Remy or Billy Martin, Jerry Martin was a journeyman outfield who played 72 games for the Giants in 1981, primarily as the team's Center Fielder. The year before he posted career highs in homers (23) and RBI (73) for the Cubs. He was not particularly speedy on the bases, never cracking double digit steals in a season. Martin was known to have a pretty good arm in the outfield, and came up through the Phillies' system as a top prospect. He was the MVP of the Western Carolinas league in 1972. Over the course of his 11 MLB seasons, he played for 5 different teams. He later spent 20 years as a coach in the minors, primarily with the Phillies and the Tigers.

Topps #171 Future Stars Bob Brenly / Chili Davis / Bob Tufts - 

Bob Brenly was an All-Star in 1984 and played 9 seasons with the Giants (and half a season with the Blue Jays) as a Catcher and corner infielder. Following his playing days he became a coach and Manager. He was the Manager of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, winning the World Series in his first year in the role. 

Bob Tufts appeared in 27 career MLB games as a relief pitcher, and was traded with Vida Blue to the Royals following the 1981 season. Tufts' claim to fame was being a graduate of Princeton University, the first MLB player from that school since Dave Sisler. Tufts would go back to school and earn an MBA from Columbia University and became a Wall Street broker.

Chili Davis had the best MLB career of the bunch, first as an outfielder in San Francisco and with the Angels, then as a DH for many teams. He played for 3 World Series winning teams - the 1991 Twins, and the 1998 and 1999 Yankees. Davis had 350 career homers and over 2,350 hits, both the most by any player born in Jamaica. He also has the lowest career MLB ERA, having pitched a pair of scoreless innings in 1993 for the Angels. Following his playing career, Davis has become a highly sought after hitting coach, currently serving in that role for the New York Mets. 

Donruss #524 Johnnie LeMaster - LeMaster was the Giants' Shortstop on again and off again from 1978 until he was traded early in the 1985 season. One fun bit of trivia - his first MLB at bat was an inside the park home run off Don Sutton. His final career homer in 1985 was also of the inside the park variety. LeMaster was a decent fielder with a cannon arm, but was not the best hitter in MLB history, he had a career OPS+ of 60 (100 is league average) with a career batting average of .222. He was not so kindly nicknamed "Johnnie Disaster" by the Candlestick Park faithful and once wore a jersey with the name "BOO" on the back as a sarcastic nod to the fans that gave him a hard time. 

What is your favorite card of a San Francisco Giant from 1982? Doesn't have to be one of these...

Thanks for reading!

1998 Topps All-Star Rookie Short Stop Mike Caruso

 

The White Sox made a big trade with the Giants at the trade deadline in 1997, with 9 players changing uniforms. The big names at the time all moved out West - the Giants acquired Danny Darwin, who would finish his career in San Fran the following season at the age of 42. Wilson Alvarez, who became a free agent and signed up with the expansion Devil Rays, and Roberto Hernandez, who took the same path to free agency to Tampa. For a pair of rentals and a savvy veteran, the Giants sent 6 prospects to Chicago. It was dubbed the "White Flag" trade, with the Sox just 3.5 games behind Cleveland at the time. Fans felt that trading your ace and your closer in the middle of a pennant race was giving up, and they probably are not wrong. 

Mike Caruso was the player to make the most of it all - he turned a vacancy at short (Ozzie Guillen left for free agency) into a Topps All-Star Rookie Cup!

The trade makes more sense when Caruso made the team out of Spring Training in 1998. His previous highest level was single A, but the Sox didn't have a better answer at the position. The team needed a boost to their prospect pool, and Caruso was diving off the high dive with a cannonball. He swiped 22 bases and hit .305 his rookie year. That was good enough for 3rd in the ROY balloting, and he was the answer to several trivia questions - the youngest ChiSox player on Opening Day since 1959, the first rookie to hit .300 or better for the team since Minnie Miñoso, and made many onlookers ready to compare him to a "young Ozzie Guillen."  

