R.I.P. Tommy Lasorda

1992 Yankee Prospect Profiles

JOHN RAMOS

"Slowly but surely, John Ramos has ascended through the Yankee ranks. After starting at Fort Lauderdale in 1986, the right-hand-hitting catcher hopes to make New York his final stop after six years in the minors.

A successful campaign in Triple-A Columbus (.308 BA, fifth in the International League last season) last season earned Ramos a quick trip to the Bronx.

The catcher's desire to work hard and learn at each level of play is certain to continue. In his eight starting appearances as a Yankee, Ramos fit in nicely catching five games and DHing in three. He hit .308 and helped the Yankees to a 6-2 record over that span. With a little luck and hard work Ramos hopes to catch on with the Yankees in '92."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Ramos started the 1991 season at Columbus and was recalled on September 17. His first game was on September 18 against Milwaukee, catching a 2-1, 10-inning Yankee win. His first career hit came on September 21 at Boston, a 2nd inning single off Joe Hesketh. Ramos had a game-winning sacrifice fly off Mark Williamson in a 3-2 win over Baltimore on October 1.

He played in ten games for the Yankees, starting at catcher (5) and as the designated hitter (3). He started out 1-for-7 but hit .368 (7-for-19) over his final eight games. The staff ERA was 4.39 (41.0 IP, 20 ER) when he caught and he was 0-for-3 throwing out base stealers.

At Columbus, John hit .308 with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs over 104 games. He led the club in batting average, ranking fifth in the International League and second in the Yankee organization behind Kiki Hernandez (.327). He had 37 multi-hit games.

John was named IL Batter of the Week twice: in June (.481, 2 HR, 7 RBI) and in July (.600, 1 HR, 4 RBI). At Columbus he hit .269 in the first half, .364 in the second half.

He signed a contract for the 1991 season.

John spent virtually the entire 1990 season with the AA Albany-Colonie Yankees. He had another outstanding year with the bat, hitting .314 in 84 games with four home runs and 45 RBIs.

He appeared in 48 games behind the plate, 35 as the designated hitter. He hit .345 when he was the catcher, .280 as the DH. John ranked first on the club in batting average (.314), second in on-base percentage (.390) and third in slugging percentage (.432) [.822 OPS].

He started the season hot as he hit .314 (11-for-35) in April. He also finished strong with a .324 average in July and .354 in August. He ended with 33 RBIs in his last 51 games. He went hitless in six at-bats for AAA Columbus.

Ramos was Eastern League Player of the Week for July 7-15 when he hit .381 (8-for-21) with seven RBIs. He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team for the second straight season.

Ramos had an outstanding season in 1989 as the starting catcher for Albany-Colonie. He hit .273 over 105 games with 21 doubles, nine home runs and 60 RBIs. He ranked second on the club in doubles and led the club with 78 games caught. John was named to the Eastern League All-Star team and captured the game's MVP award.

Selected by the Yankees in the 5th round of the June 1986 free agent draft, Ramos was signed by former Yankee Director of Scouting Brian Sabean and recommended by Yankee scouts Greg Orr and Bill Livesey. He played three games with Oneonta in '86, going 4-for-8 with two doubles and a triple, then appeared in 54 games at Ft. Lauderdale, hitting .266.

In 1987 Ramos spent a full season at Prince William, hitting .217 over 76 games. He spent the majority of the 1988 season with Prince William. John hit .304 over 109 games with 18 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 57 RBIs, caught in 96 games and led Carolina League catchers in errors (25). He was promoted to Albany where he hit .222 over 21 games, playing 12 games at third.

John graduated in 1986 from Stanford University, where he was a teammate of current major leaguers Jeff Ballard, Ed Sprague and Roger McDowell. His wife Lisa also graduated from Stanford where she was a four-time All-American high jumper. She holds both the high school ( 6' 3") and NCAA (6' 5") records for the high jump.

John is a graduate of Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa where current major leaguer Wade Boggs attended. He played high school ball against Rich Monteleone, Lance McCullers, Dwight Gooden, Vance Lovelace and Floyd Youmans. John played Little League and American Legion ball as a youngster. He does catching clinics in the winter."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

BRIEN TAYLOR

"Taylor received a record $1.55 million minor-league contract before he was to attend junior college in North Carolina. He sat out the summer after the Yankees made him the first high-school pitcher taken in the draft since David Clyde in 1973.

USA Today's Player of the Year in 1991, when he went 9-2 with a 0.47 ERA at East Carteret High in Beaufort, North Carolina, Taylor once registered back-to-back no-hitters. He once struck out 20 of 21 batters.

His overpowering fastball has been clocked as high as 98 mph. He will use his time in the minors to develop breaking pitches.

Taylor was born in Beaufort."

-Tony DeMarco and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition

HOW TO HIT THE JACKPOT! MEET THE $1.55 MILLION BONUS BABY

"Behind a rusted trailer on a bumpy dirt road in Beaufort, N.C., just past abandoned cars dead in the tall marsh grass, stands a new, 2,500-square foot contemporary home. It is the house that Brien Taylor built.

Taylor, who turned 20 in December, built it not with his bare hands but with his left arm, his pitching arm. Taylor has the gift of being able to throw a baseball 98 mph. As a high-school senior, his talents brought major-league scouts to his remote coastal Carolina hometown. That led to his selection by the Yankees as the No. 1 pick in the amateur draft last June, which led to a record $1.55-million signing bonus, which led to all sorts of goodies that he never before enjoyed- such as his first suit, a sporty car, his picture on a bubble-gum card and, of course, a fully-equipped modern house for his family.

'It's very, very joyous living quarters,' said Scott Boras, Taylor's agent. 'It's a nice, new home. It's not an estate. It's American middle class. It's part of a great story.

'Society likes the underdog. Everyone likes Brien's story. I know when I think about Brien Taylor, I'll always remember it as one of the most rewarding experiences in what I do, just because of the impact you can have on a family.

'You see a young man go from a frown to a smile, his family go from a trailer to a nice home, and it's nice to know it's because he's doing something he really, really enjoys and is very successful at. It's a heart-warming and fulfilling story, to see him come from a very rough past.'

Not everyone is going giddy about Brien's instant fame and fortune. Many baseball executives wondered about the wisdom of giving a high school pitcher $1.55 million. Taylor comes without a warranty or a guarantee. Only 10 percent of all players who sign professional contracts ever make it to the big league. Less than 60 percent of first-round picks ever play in a major-league game.

The last high school pitcher to be drafted No. 1 was Houston schoolboy David Clyde, whom Texas took with the first pick of the 1973 draft. Clyde won only 18 games in his major-league career, lost 33 and compiled a 4.63 ERA.

'It's not like the NFL or the NBA,' Padres' general manager Joe McIlvaine said. 'Baseball is a much more inexact science. I was shocked by what the Yankees did.'

The Yankees, though, believe Taylor is an exceptional talent who they could not afford to lose. He is a lanky 6-3 and 195 pounds. Taylor is such a good athlete that his friends call him 'Smooth' because of his moves on the basketball court. He has run the 100-meter dash in 10.7 seconds.

Given the swampy surroundings of Beaufort and the conditions in which he grew up, Taylor is their diamond in the rough. He is expected to begin this season at Class A Greensboro and could make it to Yankee Stadium for the 1994 season, if not the end of the 1993 season.

'The last time we scouted him before the draft he really turned it up a notch,' said Yankee general manager Gene Michael. 'We got him at 98 on our radar gun. In the Instructional League, after not pitching all summer, his first five pitches in his first inning all were 95 or better. He threw his changeup about 88 mph. That's the speed of an average major league fastball.

'We think once he refines his mechanics, he can consistently throw at 100 mph. There are only one or two players in the big leagues right now who can do that. Maybe Rob Dibble and maybe one other guy. Brien is something special.'

Said Taylor, 'I think I can make it to New York in two years. I expect to do well. But I'm looking forward to the better competition. I'm looking forward to getting hit. That's how you get better.'

Taylor was born the day after Christmas, 1971. Bettie Taylor had decided months before on the name for what would be the second of her four children. While pregnant, she saw Brian's song, the stirring movie about former Bears' running back Brian Piccolo. She was so touched by the story that she decided, 'I'm going to name this child Brian.' But she spelled the name Brien with an 'e' on the birth certificate.

'Brian Keith, the actor, I thought he had an 'e,' ' Bettie said. 'I guess I made a mistake.'

It wasn't long before people began to notice Brien's arm.

'One day, when he was about three, he picked up a bottle and threw it clear across the room,' Bettie said. 'One of his uncles said, 'Whatever you do, get that boy on a pitcher's mound.' '

He grew up throwing rocks at birds, at street signs and at bottles at ditches. By the time he was ready for Little League, 'Everybody knew about his arm,' said Gary Chadwick, who would be Brien's coach at East Carteret High School.

