1991-1992 Rookies

Not all highly rated baseball prospects make it to the major leagues. Many a young player grew up playing baseball in the streets and playgrounds of the United States cities or in fields on Islands or in South American countries. For sure, all had to have that special talent and desire to Play Ball!

A List of a few Rookies for 1991 and 1992

Rookies -  Mo Vaughn … Dave Hollins … Warren Newson … Kevin Garner ... Kim Batiste … Mike Ignasiak … Denis Boucher

Mo Vaughn Boston Red Sox First Baseman Bats LH Throws RH – One of the strongest men ever to swing a baseball bat,  Mo Vaughn delighted Red Sox fans with his raw power. After joining Boston in the middle of 1991 Mo Vaughn caught the attention of the nation’s baseball fans when he lined a home run  438 feet against the Orioles that came within 5 rows of clearing Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. A day later he hit a baseball 430 feet in a 6-0 victory over Milwaukee. As a rookie Mo Vaughn compiled a .260 batting average, hit 12 doubles, 4 home runs, drove in 32 runs in just 219 at bats spanning 74 games.

Dave Hollins Philadelphia Phillies Third Baseman Switch Hitter – He took over the Phillies third base job in 1990 after Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame star, retired after the 1989 season. After Dave Hollins hit just .184 in 114 at bats in ’90, he started 1991 in the minors with Scranton, where he started power the baseball. He was voted Philadelphia’s top minor league player for the month of June with a robust .392 batting average and was recalled to the majors. Dave Hollins stats for 1991 were .298 with 6 homers in 151 trips to the plate.  In ’92 he hit 28 doubles, a career high 27 homers and had 93 RBIs.

Warren Newson Chicago White Sox Outfielder LH – Warren Newson was chosen by San Diego Padres in the 4^th round of the 1986 draft. He started in Spokane in ’86, moved up to Charleston (.345) and Reno (.305) the next season. In 1988 Warren Newson started hitting homers – 22 with 91 RBIs with Riverside in ’88 … in Witchita in ’89 he hit .304 and 18 HR. Then he went to Las Vegas in ’90 and the next season was traded to the White Sox along with infielder Joey Cora. After hitting .369 in 33 games for Vancouver Triple-A,  Warren Newson was brought up to Chicago Sox and started in rightfield – hit .295 5 doubles, 4 homers 25 RBI and 2 stolen bases. 

Kevin Garner Chicago White Sox Minor League System Outfielder DH/P – A star baseball player at Brazoswood High School in Texas upon graduation he was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 3^rd round of the 1984 amateur draft. However, he went to the University of Texas at Austin and after one year was drafted by the Padres, then while in minors prior to the 1991 season opener was traded along with Joey Cora and Warren Newson to the ChiSox. His first minor league season, with the Spokane Indians in 1987, Kevin Garner pitched 6 games and played in outfielder. Kevin Garner played 11 years in the minors, 1987-98, had a .266 career batting average, with 153 doubles, 172 homers in 847 games. He never played in the majors.  

Kim Batiste Philadelphia Phillies Shortstop RH – A quick-stepping shortstop he was highly rated by major league scouts for his defensive skills and his line drive hitting. Kim Batiste started in minors with Utica in ’87 and worked hard honing is skills and by 1991 he was playing in Triple-A with Scranton and hit .292 in 122 games. The Phillies brought him up in September and in 10 games he hit .222. The next season he hit .206 in 44 games with Philadeplhia.

Mike Ignasiak Milwaukee Brewers Starter / Relief Pitcher Throws RH, Bats Both – Born in Mt. Clemens North Carolina – Mike Ignasiak started in the Brewers minor league system in 1988 with Beloit (Wisconsin). Pitching with Stockton in ’89 he compiled a sterling 11-6 w/l, including 4 complete game shutouts and in 179 innings had a 2.72 earned run average per 9 innings (ERA). After posting a 9-5 minor league record with the Denver Zephyrs in 1991 he was called up to the majors by Milwaukee in mid August and picked up his first major win with a 2.1 inning relief appearance. He ended that season with a 2-1 record. In mid Sept Mike Ignasiak season ended due to a injured right calf muscle. He did not pitch in the majors next year but did return to Brewers in ’93 and appeared in 27 relief games.

Denis Boucher Toronto Blue Jays / Cleveland Indians Starting Pitcher LH – Born in Montreal Canada. He broke into professional baseball in 1988 with Myrtle Beach in Florida League and posted a 13-12 w/l record with a very fine 2.84 ERA. A fastball pitcher Denis Boucher pitched his way to the majors with stops along the way at Dunedin and Syracuse then started 1991 in the majors with Toronto but after 3 losses and no wins in 7 starts he was sent back to minors. On June 27, 1991 he was traded to Cleveland in a 5-player trade. He finished that season losing 3 of 4 decisions. In July of 1993 he was traded to Montreal. Please see trades for more reading enjoyment.

For complete batting records of all major leaguers, please see Players section on the top of our Home Page … thanks Baseball Historian

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