Thursday, January 17, 2013

#44-Roger Salkeld




Here is the first of the "#1 Draft Pick" cards and the first one is Roger Salkeld of the Seattle Mariners. Taken with the number 3 pick in the 1st round of the 1989 draft after the Orioles had picked Ben McDonald and the Braves Tyler Houston. Picked out of Saugus High school in California he was asked what he thought about joining the Mariners' organization he replied "All I know about the Mariners is Ken Griffey. He's awesome." Joining Bellingham in the Northwest League he compiled a 2-2 with a 1.29 ERA. The Cal League next season saw him go 11-5 with 3.40. In 91 he started the year at Jacksonville in the Southern League and Salkeld finished at Calgary in the Pacific Coast League. Promotion to Seattle beckoned the next until a injury knocked Salkeld out for 92. 
Called up in September of 1993 Salkeld pitched in 3 games and started 2 of them but had no record. Back to the minors in 94 he pitched for Seattle in 13 games and had a terrible 2-5 with a mammoth 7.17 ERA, and a WHIP over 2. When longtime Mariners announcer Dave Niehaus received the Ford C. Frick Award during the 2008 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony he recalled, in an interview, that in 1994 Rich 'Goose' Gossage "was closing his career with the Mariners. We had a real cocky first-round draft choice named Roger Salkeld. He was down in the bullpen, and he was always chirping, always spouting off about how great he was. Gossage went up to him and said, 'Son, how many Cy Young Awards have you won, anyway?' That stopped that. It showed Goose's demeanor, how tough he was."
In the early part of 1995 he was traded to the Reds for pitcher Tim Belcher. Pitching well at AAA Indianapolis Salkeld was rewarded with a promotion to Cincinnati in 1996 where he went 8-5 with another big 5.20 ERA. After 96 he was back in the minors bouncing from the minor league affiliates of the Astros, Marlins and Indians before calling it a career after the 2000 season. 

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