'I umpired one of his games when he was 10 or 11,' Chadwick said. 'I think he walked 10 guys before striking somebody out. By high school, you could see he was going to be a good pitcher. The best part is that he's never let any of the attention change him.'

N.C. Williams, an assistant principal at East Carteret, said Brien is 'a lot like his dad,' Willie, a brick mason.

'He's very laid-back and easy-going,' Williams said. 'He is a quiet, unassuming type of kid. And he comes from a very close-knit family.'

Brien grew up in that trailer, a narrow, lopsided box of about 800 square feet. A sheer piece of fabric was used as a door between the kitchen and the rear bedrooms. A naked light bulb illuminated the kitchen, where the backpiece to the stove was burned and the back to one of the wooden chairs was missing from its spindles.

'I know this community might not be a whole lot to look at,' Bettie said. 'But if you have a problem, all the neighbors have to do is know about it and you've got help.'

The Taylors live in North River, a section seven miles inland from the touristy waterfront area of Beaufort. Most of the town's 908 blacks in a population of 3,808 live in the North River area, which is named for the body of water in which Bettie and her two daughters often fish for flounder for dinner.

The 1980 census found the median household income in Beaufort to be $12,040 or 11 percent below the state average. And 16.2 percent of the families, or nine percent above the state average, live below the poverty level.

'I would say we're poor,' Bettie said, 'but not dirt poor. The kids had everything they needed, even some luxuries.'

The Taylors had an encyclopedia set, a National Geographic subscription, but no telephone. Brien turned out to be such a sought-after player, though, that Bettie and finally installed a telephone last year.

'Worst mistake I ever made,' she said with a laugh, after the phone rang constantly all summer.

'It's pretty hard to believe, ' Brien said. 'I always thought I'd make the draft, but this isn't where you see a lot of baseball players, like Florida or California. I didn't know if I'd ever get noticed.'

As a senior, Taylor was 8-2 with a 0.85 ERA. He allowed only 18 hits while striking out 203 batters in 84 innings. Battalions of scouts ventured to Beaufort to watch him pitch, though by the end of his season it was so obvious that he would be picked first or second that only the Yankees and Braves sent representatives to his games.

The Yankees, holding the first pick after finishing with the most losses in the American League in 1990, debated right up until the night before the draft whether to take Taylor or Mike Kelly, an outfielder from Arizona State University.

'They were so close in all our evaluations,' Michael said. 'It could have gone either way. But I'd say the determining factors were Taylor being left-handed for Yankee Stadium and the fact that one of our strengths is right-handed-hitting outfielders.'

Soon after the Yankees took Taylor, Bettie told Michael she would accept nothing less than the $1.2 million that Oakland gave Todd Van Poppel, the Athletics' first-round pick in the 1990 draft. Van Poppel's money was payable over three years and included a $500,000 signing bonus.

The Yankees offer started at $350,000. When Atlanta signed Kelly to a $575,000 bonus, the Yankees improved their offer to $650,000, with another $50,000 to cover college expenses. Bettie, under Boras' advice, held firm. She once even questioned whether the Yankees were exploiting their cultural and economic conditions.

'As things go, I'm beginning to wonder,' Bettie said. 'Is it because we're back here, we're poor and we're black? I'm not saying that is the case, but if it is I can live with that, too.'

'Michael replied, 'Anyone who knows me knows I'm not that way. I think they have been misled some.'

On August 25, with the two sides still apart, Brien left home to register for classes at Louisburg Junior College in North Carolina. Once he attended his first class the next day- a tennis class- the Yankees would not have been able to negotiate with him until after the conclusion of the Louisburg baseball season. Then, if they did not sign him at least 24 hours before the June draft, they would lose the rights to him.

Finally, just hours before Taylor's first class, the Yankees reached an agreement with Bettie and Boras on the $1.55-million signing bonus, the largest bonus in sports history for a high-school athlete. The bonus was payable in two checks of $775,000- one almost immediately after signing the other on January 10.

The Yankees brought the Taylors to New York for a news conference and a whirlwind tour of the city. It was only the third time Brien had been away from home. He once attended a baseball camp at a North Carolina college and another time he visited an aunt in Maryland. Those trips were nothing like this, though, especially when the Taylors ordered a big room-service breakfast at a midtown hotel.

'I couldn't believe how expensive it was,' Bettie said.

The signing reverberated throughout baseball like the aftershock of an earthquake. Baseball executives, especially those in small-market cities, worried about how they would be able to sign future No. 1 picks after this record-setting precedent by the Yankees.

'The draft was created to allow for equity,' Reds' general manager Bob Quinn. 'But equity is being destroyed by this [signing]. When you have to draft in terms of signability rather than pure ability, then you can't compete. Some people better wake up and wake up fast. This has gotten out of hand.'

Boras coldly responded to such charges by saying, 'You don't play the game in a city. You play the game in a market. And if you can't afford it, maybe  you're in the wrong market.'

Baseball owners, at their next quarterly meeting, immediately went about drafting a proposal that would allow teams to control the rights to a drafted player for as many as three years, rather than one. That would allow teams more leverage in negotiating with high-school players. The proposal, which baseball people were calling 'The Boras Clause,' still is being studied.

Meanwhile, Taylor took a look at the first of his bonus checks and decided, 'There are a lot of digits.' Boras also secured 'a lucrative deal' for Brien with one baseball-card company and began negotiations with two others. The agent quickly put Brien on a modest allowance.

'The one thing he did say to me was, 'I want my family to live in a nice home,' ' Boras said.

Construction began immediately. Brien did have one request for himself: his first car.

'I told him he could have a moderately priced car,' Boras said. 'An expensive car and the minor leagues don't go hand-in-hand, not when you're parking on gravel roads and leaving the car unattended for a 10-day road trip. I told Brien, 'You buy an expensive car with your major-league money. This is for the security of your family.' '

Taylor bought a $15,000 black Mustang GT from Parker Ford in Morehead City. According to a salesman there, 'Everything you can get on it, it's got it.' Taylor's brother washes cars for that dealership.

'I got a deal on it,' Taylor said with a smile.

Taylor also bought six pairs of jeans, four pairs of slacks, a set of suitcases and the first suit he's ever owned. 'Bought it in Morehead City. It's gray, Yankee gray.'

Taylor's professional career unofficially began September 12, when he reported to the Yankees' Instructional League team in Tampa for the seven-week season. He received no salary there. He was paid $15 a day in meal money with another $7 per day for incidentals.

'He was very, very comfortable with the whole process,' Boras said. 'His mother and father came down to see him after three weeks. They brought down his car, which he was real happy about. He had to hoof it around there for three weeks.

'He formed very close relationships with the other players. They watched a lot of football together, ate at smorgasbords and they might even have looked at a few girls, though that's the one thing he doesn't talk to me about. He really enjoyed himself. '

Likewise, the Yankees were impressed when Kiki Hernandez, Taylor's first catcher, remarked that Taylor's fastball moved 'eight to 12 inches.' Pitching coach Tony Cloninger needed to see Taylor warm up only once before he exclaimed, 'I can't believe how live his arm is!'

Taylor's left arm is long, thin and limber. When he throws, it is like a rubber garden hose snapped to life when the water is suddenly turned on full blast. His velocity comes so naturally that Taylor finds it almost impossible to simply lob a baseball.

'It's real tough for me,' he said. 'Even when I'm throwing soft, it's hard. It caused some errors in high school because I'd throw to a base and the ball would move so much, or the other guy was afraid of getting hit, that sometimes he couldn't catch it.'

While everything was drooling over his fastball, the Yankees saw potential in his sweeping curveball, too.

'He's going to have a John Candelaria-type breaking ball,' said Brian Sabean, the Yankees vice-president of player development. 'He can be downright nasty, especially on left-handers.

'We know we have something very valuable here. Obviously, it's a big responsibility. This is not a race to get him to the big leagues. We want to bring him along slowly so that when he does get to the big leagues, he's there to stay.'

Said Brien, 'If you just throw 95, by the seventh inning you've given up five runs. The secret is changing speeds and moving the ball around. That's what I try to do.'

Boras compared Taylor to another of his clients, Steve Avery of Atlanta, another young left-handed pitcher. Avery made it to the big leagues at age 20 but struggled to a 3-11 record in 1990. He bounced back with a breakthrough season last year, going 18-8 before winning two games by 1-0 scores in the National League Championship Series against Pittsburgh. He didn't get a decision in the World Series but was a formidable foe for the Twins.

'When I watch Steve pitch I really think about Brien a great deal,' Boras said. 'Like Steve, Brien's velocity really went up between ages 18 and 19. And Brien is a ferocious competitor like Steve. Their external appearances may not show it. They both have such a calm nature. But they are fierce on the mound.'

Now Beaufort has the legend of Brien Taylor, who grew up in a dilapidated trailer at the end of a dirt road, who made the baseball world flock to his tiny town because of his mighty fastball and who earned $1.55 million shortly after graduating high school and before throwing his first pitch as a professional.

