Chapter 23
Giants' era (1986-2002)
CHARLIE HAYES -- The third baseman is best known for catching a foul pop fly for the final out of the 1996 World Series, giving the New York Yankees their first Series title in 18 years. From Hattiesburg, Miss., he was the Captains' third baseman for two seasons (1986-87), appearing in 249 games. He hit .304 with 33 doubles, 14 home runs and 75 RBI in 1987. He made the majors for good in 1989 with Philadelphia after a trade from San Francisco, and was with seven teams over 12-plus years, hitting .262 in 1,547 games, with 144 homers and 740 RBI. His best season was 1993 with Colorado (45 doubles led the NL), 25 homers, 98 RBI, .305 average. In 2019, he was a coach with one of the Phillies' rookie-league teams.
GREG LITTON -- He appeared in 319 games as the Captains' second baseman in 1986, '87 and '88, batting .246, .267 and .278 in those seasons, with 35 doubles, five triples, 11 homers and 64 RBI in 1988. From Pensacola, Fla., a first-round January draft pick by San Francisco in January 1984, he was with the Giants for the 1989 World Series and went for 3-for-6, with a double and a Game 4 home run. He was in the majors for five-plus seasons, the first four with the Giants, and hit .241 in 374 games.
MIKE REMLINGER -- In 1987, the left-hander was San Francisco's first-round draft pick out of Dartmouth. He was an immediate sensation with the Captains, pitching brilliantly late in the summer with a 4-2 record and 2.36 ERA in six starts, and in one August game striking out the first nine batters he faced. He returned to Shreveport for bits of the next four seasons and -- other than an eight-game stint (six starts) with the 1991 Giants -- toiled in the minor leagues for 10 years. He finally made the majors fulltime in 1996 with Cincinnati, made 59 MLB starts between '91 and '98, and was a fulltime reliever his last nine years, mostly with the Reds, Braves (twice) and Cubs. His totals: 639 games, 53-55 record, 3.90 ERA, 26 saves. He was 10-1 for the '99 Braves when he began a five-year stretch in which he pitched in the postseason (1999-2002 Braves, 2003 Cubs), with an 0-2 record and one save. He pitched in the 2002 All-Star Game.
GEORGE FERRAN -- He was magic in 1986 for the Captains. The right-hander from Granada Hills, Calif., who had been with the Captains for a time in 1985 (4-1 record, 3.21 ERA, six starts), had the best season a Shreveport pitcher ever had. His 16-1 record, 2.29 ERA and 147 strikeouts (in 153⅓ innings) were all best in the Texas League, earning him the "triple crown" of pitching and the league's "Pitcher of the Year" award. He made nine starts and was mostly a reliever (37 times), and benefited often from the Captains' scoring the decisive runs when he was the pitcher of record. By the end of the 1987 season, shoulder problems and surgery forced him out of the game. Based on his '86 season, he was voted into the Texas League Hall of Fame.
MACKEY SASSER -- Best remembered for the catching "yips," an inability to throw the ball back to the pitcher and around the infield that ultimately cut short his playing career after six full seasons in the major leagues (the first five with the New York Mets). The left-handed hitting catcher from Dothan, Ala., led the 1986 Captains with 129 hits, and his .293 batting average included 29 doubles, five triples, five homers and 72 RBI. He reached the majors in 1988 with the Mets, had a .267 career average, and had his best season in 1990 (.307, 41 RBI in 100 games).
JOHN BURKETT -- The right-hander from Beaver, Pa., served an apprenticeship with the Captains, pitching two full seasons (1986-87) and the first part of 1988. He showed much promise -- 29-15 record, 2.92 ERA, 55 starts, 357 innings, 11 complete games and four shutouts -- and he would go on to deliver on the promise. Beginning in 1990, he pitched 14 full seasons in the majors, including five years with the Giants and 3½ with the Rangers. He was a four-time All-Star, a consistent, dependable winner: 166-136 record, 4.31 ERA, 445 games (423 starts), 2,648 innings. His 22 wins for the '93 Giants led the NL; it was the only year he had more than 14 wins. He pitched in four postseasons ('96 Rangers, 2000-01 Braves, 2003 Red Sox), but never in a World Series. Always an excellent bowler, he went on the seniors pro bowling tour after baseball and resides in Southlake, Texas, near Fort Worth-Dallas.
ROMY CUCJEN, IF, 1986-88 -- See chapter 25, “They played and stayed”
MIKE RUBEL -- In his fifth pro season, 1986, the lanky first baseman came from Tulsa in the Texas League to the Captains and although he hit only .213 in 125 games, he provided a power surge (22 home runs, 70 RBI) for a team that won a half-season division title. He had eight more home runs than any teammate and was only two short of catcher Mackey Sasser in RBI. After a short stay with Triple-A Phoenix the next year, he came back to Shreveport for 39 games (again hit .213, with six homers and 17 RBI) to finish his pro career. From Banning, Calif., he was a college power hitter at Cal State Fullerton and was drafted three times before signing with the Texas Rangers' organization.
TONY PEREZCHICA -- A native of Mexico, he was the Captains’ shortstop in his fourth pro season, 1987, and was a charismatic player who had a fine year -- .317 average, 24 doubles, 13 triples, 11 home runs in 89 games. He spent part of four seasons from 1988 to ‘92 in the majors, for 69 games -- 40 in ‘91 when he was with San Francisco and then Cleveland -- and a .228 average. He became a coach in 1997, managed a couple of seasons in the minors, and in 2019 was in his third season as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ third-base coach.
