St. Lucie Legends
Encyclopedia
The St. Lucie Legends was a U.S. baseball team and one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association
in 1989.
In the league's inaugural season, the team struggled and did not make the playoffs. The club's offense was led by Juan Beniquez
's .359 batting average and George Foster's 11 home runs.
After their first season, the St. Lucie Legends ceased operations.
Home Ballpark: St. Lucie County Sports Complex
Player/Managers: Graig Nettles
(also with Bradenton), Bobby Bonds
Coaches: Keith Bodie
, Nick Testa
1989 Opening Day Roster:
PITCHERS: Vida Blue
(also with Orlando), Don Cooper
, John D'Acquisto
, Ed Glynn
, Ross Grimsley
, Joe Horlen
, Jerry Johnson
, Tom Murphy
, Randy Niemann
, Ed Ricks, Roy Thomas
, Bill Travers
CATCHERS: Jerry Grote
, Clint Hurdle
INFIELDERS: Larry Milbourne
(also with Orlando, Gold Coast), Félix Millán
, Graig Nettles
(also with Bradenton), Steve Ontiveros, Fred Stanley
OUTFIELDERS: Juan Beníquez
, Bobby Bonds
, George Foster, Oscar Gamble
, Jim Nettles
(also with Bradenton), Walt Williams
Other Players: Willie Aikens
(also with Bradenton), Chuck Ficks, Don Gullett, Dave Hilton, Al Holland
(also with St. Petersburg), Joel Horlen, Von Joshua
, Bill Madlock
(also with Orlando), Jerry Manuel
, Ivan Murrell
, Floyd Rayford
, Luis Tiant
(also with Gold Coast), Jackson Todd
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
in 1989.
In the league's inaugural season, the team struggled and did not make the playoffs. The club's offense was led by Juan Beniquez
Juan Beníquez
Juan José Beníquez Torres is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Texas Rangers , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays...
's .359 batting average and George Foster's 11 home runs.
After their first season, the St. Lucie Legends ceased operations.
Home Ballpark: St. Lucie County Sports Complex
Player/Managers: Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
(also with Bradenton), Bobby Bonds
Bobby Bonds
Bobby Lee Bonds was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball from to , primarily with the San Francisco Giants...
Coaches: Keith Bodie
Keith Bodie
Keith Bodie is a former minor league baseball player and manager, and current minor league coach.-Playing career:...
, Nick Testa
Nick Testa
Nicholas Testa is a former professional baseball catcher and coach. He played briefly in both Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball....
1989 Opening Day Roster:
PITCHERS: Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
(also with Orlando), Don Cooper
Don Cooper
Donald James Cooper is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball and the current pitching coach of the Chicago White Sox.-Early life:...
, John D'Acquisto
John D'Acquisto
John Francis D'Acquisto , is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched for six teams in his ten year career that spanned from to ....
, Ed Glynn
Ed Glynn
Edward Paul Glynn , is a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1975-1985. He played for the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, and Montreal Expos. When Glynn was a student at Frances Lewis High he sold hot dogs at Shea Stadium...
, Ross Grimsley
Ross Grimsley
Ross Albert Grimsley II is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Baltimore Orioles , Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians...
, Joe Horlen
Joe Horlen
Joel Edward Horlen is a right-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. Horlen pitched for the Chicago White Sox from to , and the Oakland Athletics in ....
, Jerry Johnson
Jerry Johnson (baseball)
Jerry Michael Johnson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from through . He batted and threw right-handed.-Third baseman:Johnson was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent third baseman in...
, Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy (baseball)
Thomas Andrew Murphy is a former professional baseball pitcher who played twelve seasons for the California Angels, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.He was one of only two American League pitchers to get a...
, Randy Niemann
Randy Niemann
Randal Harold Niemann was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1979 to 1987 for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets and Minnesota Twins. Niemann was a southpaw pitcher who worked mostly in relief.-External links:...