'I don't know what it was before,' said Chadwick, his high-school coach, 'but Brien's the biggest thing to hit this town now.' "

-Tom Verducci, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition

The Yankees' 1991 No. 1 Draft Pick

"The summer of 1991 was like no other for Brien Taylor. At the culmination of his brilliant career at East Carteret High School in North Carolina, the tall, lean left-handed pitcher held the world the baseball world in his palm.

On June 3, he was selected by the Yankees as the number one pick overall in the June amateur draft. For months the Yankees had pondered whether to select Taylor, an almost unhittable 'can't-miss' hurler, or Mike Kelly, the all-around, ultra-talented centerfielder at Arizona State University.

With a stable of excellent outfielders at the major and minor league levels and pitching phenoms in short supply, the Yankees opted for Taylor. The organization called it 'a once in a lifetime opportunity.'

The club's negotiations with Taylor wore on before he signed on August 26 for a record $1.55 million. But it was a crowning moment for Taylor and the Yankees. He was undertaking his dream of becoming a professional baseball marvel and the Yankees had finally found their most promising prospect in ages.

In October, Taylor made his debut in the Fall Instructional League in Tampa, FL, wowing onlookers with a 98 mph fastball as well as his willingness to take direction. In February, Taylor attended the Yankees' major league spring training camp in Fort Lauderdale. There he continued to impress the organization.

'This was a very positive experience for Brien,' manager Buck Showalter said in March. 'He has a quality arm and he impressed us with his arm strength as well as his control. He will continue to work on other phases of his game at the developmental level.'

Pitching coach Mark Connor worked closely with Taylor in Florida. 'We wanted him to see how a big league camp was run and what it was like to be around pros like Sanderson, Leary and Farr,' Connor said.

Taylor conducted himself like a pro in camp but did not appear in an exhibition game before being assigned to minor league camp. He was scheduled to begin the 1992 season at one of the club's three Class-A affiliates, but his timetable for reaching New York or even Double-A and Triple-A is open-ended.

'He needs experience and innings,' Connor explained. 'He needs to find out what his stuff is capable of and find out what it's like to be banged around. But I don't think that will happen too often.'

Taylor himself sees no urgency in reaching the major leagues. 'If I was anxious,' the 20-year-old says, 'I'd never get there. I'd be a total mess all season ... All I want to do is play and if I'm better than the level I'm assigned to then I'd like to be promoted to a level where I do well and not so well. I want a challenge.' "

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Brien was the number one pick overall in the 1991 June free agent draft. He became the second number one pick ever for the Yankees, joining Ron Blomberg, selected in 1967. He was the first high school pitcher selected in the first slot since the Texas Rangers chose David Clyde in 1973. Brien signed his contract on August 26, 1991 and is signed for the 1992 season.

He pitched in the Instructional League in Tampa at the conclusion of the 1991 season. He started four games and compiled a 2.25 ERA (16.0 IP, 8 H. 6 R, 4ER, 8 BB, 27 K). Brien averaged 15.2 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. His roommate in Tampa was Yankee minor league catcher Kiki Hernandez.

Brien's first outing in Pinstripes came on October 9 against the Lucky-Goldstar Baseball club, a touring team from Seoul, South Korea. He pitched two innings, hitting 98 on the radar gun. He capped his Instructional League stint with a game against the Cleveland Instructional team, tossing 5.1 innings of 1-hit ball while striking out 10 batters.

He graduated from East Carteret High School. As a senior, he posted an 8-2 record with a 0.86 ERA (84.0 IP, 18 H, 8 ER, 24 BB, 203 K [0.5 WHIP]) and averaged 21.8 strikeouts, 1.9 hits and 2.6 walks per nine innings. Brien took the loss in the state semifinals by a score of 1-0 despite throwing a 1-hitter.

In his high school career, Brien was 29-6 with a 1.25 ERA (239.1 IP, 85 H, 158 BB, 476 K). He once threw back-to-back no-hitters for East Carteret. He also struck out 20 of 21 batters in a game.

Brien throws consistently in the mid-90s and was clocked as high as 99 mph in high school. He was honored in November by Topps as the Junior Player of the Year. He was ranked the #1 prospect in the Yankee organization by Baseball America."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide 

THE LIFE OF BRIEN

"After working at his first major league spring camp and later at the Yankees' minor league camp, 1991 number one draft pick Brien Taylor was set to begin what everyone thinks will be a wonderful pro career.

For just about anyone, the experience of walking into your first major league spring training camp just eight months after being selected as baseball's first amateur draft choice would be nerve-racking.

The pressure of who you are and worse yet, who they expect you to become could be staggering to a 20-year-old even if he does throw a baseball at 98 mph.

Brien Taylor, the aforementioned left-handed pitcher now appearing in the Yankee minor league system, showed no signs of stress or worry during his 16-day stay at the Yankees' camp in Fort Lauderdale, FL. True, he didn't appear in a major league exhibition game, but he certainly wanted to.

'I wouldn't have minded pitching in a game,' Taylor said before he headed for the Yankee minor league camp in Tampa. 'But I understand why I didn't. Being a young player we try to do more to prove ourselves, but they talked to me and said, 'We want you to take it easy. It's a long season ahead.' '

Obviously the Yankees have no inclination to put their organization's jewel where he could suddenly become mortal. Even though they thought he might just do well in a big league game, the cons outweighed the pros.

Failure, a virtual unknown in The Life of Brien, will eventually take a little bite out of the phenom from North Carolina's East Carteret High School. But it appears Taylor is already well prepared for that moment. The enormous amount of fan and media attention he has received has not even caused him to blink. Nor did his first major league clubhouse experience. He has a certain cool that will eventually be just as important to his career as his physical ability.

Unlike most fans and sportswriters that he meets, Taylor never asks when he will make his Yankee Stadium debut. He has enough confidence to know it won't be long and enough humility to realize certain parts of his game still need refining.

'If I was anxious (about making it to the majors) I would never get there,' Taylor said following one spring practice. 'I'd be a total mess all season. The only thing I'm anxious about is getting out there, playing and getting my game going. I'll be (in the major leagues) before I know it anyway.'

Specifically, Taylor will need to improve 'the little things' such as holding baserunners on, fielding ground balls, covering first base on balls hit to the right side and backing up bases. In high school, he simply mowed through lineups without having much responsibility after he released a pitch. 'No,' Taylor said, 'not too many people made it to the first base bag.'

In Fort Lauderdale, Taylor received a full dose of instruction from pitching coach Mark Connor.

'I think Brien accomplished what we wanted him to accomplish down here,' Connor said in March. 'We wanted him to see how a big league spring training was run and what it was like to be around pros like Sanderson, Leary and Farr.

'He's basically a shy kid, but he's very confident in his abilities. I just think he handled it extremely well.'

Manager Buck Showalter always took the time in Florida to watch Taylor work and throw and he liked what he saw.

'This was a very positive experience for Brien,' Showalter said. 'He has a quality arm and he impressed us with his arm strength as well as with his control. He will continue to work on other phases of his game at the developmental level.

Where Taylor would begin his first pro season was an unanswered question in spring training. The Yankees would only say it would be at one of their three Class-A affiliates in Prince William, Greensboro or Fort Lauderdale with Lauderdale being the most likely choice. The ballparks in the Florida State League are better maintained and more spacious than other Class-A parks. Plus, the FSL is known as a 'pitcher's league.'

Regardless of his assignment, Taylor has set his sights on making huge strides in his development in 1992.

'All I want to do is play,' he said, 'and if I'm better than the level I'm assigned then I'd like to be promoted to a level where I do well and not so well. I want a challenge.'

Just as it is illogical when someone says Taylor can be part of New York's rotation by the end of the summer, it is unreasonable to think he won't stumble in the minors.

'He needs experience and innings,' Connor explained. 'He needs to find out what his stuff is capable of and found out what it's like to be banged around. But I don't think that will happen too often.'

To fully understand Taylor's talent, you first have to examine his staggering high school statistics. Over his scholastic career, he was 29-6 with a 1.25 ERA. In 239.1 innings, he allowed only 85 hits while striking out 476 batters. He even threw back-to-back no-hitters once. He was 8-2 as a senior last year with a 0.86 ERA and averaged 21.8 strikeouts and 1.9 hits per nine innings.

He was almost as overpowering last October in the Fall Instructional League in Tampa. And that was after a virtually idle summer.

So what exactly is this guy throwing?

'I throw a straight fastball, a cut fastball that slides away from right-handed hitters and a straight change that I get a lot of batters out with. I've been throwing that since I was sophomore,' Taylor said. 'I also throw a curveball that's high velocity, about 85 mph, that's helped me out a lot. With that curve they bring their bat around hard because it looks like a fastball and then it's a big break and they just can't do anything with it.'