KIRT MANWARING -- The Captains' starting catcher in 1987, the year after he was the Giants' second-round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina University, his defensive ability carried him to more than 10 seasons in the major leagues (7½ with San Francisco, three with Colorado). He hit .267 in 98 games for Shreveport, then was a .246 hitter in the majors. He doubled in his only World Series at-bat for San Francisco in 1989 and won a Gold Glove catching in 1993. He became a longtime catching instructor in the Giants' organization.
DEE DIXON -- A native of Jamaica who moved to New York state at age 10, the left-handed outfielder out of Norfolk State University -- drafted in the 17th round by San Francisco in 1986 -- could run. In three seasons (1987-89) with the Captains, he stole 152 bases (his 72 in 1988 was the second-highest total in the Texas League in 80 years). He hit .272, .290 and .282 (.283 overall) for Shreveport, and spent almost all of his five-year pro career in the TL, going to El Paso in 1990.
DENNIS COOK -- A left-hander from Dickinson, Texas, he was drafted by San Francisco after pitching for the University of Texas and, also as a good hitter, earning All-Southwest Conference honors as an outfielder. Pitching for Shreveport in 1987, he was the Texas League "Pitcher of the Year" with a 9-2 record and 2.13 ERA over 16 starts and 105⅔ innings. Two years later he made the majors for good after a trade to Philadelphia and he pitched until age 40 through 14 seasons and 10 moves. A starter in three of his first five seasons, he became a classic "left-handed relief specialist," helping the 1997 Florida Marlins win the World Series and the 2000 New York Mets reach the Series. In four postseasons, he worked 19 games and had a 2-0 record. His MLB totals: 665 games, 1,011⅔ innings, 71 starts, 64-46 record, 3.91 ERA, nine saves.
DEAN FREELAND -- A right-hander from Wisconsin, he signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization and came to the San Francisco Giants' system in a 1985 trade involving ex-Captains slugger Rob Deer. He was with the Captains for four seasons -- parts of 1986 and 1989, full seasons in 1987-88 when he made 53 starts and had records of 12-9 and 11-11. His combined Shreveport totals: 27-26 record, 71 starts, 437 innings. He went from the He remained in the Texas League, starting 26 games for El Paso in 1990 and then pitching for El Paso and Jackson in '91.
JOE OLKER -- A left-hander drafted in the second round by San Francisco in 1984 out of the University of Illinois, he made five pitching starts for the Captains in 1987 (0-2 record), but was their big winner in 1988 with a 15-2 record -- four more wins than any teammate. He started 26 games that season (Paul McClellan and Dean Freeland each started 27), and had a 3.46 ERA in 151 innings. He was in Triple-A the next year (8-6 record for Phoenix), but an injury in 1990 cut short his career. After baseball, he settled in the Chicago area.
ROD BECK -- He would become one of the top relief pitchers in the majors in the 1990s, with San Francisco and then the Chicago Cubs, the thickly built right-hander -- nicknamed "Shooter" -- first was a star in Shreveport. The youngest player (20 and 21) on the Captains for his two partial seasons with them in 1989 and '90, he made 28 starts, with much success (17-6, 2.91 ERA, six complete games, 192 innings, 145 strikeouts). His 10-3 record made him the top winner on the 1990 Texas League title team. When he got to the majors, he was strictly a reliever -- 704 games in 13 seasons, with 286 saves, a 38-45 record and 3.30 ERA. He was a three-time All-Star, had 48 saves for the Giants in 1993 and 51 in his first year with the Cubs in 1998. Arm trouble cut short his career and his death at 38 (June 23, 2007, in Phoenix) was thought to be drugs-related.
STEVE REED -- Before he became a standout major-league relief pitcher -- with his trademark sidearm delivery -- he was a closer for Shreveport three consecutive seasons (87 games, 6-1 record, 38 saves). Signed by San Francisco as an undrafted free agent after attending two small colleges, the stout right-hander helped the Captains to a Texas League title in 1990 by relieving in 45 games with a 3-1 record, eight saves and 1.64 ERA. He was back briefly with the 1991 champion Captains (2-0, 0.83 ERA, eight saves in 15 games), then even better in 1992 (1-0, 1.62, 23 saves in 27 appearances). In '92, he got his first MLB stint at age 27. He became an MLB star in 1993 with the expansion Colorado Rockies (9-5 record, career-high 84⅓ innings), pitched in the majors for 14 years and 838 games (49-44 record, 3.63 ERA, 18 saves), and was in four postseasons ('95 Rockies, '98-'99 Indians, 2001 Braves). He resides in Golden, Colo.
PAUL MCCLELLAN -- A right-handed pitcher, he was with the Captains in three separate seasons -- and got better each time. San Francisco's first-round draft pick in 1986 out of College of San Mateo, Calif., he spent all of the 1988 season in Shreveport (10-12 record, 4.80 ERA, 27 starts), then in 1989, he made 12 starts with an 8-3 record, 2.24 ERA. After a Triple-A season and four starts with the SF Giants in 1990, he began 1991 in Shreveport and was the Texas League "Pitcher of the Year," a big factor in the Captains' championship season with an 11-1 record (in 14 starts), 2.82 ERA. He then made 12 starts for the Giants (3-6 record), but did not return to the majors after that year.
