With the winter sports season for area high schools concluding this week, I was beginning to get the itch for baseball. I began updating things and setting up Crawdads coverage. And then Coronavirus hit. The likelihood of no baseball for a while bites but there is not much one can do.
So, I decided to make put some things on here related to Crawdads history, and perhaps jog some memories for Hickory fans.
Today, it’s a list of all 178 former players that have received a callup to the majors, or who played here in a rehab assignment. This will include one poor soul that got a promotion to the Pittsburgh Pirates, but never saw major league action before going back to AAA. His name was Luis Munoz, a pitcher that played until 2016 with Ottawa in the independent Can-Am League. His moment in a big league uniform came in 2008.
From Chris Tremie to Jonathan Hernandez, here is the list:
CRAWDADS IN THE MAJORS (Listed by Debut Date) Still Active in majors
- Jim Abbott (debut 4/8/89) rehab player 1998
- Josias Manzanillo (debut 10/5/91) rehab 2002
- Jason Bere (debut 5/27/93) rehab player 1996
- Chris Tremie (debut 7/1/95) 1st Crawdads player to appear in major leagues.
- Mike Bertotti (debut 7/29/95)
- Nerio Rodriguez (debut 8/18/96)
- Greg Norton (debut 8/18/96)
- Jeff Abbott (debut 6/10/97)
- Mario Valdez (debut 6/15/97)
- Chris Clemons (debut 7/23/97)
- Nelson Cruz (debut 8/1/97)
- Magglio Ordonez (debut 8/29/97)
- Tom Fordham (debut 8/19/97)
- Pete Rose, Jr (debut 9/1/97)
- Javier Martinez (debut 4/2/98)
- Bob Henley (debut 7/19/98) played in Hickory in 2002.
- Chad Bradford (debut 8/1/98)
- Mark Johnson (debut 9/14/98)
- Brian Simmons (debut 9/21/98)
- McKay Christensen (debut 4/6/99)
- Dave Lundquist (debut 4/6/99)
- Carlos Lee (debut 5/7/99)
- Liu Rodriguez (debut 6/9/99)
- Pat Danekar (debut 7/2/99)
- Jesus Pena (debut 8/7/99)
- Frank Menechino (debut 9/6/99)
- Jason Dellaero (debut 9/7/99)
- Aaron Myette (debut 9/7/99)
- Josh Paul (debut 9/7/99)
- Kevin Beirne (debut 5/17/00)
- Jon Garland (debut 7/4/00)
- Steve Sparks (debut 7/19/00) 1st player as Pirate affiliate in majors
- Rocky Biddle (debut 8/10/00)
- Joe Crede (debut 9/12/00)
- Joe Beimel (debut 4/8/01)
- Dave Williams (debut 6/6/01)
- Aaron Rowand (debut 6/16/01)
- Carlos Castillo (debut 7/22/01)
- Josh Fogg (debut 9/2/01)
- Humberto Cota (debut 9/9/01)
- Luis Garcia (debut 4/10/02)
- Hansel Izquierdo (debut 4/21/02)
- Jason Simontacchi (debut 5/4/02)
- JJ Davis (debut 9/4/02)
- Tony Alvarez (debut 9/4/02)
- DJ Carrasco (debut 4/2/03)
- Carlos Rivera (debut 6/22/03)
- Brian Schmack (debut 8/24/03)
- John Grabow (debut 9/14/03)
- JR House (debut 9/27/03)
- Jose Bautista (debut 4/4/04)
- Jeff Bennett (debut 4/6/04)
- Adam LaRoche (debut 4/7/04) rehab player in 2008
- Mike Johnston (debut 4/7/04)
- Jose Castillo (debut 4/7/04)
- Chris Shelton (debut 4/15/04)
- Sean Burnett (debut 5/30/04)
- Roberto Novoa (debut 7/29/04)
- Ian Snell (debut 8/4/04)
- John Van Benschoten (debut 8/18/04)
- Jeff Keppinger (debut 8/20/04)
- Chris Young (debut 8/24/04)
- Juan Carlos Oviedo (debut 5/9/05)
- Ryan Doumit (debut 6/5/05)
- Nate McLouth (debut 6/29/05)
- Zach Duke (debut 7/2/05)
- Danny Sandoval (debut 7/17/05)
- Brad Eldred (debut 7/22/05)
- Paul Maholm (debut 8/20/05)
- Walter Young (debut 9/6/05)
- Chris Demaria (debut 9/9/05)
- Chris Heintz (debut 9/10/05)
- Matt Capps (debut 9/15/05)