Taylor's life has changed drastically since last June 3 when the Yankees made him baseball's top pick but it will change ever more dramatically in the coming years. But this young man from Beaufort, NC is ready to jump into the life with his arms wide open.

'Growing up baseball was where it was at for me,' he explained. 'I always stood out from the other players at each level. I picked up the game early and I learned it fast, but it's always been a fun game for me. Then if you love baseball and then it becomes your job, you love it even more. That's why you go out there every day, because you love the game. This is all a thrill.'

And it's only just beginning."

-Tom Bannon, Yankees Magazine (April 30, 1992)

GERALD WILLIAMS

"Figures prominently in outfield plans for the future. Williams batted .258 with two home runs and 27 RBI in 61 games for Columbus (AAA) after beginning the season with Albany (AA) and hitting .286 with five homers and 32 RBI in 45 games there. He remains a raw talent offensively. Williams possesses a very strong arm and is a right fielder who has the range of a center fielder.

Born in New Orleans, Williams is a product of Grambling State. He was an outstanding choice as a 14th-round selection in the 1987 draft. He led the organization with 101 RBI in 1990 when he split the season between Fort Lauderdale (A) and Albany."

-Tony DeMarco and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition

"Selected by the Yankees in the 14th round of the 1987 June draft, Gerald is a multi-dimensional athlete who can produce in every facet of the game. He still needs more polish at Triple-A, but could possibly make his major league debut in 1992.

He split the '91 season between Albany and Columbus, hitting a combined .270 with 23 doubles, 59 RBIs and 27 steals. He played winter ball in Puerto Rico and hit .286.

Gerald attended Grambling State."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Williams split the 1991 season between AA Albany and AAA Columbus. His action at Columbus was his first experience above the AA level.

Over 45 games at Albany, Gerald hit .286 with 15 doubles, five home runs, 32 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. He was second on the club in slugging with a .457 percentage. He was promoted to Columbus on June 3.

With the Clippers, he hit .258 with two home runs and 27 RBIs over 58 games. He was sidelined from July 24-August 22 with a dislocated left shoulder. Gerald injured the shoulder sliding headfirst into second on July 23. At the time of his injury he was hitting .263. After the injury he hit .238 (10-for-42).

Combined for both clubs, Williams hit .270 with 23 doubles, seven homers, 59 RBIs and 27 steals. He ranked 15th in the organization in batting and was tied for ninth in doubles.

He played winter ball in Puerto Rico, hitting .286 with two homers and 22 RBIs over 47 games. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Williams started the 1990 season at Ft. Lauderdale and was promoted to AA Albany on May 30. Combined for the two clubs, he posted some of the finest offensive numbers in the Yankee organization, hitting .265 with 21 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs and 101 RBIs. He stole 37 bases in 50 attempts and averaged one RBI every 5.2 at-bats. Gerald led the organization in games played (146) and RBIs and was second in at-bats (528), hits (140) and total bases (235).

He hit .340 in May to earn his promotion. Overall at Ft. Lauderdale, he hit .289 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs in 50 games, averaging one RBI every 4.7 at-bats.

Gerald's best month at Albany was July (.286 BA, 4 HR, 22 RBI). He was named Eastern League Player of the Week for August 6-12, hitting .364 (8-for-22), with two doubles, a homer, nine RBIs and seven runs over seven games. Overall at Albany, Williams hit .250 with 13 home runs and 58 RBIs in 96 games. He hit .263 (5-for-19) in postseason competition.

Selected by the Yankees in the 14th round of the June 1987 free agent draft, Williams was signed by Yankee scout Joe Robison. In 1987, his first year of professional ball, he played at Oneonta and hit .365 with six doubles, two triples, six home runs and 29 RBIs in 29 games. He averaged an RBI every 4.0 at-bats.

Gerald spent time at both Ft. Lauderdale and Prince William in 1988. In 1989, he hit .229 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs at Prince William. He led Carolina League outfielders in games (134), total chances (307) and putouts (229) and tied for the league lead with two grand slams.

Gerald attended Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

BRAD AUSMUS

"Brad was selected by the Yankees in the 48th round of the 1987 June draft. He's an excellent receiver who also produces offensively.

He split the '91 season between Prince William and Albany, hitting a combined .285 with 59 RBIs, three home runs and 23 doubles. Brad hit .304 at Prince Williams and is a fine baserunner who stole 31 bases a year ago.

He attends Dartmouth in the off-season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Ausmus split the 1991 season between 'A' Prince William and 'AA' Albany. He combined to hit .285 with 23 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 59 RBIs and 31 steals. He hit .304 over 63 games with the Cannons to earn his promotion. Brad's average was the only .300-plus batting average on the team and his .366 on-base percentage was third on the club.

Used exclusively as a catcher, Brad played 117 games behind the plate combined for both clubs. He was ranked as the Carolina League's seventh best prospect in Baseball America's poll of Carolina League managers.

He was added to the 40-man roster on November 21. He is signed for the 1992 season.

Ausmus played at Class-A Prince William in 1990 and hit .236 with 12 doubles, two triples and 27 RBIs over 107 games. His .993 fielding percentage led Carolina League catchers. 

Selected by the Yankees as the 48th round pick in the June 1987 free agent draft, Ausmus was signed by Yankee scout Paul Turco. In 1988, his first season of professional baseball, Brad played at Sarasota and hit .256 over 43 games. He led Gulf Coast League catchers in games (43), total chances (434), putouts (378) and assists (47). After playing two games at Oneonta in '88, he hit .261 in 52 games there in 1989.

Brad attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire in the off-season. In 1987 he graduated from Chesire High School, where he played baseball and basketball. Brad was a teammate of New York Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch on the 1984 baseball team that won the Connecticut high school championship."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

WILLIE SMITH

"Acquired from the Pittsburgh organization in December 1989, Willie is a hard-throwing righty who was converted to a starter last year in Albany. He went 7-7 with a 4.15 ERA in 21 starts and struck out 104 batters in 108.1 innings, an average of 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Over six career minor league seasons, Willie has struck out 354 batters over 344 innings, an average, an average of 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Willie may return to the bullpen as a closer."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"1991 was a full season at AA Albany for the hard-throwing right-hander. Willie was converted to a starter after starting his professional career with 112 of 129 appearances in relief. He pitched in 21 games (all starts) and posted a 7-7 record with a 4.15 ERA, throwing three complete games. He struck out 104 batters in 108.1 innings, an average of 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Smith ranked No. 2 on the club in starts to Ed Martel (24) and tied with Martel for the club lead in complete games.

Over six minor league seasons, Smith has struck out 354 batters over 344 innings, an average of 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Willie spent virtually the entire 1990 season at Columbus (33 games), with a brief amount of time at Albany (nine games). Combined, he was 4-2 with 11 saves with a 4.98 ERA over 42 games. He fanned 59 batters over 43.1 innings, an average of 12.3 strikeouts per 9.0 innings.

He was 3-1 with seven saves and a 6.23 ERA (34.2 IP) at Columbus, finishing 21 of the 33 games he entered. At Albany, he was 1-1 with four saves and a 0.00 ERA (8.2 IP), finishing all nine games he was called upon to pitch. 

Smith began the 1989 season with the Class-A Salem (VA) Buccaneers of the Carolina League. He was 4-5 with a 2.94 ERA in 23 appearances (nine starts) and fanned 58 batters in 64.1 innings (8.1 K/9.0 IP). Smith finished 13 of 14 games as a reliever, earning four saves. He was promoted to AA Harrisburg of the Eastern League and with the Senators went 3-0 in 12 games, fanning 21 batters in 18.1 innings (10.3 K/9.0 IP).

Overall in 1989, Willie fanned 79 batters over 82.2 innings (8.6 K/9.0 IP). He was obtained by the Yankees along with pitcher Jeff Robinson from the Pirates in December 1989 in exchange for catcher Don Slaught.

Willie was signed by the Pirates organization as a non-drafted free agent by scout Fred Goodman in July 1986 and began his pro career with Bradenton in the Gulf Coast League. In 1987, he struck out a combined 51 batters in 39.2 innings with Bradenton (Rookie League) and Watertown (short-season Class-A). Willie was promoted from Bradenton to Watertown on August 8.

He spent the entire 1988 season with the Class-A Augusta Pirates of the South Atlantic League. He was 1-4 with a 2.98 ERA with six saves and 48 strikeouts (8.9 K/9.0 IP) in 30 appearances (one start, 29 in relief).

Willie was on the disabled list from June 12-July 15 with a ruptured artery in his right bicep. He struck out a season high four twice: on April 13 against Myrtle Beach (1.2 IP) and on August 16 against Spartanburg (4.0 IP). Willie earned his only win of the season on August 16, his longest outing of the year and final relief appearance of '88. His only start came in his final appearance of the season on August 22 (second game) against Sumter.

