From the Field: Eddie Taubensee, c, Cleveland Guardians
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I am from Cleveland. I grew up watching those 90’s Cleveland baseball teams dominate the American League Central. Ed Taubensee played a big role in that success, though not quite how you might think. So it was thrilling to see that he is a coach with the University of North Greenville and visiting the islands this week.
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In late-1991 Cleveland had their eye on a light-hitting but toolsy outfielder named Kenny Lofton. When Cleveland reached out to talk trade, the Astros said they were in the market for a left-handed hitting catcher. And, as luck would have it, Cleveland had just that in a well-regarded prospect named Eddie Taubensee.
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While the trade is a no-brainer in hindsight, at the time it was not. The Cleveland front office thought highly of Taubensee. But Taubensee was blocked by Sandy Alomar Jr on the depth-chart. Eventually, Cleveland pulled the trigger, tossing in pitching prospect Willie Blair to sweeten the deal.
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Taubensee would go on to have a solid career. In his prime from 1994-1999 he was a bat-first catcher with a .814 OPS and 109 OPS+. He probably should have made an All-Start team during that period, but he was playing in the same era as Mike Piazza, Iván Rodríguez, and Javy López, and that is a tough group for anyone to crack.