Orlando Miller of the Houston Astros became the Topps All-Star Rookie Shortstop thanks to 20 doubles and exceptional range in the field. Miller ranked 3rd in the National League in Range Factor / Game as a Shortstop. He formed a keystone combo with future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, turning 52 double plays in his first full MLB season.
Miller arrived in Houston in 1994, appearing in just 16 games before the season was abruptly ended for the player's strike. He was repeating a year at AAA Tucson when he was called up, but the short stint in the big leagues left a big impression with the team. He crushed a pair of homers at Wrigley Field in his third game, both of which cleared the outfield wall and left the stadium. The 16 game audition featured a .325 batting average, and a 141 OPS+. It was enough to convince the Astros to include their everyday SS from 1994, Andujar Cedeno, to the Padres in the Derek Bell / Ken Caminiti deal.
Miller was signed as a free agent out of Panama in 1987, making his pro debut for the Sarasota Yankees in 1988 as a 17 year old. He moved up a level each season in the Yankees' system until 1990 when the team traded him to the Houston organization in a 2 for 1 deal. The 2 prospects that came back in the deal did not make the big leagues.
With the Houston organization, he would continue his climb through the minors - in 1990 at High A Asheville had a .313 average and stole a career high 12 bases. He was known to have a strong throwing arm and was able to cover the hole well, so the offensive output was gravy. By 1992, Miller moved up to AA Jackson and topped 100 hits for the Generals. He was rewarded with a AAA stint to close the season, where he would spend all of 1993.
Miller would repeat AAA in 1994, but it was clear that his bat was just as major league ready as the players ahead of him on the depth chart. The season before he hit .304 with 16 homers and 89 RBI. He'd add 10 more for Tucson in 1994 and get that cup of coffee with the Astros.
By 1996, Miller had enjoyed 2 full seasons as the Astros' everyday shortstop, which was just about the shelf life for Houston infielders whose last name doesn't start with a "B." Miller did have a 2-game suspension for an altercation with some fans, but was still considered a steady glove and league average-ish bat. He also hit 15 homers for the Astros in 1995, but the team was looking to deal for starting pitching in the 1995 off-season. Miller would be dealt to Detroit in the deal that sent Todd Jones to the Tigers, and sent Jose Lima, Daryle Ward, and Brad Ausmus to the Astros.
Miller was part of a long list of potential successors to Alan Trammell's throne as the Tigers Shortstop, but ultimately it was not meant to be. Miller would appear in 50 games for the Tigers, the last MLB games he would play. His career would not end there however. He played in the minors for various teams until 2000 with the Dodgers. He then moved to the Mexican league for three seasons, and also spent time in the independent Atlantic league. His final games in pro ball were in 2008 with Edmonton of the Golden Baseball league, where he hit .319 in 37 games.
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