STEVE DECKER -- He came to the Captains for 44 games in 1989 and batted .324, then was their starting catcher on the 1990 Texas League championship team when he played in 116 games, batted .293 with 22 doubles, 15 homers and a team-best 80 RBI. He played parts of seven seasons in the majors (three full seasons) and batted .221, but he learned and became a longtime hitting instructor in the San Francisco organization, moving up to the big club as an assistant hitting coach in 2017, and in 2019, was a special assistant in baseball operations in the Giants' system.
TED WOOD -- A first-round draft pick by the Giants in 1988 out of the University of New Orleans, the left-handed outfielder was so-so with the Captains in 1989 (114 games, .258, 13 doubles, no home runs, 43 RBI), then one of their offensive leaders for the title-winning 1990 team (131 games, .265, 22 doubles, 11 triples, 17 homers, 72 RBI). He played 127 games (.183) in three major-league seasons (1991-93).
JIM PENA -- The left-hander from Cal State Dominguez Hills was an All-Star pitcher for the Captains in 1990 -- his fourth pro season -- with a 10-7 record in 24 starts, and he was back in 1991 almost exclusively as a reliever (7-4 record). After appearing in 70 games for 222 innings in Shreveport, he pitched in 25 major-league games for San Francisco in 1992 (two starts, 1-1 record, 44 innings). But that was his only MLB time; he pitched in the minors for most of his final four seasons.
STEVE HOSEY -- The rightfielder was a star for the 1991 championship Captains (.293, 79 runs, 21 doubles, five triples, 17 homers, 74 RBI, 26 stolen bases). A first-round draft pick in 1989, from the Oakland area and Fresno State, he had 24 games with the Giants in 1992-93 and hit .259. After that, he played five more minor-league seasons.
JOHN PATTERSON -- A second baseman who played collegiately in Arizona, he was a solid part of the Captains' 1991 title team (.295, 81 runs, 137 hits, 31 doubles, 13 triples, four homers, 56 RBI), then was with San Francisco for portions of the next four years, totaling 180 games in 1994-95. In the major leagues, he batted .215, with 16 doubles, five homers and 52 RBI.
ERIC GUNDERSON -- The right-handed pitcher from Aloha, Ore., was a second-round Giants draft pick in 1987 from Portland State. He was well-traveled -- 21 minor-league stops in 15 pro seasons, three stints with Shreveport (1988-89-90). In 11 starts, he was 8-2, 2.72 ERA for the '89 Captains. In the majors, he mostly was a reliever (254 games, only five starts) for 10 seasons (three full seasons) with six teams. Three years with Texas was his longest time with any team. His record: 8-11, 4.95 ERA.
JUAN GUERRERO -- The Dominican was a hitting leader on two Captains' championship teams. As Shreveport's second baseman in 1990, he hit. 241 in 118 games, with 21 doubles, 16 homers and 47 RBI. He was a giant the next season (128 games as a third baseman and outfielder): 160 hits, 78 runs, 40 doubles, 19 homers, 94 RBI, a .334 average. The next season he was with the Houston Astros for 79 games, with one home run and 14 RBI, and a subsequent suspension for drugs use ended his major-league stay.
ROYCE CLAYTON -- The shortstop was the youngest player on the powerful 1991 Captains' Texas League championship team and, long range, perhaps its best one. A first-round San Francisco draft pick in 1988 out of high school in Playa del Rey, Calif., he was a key player for Shreveport in 1991: 126 games, 136 hits, 84 runs, 61 walks, 22 doubles, eight triples, five home runs, 68 RBI, 36 stolen bases. He joined the Giants at end of that year, made the majors for good after a Triple-A stint in '92 and stayed for 16 seasons (with 11 teams), a starter most of his career. In a four-year period (1994-97), he stole 110 bases, and he totaled 28 home runs for the 1999-2000 Texas Rangers. His MLB totals: 2,108 games, .258 average, 363 doubles, 55 triples, 110 home runs, 723 RBI.
ADELL DAVENPORT -- A first baseman-third baseman out of Southern University (Baton Rouge), he was with the Captains for three seasons (1991-93) for a total of 286 games. He was one of their offensive leaders in '92 -- 124 games, 127 hits, 31 doubles, five triples, 19 homers, 88 RBI, .288 average. The next season he hit .262 with 21 doubles, 15 home runs and 62 RBI. He got to Triple-A, but for only 14 games, and was out of the game by 1995. In 2018, he was inducted into the Southern University Athletics Hall of Fame.
DAN CARLSON -- A right-handed pitcher from Oregon, a 33rd-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1989, he was the Captains' best pitcher in 1992. He had a 15-9 record (he led the Texas League in victories), 3.19 ERA, 27 starts, four complete games, 186 innings, 157 strikeouts, and he was back in '93 for 15 starts, 7-4 record, 2.24 ERA, 100⅓ innings. He reached the majors with the San Francisco late in 1996, was in the majors for four seasons in a row (1996-99) for 23 games, all as a reliever with only one decision (a win). His last team was the Arizona Diamondbacks and he stayed in their organization. In 2019, he was in his 17th year with them, the last six as minor-league pitching coordinator.