Caruso was born in Queens, NY, but attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL (yes, the same high school that later was the site of an infamous shooting). He was a 2nd round draft pick of the Giants, and immediately made an impact in his first pro season. Playing for Single A Bellingham, he made the All-Star squad, stealing 24 bases and hitting .292. Baseball America had him in the top 50 prospects (#34) the following year. He started his second year hot - A .333 average before the trade to Chicago. He hit just .227 in 28 games for Winston-Salem after that, but his contact and speed tools were very advanced. With Ozzie Guillen departing following the 1997 season, the SS position was wide open.

So... what happened? He hit over .300 his rookie season, plays a primo position, and still is just 22 years old. It turned out that 1999 would be his final full season in the big leagues. His average dropped to .250 and he was caught stealing more times than he was successful. The fact was that at 22, his defense wasn't fully polished either - he had 35 errors his rookie season, and 24 in 1999. He would be supplanted at short by veteran Jose Valentin, and would be sent down to AAA to work on the finer points of middle infield defense.

He would play several years in the minors for the Sox, Rays, Royals, and Reds. He would even get one more crack at the majors, going 2-20 with the Royals towards the end of the 2002 season. He was out of baseball completely for two years after that. Caruso then made a comeback attempt in the Independent leagues and played for various teams throughout the independent minor league circuits until 2009. Here's a great article from the Lancaster County Paper, which details the journey of Caruso from phenom to journeyman, written in 2008. "I didn't realize what I did until it was over."

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

Thanks for reading!

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Jose Cruz, Jr.

Second generation stars are nothing new in Major League Baseball. Being the child of a big league player gives a guy a leg up - not only by having access to major league ballparks, but also having the best of the best as examples after which to model their game. At the same time, the kid has to put in the work. Jose Cruz, Jr. did exactly that, and even made the Topps All-Star Rookie Squad playing for two different teams in 1997.

Cruz was very consistent playing for Seattle and Toronto in his rookie season. He had exactly the same number of hits for each team, and exactly the same number of RBI. Cruz ended up as the runner up for the AL Rookie of the Year voting, finishing with 26 homers and a respectable .814 OPS. 

The Mariners selected Cruz #3 Overall out of Rice University in the 1995 MLB draft. The team was sitting on an embarrassment of riches, with Ken Griffey, Jr just starting his peak, and a young Alex Rodriguez just starting his MLB career. Cruz was another super talented athlete, setting several offensive records as a 3-time All-American in college. He played for Team USA in 1994, and was a highly regarded prospect. In his first full professional season, he went from single-A all the way to AAA Tacoma, hitting .293 with 15 homers and 13 steals across all levels. His amazing season ended with being named the Mariners' Minor League Player of the Year in 1996. He moved quickly through the minors and made his MLB debut at the end of May 1997. 

His Mariners career was short but sweet - in just 49 games he slugged .541 with an OPS+ of 120. Cruz would spent the start of 1997 with 50 games in AAA Tacoma before his call-up, but proved he was ready for Major League pitching with his 25 extra base hits in his first 49 MLB games. He was traded to Toronto at the trade deadline for a pair of pitchers, in theory to shore up the Mariner bullpen for a playoff push. The team did win the AL West but were bounced from the ALDS by the Orioles in 4 games. To replace the bat of Cruz, the Mariners acquired veteran Roberto Kelly from the Twins in an August waiver deal. 

The best years of Jose's career came north of the border with the Blue Jays. The Jays used Cruz in Left and in Center field, and he excelled in the field and at the plate. The switch hitting outfielder had his most well-rounded season with Toronto in 2001, when he became just the 2nd Blue Jay to join the 30/30 club. It was his 2nd straight 30 homer season. His Power/Speed number was best in the AL. His dad's career high was 17 homers, showing that the kid was more than just a chip off the old block. He would become a free agent following the 2002 season.

He spent one year as a member of the San Francisco Giants, winning a Gold Glove in Right Field, and had a career high 102 walks (Maybe Barry taught him a thing or two about plate discipline?). He would get his only taste of post season play with the Giants, going hitless in the NLDS against the eventual 2003 World Series Champs, the Marlins. 

