Mike Grady (1869)
Sam Leever (1871)
Tommy Thomas (1899)
Jerry Koosman (1942)
Dave May (1943)
Raul Cano (1945)
Jerry Manuel (1953)
Keith Comstock (1955)
Tim Leary (1958)
Frank Eufemia (1959)
Rick White (1968)
Brad Lidge (1976)
Jesus Colome (1977)
Victor Martinez (1978)
Cody Ross (1980)
Hanley Ramirez (1983)
Tyler Robertson (1987)
Sam Leever (1871)
Tommy Thomas (1899)
Jerry Koosman (1942)
Dave May (1943)
Raul Cano (1945)
Jerry Manuel (1953)
Keith Comstock (1955)
Tim Leary (1958)
Frank Eufemia (1959)
Rick White (1968)
Brad Lidge (1976)
Jesus Colome (1977)
Victor Martinez (1978)
Cody Ross (1980)
Hanley Ramirez (1983)
Tyler Robertson (1987)
Raul Cano had a long career in the Mexican League as a
player, manager, and general manager.
Left-hander Jerome Martin
Koosman pitched for the Twins from 1979-1981, winning twenty games for
them in 1979. He was born in Appleton, Minnesota, and attended high school in
Morris, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota—Morris and the North
Dakota State College of Science, then was signed by the Mets as a free agent in
1964. Koosman struggled his first couple of years, but had a terrific year in
1966 at Class A Auburn. He jumped straight from Class A to the majors in
1967, but was not ready yet and was sent back to AAA in mid-May. He pitched
very well at AAA Jacksonville, was back in New York in September, and never
went to the minors again. Koosman was a member of the Mets' rotation for eleven
consecutive years, posting an ERA just over three and averaging over 220
innings per season. He was second to Johnny Bench in Rookie of the Year
balloting in 1968, when he won 19 games and had an ERA just over two. He made
the all-star team in 1968 and 1969, got consideration for the MVP award three
times, and was second in Cy Young voting (to Randy Jones) in 1976. In 1977-78,
Koosman managed to go 11-35 despite an ERA of 3.62 a WHIP of 1.26. He also led
the league in strikeouts per nine innings in 1977. After the 1978 season, he
was traded to Minnesota for Greg Field and a player to be named later, which
turned out to be Jesse Orosco. Finally given a little run support again,
Koosman won 36 games over the next two seasons, twenty of them in 1979. At the
end of August, 1981, he was traded to the White Sox for Ivan Mesa, Ronnie
Perry, "not the" Randy Johnson, and cash. He pitched well for Chicago
for the rest of 1981 and in 1982, but slipped a little in 1983 at age 40,
although he still won 11 games and had a WHIP of 1.35. The White Sox sent
Koosman to Philadelphia, where he pitched the final two seasons of his career
before retiring at age 42. As a Twin, Jerry Koosman was 39-35 with a 3.77 ERA
in 94 games, 83 of them starts. After retiring, he was a minor league pitching
coach in the Mets' organization for a time. He was inducted into the Mets' Hall
of Fame in 1989. Sadly, he pled guilty to income tax evasion in May of 2009. He
was sentenced in September and served a six-month prison sentence, from which
he was released in June of 2010. At last report, Jerry Koosman was
"retired but working" for Mesa Technologies, an Oklahoma City-based
company which provides information technology services to businesses.
Left-hander Keith Comstock began his major league career with
the Twins in 1984. Born in San Francisco, Comstock was drafted by California in
the fifth round in 1976. He struggled early in his minor league career, and was
released by the Angels after a poor 1979 season at AA El Paso. Oakland signed
him and kept him at AA West Haven for three years. He pitched pretty well
there, but the Athletics clearly had no plans for him, and sold him to Detroit
after the 1982 campaign. The Tigers also placed him in AA, and he had a fine
year there, going 12-3 with a 3.21 ERA. All it got Comstock was his release.
The Twins picked him up and started him in the big leagues in 1984, but sent
him to AAA after only four relief appearances, in which he pitched 6.1 innings
and gave up six runs. He had another excellent minor league season, going 12-6
with a 2.79 ERA, but again he only got a release out of it. Deciding he was never
going to get a chance in the majors, Comstock went to Japan for two years. He
came back to the United States in 1987, splitting the next three years between
AAA and the majors. He was with the Giants at the start of 1987, went to San
Diego in July, stayed there until his release in June of 1989, and then went to
Seattle. In 1990, Comstock got his only full season in the majors and he made
the most of it: in 60 relief appearances, he was 7-4 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.18
WHIP. As always, the excellent season did him no good. He spent almost the
entire 1991 season at AAA, making only one appearance in the majors. That
appearance would be his last, as his playing career ended after that season. He
then went into coaching, and managed in the Giants' minor-league system from
1998-2001. Keith Comstock was the rehabilitation coach for the Texas Rangers
for several years and is currently the rehab pitching coordinator for the
team's Arizona operations.
Right-hander Frank Anthony Eufemia played his only major league
season with the Twins in 1985. Born in the Bronx, he attended Ramapo College of
New Jersey, one of two major league players that school has produced (the other
is Mark Leiter). Eufemia was drafted by the Twins in the 18th round in 1982. A
reliever throughout his career, Eufemia moved up the Twins farm system at a
good pace and, after posting a 1.49 ERA in AAA Toledo in 36.1 innings, he was
promoted to the majors in mid-May of 1985. He had a good season: in 61.2
innings spread over 39 games, Eufemia went 4-2 with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.
That was as good as it would get, however, and after a poor 1986 season in
Toledo, Eufemia was out of organized baseball at age 26. He tried to come back
with the Mets, pitching for AAA Tidewater in 1992. His numbers weren't bad, but
they led him nowhere. Eufemia was one of the replacement players during the
1995 players' strike. He also pitched for New Jersey in the independent
Northeast League in 1998; then his playing career ended for good. One wonders
if he might have pitched in Japan or someplace at least part of that time, but
this could not be confirmed. Frank Eufemia currently teaches physical education
at Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, New Jersey. He is a member of
the Ramapo College Hall of Fame.
Left-hander Tyler Patrick Robertson pitched for the Twins in
2012 and briefly in 2013. He was born in Simi Valley, California, went to
high school in Fair Oaks. California, and was drafted by Minnesota in the third
round in 2006. He was a starter early in his career and pitched well in
that role through 2009, but struggled when promoted to New Britain in 2010.
He shifted to the bullpen in 2011 and had a fine year for the Rock Cats.
He started 2012 in Rochester, did fairly well, and was promoted to Minnesota
in late June. He struck out the first three batters he faced, but there
was nowhere for him to go but down, and he did. Used as a LOOGY, he
appeared in 40 games but pitched only 25 innings, going 2-2, 5.40, 1.40 WHIP.
He started 2013 in Minnesota but was sent to Rochester after only two
appearances. He struggled with his control there and was placed on
waivers in early June and claimed by Washington. Sent to AAA, his control
got better but he also was hit harder. He re-signed with Washington for
2014 but was apparently injured much of the year, making only twelve AAA
appearances. He signed with Miami for 2015, but did not pitch at all that
year and has not since, so one assumes his playing career is over. No
information about what Tyler Robertson has been doing recently was readily
available.
No comments:
Post a Comment