SALOMON TORRES -- The Dominican right-hander pitched two seasons for Shreveport -- 1992 (6-10 record, 4.21 ERA, 25 starts, 162⅓ innings, 151 strikeouts) and '93 (7-4, 2.70 ERA, 12 starts, 83⅓ innings). He was with San Francisco late in the 1993 season and in the early portion of his MLB career (with the Giants and Seattle Mariners), he started 35 games. After five big-league seasons, he quit the game. After a three-year layoff, he returned for six years with the Pirates (2002-07), the first two as a starter. But he became a closer and had 52 of his 57 career saves the last three years of his career. Final MLB totals: 44-58 record, 4.31 ERA, 497 games, 64 starts.
CALVIN MURRAY -- The fleet outfielder (mostly a centerfielder) was with the Captains six years in a row (1993-98), including two whole seasons ('94, '97). From Dallas (W.T. White High) and the University of Texas, he was a first-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1992. His top Captains' feat: 56 stolen bases in 2007. His Shreveport batting average rose each season, with a best of .309 in 88 games in 1998. He made the majors in five seasons (1999-2004), but only once (2000) for a full year. He played almost twice the number of games for the Captains (536) as in the majors (288). His Shreveport totals: .254 average, 503 hits, 96 doubles, 16 triples, 29 home runs, 189 RBI, 163 stolen bases. In the majors, he batted .231.
MARVIN BENARD -- A left-handed outfielder from Bell, Calif., he was the Captains' offensive leader in 1994 -- 143 hits in 125 games, .315 average, 32 doubles, three triples, four homers, 48 RBI, 24 stolen bases. Drafted four times before signing out of Lewis-Clark State College (Lewiston, Idaho), he became a regular with the San Francisco Giants in 1996 and was in their lineup for seven-plus years. He batted .322 in 1998, totaled 82 doubles,43 home runs,163 RBI and 59 stolen bases in 1999-2001. He was a .271 career hitter in 891 MLB games and played in two postseasons (1997, 2000). After coaching in the minors and managing the 2016 Nicaraguan national team, he earned a college degree (Lewis-Clark State College) in kinesiology in 2017. He has been part of the Giants' Spanish-language radio broadcast team for three seasons (2017-19).
STEVE MINTZ -- A left-handed relief pitcher from Leland, N.C., he had a 10-2 record and 2.20 ERA in 30 appearances for the 1994 Captains. He was with the San Francisco Giants in 1995 for 14 games out of the bullpen, with a 1-2 record and 7.45 ERA. That was his only MLB stint; he spent eight seasons in Triple-A. Since 2001, he has been a pitching coach in pro baseball; in 2018 and 2019, he was with the Texas Rangers' Class A team -- the Down East Wood Ducks in Kinston, N.C., close to where he resides with his family in Leland.
RICH AURELIA -- He was the Captains' shortstop for 64 games in the 1995 TL title season before his .327 batting average, 17 doubles, four homers, 42 RBI and 10 stolen bases prompted a promotion to Triple-A. From Brooklyn and St. Johns University, he was drafted by the Texas Rangers and hit only .234 at Tulsa in the TL in 1994 before San Francisco got him in a trade for pitcher John Burkett. Aurelia played a little for the Giants at the end of the '95 season, then was in the majors for 14 full seasons --- the first eight and last three with San Francisco. He developed a power stroke -- 79 home runs and 256 RBI in 1999-2001 -- and was an All-Star in 2001 when he led the National League in hits (206) and batted .324 with 37 homers and 97 RBI. He was in three Giants postseasons, and in 2002 -- including the World Series -- hit .296 with five homers and 14 RBI. In 2019, he was an NBC Sports Bay Area studio analyst for Giants' games.
DESI WILSON -- Also traded by the Texas organization to San Francisco (with Rich Aurilia), he was the Captains' first baseman for the 1995 TL champions with a .286 batting average in 122 games, 77 runs, 138 hits, 27 doubles, three triples, five homers and 72 RBI. He was with the Giants for 41 games the next season, hitting .271, but never returned to the majors, although he played pro ball for 17 years. He became a hitting coach in the Chicago Cubs' organization; in 2019, he was with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.
STEVE BOURGEOIS -- The right-hander with a Louisiana connection (Lutcher, University of Northeast Louisiana, drafted by San Francisco in 1993, was the Texas League "Pitcher of the Year" for the Captains in their 1995 TL championship season: 12-3 record, 2.85 ERA, 22 starts, 145⅓ innings, 91 strikeouts. The next year he was in the majors with the Giants for 15 appearances, with five starts, and went 1-3 with a 6.30 ERA. That was his only MLB stop; he was in Triple-A for most of four seasons, then pitched in an independent league and three years in the Mexican League.
DOUG MIRABELLI -- Before he became known as a dependable reserve catcher (behind Jason Varitek) for the Boston Red Sox for most of seven years, including their breakthrough 2004 World Series championship, he was a three-year Shreveport Captain. He played in 85 games in 1994 (.220 average, eight doubles, four homers, 24 RBI), hit .302 in 40 games as a backup to Marcus Jensen before a move to Triple-A, then returned for a strong 1996 season (115 games, .295, 23 doubles, 21 homers, 70 RBI). Drafted by San Francisco in the fifth round in 1992 from Wichita State, he had bits with the Giants in four years ('96-'99), then stuck for good in 2000 (82 games). His MLB totals: .231, 58 homers, 206 RBI. He played in the postseason with the 2000 Giants and four times with the Red Sox, starting seven games.
