Along this ride, I knew I'd find cards I didn't have, or find players I didn't know played for the Expos (and in extension, the Jays)
Today is going to look at a few of the guys from the early 2000s that I either forgot about, or guys who didn't make an impact..
Endy Chavez:
He's one I didn't know played for the Expos. He was with the team from 2002-2004 and went to Washington with them in 2005.
Looking at his Baseball Reference page the big takeaway I get is.. The Mets Loved this guy..
He signed with them in 1996. He was lost in the Rule 5 draft to KC then returned. Traded by the Mets back to the Royals, who then lost him to the Tigers. Mets selected him off waivers from the Tigers then lost him to Montreal.
2005 he signed with the Mets again and was there until 2008.
He's still playing.. As a member of the Somerset Patriots.
Ron Chiavacci
He never made it out of the minors for the Expos. He was in the system until 2004, when he bounced around a bit, including a stint in Korea.
He seems to be working at a place called Pro Staff Baseball now.
Chad Chop
Chop was an outfielder/infielder/relief pitcher in the system from 2002-2004 and 2005 with Washington. He ended his career in 2006 after playing for the Fullerton Flyers.
According to Wikipedia, he worked as a firefighter before getting hired by the Giants as a left-handed BP pitcher after being hired by Hunter Pence.
Zach Day
He had some success in the Majors with Montreal, then shoulder issues cut his career short. After Montreal, he spent part of 2005 with Washington, part with Colorado. 2006 he also spent time with both teams. He tried continuing with Kansas City and Minnesota, but had to retire due to shoulder issues.
Benji DeQuin
Another pick that never made the Majors. He played in the system from 2000-2003 then played for Brockton of the Northeast League.
Eric Good
Another player who didn't make it out of the Minors, he only played for a couple seasons, from 1998-2001.
Michael Hinckley
He actually had some time in the Majors with Washington in 2008-2009.
His career ended in 2011 in Toronto's minor league system, playing for New Hampshire and Las Vegas.
Scott Hodges
Hodges never made it out of the minors with the Expos or Nationals. His career went from 1997-2005.
A quick look makes me think he's a baseball coach in Nebraska now.
Sun Woo Kim
I honestly forgot he was with the team.. They actually had quite a few Asian pitchers. They ended with Seung Song, Kim, Hideki Irabu, and I know I'm forgetting someone..
Anyway, he was with the team from 2002-2004, and was with Washington in 2005. He was up-and-down with the Expos. After his stint in the US ended, he went back to Korea and played there until 2014.
Tomo Ohka
Here's the guy I forgot.. I actually forgot he played for the Expos here, and in 2007 he played for the Jays..
He played for the Expos from 2001-2004 and spent part of 2005 in Washington.
Tomo was also referenced on The Simpsons during his tenure as an Expo.
Ohka ended up playing until 2014 in the minors and Japan.
Darrell Rasner
First... I don't know if that uniform is airbrushed or not..
Rasner played in the Majors from 2005-2008 for Washington and the Yankees.
His career went until 2013 when he played in Japan.
According to Wikipedia, he became an International scout for the Rakuten Golden Eagles after his career ended.
Britt Reames
Reames is one I don't really forget about so much as completely block from my memory as actually existing... I don't know why...
He played for the Expos from 2001-2003.
His career ended in 2007, and he was a pitching coach for Furman University, then The Citadel..
Seung Song
Seung Song never made it to the Majors.
He was in the Expos system from 2002-2004 and was in the MiLB system until 2006. In 2007 he went back to Japan and played until 2017.
Brandon Watson
He made it to the Majors with Washington and Cincinnati between 2005-2007.
He played overall from 1999-2011, finishing with Newark in 2011..
Finally.. Gregg Zaun
This one surprised me.. I didn't know (or forgot) that he was in the Expos system at all.
According to his Baseball Reference page, he was an Expo long enough to go through Spring Training with them. He signed with the Jays a month later.
After his career finished, he became a broadcast analyst for the Jays on Sportsnet. He was terminated after harassment claims came up against him.. He now has a YouTube show.
So just a few of the 2000s era Expos I forgot about, or didn't really remember.
Sunny Kim! I remember him. I dont remember the Tomo Ohka Simpsons reference though. Shame on me.
ReplyDeleteI guess Eric Good wasn't very good was he?
Is Seung Song pronounced "sung song"? Cause that would be kinda funny. (at least it would be funnier than an Eric Good pun)
It was a baseball episode. Bart says "Look at me! I'm Tomo Ohka of the Montreal Expos!" Milhouse replies "I'm Esteban Yan of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays!"
DeleteI can't remember if it was Kim, but I remember Frank Robinson being asked if, after a horrible start by the pitcher, was asked if they would be starting again.. His reply was something along the lines of "Do I look crazy?!
I remember 5 of those names. The one I remember most clearly is Britt Reames because he had one of the better pitching seasons in Peoria Chiefs history back in the mid 1990s. Crazy what the mind remembers.
ReplyDeleteThat's the beauty of Topps Total. Lots of names you might not see in your higher end products. Definitely recognize Ohka and Chavez... plus there are a few other names that are familiar, but I couldn't tell you anything about them.
ReplyDeletePart of why I love going through old sets like that.. Seeing names I either recognize but wonder what they're doing now, or guys I don't recognize and find out more information about them.
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