Willie graduated from Savannah [GA] High School where he played baseball, football (defensive end) and basketball (forward) and obtained the nickname 'Big Will.' As a senior, he led the team in batting, was the team's MVP and was named to the All-City team. Willie was a first baseman in Little League and was converted to a pitcher in Babe Ruth League baseball.

He enjoys pool, basketball and watching horror films. His favorite entertainer is Eddie Murphy."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

ED MARTEL (1991 Yankee Minor League Pitcher of the Year)

"Ed was selected by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 1987 June draft and is a promising starting pitcher. He spent the entire 1991 season at Albany, going 13-6 with a 2.81 ERA- he tied for the Eastern League lead in wins and was third in ERA. His 141 strikeouts led the league and he averaged 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. He was named to the EL postseason All-Star team and was named Yankees' Minor League Co-Pitcher of the Year.

Ed attends Northwestern University during the off-season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Ed never pitched above 'A' ball prior to the 1991 season. He had an outstanding season spending the majority of the year at AA Albany. With Albany, Ed was 13-6 with a 2.81 ERA in 25 games (24 starts). 

He won 13 of his last 16 decisions after starting the season 0-3. He was named Jack Butterfield Pitcher of the Month for August (4-1, 1.89). He had a streak of 36.1 consecutive innings to end the season and start the playoffs. He went 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two playoff starts. Promoted to Columbus on September 15, Martel made his AAA debut on September 16 in game 5 of the Triple-A Classic against Denver, receiving a no-decision (8.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K).

Martel was the Eastern League leader in strikeouts with 141, tied for the league lead in wins and was third in ERA. Opponents hit only .217 against him. He led the club in wins, starts, shutouts (2), innings pitched (163.1) and games started. He allowed only eight home runs or one every 20.1 innings pitched.

He was third in the entire organization in wins behind Scott Sanderson and Sam Militello and third in the organization in winning percentage (.684) behind Militello and Darrin Chapin. Martel was sixth in strikeouts.

Following the season Eastern League managers named him as the top right-handed pitching prospect in the league and the seventh-best prospect overall. Martel was ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the Yankee organization by Baseball America.

He was placed on the 40-man roster on October 31. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Upon graduation from high school, Ed was the Yankees' 11th round pick in the regular phase of the June 1987 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Dick Groch. He was assigned to 'Short-A' Oneonta where he pitched twice in relief, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA over 3.0 innings.

In 1988 Ed pitched at Oneonta, appearing in nine games (eight starts) and going 2-2 with a 3.02 ERA. He walked only eight batters while striking out 24 over 41.2 innings. Ed was 10-8 with a 4.04 ERA over 25 starts for 'A' Ft. Lauderdale in 1989 and was named to the Florida State League All-Star team. He spent a full season at 'A' Prince William in 1990. He was 8-13 with a 4.08 ERA over 25 starts and allowed 134 hits over 143.1 innings.

Ed attends Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) in the off-season where he is working toward a degree in mechanical engineering. He graduated from Delasalle Collegiate High School in June of 1987 where he played against Toronto's Pat Hentgen. His team went to the Connie Mack World Series in New Mexico in 1986.

Ed pitched and played first base and third base in high school. As a youngster, he played Little League, Babe Ruth League and Federation League baseball as a youngster."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

LARRY STANFORD

"Selected by the Yankees in the 6th round of the 1989 June draft, Larry is a superb reliever who has saved 53 games in the past two years. In three minor league seasons his ERA is 2.47.

In 1991 at Albany he was 2-3 with a 1.89 ERA, and his 24 saves led the Eastern League. He allowed only 41 hits in 62 innings while striking out 61 batters. Opponents only hit .191 against him. He was named to the EL All-Star team.

Larry played winter ball in Venezuela where he saved eight more games and posted a 2.21 ERA."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Larry spent the entire 1991 season with the AA Albany Yankees before being recalled to Columbus for the playoffs. As the Albany right-handed closer, he was 2-3 with 24 saves and a 1.89 ERA in 52 games pitched. He allowed only 41 hits in 62 innings while striking out 61.

He gave up only two home runs all season, a ratio of one every 31.0 innings. He struck out 8.9 batters per nine innings and allowed only six hits per nine innings. Opponents batted only .191 (41-for-215) against him. Larry allowed only three earned runs on the road all season, good for a 1.17 ERA.

Through the first two months of the season he had a 0.74 ERA with 11 saves. Larry was a closer in the true sense of the word as he finished 41 of his 52 appearances. He was a member of the Eastern League All-Star team (0.2 IP, 0 R) and was also named to the end of the year team.

Larry was second in the Eastern League Rolaids Relief Man points standings and led the Eastern League in saves. Of all Yankee minor leaguers, he ranked third in saves and fifth in games pitched.

He played winter ball in Venezuela and was 1-2 with eight saves and a 2.21 ERA over 15 appearances. Larry was placed on the 40-man roster on November 4. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Larry was the Yankees' 6th round pick in the June 1989 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Rudy Santin. 1989 was his first year of professional baseball. He was used exclusively as a starter, posting a 4-3 record with a 3.83 ERA over 15 starts and allowing 75 hits over 80 innings pitched.

In 1990 Larry pitched at 'A' Ft. Lauderdale, posting a 3-1 record with 29 saves and a 1.31 ERA over 57 appearances. He struck out 60 batters in 61.2 innings. He was named to the Florida State League All-Star team and led the league with 91 Rolaids relief points.

Larry attended Florida International University, Louisiana State University and Indian River Community College."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

MIKE GARDELLA

"Mike was selected by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 1989 June draft. In his pro career he has converted 60 saves in 67 chances for an amazing 90 percent success rate. Mike has averaged 11 strikeouts every nine innings pitched.

He's a tough short reliever who spent the entire 1991 season at Albany where he posted a 4-5 record with a 3.82 ERA and 11 saves. He can throw hard or use a sharp breaking ball.

Mike grew up in the Bronx and attended Oklahoma State University."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Gardella pitched a full season at Albany in 1991, his first action at the AA level. The left-handed closer on the Albany staff, he pitched a club best 53 games going 4-5 with 11 saves and a 3.82 ERA. He struck out 76 batters in 77.2 innings. Gardella pitched in four games in the postseason, posting a 1.23 ERA and two saves. 

He ranked fourth in the organization in games and eighth in saves. He ranked tied for 11th in the Rolaids Relief Pitcher standing with 31 points. Mike finished 27 games in which he appeared and converted his 11 saves in 13 opportunities. In his professional career, Mike has converted 60 saves in 67 chances, good for an amazing 90% success rate, and fanned 228 batters over 187.0 innings, an average of 11 strikeouts every nine innings pitched.

He played winter ball in Venezuela. He was placed on the 40-man roster on November 21. He signed a contract for the 1992 season. 

Gardella pitched exclusively in relief in 1990 and had an outstanding season for Class-A Prince William. In 62 games he was 4-3 with a 2.01 ERA and a league leading 30 saves. His 30th save came in the final game of the season at Lynchburg, setting a Prince William franchise record. The 30 saves also tied a Carolina League record set by Dave Shippanoff for Kinston in 1982. Gardella tied for seventh-best in the National Association Rolaids Relief Rankings, which includes all minor league pitchers.

With 30 of his team's 34 saves, he struck out 86 in 71.2 innings for a team best ratio of 10.8/9.0 IP). Mike was named to the Carolina League All-Star team.

Mike was the Yankees' 13th round pick in the June 1989 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Dick Tidrow. In his first year of pro ball he pitched for Oneonta of the New York-Penn League. He made 28 appearances in relief, notching a league leading 19 saves while also leading the circuit with 26 games finished. Mike had a 2-0 record with a 1.67 ERA, allowing only 23 hits in 37.2 innings while striking out 66 (15.8/9.0 IP). He was named to the New York-Penn League All-Star team and named the 1989 New York-Penn League's 'Star of Stars.' He has converted 49 of 54 save opportunities over his first two seasons, a 91% success rate.

Mike attended Oklahoma State University where he lettered four years (1986-89) in baseball. Over 70 appearances he was 13-0 with a save and a 4.94 ERA. He helped the club to four straight Big Eight titles, two straight NCAA regional titles (1986-87) and two straight NCAA College World Series appearances (1986-87). Mike is working toward a degree in business administration.

He graduated from St. Raymond High School in the Bronx in 1985. He was a three-year letterman on the varsity baseball team, compiling a career 30-10 record with a 1.88 ERA. Mike holds 'every conceivable school record,' according to Athletic Director Ron Pantosh, including 415 career strikeouts.

Mike struck out a school record 19 batters in a seven-inning game as a junior. He threw three no-hitters, including one in 1985 at Shea Stadium, beating Cardinal Hayes and ex-Yankee farmhand Victor Garcia.