EDWIN CORPS -- A right-hander from Puerto Rico was with the Captains for six years in a row, beginning with the 1995 title team when he had a 13-6 record, 3.86 ERA and worked 165⅔ innings (27 starts). His Shreveport totals: 31-27 record, 3.96 ERA, 214 games, 62 starts, 8 saves. Never a major leaguer.
JAY CANIZARO -- San Francisco's fourth-round draft pick in 1993, from West Orange, Texas, and Blinn (Texas) College, the Captains' second baseman in 1995 was a solid factor in the championship season -- 126 games, 83 runs, 25 doubles, seven triples, 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 16 stolen bases and a .293 average. He was in the majors with the Giants for 43 games the next year, then came back to Shreveport for 50 games in 1997 and 83 games in 1998. His Captains' totals: 259 games, .264 average, 41 doubles, eight triples, 35 homers, 130 RBI. He returned to the Giants in 1999, then was with the Minnesota Twins for 102 games in 2000 (.269, 21 doubles, seven homers, 40 RBI) and, after missing a season with an injury, again in 2002 for 38 games.
KEITH WILLIAMS -- The leftfielder, drafted by San Francisco out of Clemson University in 1993, helped the 1995 Captains win the Texas League title with a .305 batting average, 20 doubles, nine homers and 55 RBI in 75 games. He made the majors with the Giants the next June, but for only nine games and his five hits (.250 average) were all singles. He was back in Shreveport for a full -- and productive -- season in 1997, hitting .320 with 83 runs, 158 hits, 37 doubles, 22 homers and 106 RBI. But '96 was his only MLB stint.
JACOB CRUZ -- A year after he was the San Francisco Giants' first-round draft pick out of Oxnard, Calif., and Arizona State University, he was the rightfielder for the 1995 Captains' Texas League champions. That season he batted .297 with 88 runs, 136 hits (in 127 games), 33 doubles, 13 homers and 77 RBI. He was in the majors for parts of nine seasons (with five teams), but his longest stays were with the 2004-05 Cincinnati Reds (206 total games). His MLB totals: .241 average, 409 games, 38 doubles, 19 homers, 105 RBI. He played in the pros for 17 years through stints in Mexico, South Korea and in independent ball. In 2019, he was assistant hitting coach in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He previously coached in the Diamondbacks' and Cubs' organizations.
BILL MUELLER -- He played third base for the 1995 Captains, who won the Texas League, and nine years later for the Boston Red Sox in their first World Series championship since 1918. A switch-hitter, he was the American League batting champion (.326) in 2003 -- his first year with the Red Sox. Drafted by San Francisco in 1993 out of Missouri State, he hit .309 for Shreveport with 102 hits in 88 games, 16 doubles, one homer and 39 RBI. The next year he made his MLB debut with the Giants and was in the big leagues for 11 seasons with four teams, a career .291 hitter. He was part of five postseason teams (Giants 1997 and 2000, Red Sox 2003-05), and hit safely in 11 of the Red Sox's magical 15-game stretch in 2004. In recent years, he has been a hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
KEITH FOULKE -- The Texas League "Pitcher of the Year" in 1996 for the Shreveport Captains, he started 27 times that season, with a 12-7 record, 2.76 ERA, 182⅔ innings, four complete games and two shutouts. A right-hander from Huffman, Texas, he made the majors for eight starts with San Francisco the next season. But he became a relief pitcher (619 regular-season games, 41-37 record, 3.33 ERA, 191 saves) and is best known for this: When the Boston Red Sox won a World Series championship after 86 years, he was the pitcher for the final out and a Game 4 save to complete a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2019, he was in his third year as a player development consultant for the Red Sox.
BOB HOWRY -- He made 769 relief appearances in the major leagues over a 13-year period, with a 45-52 record and 66 saves, but he had mixed duties for the Captains. In 1996, he was a starting pitcher -- 27 games, 10-8 record, 4.65 ERA, 156⅔ innings. The next year he was strictly a reliever -- 48 games, 22 saves, 6-3 record, 4.91 ERA. The right-hander, drafted four times and signed by San Francisco in 1994 out of McNeese (La.) State, had 28 saves for the White Sox in 1999 and pitched in the postseason for both Chicago teams -- 2000 for the White Sox, 2007 for the Cubs. He switched teams six times in the majors.
RUSS ORTIZ -- Drafted by San Francisco out of the University of Oklahoma in 1995 (fourth round), the right-handed pitcher did reversed the path by two Captains teammates (Keith Foulke and Bob Howry) -- he was a reliever first and wound up as a reliable and successful major-league starter. In 1996, he was in 26 games for Shreveport, with 13 saves, a 1-2 record and 4.05 ERA. In 1997, he started 12 games (56⅔ innings), with a 2-3 record and 4.13 ERA, before a promotion to Triple-A. He made the Giants in 1998, spent five seasons with San Francisco, then went to the Atlanta Braves for his best season -- a 21-7 record in 2003. In five of six consecutive seasons, he worked more than 200 innings (and had 195⅔ in the other year). He had a 3-1 postseason record with the Giants in 2000 and 2002 (two World Series starts) and the Braves in 2003-04. Through five major-league moves and several Triple-A stints, he pitched through 2010. His MLB totals: 311 games, 266 starts, 113-89 record, 4.51 ERA.