The tail end of Cruz's career involved several teams - three of which he played for in 2005. He went from the DBacks to the BoSox to the Dodgers in that same season. He provided some great at bats down the stretch for the Dodgers, hitting .301/.391/.532 in 47 games. Unfortunately, the team was already out of the race, finishing 20 games below .500. He would play a few more seasons, including a final 38 game stretch in 2008 for his dad's former team, the Houston Astros. 

Cruz finished his career with 1,167 hits, 204 Homers, and over 700 runs scored. In his Gold Glove season, Cruz led the NL in Total Zone Runs, putouts,  Double Plays turned and Range Factor. He ranked 2nd in fielding pct and outfield Assists. The Cruz Family legacy included his uncles, his father, his brothers, and now his son Trei, whom the Tigers drafted in the 3rd round of the 2020 MLB draft.

Do you have any Jose Cruz, Jr. stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading!

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 Outfielder F.P. Santangelo

Frank-Paul Santangelo was somewhat a late bloomer in MLB terms, making his debut at the age of 27 and was a 28 year old for his rookie year. He found career highs in games played, hits, doubles. homers, RBI, and finished 4th in the Rookie of the year balloting in the NL.

Santangelo was drafted in the 20th round of the 1989 draft, and methodically made his way up the ladder through the Expos' minor league system. He spent two seasons in West Palm Beach in Single A, one year in AA, then 4 seasons at the Triple A level before breaking through. He was single minded about making the big leagues, and vowed not to join teammates from Ottawa on their off-day excursions to the big league city of Montreal. He wanted the first time he saw the city to be as a major league ball player.

Even though he was "slow" to make it to the majors (don't forget that many never make it), he was notoriously early to arrive to practice. His manager in Single A would also be his manager in the big leagues, MLB lifer Felipe Alou. It was Alou who recognized the competitive spirit that drove Santangelo to be the first player to arrive each morning, which earned him a spot in the lineup. His first game in the big leagues against the Marlins included a pair of hits, including a triple.

His first full season, Santangelo played six different positions for the Expos, but he was primarily a left fielder and center fielder. While he was never a major power threat in his career, the switch hitter did complete a rare feat in 1997. In a game against the Cubs that June, he homered from both sides of the plate in the same game. (well, maybe not rare for Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, Ken Caminiti, Carlos Beltran, Nick Swisher or Mark Teixeira - but rare for the rest of us!) Santangelo was candid about his own involvement in the Steroid Era, having been named on the Mitchell Report. He admitted to using HGH in an effort to recover from injuries on 2 separate occasions in 1997 and 2000, but stated that he was not involved beyond that.

Santangelo was just getting started, but was already on the wrong side of 30 when his Expos tenure came to an end. He would go on to play one season each for the Giants, Dodgers, A's, and then for the Yankees in the minors before retiring following the 2002 season. In 2001 with the A's, he had his first taste of post season baseball, getting a double in 4 plate appearances in the ALDS. He was never very high on the MLB leaderboards, but did have a knack for getting on base the hard way. In 4 of his 7 MLB seasons he ranked in the top 10 in HBP.

Following his playing career, Santangelo went into broadcasting and has been a part of the Nationals broadcasting booth for nearly a decade. His signature call comes from his manager Felipe Alou, who would flatly declare "There goes the no-hitter" whenever his team got their first base hit of the night.

Any fond memories of F.P. Santangelo? Let's hear 'em!

1995 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman Ray Durham

The Chicago White Sox were hoping that a 23 year old rookie could fill the shoes of the veteran Joey Cora, who had moved on to Seattle. Ray Durham more than fit the role as an excellent defender, lead off hitter with a combination of power and speed, and an exciting style of play that was perfect for the South Side. This article from the Chicago Tribune in 1995 highlights the many reasons why Durham was the right choice to be the Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman for 1995.

