Mike Soper (minors01)

Michael Daniel Soper

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 170 lb.
• School University of Alabama
• High School Miami Palmetto High School

• Born May 23, 1965 in Miami, FL USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Infielder Mike Soper played in the minor league from 1983 to 1988. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 3rd round of the 1983 amateur draft out of the University of Alabama where he was part of the team that was runner-up in the 1983 College World Series. He started his pro career that same year by batting .276 in 53 games for the GCL White Sox, In 1984, he moved up to the Appleton Foxes of the Midwest League where he hit .237 in 128 games as the regular shortstop. In 1985, he established himself as a top major league prospect by hitting .296 in 132 games in AA with the Glens Falls White Sox of the Eastern League. He did not have much power (16 doubles and 4 homers) but Glens Falls was a tough place to hit and his fielding was excellent. His main problem was that that same year, Ozzie Guillen was named the Rookie of the Year, blocking his path to the big leagues.

On December 12, 1985, he was included in a major trade with the New York Yankees that included a number of well-known names as the yanks sent P Joe Cowley and C Ron Hassey to Chicago in return for P Britt Burns, an 18-game winner the previous season, and a couple of prospects, Soper and Glen Braxton. That trade is now remembered because Burns never did pitch for the Yankees, his career ended by a degenerative hip problem, with owner George Steinbrenner ranting and raving that he had been sent damaged goods. To even things up to some degree, the two teams arranged another deal on February 13th in which the Yankees reacquired Hassey and returned Braxton to the White Sox, with P Neil Allen and C Scott Bradley also heading to Chicago, and three other youngsters going to New York.

For his part, Soper stayed put, but he was tainted by his association with the Burns deal. While he did reach AAA in 1986, it was a very disappointing season overall, as he hit just .196 in 55 games for the Columbus Clippers, was demoted back to AA and the Albany-Colonie Yankees, but hardly hit any better, finishing at .214 in 41 games. After the season, as the Yankees continued to work to erase all traces of the previous year's trade, he was sent back to Chicago along with P Scott Nielsen in return for P Pete Filson and IF Randy Velarde. He was inactive in 1987, but kept moving back and forth between Chicago and New York: on August 26th, he was sent back to New York in a third major league trade, alongside IF Jerry Royster in return for P Ken Patterson and a player to be named later (Jeff Pries). Then in December of that yearhe was taken by the New York Mets in the minor league portion of the 1987 Rule V Draft. In 1988, he played 11 games and hit .211 back in the Florida State League with the St. Lucie Mets. That marked the end of his playing career.