Daric W. Barton (born August 16, 1985 in Springfield, Vermont) is a minor league baseball player currently playing for the Sacramento RiverCats, the Oakland Athletics Triple-A affiliate. He was a 1st-round draft pick (28th overall) in 2003 by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. Barton had signed on to attend Cal State Fullerton and play baseball there, but accepted a one million dollar signing bonus from the Cardinals instead.

Xavier Clifford Nady (born November 14, 1978 in Salinas, California) is a Major League Baseball first baseman/right fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The St. Louis Cardinals originally drafted Nady in the 4th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft (134th overall) after he was named Northern California Player of the Year in his senior year of high school but he did not sign professionally at that time.

Lenn Haruki Sakata (born June 8 1954 in Honolulu, Hawaii), is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1977-1987 and was a member of the Baltimore Orioles 1983 World Series Championship team. After his playing career ended, Sakata coached in the minor league system, serving a stint as manager of the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies in 2002.

Bryan LaHair (born November 5, 1982 in Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American baseball player, currently on the extended roster for the Seattle Mariners in Major League Baseball. He began as an outfielder but is now a designated hitter and first baseman. He bats left handed and throws right handed. He was selected by the Mariners in the 39th round of the 2002 draft out of Saint Petersburg College. LaHair spent the 2005 season with the Inland Empire 66ers, …

Matthew Bryan "Matt" Chico is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. A graduate of Fallbrook Union High School, Chico attended Palomar College and was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2003 amateur draft. On August 7, 2006, he was acquired by the Nationals along with fellow minor league pitcher Garrett Mock in a trade for veteran right-handed pitcher Liván Hernández.

William Henry "Billy" Sadler IV (born September 21, 1981 in Pensacola, Florida, USA) is a right-handed relief pitcher in the San Francisco Giants organization of Major League Baseball. He is a 2000 graduate of Pensacola (Florida) Catholic High School and was named Florida Class 3A Player of the Year his senior year He attended Pensacola Junior College in 2001 and 2002 and transferred to Louisiana State University in 2003.

Terry Collins (born May 27, 1949) is a former manager of the Houston Astros, the Anaheim Angels, and the Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League. He was a shortstop in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations who never broke into the big leagues. In 1980, he retired from playing to manage the Dodgers' Class-A Lodi affiliate in the California League. In 1983, he managed the Albuquerque Dukes, the Dodgers' AAA affiliate, where in 1987, …

Darren Lawrence Clarke (born March 18, 1981 in San Diego, California) is a right-handed pitcher in the Colorado Rockies organization of Major League Baseball. After graduating from high school, the Rockies selected him in the 33rd round of the June 1999 amateur draft but he did not sign with them, opting instead to attend South Florida Community College (SFCC).

Edward Nelson Sprague, Sr. (born September 16, 1945 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four different teams between 1968 and 1976. Listed at 6' 4", 195 lb., he batted and threw right-handed. A hard-thrower, Sprague did not play at school level. He was scouted while pitching in the army in Germany and was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966. A year later he was sold to the Oakland Athletics.

Raul Casanova (Born: August 23, 1972 in Humacao, Puerto Rico) is a switch-hitting, righthanded throwing catcher who is currently a catcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is 6'0" tall and he weighs 230 pounds (one source puts him as low as 192). He attended Ponce High School in Puerto Rico. He was drafted 220th overall, in the eighth round of the 1990 draft by the New York Mets. His professional career started off that year, and it was not impressive-in 5 at-bats, …

Wilbur Donald "Don" Wakamatsu (b. February 22, 1963 in Hood River, Oregon) is a Major League Baseball third base coach for the Texas Rangers. Previously, Wakamatsu spent four years as the Rangers' bench coach. Prior to his tenure with the Rangers, Wakamatsu coached in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners organizations. He was the Manager of the Year in the California League in 1998.

Bill Weiss is a baseball historian and statistician. He has served as the official statistician for the Pacific Coast League, and edited a weekly newsletter for the California League for over thirty years. For over forty years, he created sketchbooks which eventually covered over 200 books about all of the players in several minor league and Major League organizations. Those sketches are the only records existent of many minor league organizations' and players' statistics.

Lon Simmons is an American baseball and football broadcaster, and is currently broadcasting part-time for the San Francisco Giants. His radio career began in Elko, Nevada, and he first announced baseball for a semipro league in Marysville, California. After a brief stint with the Fresno Sun Sox of the California League, Simmons came to San Francisco in 1957 as the play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League, …

Michael "Mike" Sarbaugh (born April 25, 1967) was a minor league baseball player, and is currently a minor league manager in the Cleveland Indians farm system. After attending Lamar University, where he was an all conference shortstop and earned a degree in kinesiology, Sarbaugh played six seasons in the minors before becoming a minor league coach. He played for the Helena Brewers in 1989, then in the Cleveland Indians' chain from 1990 to 1994, …

Raymond Roger Miller (born April 30, 1945 at Takoma Park, Maryland) is a former coach and manager in American Major League Baseball. A highly respected pitching coach, he had two short terms as a manager - with the Minnesota Twins (1985-86) and the Baltimore Orioles (1998-99) - compiling a record of 266-297 (.472). A righthanded pitcher, Miller signed his first professional contract with the Cleveland Indians in 1964.

John Wesley Callison was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1960 to 1969. He led the National League in triples twice and doubles once, and gained his greatest prominence in a 1964 season in which he was runnerup for the Most Valuable Player Award and was named MVP of the All-Star Game. He also led the NL in outfield assists four consecutive times and in double plays once, …

Harold Homer Chase (February 13, 1883 in Los Gatos, California - May 18, 1947 in Colusa, California), nicknamed "Prince Hal", was a first baseman in Major League Baseball, widely viewed as the best fielder at his position, who was banned from baseball for corruption. During his career, he played for the New York Highlanders (1905-1913), Chicago White Sox (1913-1914), Buffalo Blues (1914-1915), Cincinnati Reds (1916-1918), and New York Giants (1919).

