Minor League Baseball Players

[Cusick]

Bridget was a pitcher, but is shown here moving in to take batting practice. The photo is from the Chicago Tribune of May 8, 1994. Bridget was from Highland Park, a Chicago suburb.

[Cusick]

Charlotte was a pitcher on the Silver Bullets. Photo found on Facebook.

[Cusick]

Amundsen was a pitcher in spring training with the Silver Bullets. An arm injury knocked her out of contention. The photo is from the Baltimore Sun of March 13, 1994.

[Cusick]

Janice Halls was an infielder from Surrey, British Columbia who tried out with the Silver Bullets in the spring of 1994. She had been a starter on a Canadian women's fast-pitch softball team. The photo is from the Palm Beach Post of March 20, 1994.

[Cusick]

Kendra Hanes played minor league baseball on a men's team with the Kentucky Rifles of the Independent Frontier League in 1994. The photo shows her with that team. It's from the Mansfield (OH) News-Journal of August 14, 1994. She was an outfielder on the Rifles.

According to the Napa Valley (CA) Register of March 12, 1994, Kendra was also among the players to have reported on the first day of the Colorado Silver Bullets' spring training. She did not play in the regular season with the Silver Bullets.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=hanes-001ken

[Cusick]

Vivian Holm was in spring training camp with the 1994 Silver Bullets. The photo on the left shows her when she was a stolen base star with the U. of Arizona softball team in 1986-1987. It's from the Arizona Republic of April 16, 1986. The photo on the right shows her with the Silver Bullets taping up a sore ankle. It's from the Palm Beach Post of March 20, 1994.

[Cusick]

The photo shows Kelly Inouye as a UCLA catcher during a play in the championship game of the 1993 Division I softball World Series. It's from the Sioux Falls (SD) Argus-Leader of June 1, 1993. Kelly would try out with the Silver Bullets the following spring.

[Cusick]

My hat's off to this young (in 1994) lady. Melissa Johnson was a shortstop who was offered a contract to play with the Silver Bullets. The reason she rejected it was that she was offended by the stipulation that Coors Brewing had the right to use her name or likeness to promote their product. I don't personally have anything against beer; I drink one from time to time. But I do appreciate it when people stand by their principles. Apparently, Melissa didn't want to do anything that had to do with promoting the use of alcohol.

The photo is from the Jackson (TN) Sun of September 1, 1994. Melissa had returned to play softball for the Union University softball team.

[Cusick]

Dallas Jorgenson, a catcher, is shown on the right in the photo below. Her friend on the left, Janice Halls, was shown previously on this page. They both are Canadians from Surrey, British Columbia. They were candidates for the 1994 Silver Bullets, but did not make the team. The photo is from the Vancouver Province of Feb. 20, 1994.

[Cusick]

Melissa worked out a shortstop and second base during the Silver Bullets' 1994 spring camp. The photo is from the Florida Today (Cocoa, FL) newspaper of March 16, 1994.

[Cusick]

Cara had pitched and played the outfield at Pace University. This earned her a shot with the 1994 Silver Bullets in their spring camp, but she didn't last into the season. The photo is from the New York Daily News of Feb. 27, 1994.

[Cusick]

One last Silver Bullet prospect from spring training of 1994. Photo from Florida Today (Cocoa Beach) of March 16, 1994.

[rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com]

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[Cusick]

Diane Hatch (now that you have corrected her first name, Lumpkin) was another prospect in the 1994 Silver Bullets' spring camp. She was a pitcher from the University of Michigan. The photo is from the South Florida Sun Sentinel of May 8, 1994.

I do not intend to try searching for the 1996 Silver Bullets prospects you requested. Enough is enough. With the exception of Kendra Hanes, these are not minor league players, and this is a minor league thread.

[Cusick]

Arthur Eugene "Gene" Robinson died recently on Sept. 3rd. In addition to recognizing his life, the reason I'm posting his photo is that he had a highly unusual minor league career. He registered an 18-5 record with the Class A California League Visalia Oaks in 1978, taking league pitching honors, and then disappeared from pro ball. He completed that season without injury, as best I can tell. Perhaps he was injured over the winter, or something, but there are no newspaper reports in 1979 as to why he didn't play. His obituary shines no light on it either.

The photo on the left is from the New Orleans Times-Picayune of August 14, 1978 and shows him in his University of New Orleans uniform. The one in the center is his obit photo. The one on the right is an enlargement from a 1978 Visalia Oaks team photo.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=robins001art

[Cusick]

Robert William "Bob" Quinn was one of those guys who was known as a phantom major leaguer, or a member of the Bill Sharman Society. That is, he joined the New York Giants late in September, 1956, but never played in a major league game. He was pegged as a Sharman Society guy by OOTP participant, Merkle.

Bob Quinn, a pitcher, also appeared on the Giants' spring roster in 1957.

Bob died recently, on September 26, 2020.

The photo on the left is from the Springfield (MA) Union of August 7, 1960. The photo on the right is from the Springfield Union of May 11, 1959. Both photos show Quinn with the Springfield Giants of the Eastern League.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=quinn-004rob

[sly0071]

My dad! I'm always searching for articles about him. Thank you!

[sly0071]

Originally Posted by rico43

How nearly was Jerry (or Gerry, or Gerald) Nelson a member of the original Houston Colt 45s? In January of 1962, the would-be rookie right-hander was among a handful of players introduced to fans for the first time at a banquet. Nelson, who was out of baseball for over a year when signed in mid-1961, was there along with manager Harry Craft, catcher Hal Smith, infielders Norm Larker, Bob Aspromonte and Don Buddin, outfielder Al Spangler and fellow pitchers Turk Farrell and Jim Umbricht. Tal Smith rated he and Dave Giusti the best two right-handers in the farm system.
But he was returned to AAA for the 1962 season, won 37 games over the next three seasons for Oklahoma City, then retired at age 31 without ever getting a big-league inning -- even after going 14-8 in 1963.

Attachment 435479

My dad! I'm always searching for articles about him. Thank you!

[Cusick]

Prior to Jerry Nelson's appearing with the Houston Colt .45's in their 1962 spring camp, he came close to becoming a Milwaukee Braves a few times. He was a non-roster invitee to their spring camp in 1957 and 1958, and he was on the Braves' spring roster in 1959. I was unable to find a photo of him in a Braves uniform, but he is shown below in the uniform of the Atlanta Crackers, the Braves' AAA affiliate, in a photo from the Atlanta History Center.

Also attached are several newspaper clippings. The first, from the Beaumont, TX, Journal of 6/3/1965, announces his signing with the Braves out of Texas A&M. Next, the Portland Oregonian of 3/21/1957, presents his fine hurling performance for the Braves in spring camp that year. Third, a Cushing, OK, newspaper cites his scoreless innings during two spring games for the Braves in 1959. That clipping was dated 3/15/1959. Finally, a Neenah, WI, newspaper of 4/8/1959 documents that he was with the Braves that spring until the last minute before the regular season began.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=nelson001ger

[Cusick]

Here's a nice photo of him as a Texas A&M Aggie. It's from the Austin American-Statesman of May 18, 1955.