TROY BROHAWN -- Like 1996-97 Captains teammates Keith Foulke and Bob Howry, the left-hander out of the University of Nebraska went from minor-league starting pitcher to major-league reliever. With Shreveport, he made 54 starts (for 325⅔ innings), with a 22-15 record (9-10 in '96, 13-5 in '97) and 4.31 ERA. After he reached the majors in 2001 with Arizona, he was strictly in the bullpen. That year he was in 59 games (49⅓ innings), with a 2-3 record and 4.93 ERA, and pitched one inning as the Diamondbacks won the World Series. He appeared for 11 games with San Francisco in 2002 and 12 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003. His final MLB record: 4-4, 4.86 ERA, 66⅔ innings.
BENJI SIMONTON -- In four consecutive seasons with the Captains -- partials in 1995 and '98, full years as the regular catcher in 1996 and '97 -- he showed plenty of power (52 home runs, 204 RBI) and plenty of whiffs (304 strikeouts). He had a .261 average, but his limitations meant only one game (in Triple-A) above the Class AA level.
DANTE POWELL -- A first-round San Francisco draft pick in 1994, the centerfielder -- out of Long Beach, Calif., and Cal State-Fullerton -- was a .280 hitter for the 1996 Captains, playing 135 games. He had good numbers -- 92 runs, 142 hits, 27 doubles, 21 home runs, 78 RBI, 43 stolen bases. His career fizzled after four brief major-league stops -- Giants 1997-98, Arizona in 1999 and 2001.
ARMANDO RIOS -- The left-handed outfielder from Puerto Rico, who played at LSU, was with the Captains for two productive seasons, batting .283 (with 22 doubles, 12 homers, 49 RBI) in 1996 and topping that in '97 with a .298 average, 86 runs and 133 hits in 127 games, 30 doubles, six triples, 14 home runs and 79 RBI. He was with the San Francisco Giants in 1999-2001, Pittsburgh in 2002 and the Chicago White Sox in 2003. In 419 MLB games, he batted .269, with 55 doubles, eight triples, 36 homers and 167 RBI.
CHRIS SINGLETON -- He teamed with Armando Rios in the Captains' outfield for two years. A second-round 1993 San Francisco draft pick from Pinole, Calif., and University of Nevada-Reno (where he was on a football scholarship), he showed promise in Shreveport, batting .298 and then .317. His Captains' totals: 255 games, 296 hits, 57 doubles, 19 triples, 14 home runs, 133 RBI, 54 stolen bases. He bounced around the majors from 1999 to 2005, with four teams, totaling 704 games and batting .273, with 133 doubles, 23 triples, 45 home runs and 276 RBI. In recent years, he has been an ESPN baseball analyst, primarily on radio on the Sunday Night game teamed with play-by-play announcer Jon Sciambi.
JOE FONTENOT -- A first-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1995 out of Acadiana High School in Scott, La. (near Lafayette), the right-handed pitcher was only 20 when he was with the Captains in 1997. He made 26 starts and pitched 151⅓ innings, with a 10-11 record and 5.53. By the next May, he was in the big leagues with the defending World Series champion Florida Marlins. After eight starts, and an 0-7 record and 6.33 ERA, he was back in the minors and out of baseball a year later.
AARON FULTZ -- A left-handed relief pitcher from Munford, Tenn., he was in his sixth pro season when he came to Shreveport in 1997. In two Captains seasons, he appeared in 103 games for 132 innings with a combined 11-10 record and 16 saves (15 in 1998). By 2002, he stuck in the majors with San Francisco and in eight seasons (with five teams) pitched in 463 games (started one) for 479⅔ innings, with a 25-15 record and three saves. He pitched in two World Series games for the Giants in 2002 and also was in the postseason with them in 2000 and the Cleveland Indians in 2007. In 2019, he was pitching coach for Reading (the Phillies' Class AA Eastern League team).
EDWARDS GUZMAN -- The Captains' third baseman in 1997, from Puerto Rico, hit .284 in 118 games that season, with 15 doubles, four triples, three homers and 42 RBI. In three short major-league stops (San Francisco 1999 and 2001, Montreal 2003), he batted .228 with four homers and 26 RBI. He went on to play seven seasons in Mexico and Puerto Rico, and has been an area scout for the Chicago Cubs in Puerto Rico.
RAMON MARTINEZ -- The Captains' shortstop in 1997 hit .319 with 129 hits in 105 games, with 32 doubles, four triples, five homers and 54 RBI. From Puerto Rico, he attended Vernon (Texas) College before signing a pro contract in 1992. He played parts of 12 seasons in the majors (eight seasons with 60 games or more) as a sometimes starter and utility infielder, appearing in 798 games and batting .262. His totals: 98 doubles, 10 triples, 29 home runs, 242 RBI. He was in four postseasons, including the 2002 World Series with San Francisco.
EDDIE OROPESA -- A well-traveled left-handed pitcher, a native of Cuba who defected from the Cuban national team while on a trip to Buffalo, N.Y., in 1993, pitched for Shreveport for three full seasons (1997-98, 2000) with a combined record of 16-22. He was in 134 Captains' games -- 31 starts, 343⅓ innings. In 2001, the submarine-style pitcher got to the majors at age 29 and in four partial MLB seasons (Philadelphia, Arizona, San Diego), he relieved in 125 games (92 innings), with an 8-4 record and 7.34 ERA.