Kerwin Joseph Danley (born May 25 1961 in Los Angeles, California) is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League (NL) from 1992 to 1999 and throughout both leagues since 2000. Danley has worked the American League Division Series four times (2000, 2001, 2004, and 2006). He also officiated in the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, California. Danley was a 1983 First-Team All-American baseball player at San Diego State University, …

Steve Webber is the current pitching coach for the Lake Elsinore Storm of the California League, a farm team of the San Diego Padres. Webber played college baseball at Southern Illinois University and participated in the 1969 College World Series. He was head coach at the University of Georgia from 1981 to 1996, leading the team to a national title in 1990.

Clint Brannon (born December 24, 1982) is an American professional baseball player. A lefthanded pitcher, Brannon spent three years pitching for the University of Arkansas, before being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 34th round of the 2004 amateur baseball draft. Brannon pitched for the Spokane Indians in the Northwest League in 2004, before moving up to Bakersfield in the California League for the 2005 season.

Edward Miguel "Mike" Garcia (November 17 1923 - January 13 1986) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball of Mexican-Indian descent who played most of his career for the Cleveland Indians. He was one of the Indians' "Big Four" pitching staff from 1949 to 1954, along with Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Bob Lemon and Early Wynn. During those six seasons Garcia compiled a record of 104 wins against 57 losses (.646), …

Lawrence Curtis Jackson (June 2 1931 - August 28 1990) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies from 1955 to 1968. In 1964 he led the National League with 24 wins for an eighth-place Cubs team, and was runnerup in the Cy Young Award voting; he also led the NL in innings pitched and shutouts once each.

Scott Ullger (born June 10, 1956 in New York, New York) is a former Major League Baseball player and current third base coach of the Minnesota Twins. Ullger is frequently referred to as "Scotty Ulger" by Twins faithfuls and by broadcasters Bert Blyleven and Dick Bremer. Ullger was drafted by the Twins in 1977 and called up in 1983 after a successful minor league career. This did not, however, translate to big league success as Ullger played only 35 games in the majors, …

Paul Lewis Emmel (born May 2 1968 in Midland, Michigan) is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League in 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He wears #50 on his uniform. Emmel has umpired the All-Star Game (2002) and three Division Series (2002, 2003, 2006). Prior to reaching the major leagues in 1999, he worked in the New York-Penn League (1992-1993), South Atlantic League (1994), California League (1995), …

Brent Miles is the president of the Tri-City Dust Devils, a short-season single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies of the Northwest League. He also is the vice-president of the High Desert Mavericks of the California League.

James Michael Wolf (born on July 24, 1969) is a Major League Baseball umpire. He Joined the Major League staff in 2004 after working in the Arizona Rookie League, the South Atlantic League, the California League, the Texas League and the Pacific Coast League. He wears uniform number 78. He resides in Ahwatukee, Arizona. He is the brother of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf which has caused players to accuse him of having a conflict of interest.

Duane Larson was a minor league baseball infielder, and is currently a major league scout and special assistant to the General Manager in the Atlanta Braves organization. Larson came to the Braves organization in 2003 from the Toronto Blue Jays, where he worked in scouting and player development for 26 years. Larson joined the Blue Jays organization in 1977, working as a minor league scout and manager of Utica in the New York-Penn League.

Truman Eugene "Tex" Clevenger (born July 9 1932, in Visalia, California) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher/spot starter who played for the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees from 1954-1962. He was 6'1" tall and 180 pounds, and threw and batted right handed. He attended Fresno State University. Before the 1953 season, Tex was signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox.

Paul Warren Schrieber (born June 30 1966 in Eugene, Oregon) is an umpire in Major League Baseball. His major league career began in 1998; he had previously umpired in the Northwest League (1990), California League (1991-92), Florida State League (1993), and the Southern League (1994-95). He worked the 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the 1999-2001 Division Series Schrieber's crew in 2006 includes Dana DeMuth(Crew Chief), Jim Joyce, and Doug Eddings.

Jack Paepke (born August 28, 1922 in Provo, Utah) was a minor league baseball pitcher and manager as well as a player-manager. He later was a major league baseball coach and scout. Paepke began his baseball career with Santa Barbara in the California League during the 1941 season. He had nine wins and five losses with a 3.44 ERA. This led to his promotion to the International League in 1942, where he played for Montreal. Before the season ended, Paepke joined the military, …

José (Nicolas) Vidal is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1958 season, and played for the Cleveland Indians (1966-1968) and Seattle Pilots (1969). Vidal was a very good minor league hitter, but a poor fielder. He led his league three times in errors by an outfielder (1959, 1965, and 1966). Playing for the Hobbs Pirates of the Sophomore League in 1960, …

Matt Chico is a left-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals . After attending Fallbrook Union High School, the Boston Red Sox selected Chico in the 2nd round of the 2001 amateur draft. He declined a contract however, and went on to play baseball at Palomar College. Following his collegiate career, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 3rd round of the 2003 draft. After being traded by the Diamondbacks, Chico made his MLB debut with the Nationals on April 4, 2007 .

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Stockton Ports catcher Kurt Suzuki . It's appropriate to touch base with 2004 draft pick Suzuki as the 2005 draft approaches. Suzuki impressed many during Spring Training and has quickly risen in the ranks of catchers in the A's system. He more than held his own against big league competition and is doing well in high A ball. Suzuki is third in batting average on the Ports, has a .