TTM This Week: Hunting Former Big Leaguers and Prospects in the Low, Low Minors

 

A light week as correspondent Les Wolff was feeling under the weather. But Drew and Troy still chat about the week’s hobby news and their latest autograph returns.  You can listen to TTMCast here.

TTM Successes
Chuck Cecil

 

The Heat Seeking Missile has gone into the realm of coaching, assisting with the safeties at the University of Arizona. Cecil played seven years in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers (1988-92), Phoenix Cardinals (1993), and Houston Oilers (1995) during which he notched 461 tackles, 16 interceptions, and one touchdown.

He signed via the school athletic department in six weeks.

IP Report

This week, I got out to my first game in Cleburne as the American Association’s Railroaders took on the Milwaukee Milkmen. The independent league doesn’t typically have highly-touted prospects, but often there are former major leaguers trying to keep their career going or even reinvent themselves. Past players to come through Cleburne and the erstwhile Texas Airhogs include current Braves reliever Tyler Matzek as he fought to overcome “Steve Blass syndrome,” former Dodger Brett Eibner attempting to shift from the outfield to pitching, and a 50+ year-old Rafael Palmeiro who hit .301 in 31 games playing alongside son Patrick. Palmeiro, believe it or not, still has hopes of an MLB comeback at age 53.

In addition to the players, several managers and coaches are former big leaguers, including catchers Chris Coste and Ken Huckaby, and relievers George Tsamis and Stewart Cliburn. Fun fact: Cliburn is listed on his cards as Stew, Stu, and Stewart, and will change his signature accordingly.

In the Airhogs’ final two seasons, they had the Chinese National Team playing on their roster along with five former major leaguers on the coaching staff.

So with that in mind, I scoured the rosters of the Railroaders and Milkmen, and had myself a good day out in rural Texas. Often the teams in bigger cities will have the better rosters– Chicago, Kansas City, and Milwaukee tend to have a larger pool of fans to draw support from and therefore more money. But this year, Cleburne has a good group. Before the season began they had contracts with a few former prospects in Cleveland’s Juan Hillman, the Yankees’ Cito Culver, and the Rays’ Justin O’Conner. Unfortunately, all three got opportunities in higher leagues before playing a single game here.

Cleburne does at least have former Tigers prospect Beau Burrows who is in the 2021 Heritage set. They signed Shed Long, former Mariner who is in that set as well as several others, along with Brian O’Grady, a former member of the Rays and Padres who shows up in a couple Topps flagship and Heritage base sets. And everyone knows their manager, Pete Incaviglia: a former Top 10 pick who spent time with the Rangers, Tigers, Astros, Phillies, Orioles, and Yankees, and appears on a good 200 different cards from 1986 to 1997.

Long and O’Grady both signed a ton pregame, while Inky signed by the dugout afterward. I didn’t see Burrows pregame: he snuck out to the bullpen either late or among a crowd. He pitched in the game, had a rough relief outing, and I think went straight to the clubhouse as I didn’t see him postgame either. Hopefully I can get him in a couple weeks.

We got lucky with Milwaukee as we were outside when the team bus pulled up. Former Blue Jays prospect and now hitting coach D.J. Boston signed, as did former Giants outfielder Jaylin Davis. Inside on Milwaukee’s side I got another former Giants prospect in Armani Smith. I missed pitcher Ryley Widell but given the choice of going for him or Incaviglia, I think most of us would take Inky and not even think twice.

So if you aren’t looking solely for big names in your collecting, the American Association, the Atlantic League, and the Frontier League can be a treasure trove of cup-of-coffee players (and sometimes more), many of whom are just elated to be remembered. And if anyone can get me Chance Sisco from the Long Island Ducks on a 2021 Heritage card, it would be greatly appreciated!