As a junior, Mike was 9-1 with a 0.94 ERA with his only loss coming at Yankee Stadium and was named to the Daily News All-City team. He was All-League his junior and senior years and President of the student council as a senior."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

BOBBY MUNOZ

"Selected by the Yankees in the 15th round of the 1988 June draft, Bobby is an imposing, powerful starter. He threw extremely well for Fort Lauderdale in 1991, going 5-8 with a 2.33 ERA, and in 108 innings yielded only 91 hits. He threw four shutouts and completed two games in 19 starts. Bobby was named to the Florida State League All-Star team and later made one appearance for Columbus."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Munoz had an outstanding year for 'A' Fort Lauderdale, posting a 5-8 record with a staff-low 2.33 ERA in 19 starts. He allowed only 91 hits in 108.0 innings, an average of 7.6 hits per nine innings. Munoz had four complete games and two shutouts. Opponents batted only .232 off of him and he allowed only four home runs, one every 27.0 innings.

He pitched in the Florida State League All-Star Game, tossing one inning and allowing one run. He was promoted to Columbus on August 31 and pitched the next day in game two of a doubleheader at Toledo. It was his only appearance in triple-A, with Bobby taking the loss in a 9-7 defeat (4.0 IP, 8 ER). He was sent to the Instructional League on September 11 and posted a 1.17 ERA (15.1 IP, 2 ER).

Bobby was ranked the ninth best prospect in Baseball America's ranking of the Yankee organization. He was placed on the 40-man roster on October31. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

He was drafted by the Yankees in the 15th round of the June 1988 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Rudy Santin. 1989 was his first year of pro ball. Munoz split time between Sarasota and Ft. Lauderdale, combining to post a 2-3 record with a 4.18 ERA over five starts and 22.3 innings. In 1990, he spent a full season at 'A' Greensboro, posting a 5-12 record with a 3.73 ERA over 24 starts.

Bobby attended Palm Beach Junior College and Polk Community College, both in Florida. He played for Puerto Rico on the 1987 bronze medal-winning basketball team in the Junior Olympics in Italy.

He graduated from Hialeah Lakes Miami High School where he played baseball and basketball. He led the 1986 team to the State Championship and was tournament MVP.

Bobby played in the Amateur Baseball Association in Rio Piedras as a youngster. He participated in the National Championship Willie Mays baseball tournament in Atlanta, earning MVP honors."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

MARK HUTTON

"Mark is an intimidating thrower who spent most of 1991 at Fort Lauderdale, going 5-8 with a 2.45 ERA while allowing only 98 hits in 147 innings pitched. He led Florida State League starters in batting average against (.188).

A native of Australia, Mark was signed by the Yankees as a free agent in December of 1988."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Mark spent a full season at Fort Lauderdale in 1991. Though he posted a 5-8 record, he had a 2.45 ERA and three complete games in 24 starts. He allowed just 98 hits in 147.0 innings. He led Florida State League starters in batting average against (.188). Among Yankee minor league pitchers he ranked first in walks (90), third in strikeouts (157), fourth in ERA (2.41) and tied for sixth in games (25) and complete games (3). Hutton was ranked by Baseball America as the number four prospect in the Yankee organization.

He threw a 1-hitter in a 1-0 Fort Lauderdale loss to Baseball City on July 19. He made one start at AAA Columbus, notching the win.

He signed a contract for the 1992 season. 

Mark was signed as a free agent in December 1988. He was signed by Yankee scout Dick Groch. In his first professional baseball season in 1989, he pitched at 'short-A' Oneonta and was 6-2 with a 4.07 ERA over 12 starts. Mark was 1-10 at 'A' Greensboro in 1990."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

HUTTON'S CAREER PATH TOOK AN AMERICAN TURN

"Had he chosen a different career path, you might be watching Yankee pitcher Mark Hutton on ESPN crashing about in Australian Rules Football, the Down-Under sport best described as a cross between rugby and football.

That was the path not chosen, however. The 22-year-old Hutton was a talented football player, but he also played some baseball and when approached by a Yankee scout a few years back he chose the summer sport and might yet make ESPN, on a Major League Baseball telecast. After back-to-back so-so years, the Australian native established himself in 1991, posting a 2.45 ERA and striking out 117 batters in 147  innings at Class-A Ft. Lauderdale.

Those numbers earned the 6-6 Hutton, who relies on a fastball, slider and change-up, a look with the big league club during spring training. And he fared pretty well.

'It's a heckuva a lot of fun,' the right-hander said during his time at the major league camp. 'I'm really enjoying myself. Just being around these caliber players is great.'

'He's got all the above-average pitches,' said Albany-Colonie Yankee manager Dan Radisson. 'He's super strong, definitely a power pitcher.'

A native of Adelaide, South Australia, Hutton began playing baseball at about age nine and converted from a corner infielder to a pitcher when he was 12. He didn't have the opportunity to hone his skills on a high school baseball team- there wasn't one. He did, however, compete in a local club, pitching for the Sturt Saints.

'We practiced twice a week and played once a week,' Hutton said of the limited schedule. It was during a World Youth Tournament in Sydney that the then-18-year-old Hutton was spotted by the Yankees and he signed in December of 1988. His entrance to pro baseball meant the end of his football days.

'When I was growing up I played a lot of football,' said Hutton, explaining that in Australia the baseball and football seasons coincide, forcing him to cut short his baseball season each year. 'When I had the chance to sign the professional contract, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

'I think I could have made it in Australian football. I was a ruckman, one of the taller guys up front who jumped for the bounce and got the ball back to the smaller guys who ran with it. I do miss it. I've been out of it three or four years and when I see it on TV I get the urge to play the game, but there's nothing I can do about it.'

Hutton says he's consoled that football players usually don't last past 30 and pitchers generally last longer.

A visitor to New York City during his teens, the right-hander began his quest for a return to the Big Apple by starting 12 games at Oneonta as a 19-year-old in 1989. There he went 6-2 with a 4.07 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 66 innings. The following year at Class-A Greensboro, he slipped to 1-10 with a 6.31 ERA. Hutton fanned 72 in 81 innings but also issued 62 walks.

Last year, Hutton rebounded and his numbers earned him a late-season promotion to Triple-A Columbus where he won his only start and struck out five batters in six innings.

'They let me pitch the way I wanted to pitch,' Hutton said of his time with Ft. Lauderdale. 'The pitching coach (Mike Brown) was good to me. He let me do what I wanted to do on the mound and that gave me confidence.'

Hutton capped his season with some time in the Florida Instructional League, where he worked on speeding up his delivery in an effort to thwart would-be base stealers. He hasn't set any specific goals for the coming season.

'I take each year as it comes,' he said. 'I don't have a fantastic record, but the potential is there. I haven't set any goals except that wherever I end up I want to start every fifth day. New York is my ultimate goal.' "

-Harvey Valentine, Yankees Magazine (April 30, 1992)

DAVE SILVESTRI (1991 Yankee Minor League Player of the Year)

"Dave was acquired from the Houston organization in March 1990. He is a powerful and productive force at the plate.

He spent the entire 1991 season at  Albany where he had his best season as a pro. He played in 142 games and hit .262 with 19 home runs and 83 RBIs. Dave led Albany in six offensive categories and was named to the Eastern League All-Star team. He was Yankees' Minor League Co-Player of the Year.

Dave was an All-American at the University of Missouri."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Dave spent the entire 1991 season at AA Albany where he had his best season as a professional. He played in 142 games and hit .262 with 19 home runs and 83 RBIs. His previous highs for home runs and RBIs were five and 58 respectively for Prince William in 1990.

He hit .282 with nine home runs at home, .244 with ten home runs on the road. He was the team leader in home runs, hits (134), walks (83), slugging percentage (.465), runs (97), triples (8), games and at-bats (512). He was second in doubles (31) and stolen bases (20) and third in on-base percentage (.366). Among all Yankee minor leaguers, Silvestri was the organizational leader in home runs, runs (tied with Carl Everett) and total bases (238), was second in doubles and RBIs, tied for third in triples and fourth in hits.

Dave was named the Jack Butterfield Player of the Month for June (.280, 9 HR, 28 RBIs). He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team and went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases in the All-Star Game in Huntsville. He hit .500 (6-for-12) in the Eastern League Final.

He has played 388 games at shortstop over the past three seasons. He was ranked as the seventh best prospect in the Yankee organization by Baseball America.

He was added to the 40-man roster on October 21. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Silvestri was the second round pick of the Houston Astros in the June 1988 free agent draft. He was signed by Bill Kelso. He did not join the Astros organization that year as he was the starting shortstop on the U.S. Olympic team in the Seoul Summer Olympics. On the 53-day Olympic tour he hit .285 in 35 games and hit .200 in five games at the Olympics.

1989 was Dave's first year of professional baseball. Over 129 games for Houston's Class-A affiliate in Osceola, he hit .254 with 20 doubles and 28 stolen bases.

