Tulane In The Majors
May 3, 2006 | Baseball
Gerald Alexander
RHP - Tulane, 1987-89
Texas Rangers, 1990-92
A 21st-round draft choice by Texas in 1989, Gerald Alexander made the majors in just his second professional season. After appearing in three games without a decision in 1990, Alexander played a full season with the Rangers in 1991 when he posted a 5-3 record with 50 strikeouts and limiting opponents to a .231 batting average. He ranked sixth on the squad with 89.1 innings pitched, and started nine of his 30 appearances. An injury derailed his 1992 campaign, and the Rangers traded him to Cleveland. Alexander would hang around the minors for a while, but would never return to the big leagues.
Year Team League ERA W L Sv GP IP H R ER BB K OBA1990 Texas AL 7.71 0 0 0 3 7.0 14 6 6 5 8 .3581991 Texas AL 5.24 5 3 0 30 89.1 93 56 52 48 50 .2311992 Texas AL 27.00 1 0 0 3 1.2 5 5 5 1 1 .4173-Year MLB Totals 5.79 6 3 0 36 98.0 112 67 63 54 59 .247
Bobby Brown
INF - Tulane, 1945
New York Yankees, 1946-52, 1954
American League President, 1983-91
Known as "The Tulane Tornado" and "Beltin' Bobby", Bobby Brown went on to have a successful career both as a player with the New York Yankees and as an administrator, serving as the American League President from 1983-91. Brown attended the Tulane School of Medicine in the winter while playing baseball with the Yankees during the spring from 1946-54. On the field, he was a feared hitter who always came up big in big games. A career .279 hitter with 22 home runs and 237 RBI, Brown tallied a .439 batting average in 17 World Series games. Brown hung up his spikes following the 1954 season and began a successful medical practice until his return to baseball as the AL president in 1983. As president of the junior circuit, Brown served as a member of the Players Relations Committee and on several managing committees in the baseball structure until his retirement in 1991.
Year Team League Avg. GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB1946 NY AL .333 7 24 1 8 1 0 0 1 01947 NY AL .300 69 150 21 45 6 1 1 18 01948 NY AL .300 113 363 62 109 19 5 3 48 01949 NY AL .283 104 343 61 97 14 4 6 61 41950 NY AL .267 95 277 44 84 15 2 6 51 31951 NY AL .268 103 313 44 84 15 2 6 51 11952 NY AL .247 29 89 6 22 2 0 1 14 11954 NY AL .217 28 60 5 13 1 0 1 7 08-Year MLB Totals .279 548 1619 233 452 62 14 22 237 9
Andy Cannizaro
SS - Tulane, 1998-2001
New York Yankees, 2006
Drafted in the 12th round by the New York Yankees in 2001, Andy Cannizaro became the second Tulane player in as many years to make his pro debut when he was called up late during the 2006 season. Cannizaro made his Yankee debut as a defensive replacement on Sept. 5 vs. Kansas City and got a hit in his first big-league at-bat on Sept. 8 against the Orioles. Cannizaro had his best day as a Yankee on Sept. 25 when he hit a home run and scored three runs against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He spent the majority of the 2006 season as a member of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.
Year Team League Avg. GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB2006 NY AL .250 13 8 5 2 0 0 1 1 0
Jack Cressend
RHP - Tulane, 1994-96
Minnesota Twins, 2000-02
Cleveland Indians, 2003-04
Jack Cressend played five seasons in the Major Leagues for two different teams. Originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Boston Red Sox in 1996, he was signed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins in 1999. After one season in their farm system, Cressend made his MLB debut on Aug. 26, 2000 vs. the Detroit Tigers. In his second season, Cressend posted a 3-2 mark with a career-high 40 strikeouts in 56.1 innings of work. An arm injury derailed his 2002 season, and the Slidell, La., native has bounced up and down from the farms in each of the past two years.
Year Team League ERA W L Sv GP IP H R ER BB K OBA2000 Minn. AL 5.27 0 0 0 11 13.2 20 8 8 6 6 .3642001 Minn. AL 3.67 3 2 0 44 56.1 50 24 23 16 40 .2372002 Minn. AL 7.11 0 0 0 3 6.1 10 7 5 1 8 .3572003 Cle. AL 2.51 2 1 0 33 43.0 40 12 12 9 28 .2292004 Cle. AL 6.32 0 1 0 11 15.2 22 11 11 10 8 .4165-Year MLB Totals 4.20 5 5 0 122 160.2 172 80 75 60 104 .342
Jim Gaudet
C - Tulane, 1974-76
Kansas City Royals, 1978-79
A career minor-leaguer, Jim Gaudet got a pair of call-ups during his professional career. A sixth-round pick of Kansas City in the 1976 draft, Gaudet played in six major league games with the Royals - three in 1978 and another three in 1979. His MLB debut came on Sept. 10, 1978. In 14 career at-bats, Gaudet tallied just one base hit but proved to be a solid backstop with 27 putouts and one assist.