- Bryan Bullington (debut 9/18/05)
- Tom Gorzelanny (debut 9/20/05)
- Ronny Paulino (debut 9/25/05)
- Yurendell DeCaster (debut 5/21/06)
- Henry Owens (debut 7/7/06)
- Josh Sharpless (debut 8/1/06)
- Rajai Davis (debut 8/14/06)
- Shane Youman (debut 9/10/06)
- Craig Stansberry (debut 8/25/07)
- Romulo Sanchez (debut 8/26/07)
- Steve Pearce (debut 9/1/07)
- Nyjer Morgan (debut 9/1/07)\
- Jonathan Albaladejo (debut 9/5/07)
- Dave Davidson (debut 9/6/07)
- Rico Washington (debut 4/1/08)
- Brian Bixler (debut 4/6/08)
- Brent Lillibridge (debut 4/26/08)
- Luis Munoz (did not appear, called up 7/10/08)
- Andrew McCutchen (debut 6/4/09)
- Jairo Asencio (debut 7/12/09)
- Neil Walker (debut 9/1/09)
- Brad Lincoln (debut 6/9/10)
- Alex Presley (debut 9/8/10)
- Mike Crotta (debut 4/3/11)
- Josh Lueke (debut 4/3/11) 1st player as Rangers affiliate in majors
- Cody Eppley (debut 4/23/11)
- Tony Watson (debut 6/8/11)
- Mark Hamburger (debut 8/31/11)
- Jared Hughes (debut 9/7/11)
- Matt Hague (debut 4/7/12)
- Robbie Ross (debut 4/8/12)
- Joe Wieland (debut 4/14/12)
- Jordy Mercer (debut 5/29/12)
- Justin Grimm (debut 6/16/12)
- Martin Perez (debut 6/27/12)
- Todd Redmond (debut 8/18/12)
- Steve Lerud (debut 8/30/12)
- Jurickson Profar (debut 9/2/12)
- Bryan Morris (debut 9/14/12)
- Wilmer Font (debut 9/18/12)
- Joseph Ortiz (debut 3/31/13)
- Leury Garcia (debut 4/6/13)
- Nick Tepesch (debut 4/9/13)
- Robbie Erlin (debut 4/30/13)
- Duke Welker (debut 6/23/13)
- Nick Martinez (debut 4/5/14)
- Luis Sardinas (debut 4/21/14)
- Neil Ramirez (debut 4/26/14)
- Rougned Odor (debut 5/8/14)
- Jamie Romak (debut 5/18/14)
- Daniel Bard (debut 5/15/09) rehab 2014
- Ben Rowen (debut 6/15/14)
- Roman Mendez (debut 7/8/14)
- Matt West (debut 7/10/14)
- Phil Klein (debut 8/1/14)
- Alexander Claudio (debut 8/13/14)
- Tomas Telis (debut 8/25/14)
- Ryan Rua (debut 8/29/14)
- Odubel Herrera (debut 4/6/15)
- Keone Kela (debut 4/7/15)
- Wilfredo Boscan (5/19/16)
- Hanser Alberto (debut 5/29/15)
- Joey Gallo (debut 6/2/15)
- Jake Brigham (debut 6/30/15)
- Abel De Los Santos (debut 7/21/15)
- Luke Jackson (debut 9/4/15)
- Jerad Eickhoff (debut 8/21/15)
- Andrew Faulkner (debut 8/31/15)
- CJ Edwards (debut 9/7/15)
- Nomar Mazara (debut 4/10/16)
- Cody Ege (debut 4/23/16)
- Richard Bleier (debut 5/30/16)
- Dustin Molleken (debut 7/4/16)
- Jose Leclerc (debut 7/6/16)
- James Jones (debut 4/18/14)
- Jorge Alfaro (debut 9/12/16)
- Yohander Mendez (debut 9/5/16)
- Drew Robinson (debut 4/5/17)
- Chad Bell (debut 5/10/17)
- Lewis Brinson (debut 6/11/17)
- Nick Williams (debut 6/30/17)
- Ricardo Rodriguez (debut 8/8/17)
- Nick Gardewine (debut 8/22/17)
- Fabio Castillo (debut 9/2/17)
- Christian Villanueva (debut 9/18/17)
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa (debut 4/10/18)
- Ronald Guzman (debut 4/13/18)
- Ariel Jurado (debut 5/19/18)
- Jose Trevino (debut 6/15/18)
- Jeffrey Springs (debut 7/31/18)
- Connor Sadzeck (debut 9/1/18)
- Ryan Cordell (debut 9/3/18)
- CD Pelham (debut 9/5/18
- Luis Ortiz (debut 9/7/18)
- Dylan Moore (debut 3/20/19)
- Reed Garrett (debut 3/29/19)
- Erik Swanson (debut 4/11/19)
- Brett Martin (debut 4/19/19)
- Joe Palumbo (debut 6/8/19)
- Peter Fairbanks (debut 6/9/19)
- Pedro Payano (debut 7/6/19)
- Dillon Tate (debut 7/29/19)
- Travis Demeritte (debut 8/2/19)
- Brock Burke (debut 8/20/19)
- Jonathan Hernandez (debut 8/21/19)