Sure, the 5'8" Durham defeated Michael Jordan in a high jump competition in Spring Training, but he'd also have to out hit MJ to get a job in the big leagues. In 1995, Durham slugged 27 doubles, 6 Triples and 7 Homers. He also stole 18 bases, which would end up as the fewest he'd steal in a White Sox uni. His .257 batting average was also the low water mark in his Chicago tenure, but the talented infielder already was showing the potential of a perennial All Star.

Durham was a 5th round selection in 1990 right out of Harding High School in Charlotte, NC. In high school, he excelled in baseball of course, but also played WR and in the defensive backfield. He returned a kick 92 yards for a touchdown as Sophomore (his first H.S. football play!), scored 5 receiving TDs in a single game, and intercepted 14 passes as a Senior.  He made very quick work of the minors, and was nearly 5 years younger than the average player in the league by the time he reached AAA as a 22 year old. He displayed speed and power in large doses, crushing 16 homers while stealing 34 bases for the Nashville Sounds. It was the second year in a row topping 30 steals. He would continue show that speed (and highly efficient base stealing success rate) at the big league level.

Following his Rookie season, Durham found his stride. Over the next seven years, he'd hit double digit homers each year and stole at least 23 bases.

In his White Sox career, Durham made the All-Star team twice, and had 249 doubles, 219 steals, 106 homers, and 53 triples. While he never surpassed .300 for a batting average, his on base percentage for Chicago was a robust .352. He scored over 100 runs in 6 seasons. 

Durham would be a trade deadline deal to Oakland at the height of Moneyball. He was sporting a .390 OBP for Chicago at the time of the trade. He was also hitting a career high .299 average when the deal was struck, sending Durham to the A's in exchange for Jon Adkins. Once in Oakland, Durham's base stealing was curtailed, and he also had a regression to the mean in his batting average and OBP. Even so, the 2 time All-Star was approaching free agency as a 31 year old when that was still considered a positive thing. The 2 homers he hit in the ALDS against Minnesota didn't hurt either.

The San Francisco Giants signed Durham to replace Jeff Kent, and expected him to provide protection in the lineup for Barry Bonds. He would finish the year with just 8 home runs, but his rate stats were right in line with his career averages. He would find his power in San Fran in 2006, hitting a career high 26 homers. He had a rough 2007 with a career low .218 batting average, and the writing was on the wall. Despite a bounce-back season in which Durham hit .293 in the first half, he would be traded to the Brewers for two middling prospects at the trade deadline.

Most people will immediately think of the other deadline deal made that year by the Brew Crew when they acquired C.C. Sabathia for the stretch run. Sabathia was fantastic for the Brewers, posting an 11-2 record with a 1.65 ERA and 3 shutouts to close out the 2008 season. The move to get Durham solidified their lineup and provided a boost from a position that had been struggling at the plate. He would score 21 runs in 41 games, and hit .280 over that stretch. He hit just .125 in the post season that year, which would be his final major league games. Following the 2008 season, Durham was offered a minor league deal to play in the Nats organization, but he chose to retire as a major leaguer.

Durham was a tremendously talented base stealer, and hit for power from the lead off spot. He retired as Chicago's All-Time leader in lead-off homers, and his 273 steals ranks in the top 200 among all major leaguers. He posted a career power-speed number of 225.4, good for 68th All-Time. This stat favors players that can both run and hit for power. Let's hear some of your best Ray Durham stories!

1994 Topps All-Star Rookie Second Baseman John Patterson

Ever since he was 5 years old, John Patterson wanted to be a major league baseball player. "No model airplanes, no playing the violin, no nothing else, just playing baseball." Patterson achieved that dream in 1992 making his major league debut, and a strong showing in his age 27 season for the Giants 3 years later made him a Topps All-Star Rookie.