Dave was acquired with a 'player to be named later' by the Yankees from the Astros in March of 1990  in exchange for infielder Orland Miller. Daven Bond was named that player on June 11. Silvestri spent a majority of the season at 'A' Prince William, hitting .258 with 30 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 56 RBIs and 37 stolen bases in 131 games. He led Carolina League shortstops in fielding percentage (.965), assists (382), total chances (622), double plays (96) and tied for the league lead in games (130). He was promoted to Albany and went 2-for-7 (.286) in two games.

He attended the University of Missouri (1986-88) where he lettered in baseball for three years. For his career he hit .379 (35 HR, 167 RBI, 47 SB, .660 slugging, 432 TB) including a .406 batting average (89 R, 21 HR, 79 RBI, .849 slugging) as a junior. Silvestri holds single-season school records for home runs, runs and slugging and his career totals of homers, runs and hits (248) are second in Missouri history. He was named a first team All-American (1987-88), first team all Big-Eight (1988) and to the Big-Eight All-Tournament team (1988).

Dave is working toward a degree in athletic administration. He played Little League in St. Louis."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

"Shortstop Dave Silvestri was the 1991 winner of the Walker Cup, given each season to the Albany-Colonie Yankee Most Valuable Player. Silvestri played all 140 games during the regular season and all six playoff games. During the regular season, Silvestri led the Eastern League in runs scored and was among the leaders in hits, home runs, doubles, triples and runs batted in. Silvestri was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Baseball Team.

His name goes on the permanent trophy along with 1990 winner Bernie Williams, now with the New York Yankees. The trophy is in memory of the late Fritz Walker, once the number one A-C Yankee fan and the team photographer. The Walker Cup is donated by area businessmen Joe Vellano of Vellano Brothers and former Albany Senator player Frank Staucet, to whom we give our thanks for their effort."

-1992 Albany-Colonie Yankees Yearbook

RUSS SPRINGER

"Russ was selected by the Yankees in the 7th round of the 1989 June draft. He has a very live arm with good control.

He made 25 starts at Fort Lauderdale in 1991, going 5-9 with a 3.49 ERA, but only yielding 118 hits in 152 innings. He averaged 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings and his 138 K's was second best in the Florida State League. He was promoted to Albany at year's end and made two starts, winning his only decision.

Russ is a former standout at Louisiana State University."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Springer made great strides in only his second season in the Yankee organization. He spent the majority of the year with the Class-A Ft. Lauderdale Yankees.

He posted a 5-9 record with a 3.49 ERA in 25 starts. He had an outstanding hits (118) to innings pitched (152.1) ratio, allowing seven hits per nine innings. He also struck out 138 hitters (8.2 K/9.0 IP). Russ was the team leader in starts, strikeouts and innings. His strikeout total was second in the Florida State League.

Springer was chosen for the FSL All-Star team but did not pitch. He was promoted to AA Albany and made two starts- he was 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA, allowing only nine hits in 15.0 innings while fanning 16 batters. Russ pitched the clinching game for Albany in their sweep of Hagerstown in the first round of the AA playoffs (7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R). He also pitched the clinching game against Harrisburg (7.0 IP, 1 ER) giving Albany the league championship.

He tied for first among Yankee minor leaguers in starts (27), second in innings pitched (167.1) and fourth in strikeouts (154). He was ranked as the third best prospect in the Yankee organization by Baseball America.

He was placed on the 40-man roster on October 31. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Springer was the Yankees' 7th round pick in the regular phase of the June 1989 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Joe Robison. 1990 was his first year of professional baseball. He pitched for Tampa of the Rookie League and Class-A Greensboro. He struck out a combined 68 batters in 71.1 innings.

He attended Louisiana State University where he played baseball for three years (1987-89). He compiled a career record of 19-10 with six saves and a 3.39 ERA. In the 1989 College World Series, Russ notched a win over the University of Miami, striking out nine over 8.1 innings with Ben McDonald earning the save. He holds school records for innings pitched in a game (10.2 in 1988 against Kentucky) and the ratio of strikeouts per nine innings pitched in a season (14.3 K/9.0 IP in 1988).

Russ attended Grant High School where he played baseball and basketball. He played Dixie Youth Baseball in Alexandria, Virginia."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

KIKI HERNANDEZ (1991 Yankee Minor League Player of the Year)

"Kiki was signed by the Yankees as a free agent in July 1988. He is a good defensive player who has blossomed into an offensive star.

He played at Greensboro and Prince William last year, and in 115 games hit a combined .326 with 16 home runs and 83 RBIs. He was named Yankees' Minor League Co-Player of the Year, a South Atlantic League All-Star and the league's MVP.

A native of Puerto Rico, Kiki went to the 1991 Instructional League and played winter ball in Venezuela."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"The Yankees 1991 Minor League Co-Player of the Year spent a full season at the 'A' level, playing for Greensboro and Prince Williams. Kiki combined to hit .328 with 16 home runs and 83 RBIs over 115 games.

He hit .332 with 29 doubles, two triples, 15 homers and 78 RBIs at Greensboro while being named MVP of the South Atlantic League. Also named to the League All-Star team, Hernandez led the league in slugging (.535) and fielding percentage among catchers (.989).

In the Yankee organization, Hernandez ranked first in batting average, home runs, hits (136), RBIs and was third in doubles (31). He caught 84 games and played two games at first.

He went to the Instructional League (where he was Brien Taylor's roommate) and played Winter Ball in Venezuela. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Kiki was signed as a minor league free agent on July 15, 1988. He was signed by Yankee scout Fred Ferreria. In his first season of pro ball, he hit .160 in nine games at Sarasota. In 1989, he hit .223 at 'Short-A' Oneonta and in 1990 hit .250 for Prince William and caught 37 games."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

ROBERT EENHORN

"Robert was selected by the Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1990 June draft. He is a slick fielder who needs only to develop offensively.

A sore back in 1991 limited Robert to only 42 games at Tampa and Prince William. He hit .350 in 13 games with Tampa and .241 in 29 games with Prince  William. He hit .268 as Oneonta's regular shortstop in 1990.

Robert attended Davidson College."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Eenhorn started the 1991 season at 'Rookie' Tampa where he hit .350 over 13 games and finished the season at 'A' Prince William where he played in 29 games. He played a total of 42 games as he was bothered by a sore back.

He played 99 games at shortstop over the 1990 and '91 seasons. 1990 was his first year of professional baseball and he hit .268 for 'Short-A' Oneonta.

Robert was the Yankees' 6th round pick in the 1990 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Jeff Taylor. He was a member of the Netherlands Olympic baseball team.

He attended Davidson College (Davidson, NC) for one year (1990) and hit .363 with 49 runs, 15 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 44 RBIs. He also stole 17 bases and had a .594 slugging percentage. Eenhorn led the team in hits (74) and RBIs with his hit total still a school record. He was named to Baseball America's All-Freshman team at shortstop and was the Yankees' sixth-ranked prospect in Baseball America's organizational ratings.

He signed a contract for the 1991 season."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

J.T. SNOW

"Known for his outstanding defensive ability, J.T. turned in a solid year with the bat at Albany in 1991. He discovered his power stroke as he hit 13 home runs with 76 RBIs and a .279 batting average. He hit .402 in August with 15 RBIs, hit .304 in six postseason games and was named to the Eastern League end-of-the-season All-Star team.

Selected by the Yankees in the 5th round of the 1989 June draft, J.T. was an All-Pac 10 player at the University of Arizona. His father, Jack, played football with the Los Angeles Rams."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Snow spent the entire 1991 season with AA Albany, and over 132 games hit .279 with 13 home runs and 76 RBIs. He was the team leader in doubles (33), was second in homers and runs scored (78) and third in RBIs, hits (136) and walks (67). Among all Yankee minor leaguers, J.T. was first in both doubles and RBIs, tied for fourth in homers, fifth in RBIs and tied for seventh in bases on balls.

He was named Jack Butterfield Player of the Month for August (.402, 3 HR, 15 RBI). He hit .304 (7-for-23) with five RBIs in Albany's six playoff games. At the end of the season, J.T. was named to the Eastern League All-Star team.

He has played 340 games in the field as a professional, all at first base. He was added to the 40-man roster on November 1 and signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Snow was the Yankees' 5th round selection in the regular phase of the June 1989 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Don Lindeberg. In '89 he played at Oneonta and over 73 games hit .292 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs.

In 1990 J.T. spent his first full professional season at A-level Prince William where he hit .256 with eight homers and 72 RBIs. He was named the first baseman on the Carolina League All-Star team. He led the league in games played (138) and led the circuit's first basemen in games (136), putouts (1,208), assists (78), total chances (1,298) and double plays (120).

Snow played three seasons at the University of Arizona (1987-89). As a junior he led the club in hitting (.359 with 10 HR, 62 RBI in 64 games) while being named to the All-Pac 10 team; current major leaguer Scott Erickson led the club in pitching that year.