Year Team League Avg. GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB1978 KC AL .000 3 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 01979 KC AL .167 3 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 02-Year MLB Totals .071 6 14 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Tony Giarratano
SS - Tulane, 2001-03
Detroit Tigers, 2005
A third-round pick of Detroit in 2003, Tony Giarratano got his first taste of Major League Baseball with a midseason call-up in 2005. Giarratano made his big-league debut on June 1 and made an immediate impression by going 2-for-3, driving in the tying run and scoring the winning run. Defensively, he posted 16 putouts and 40 assists while helping the Tigers turn five double plays. Giarratano spent most of the 2006 season with the Double-A Erie Sea Wolves, but was called up to the parent organization for the latter half of the season and placed on the injured reserve list.
Year Team League Avg. GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB2005 Det. AL .000 15 42 4 6 0 0 1 4 1
Gene Harris
RHP - Tulane, 1986
Montreal Expos, 1989 Seattle Mariners, 1989-92
San Diego Padres, 1992-94 Detroit Tigers, 1994
Philadelphia Phillies, 1995 Baltimore Orioles, 1995
Drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1986, Gene Harris played seven seasons as a relief pitcher in the major leagues with six different teams. He made his major-league debut with the Expos in 1989 and was traded later that season to Seattle. Harris spent three seasons with the Mariners before being traded to the San Diego Padres during the 1992 season. With the Padres, Harris would post career-highs in 1993 with six wins and 23 saves in a career-best 59.1 innings of work. In 1994, Harris again packed his bags, this time for Detroit. After spending the '94 season with the Tigers, Harris completed his career in 1995 with stops in Philadelphia and Baltimore.
Year Team League ERA W L Sv GP IP H R ER BB K OBA1989 Mont. NL 4.95 1 1 0 11 20.0 16 11 11 10 11 .2421989 Seat. AL 6.48 1 4 1 10 33.1 47 27 24 15 14 .3531990 Seat. AL 4.74 1 2 0 25 38.0 31 25 20 30 43 .2171991 Seat. AL 4.05 0 0 1 8 13.1 15 8 6 10 6 .2731992 Seat. AL 7.00 0 0 0 8 9.0 8 7 7 6 6 .2351992 SD NL 2.95 0 2 0 14 21.1 15 8 7 9 19 .1951993 SD NL 3.03 6 6 23 59 59.1 57 27 20 37 39 .2561994 SD NL 8.03 1 1 0 13 12.1 21 11 11 8 9 .3891994 Det. AL 7.15 0 0 1 11 11.1 13 10 9 4 10 .2711995 Phil. NL 4.26 2 2 0 21 19.0 19 9 9 8 9 .2601995 Bal. AL 4.50 0 0 0 3 4.0 4 2 2 1 4 .2677-Year MLB Totals 4.71 12 18 26 183 241.0 246 145 126 138 170 .267
Carl Lind
INF - Tulane, 1923-25
Cleveland Indians, 1927-30
The first Green Wave player to ever reach the major leagues, Carl Lind played his entire career with the Cleveland organization. He debuted with the MLB club in September 1927, and with Hall of Famer Joe Sewell entrenched at short, Lind won the second base job for the 1928 season. He played in every game that year, cranking out 191 hits (6th in the American League), 42 doubles (5th) and led the Indians with 102 runs scored. In the field, he was nothing short of brilliant in leading all AL second basemen with 390 putouts, 116 double plays and 6.1 chances per game. A postseason illness put an end to the glory and cut short Lind's career. He would play another two years with Cleveland, but was never a regular again.
Year Team League Avg. GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB1927 Cle. AL .135 12 37 2 5 0 0 0 1 11928 Cle. AL .294 154 650 102 191 42 4 1 54 81929 Cle. AL .240 66 225 19 54 8 1 0 13 01930 Cle. AL .246 24 69 8 17 3 0 0 6 04-Year MLB Totals .272 256 981 131 267 53 5 1 74 9
Kevin Mmahat
LHP - Tulane, 1984-86
New York Yankees, 1989
A 31st-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 1987, Kevin Mmahat played one year in the majors with the New York Yankees. He was acquired by the Bronx Bombers on June 20, 1988, and made his big-league debut on Sept. 9, 1989. Mmahat split the 1989 season between Albany (5-1, 1.58 ERA, 48 K, 51.0 IP) and Columbus (3-4, 3.84 ERA) before earning a late-season call-up with the Yankees where he would appear in four games, including two starts, post an 0-2 record and strike out three in 7.2 innings of work.
Year Team League ERA W L Sv GP IP H R ER BB K OBA1989 NY AL 12.91 0 2 0 4 7.2 13 12 11 8 3 .295
Eddie Morgan
INF - Tulane, 1923-26
Cleveland Indians, 1928-33
Boston Red Sox, 1934
One of the most successful major league hitters to ever come out of Tulane, Eddie Morgan enjoyed a seven-year career in the big leagues where he played with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. Morgan joined the Indians in 1928 where he would hit over .300 for the next four years. Playing out of position as an outfielder his first two big-league seasons, Morgan became the regular first baseman in 1930 and finished fifth in the American League with a .601 slugging percentage while leading the team with 122 runs, 26 home runs and 136 RBI. The following season, Morgan hit a career-high .351 to lead the Indians. After playing in just 39 games for Cleveland in 1933, Morgan went to Boston in 1934 before retiring at the end of the season.