PEDRO FELIZ -- In two seasons with the Captains, the third baseman from the Dominican Republic was a productive hitter: .264, 23 doubles, 12 homers, 50 RBI in 100 games in 1998; .253, 24 doubles, six triples, 13 homers, 77 RBI in 131 games in 1999. He made the majors for eight games with San Francisco the next year, then spent 10 years as a regular in MLB, the first seven with the Giants, and was a .250 hitter, 209 doubles, 25 triples, 140 homers, 598 RBI in 1,302 regular-season games. He hit 84 home runs in four seasons (2004-07), and was in two World Series -- Giants 2002 and with the champion Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 (he drove in the winning run in the clinching Game 5).
DAMON MINOR -- After three standout seasons for the University of Oklahoma (including a national championship in 1994 and repeat College World Series in 1995), the 6-7, 230-pound first baseman was drafted by San Francisco in 1996. He was with the Captains for two years -- 1998 (81 games, .239, 14 homers, 52 RBI) and a better 1999 (.273, 136 games, 33 doubles, 20 homers, 82 RBI). Four times he made it to the majors with the Giants -- most of the 2002 season -- and in 285 games batted .232, with 17 homers and 39 RBI. He then played in Japan and Mexico. In 2019, he was in his fourth year as hitting coach for the Sacramento River Cats, the Giants' Triple-A farm team.
JASON GRILLI -- His pro career began in Shreveport in 1998, a year after he was San Francisco's first-round draft pick out of Seton Hall University. The 6-foot-5 right-hander, the son of an ex-major league pitcher (Steve), made 21 starts for the Captains, with a 7-10 record and 3.79 ERA in 123⅓ innings. He first made the majors with Florida in 2000, but his first full big-league season was 2006 with Detroit. He became an All-Star closer late in his career -- 33 saves with the 2013 Pirates, 24 with the 2015 Braves. He was still pitching at age 40 in 2017, first with Toronto and then Texas. His MLB totals: 34-46 record, 4.17 ERA, 577 games (16 starts), 79 saves.
SCOTT LINEBRINK -- The right-handed pitcher from Austin, Texas, and Texas State University was a starter for the Captains in 1998 (10-8 record, 5.02 ERA, 21 starts, 113 innings and 128 strikeouts) and in a luckless and abbreviated 1999 (1-8 record, 6.44 ERA, 10 starts, 43⅓ innings). A second-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1997, he became a dependable major-league reliever for 12 seasons. His best years were with San Diego in 2004-06 -- a combined 22-8 record, and in the postseason in '05-'06 (and also with the White Sox in 2008). His MLB totals: 607 games, six starts, eight saves, 42-31 record, 3.51 ERA.
JOE NATHAN -- His three stints with the Captains -- briefly in 1998 and 1999, 21 games in 2001, a 4-10 record -- were mostly as a starting pitcher (13 starts), no indication of the six-time All-Star relief pitcher and 377 major-league saves to come. He was drafted -- but as a shortstop -- out of Stony Brook (N.Y.) University in the sixth round in 1995 and first reached the majors in 1999 and 2000, making 29 starts for San Francisco. When he made the big club for good in 2003, it was a fulltime reliever. He had a 12-4 record for the Giants in 2003, then -- traded to Minnesota -- in 2004 began an 11-year stretch (interrupted by elbow surgery) in which he had between 35 and 47 saves in nine seasons. He pitched in six postseasons (10 games), but never in a World Series. He hung on, even in the minors, into 2017 and through two Tommy John elbow surgeries. His MLB totals: 64-34 record, 2.87 ERA, 787 games.
YORVIT TORREALBA -- The catcher from Venezuela was 19 years old in 1998 when he came to Shreveport for the first of three seasons. He played 59 games for the Captains in '98, 65 in '99, then a full season (108 games) in 2000 when he batted .286 with 21 doubles, four homers and 32 RBI. His defensive ability helped him stick in the majors with San Francisco in 2002 and he was mostly a No. 2 catcher for 11 seasons (he switched teams six times). He played in four postseasons, including the World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2011. His MLB totals: 907 games, .256 average, 56 homers, 339 RBI.
RYAN VOGELSONG -- His career was a tribute to perseverance. As a Captains' pitcher at ages 21 and 22, he was unimpressive -- 0-2 record, 7.31 ERA in six starts (28⅓ innings) in 1999 and 6-10, 4.23, 27 starts (155⅓ innings) in 2000. But the longer the right-hander from Atglen, Pa., and Kutztown (Pa.) University stayed in pro ball, the better he got. He did reach the majors for four games in relief with San Francisco in 2000, got his first start with Pittsburgh the next year, his first win two years, then had two so-so seasons with the Pirates (26 starts in 2004, all in relief in '05). After three years in Japan, he was back with the Giants in 2011 for a breakthrough year -- 13-7 record in 28 starts and an All-Star Game selection. His record in 2012 was 14-9 and, as the Giants won the World Series, he was 3-0 in the postseason. In 2014, he made a career-high 32 starts and again helped San Francisco win the World Series, although he had three no-decisions in postseason starts. In 2016, he was still in the majors, back with Pittsburgh. His MLB totals: 12 seasons, 61-75 record, 4.48 ERA, 289 games (179 starts). In 2018, he was a parttime roving minor-league pitching instructor for the Giants.