It was a long a painful journey for Patterson, who had season ending surgery on his shoulder as a Single A minor leaguer, drafted in the 23rd round. But Patterson was not one to give up, and in the strike shortened 1994 season, he would get the opportunity for regular playing time at second base for the Giants. The team's long time mainstay at 2nd base, Robby Thomson, played in just 35 games due to nagging injuries of his own, and Patterson filled in with speed and defense to go along with some memorable hits. He hit .262 against righties in 1994, and was 3rd on the Giants in RBI.

Patterson was first drafted in January 1986 by the Padres, but he opted to stay in college, transferring from Central Arizona to Grand Canyon University, where he teamed up with Angels great Tim Salmon for two years. In 1988, Patterson would be drafted again, this time by the San Francisco Giants.

An impressive feat for Patterson - he learned to switch hit as a professional. Throughout high school and college he was strictly a right handed batter, but once drafted by the Giants, he learned to hit as a lefty as well, greatly raising his stock from a 23rd rounder to become the Giants' minor league player of the year. He was also superb defensively at second base, earning him top honors from his organization as a fielder in the minors. In college he did not run much on the basepaths, but that too became a strength in his game as a pro, stealing at least 21 bases in each stop along the way to the big leagues, peaking at 40 steals in 1991.

Making it to the big leagues was a story of incredible determination (3 shoulder surgeries), and ultimately he would be forced to leave the game he loved early because of injury. But he certainly made a big impression on his teammates when he was on the field. In 1993, his first hit of the year was a tie-breaking pinch-hit homer off the Braves' Mark Wohlers in the ninth inning. It couldn't have come at a better time for the Giants, who were trying to maintain a 4.5 game lead over Atlanta in September. Wohlers hadn't given up a homer in his previous 71 appearances.

Patterson's other peculiar skill as a big leaguer was taking one for the team- in 1994 and 1995, Patterson was hit a total of 23 times - 2nd most in the NL in 1994, and 4th most in 1995. His final MLB game would be in September of 1995, still just 28 years old. The Tampa Bay Rays signed him in 1998 following a pair of lost years, and he would finish his professional career with 31 games in Tampa's minor league system.

For some great highlights from his brief career, check out this sweet 3 minute YouTube video, including Dusty Baker in the dugout, Joe Morgan on the mic, and John Patterson showing the skills that allowed him to reach baseball's highest level.

It Ain't Over til It's Over

I'm not going to sugarcoat it - things look bad right now for the Minnesota Twins, facing an 0-2 deficit to the New York Yankees in the ALDS. The first two games could hardly have been much worse, thankfully none of the Twins were injured, save for their pride. HOWEVER! The Yankees haven't won that 3rd game yet, and the series turns to Minnesota tomorrow. It might be unlikely, but why don't we take a look at what unlikely looks like? Why not take a look at some ways that a series can turn around? It might make me feel better, OK? Rays fans, I see you too - hope this helps a bit.

1981 NLDS - Dodgers come back against the Houston Astros

1981 included a Divisional Series because of the strike that split the season into two parts. The Dodgers actually had the home-field advantage, though they lost games 1 and 2 on the road. Not much of an advantage when Houston only had to win one in LA.

But the Dodgers were up to the task, thanks to stalwart starting pitching, including a complete game from Fernando Valenzuela in Game 4, leading to a duel between Jerry Reuss and Nolan Ryan, who was working on regular rest and was Nolan freakin' Ryan. Reuss tossed a shutout, and the Dodgers bats had just enough to win 4-0. Garvey would hit .368 in the series including a game 3 homer that sparked the comeback. The Dodgers did it without Ron Cey, though he would be back in time for the World Series, where he was the MVP.

1982 ALCS - Brewers defeat the California Angels

Don Sutton tossed 7 scoreless innings in Game 3, Ben Oglivie blasted a homer and Cecil Cooper hit a 2-run single in Game 5 to power "Harvey's Wallbangers" to a series victory. The series was so close that the ALCS MVP ended up being Angels OF Fred Lynn in a losing cause. Robin Yount struggled for the Brew Crew in the series, with a .250 average and no extra base hits.