Year Team League Avg. GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB1928 Cle. AL .313 76 265 42 83 24 6 4 54 51929 Cle. AL .318 93 318 60 101 19 10 3 37 41930 Cle. AL .349 150 584 122 204 47 11 26 136 81931 Cle. AL .351 131 462 87 162 33 4 11 86 41932 Cle. AL .293 144 532 96 156 32 7 4 68 71933 Cle. AL .264 39 131 10 32 3 3 1 13 11934 Bos. AL .267 138 528 95 141 28 4 3 79 77-Year MLB Totals .313 771 2810 512 879 186 45 52 473 36
Steve Mura
RHP - Tulane, 1974-76
San Diego Pardres, 1978-81 St. Louis Cardinals, 1982
Chicago White Sox, 1983 Oakland Athletics, 1985
The first Tulane pitcher to make it to the major leagues, Steve Mura had a solid seven seasons in the major leagues where he finished with a career 4.00 ERA. Drafted by San Diego in the second round of the 1976 draft, Mura joined the Padres for five games in 1978. He served as a set-up man for the Padres in 1979, and became a regular in the rotation the next two seasons when he started a combined 45 games. Mura joined the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1982 season and posted career highs with 12 wins in 184.1 innings. Mura played in six games with the Chicago White Sox in 1983, was out of the majors in 1984, but came back for one more solid season in 1985 when he appeared in 23 games with 10 starts for the Oakland Athletics.
Year Team League ERA W L Sv GP IP H R ER BB K OBA1978 SD NL 11.74 0 2 0 5 7.2 15 10 10 5 5 .4411979 SD NL 3.08 4 4 2 38 73.0 57 30 25 37 59 .2171980 SD NL 3.68 8 7 2 37 168.2 149 74 69 86 109 .2461981 SD NL 4.28 5 14 0 23 138.2 156 72 66 50 70 .2851982 St.L NL 4.05 12 11 0 35 184.1 196 89 83 80 84 .2781983 Chic. AL 4.38 0 0 0 6 12.1 13 11 6 6 4 .2601985 Oak. AL 4.13 1 1 1 23 48.0 41 25 22 25 29 .2257-Year MLB Totals 4.00 30 39 5 167 632.2 627 311 281 289 360 .263
Mike Romano
RHP - Tulane, 1991-93
Toronto Blue Jays, 1999
Tulane's all-time strikeouts and innings pitched leader, Mike Romano joined the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 1993 and made his MLB debut on Sept. 5, 1999. That year, he would appear in three games and tally three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Following his brief stint in Toronto, Romano went on to star in the Mexican League where he was ranked among the leaders in wins, strikeouts and innings from 2000-2002. From there, he was signed by the Atlanta Braves organization, and spent the next two years with the Triple-A Richmond Braves. In 2005, Romano moved to Japan where he played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Year Team League ERA W L Sv GP IP H R ER BB K OBA1999 Tor. AL 11.81 0 0 0 3 5.1 8 8 7 5 3 .286
Frank Wills
RHP - Tulane, 1978-80
Kansas City Royals, 1983-84 Seattle Mariners, 1985
Cleveland Indians, 1987 Toronto Blue Jays, 1988-90
The first Tulane player selected in the first round of the draft, Frank Wills had the longest major league career of any Green Wave player to date with nine seasons at the big-league level. Selected 16th overall by Kansas City in the 1980 draft, Wills played two seasons with the Royals before going to Seattle for the 1985 season. In his lone year as a full-time starter, Wills started 18 of the 24 games he appeared in, tallying five wins and a save in a career-best 123.0 innings of work. Wills spent the 1984 and 1985 seasons with Cleveland before ending his career with a three-year stint with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Year Team League ERA W L Sv GP IP H R ER BB K OBA1983 KC AL 4.15 2 1 0 6 34.2 35 17 16 15 23 .2591984 KC AL 5.11 2 3 0 10 37.0 39 21 21 13 21 .2711985 Seat. AL 6.00 5 11 1 24 123.0 122 85 82 68 67 .2661986 Clev. AL 4.91 4 4 4 26 40.1 43 23 22 16 32 .2721987 Clev. AL 5.06 0 1 1 6 5.1 3 3 3 7 4 .1761988 Tor. AL 5.23 0 0 0 10 20.2 22 12 12 6 19 .2721989 Tor. AL 4.73 6 4 0 44 99.0 101 54 52 38 72 .2661990 Tor. AL 16.62 0 1 0 4 4.1 8 8 8 5 2 .4218-Year MLB Totals 5.06 22 26 6 154 435.2 438 254 245 198 281 .264