KURT AINSWORTH -- He was a star pitcher at Catholic High (Baton Rouge) and LSU and a first-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1999. The next year the right-hander was the Captains' best pitcher with 28 starts, 158 innings, a 10-9 record and 3.30 ERA. He advanced to the Giants for short stays in 2001 and '02, and stuck in 2003 when he had a 5-4 record and 3.82 ERA in 11 starts (66 innings) before a string of injuries began. He was traded to Baltimore, but the injuries curtailed his action the rest of '03 and in '04 and ended his career. With Baton Rouge partners, he began a company that produced bats and now supplies many of the major leaguers.
ERASMO RAMIREZ -- A left-handed pitcher from Santa Ana, Calif., and Cal State Fullerton, drafted by San Francisco in 1998, he was with the Captains for two years -- 0-5 record, 6.44 ERA in 39 games (two starts) and 58⅔ innings in 2000, and 2-0, 2.16, in 22 games (one start) for 33⅓ innings in 2001. Traded to Texas, he made the majors and pitched in 84 games for the Rangers from 2003 to '05, then for two other teams in 2007. His MLB totals: 91 games (all in relief), 8-4 record, 3.95 ERA.
CHRIS MAGRUDER -- An outfielder from Yakima, Wash., and the University of Washington, a switch-hitter, he reached Double-A (Shreveport) the year after he was a second-round draft pick by San Francisco. He spent two full seasons (1999-2000) and the first 40 games in 2001 with the Captains, totaling 307 games and batting .277. He had 60 RBI in 1999, then scored 85 runs and had 33 doubles in 2000. Traded to the Texas organization in 2001, he played with the Rangers for 17 games that year. He spent most of 2002 with the Cleveland Indians (.217, 15 doubles, six homers, 29 RBI in 80 games) and part of 2003, then finished his career with Milwaukee for 56 games in '04 and 101 in '05. His MLB totals: .270 games, .220, 32 doubles, 11 homers, 56 RBI.
CODY RANSOM -- An infielder from Chandler, Ariz., and Grand Canyon University, drafted by San Francisco in 1998, he reached the Captains for 14 games the next year and batted .122, then spent all of the 2000 season in Shreveport -- 130 games and a .200 average. He got to the big leagues with the Giants for bits in four consecutive seasons (2001-04), then was with seven other big-league teams through 2013. His MLB totals: 11 seasons, 383 games, 47 doubles, 30 homers, 105 RBI, .213 average.
NATE BUMP -- A right-handed pitcher drafted in the first round by San Francisco in 1998 out of Penn State, he made 17 starts for the 1999 Captains (4-10 record, 3.31 ERA, 92⅓ innings) before he was traded to the Florida organization. After 3½ seasons at Double-A Portland (Maine), he wound up in the big leagues in 2003 with the Marlins, pitching 32 games (36⅓ innings) in relief with a 4-0 record and 4.71 ERA. He pitched three innings in the National League Championship Series, but not in the World Series won by the Marlins. He was with the Marlins for portions of the '04 and '05 seasons, but not in the majors after that. MLB totals: 113 games (2 starts), 6-7 record, 1 save, 5.17 ERA.
KEVIN JOSEPH -- A right-handed pitcher from Addison, Texas, and Rice University, drafted by San Francisco in the sixth round in 1997, he was a reliever for Shreveport for seven games in 1999 and 24 games in 2001 and was with the Captains for the full season in 2000 when he pitched in 27 games, starting 16. His Captains' record was 5-13. He had one major-league stint -- in 2002 with the St. Louis Cardinals: 11 games in relief, 11 innings, 0-1 record, 4.91 ERA.
CHAD ZERBE -- A left-handed pitcher from Tampa, Fla., he was in his eighth season as a pro when he pitched for the Captains in 1999 (seven games, six starts, 41⅓ innings, 1-3 record, 1.96 ERA) and 2000 (nine starts, 38⅔ innings, 2-1 record, 2.33 ERA). From 2000 to 2003, he was with San Francisco for bits of each season, mostly as a reliever (two starts in 114 games, 6-1 record, 3.87 ERA). He was in 50 games in 2002 and pitched in three World Series games, earning the win in Game 5 when he worked two middle innings. He was out of the game after 2005.
DOUG CLARK -- The leftfielder was with the last four Shreveport teams to play in Organized Baseball -- partial stops in 1999 and 2002, full seasons in 2000 and '01. From Springfield, Mass., and the University of Massachusetts (where he was a football wide receiver and a baseball walk-on), his Shreveport totals were 313 games, a .270 batting average, 45 doubles, 12 triples, 19 home runs and 145 RBI. He reached the majors for eight games with San Francisco in 2005 and six games with Oakland in 2006, then played through 2014 in South Korea and a year later in Mexico. In 2018 and 2019, he was a hitting instructor in the Giants' organization at the rookie-league level.
JIM PENA, left (LHP, 1990-91) -- Located in Chandler and Scottsdale, Ariz., for years, he managed self-storage and U-Haul companies and was a Whataburger supervisor before relocating to Colorado Springs, Colo.