1984 ALCS - Padres defeat the Cubs

Game 4 - Postseason vet with ice in veins, Steve Garvey, blasts a 2 run walkoff homer, setting up a winner-takes-all finale.

Game 5- Carmelo Martinez draws a 4 pitch walk, a bunt moves him to 2nd, then Tim Flannery gets a key hit right through the wickets of Leon Durham. Goose Gossage locks down the win by pitching the last two innings.

1995 ALDS - Seattle Mariners defeat the New York Yankees

Now in the Divisional Series era, the ALCS and NLCS is stretched to 7 games, but the new Division series remains best of five. The Yankees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against a Seattle team that had already tested their mettle in a tie-breaker game over the Angels.

Back in the Kingdome, the Mariners leaned on Randy Johnson for a gutsy seven innings. He struck out 10, and the Mariners won 6-4. Game 4 was a seesaw game until Edgar Martinez crushed a grand slam in the 8th off John Wetteland.

The Game 5 finale was one of the best games in playoff history. The lead would change hands 6 times, David Cone threw 140 pitches for the Yankees, Randy Johnson came in to relieve in extra innings, but the final rally came in the bottom of the 11th. Joey Cora singles, backed by a Griffey single, and Edgar Martinez was back again to be the hero, lacing a liner down the left field line, scoring both runners in an epic finish.

1999 ALDS - Red Sox defeat Cleveland

The format of the 5 game series was now the current 2-2-1 version by the time this series was played.

Both teams won their home games in decisive fashion, including a ridiculous 23-7 rout in game 4 by the Red Sox, in which John Valentin drove in 7 runs. Nomar hit over .400 for the series.

Game 5 included quite a lot of early offense, including 2 homers by Jim Thome. Troy O'Leary matched Valentin's 7 RBI in the game, but the real story was the relief appearance of Pedro Martinez. Martinez was coming off 4 scoreless innings in Game 1 before leaving due to injury. In Game 5, Martinez came in to an 8-8 tie game, and no-hit Cleveland for 6 relief innings, pitching on fumes but still striking out 8 batters.

2001 ALDS - Yankees beat A's

oh. The Yankees are on this list, too? Do I have to? Fine.

People remember "The Flip" by Derek Jeter, but Mike Mussina out-dueled Barry Zito (When Zito was Zito!) in that game, and the only run came on Jorge Posada's Solo homer.

Mariano Rivera was at his best, closing out a pair of the final three games in his usual dominant fashion.

2003 ALDS - Red Sox over the A's

The Red Sox are free to share some mojo with the Twins this year, I'm sure they won't mind if it means beating the Yankees.

In 2003, it was Jason Varitek with a key block of the plate that started a chain reaction of base running blunders that swung momentum back to the Red Sox in Game 3. David Ortiz had a clutch 2 run double in Game 4, and Pedro dominated in Game 5, with Manny Ramirez providing the offensive production to give the Sox the series win.

2012 NLDS - Giants defeat Reds

Ryan Vogelsong gave the Giants a boost with a gutty performance in Game 3, with the win ultimately going to Sergio Romo in relief. Game 4 had a Pedro-like relief appearance by started Tim Lincecum, and Buster Posey crushed a grand slam in Game 5 that proved to be deciding runs, with Romo coming back to get the save.

The Giants would go on to win the whole thing, taking the World Series crown, just like the Dodgers did in 1981. Twins, take notes, and ask Romo for tips.

2015 ALDS - Toronto defeats the Rangers

At this point the pattern becomes familiar - Marco Estrada comes up big in game 3, with Troy Tulowitski providing a key hit. Game 4 included big offense from the Jays winning 8-4 behind an R.A. Dickey start (and in spite of a disastrous David Price Relief appearance.). Game 5 is remember for Bautista and the bat flip heard round the world, but Marcus Stroman provided 6 strong innings for the Jays to keep the game close.

So! That's encouraging. Never mind that the team going up 2-0 will win the series about 90% of the time. Just need to get something started for Game 3 - a strong start, some timely hitting, and then worry about game 4 after that.