, Ed Ricks, Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas (baseball pitcher)
Roy Justin Thomas is a retired baseball player. He was a relief pitcher for the Houston Astros , St. Louis Cardinals and the Seattle Mariners ....
, Bill Travers
CATCHERS: Jerry Grote
Jerry Grote
Gerald Wayne Grote is a former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets and was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.-Early life:...
, Clint Hurdle
Clint Hurdle
Clinton Merrick Hurdle is a former Major League Baseball outfielder whose 10-year career was spent with the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals. After retiring from playing baseball, Hurdle became a manager...
INFIELDERS: Larry Milbourne
Larry Milbourne
Lawrence William "Larry" Milbourne is a retired professional baseball player whose career spanned 15 seasons, 11 of which were spent in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros , the Seattle Mariners , the New York Yankees , the Minnesota Twins , the Cleveland Indians , and...
(also with Orlando, Gold Coast), Félix Millán
Félix Millán
Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...
, Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
(also with Bradenton), Steve Ontiveros, Fred Stanley
OUTFIELDERS: Juan Beníquez
Juan Beníquez
Juan José Beníquez Torres is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Texas Rangers , New York Yankees , Seattle Mariners , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles , Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays...
, Bobby Bonds
Bobby Bonds
Bobby Lee Bonds was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball from to , primarily with the San Francisco Giants...
, George Foster, Oscar Gamble
Oscar Gamble
Oscar Charles Gamble is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. He played for 17 seasons, from 1969 to 1985, on seven different teams: the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees on two separate occasions, as well as the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland...
, Jim Nettles
Jim Nettles
James William Nettles is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, between 1970 and 1981, for the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics. In 1975, he played for the Nankai Hawks in Japan, and in 1976 he played...
(also with Bradenton), Walt Williams
Walt Williams (baseball)
Walter Allen Williams is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Houston Colt .45s , Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , and the New York Yankees .-Early life:Williams was nicknamed No-Neck due to his relatively short stature...
Other Players: Willie Aikens
Willie Aikens
Willie Mays Aikens is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He had established himself as one of the top sluggers in the game before drugs derailed his career. In , Aikens was sentenced to twenty years in prison on four counts of crack cocaine distribution and one count of use of a firearm...
(also with Bradenton), Chuck Ficks, Don Gullett, Dave Hilton, Al Holland
Al Holland
Alfred Willis Holland is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who mostly pitched in the Major Leagues from to ....
(also with St. Petersburg), Joel Horlen, Von Joshua
Von Joshua
Von Everett Joshua was an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers , San Francisco Giants , Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres ....
, Bill Madlock
Bill Madlock
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1973 to 1987, Madlock was a right-handed hitter who won several National League batting titles. His record of four batting titles as a third baseman would be eclipsed in 1988 by Wade Boggs. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has...
(also with Orlando), Jerry Manuel
Jerry Manuel
Jerry Manuel , nicknamed "The Sage" is a former major league manager. He previously managed the Chicago White Sox from 1998 to 2003 and the New York Mets from the middle of 2008 to 2010 and played in the majors for parts of five seasons in the 1970s and early 1980s.-Playing career:Manuel played...
, Ivan Murrell
Ivan Murrell
Ivan Augustus Murrell Peters was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Houston Colt .45's & Astros , San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves . A native of Almirante, Panama, Murrell batted and threw right-handed...
, Floyd Rayford
Floyd Rayford
Floyd Kinnard Rayford is a retired professional baseball player who played for seven seasons in the Major leagues. He primarily played third base and catcher during his career. He served as batting coach for two seasons with the Rochester Red Wings of the International League until his firing on...
, Luis Tiant
Luis Tiant
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega , born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, , is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels...
(also with Gold Coast), Jackson Todd
Jackson Todd
Jackson A. Todd is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays from 1977 to 1981. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 11th round of the 1970 amateur draft out of high school, but did not sign with the team...