In his career at Arizona, J.T. hit .333 with 38 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs and 135 RBIs in 178 games. A three-year letterman, he holds the school record for career putouts (1,651). He has played in both the Cape and Alaska leagues.

J.T. attended Los Alamitos (CA) High School. He lettered in baseball, basketball and football, earning All-League and All-CIF offers along with scholarship offers to Division I schools in all three sports. A quarterback in high school, he holds every passing record at Los Alamitos.

He is one of two athletes in history to participate in all three Orange County All-Star Games. He played Little League, Pony League and Colt League as a youngster.

Jack Snow, J.T.'s father, was a football All-American at Notre Dame and an All-Pro with the Los Angeles Rams for 11 years."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

MIKE DRAPER

"Mike was selected by the Yankees in the 26th round of the 1988 June draft. He owns a 40-26 minor league career record.

He spent the majority of the 1991 season with Albany where he posted a 10-6 record with two saves and a 3.29 ERA over 14 starts and 36 total appearances. He made four starts at Columbus, going 1-3 with two complete games and a 3.77 ERA. Mike played winter ball in Venezuela, going 5-5 with a 1.65 ERA.

Mike attended George Mason University."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Mike spent a majority of the 1991 season with AA Albany where he posted a 10-6 record with two saves and a 3.29 ERA over 14 starts and 36 total appearances. He made four starts at Columbus, going 1-3 with two complete games and a 3.77 ERA; his time at Columbus was his first at the AAA level. His 11 total wins tied for sixth in the Yankee organization and his 160.0 total innings ranked seventh.

He played winter ball in Venezuela, going 5-5 with a 1.65 ERA. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Draper spent time with three teams at two levels in 1990. He spent a good portion of the season at 'A' Ft. Lauderdale where he was masterful. Over 14 starts there he posted a sparkling 9-1 record with a 2.25 ERA. He allowed 82 hits and 22 walks [1.06 WHIP] while fanning 52 batters over 96.0 innings. The highlight of Draper's Ft. Lauderdale stint was tossing a 6-0 no-hitter on July 21 against St. Petersburg. He also pitched five games for 'A' Prince William and made eight starts for 'AA' Albany.

In 1989, Mike spent a full season with Prince William and posted a 14-8 record with a 3.11 ERA over 24 starts (25 G). He had six complete games and a shutout and allowed 147 hits and 42 walks [1.23 WHIP] and fanned 84 hitters in 153.1 innings. His 14 wins led the circuit and earned him a spot on the Carolina League All-Star team.

1988 was his first season of pro ball. He spent time with 'A' Oneonta where over eight relief appearances he was 2-1 with three saves and a 0.84 ERA and struck out 16 in 10.2 innings. He also appeared in nine games for Prince William.

Mike was the Yankees' 26th round pick in the regular phase of the June 1988 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Jeff Taylor. In 1987 at Hagerstown JC, Mike posted a perfect 9-0 record with a 1.89 ERA. He played one year at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, going 9-7 with a 3.13 ERA in 1988."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

ROYAL CLAYTON

"In 1991 Clayton spent his first full season at the AAA level and responded with an 11-7 record and a 3.84 ERA over 19 starts and 32 appearances. His 11 wins tied for sixth best in the Yankee organization and was tops on the Columbus staff. He made two starts in the International League playoffs, going 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA (14.0 IP, 9 H) including a complete game.

Clayton played winter ball in Venezuela, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.23 ERA in 12 starts. In five professional seasons he has combined to post a 49-33 record with a 3.15 ERA, notching complete games in 21 of his 91 starts (124 G overall). He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

After going 10-9 with six complete games and a 3.18 ERA over 21 starts for AA Albany in 1990, Royal was promoted to Columbus where over four starts he was 1-2 with a 3.81 ERA. He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team while with Albany. In 1989, he went 16-4 with a 2.98 ERA and six complete games in 25 games started for Albany. It was his first season at the AA level and he was one of four 10-game winners on the 92-48 Eastern League champion club.

Clayton spent time at two 'A' franchises in 1988, Prince William and Ft. Lauderdale, where he combined to post a 9-7 record and a 2.07 ERA in 28 games, starting 17 and completing eight. 1987 was his first year of professional baseball; for three clubs he was a combined 2-5 over 14 games (5 GS) and for Sarasota earned his only professional save. Royal was the Yankees' 18th round pick in the regular phase of the June 1987 free agent draft. He was signed by Yankee scout Don Lindeberg.

He attended Arizona State University and the University of California, Riverside. He played two years (1985-86) at ASU. As a freshman walk-on in 1985, Royal led the staff in ERA and was 6-8 in 50 games for the Sun Devils. He played alongside current major leaguers Barry Bonds, Mike Devereaux and Don Wakamatsu.

He graduated from Daniel Murphy High School in Los Angeles. He captained the baseball, basketball and football teams, and as a junior was 6-2 and hit .408. Royal's brother, Royce, is a prospect in the San Francisco Giants organization."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

MIKE HUMPHREYS

"Humphreys spent a majority of the 1991 season at Columbus, making two stints with the Yankees.

He started at Columbus and was recalled on July 29 with Jesse Barfield going on the disabled list. At the time of his promotion he was hitting .290 with seven home runs, 47 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. Mike appeared in 10 games in his first stint with the Yankees and went 3-for-22 with two RBIs before being optioned back to Columbus. Of his 10 appearances, four were starts (LF-2, RF-1, 3B-1) and five were as a pinch hitter (0-for-3, 2 BB).

Mike notched his first hit on August 11 against Detroit (Game 1), a single off Dan Gakeler. He also had a bases-loaded two-run single off Paul Gibson later in the game.

He was optioned on August 13 with Roberto Kelly being activated. He was recalled from Columbus again on September 7 and appeared in 15 games (six starts) through the remainder of the season, hitting .278 (5-for-18).

Humphreys appeared in 25 games for the Yankees, including 10 starts (LF-2, RF-2, 3B-4, DH-2). He was 1-for-1 (two-run single) with the bases loaded. He hit .250 (5-for-20) against left-handed pitching and .150 (3-for-20) against right-handed pitching. Humphreys became the 700th Yankee that Phil Rizzuto either played with or broadcast.

Overall for Columbus, he hit .283 with 23 doubles, five triples, nine homers, 53 RBIs. He played both the outfield (101) and third base (21). Mike was selected for the AAA All-Star Game. His batting average ranked 12th in the International League.

Within the organization he ranked tied for ninth in runs scored (71), ninth in total bases (177), tied for ninth in doubles (23) and tied for fourth in stolen bases (34). He played winter ball in Venezuela. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.

Humphreys was obtained from the Padres on February 7, 1991, as the 'player to be named later' in completion of the December 1990 trade that sent outfielder Oscar Azocar to San Diego. 

He played for two Padres affiliates in 1990- Las Vegas (AAA)  and Wichita (AA). Overall, he hit .272 with 22 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs, 85 RBIs and 99 runs over 128 games.

Mike spent most of the season with the Wichita Wranglers, hitting .276 with 21 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, 38 steals and 92 runs in 116 games. He led the league in runs scored and was fifth in RBIs. He made only five errors in 113 games in the outfield.

He was named Texas League Player of the Week for May 7-13 when he hit .474 (9-for-19) with five runs over six games. He was named to the Texas League All-Star team and the Topps AA All-Star team and was named the Wichita club's Co-Player of the Year. He played in 12 games for the Las Vegas Stars and hit .238 (10-for-42) with two homers and six RBIs.

Humphreys was the Padres' 15th round pick in the June 1988 free agent draft. That year at Spokane he hit .307 with six home runs and 59 RBIs in 76 games. He tied for the Northwest League lead in game-winning RBIs (9) and tied for the league lead in putouts by an outfielder (180). In 1989, he played a full season at Riverside and hit .288 with 13 home runs and 66 RBIs in 117 games.

He attended Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX) where he played three years of baseball (1986-88) and hit .382. Mike holds numerous school records including at-bats (578), runs (192), hits (221), home runs (41), RBIs (174) and total bases (392). He holds the school's single-season record for putouts by an outfielder (467).

In 1986 he was named to Baseball America's all-freshman team. He was named an all-conference outfielder in 1986 and '87 and all-conference utility infielder in 1988, playing first base. Mike is working toward a degree in public relations.

Mike graduated from DeSoto High School. He played Little League in Dallas and DeSoto and Pony League in DeSoto. He played alongside Reds' prospect Steve Foster as a youngster. He enjoys playing golf in the off-season."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

CARL EVERETT

"The Yankees' first-round selection in 1990 has not disappointed. The center fielder batted .271 for Greensboro (A) despite striking out 122 times in 468 at-bats. Everett topped the club with 97 runs scored and although he hit only four home runs with 40 RBI, the Yankees are confident his power will come with maturity. He will be brought along slowly.

Born in Tampa, Everett graduated from Hillsborough High School, which produced Dwight Gooden."

-Tony DeMarco and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition