Tony Eusebio

Raul Antonio Bare Eusebio (born April 27, 1967) is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Houston Astros.

Tony Eusebio signed with the Astros on May 30, 1985 as an undrafted free agent.

He started his professional career at age 18 with the Gulf Coast League Astros that same year, although he only played in one game and had one at bat.

In 1986, Eusebio played in the Dominican Summer League.

Eusebio rejoined the Rookie League team in 1987 and steadily rose through the Astros' minor league ranks.

In 1988, he played for the High-A Osceola Astros and stole a career high 20 bases.

Eusebio also appeared on the 40-man winter roster in 1988, and joined the Astros' big-league camp during spring training in 1989.

After spring training, he started the year at the AA Columbus Mudcats before being sent back down to the Osceola Astros after hitting .187.

In 1990, Eusebio again played for the Columbus Mudcats.

He led all Southern League catchers with a .994 fielding percentage before suffering a broken thumb on August 4, 1990.

Eusebio also appeared in the Southern League All-Star Game in 1990.

At the start of the 1991 season, he played for the AA Jackson Generals.

On August 4, 1991 Eusebio was called up from the Jackson Generals when Astros catcher Scott Servais was placed on the 15-day disabled list after sustaining a broken bone in his right hand.

Five days later, Eusebio would make his Major League debut, starting a game on August 8, 1991 against the San Diego Padres.

Eusebio would go on to appear in 10 games for the Astros, hitting .105 in 19 at-bats.

Eusebio spent the 1992 season at the AA Jackson Generals, appearing in 94 games and hitting .307 which ranked third in the league.

He was also named to the league's post season All-Star team.

In 1993, he played at the AAA Tucson Toros, appearing in 78 games and hitting .324.

While at Tucson, Eusebio compiled a 24-game hitting streak before being placed on the disabled list.

After hitting .625 during spring training in 1994, Eusebio made the Major League squad.

During the strike shortened season Eusebio hit .296 with 30 RBIs in just 55 games.

His play was such that he won the starting catcher's job over previous starter Scott Servais, and garnered consideration in the National League Rookie of the Year race.

In 1995, Eusebio appeared in a career high 113 games for the Astros hitting an all-time best .299 and posting over 100 hits for the only time in his career.

For much of the year Eusebio led the Astros in batting average, although his production tailed off in September.

He would go on to set a Tucson Toros record by extending this hitting streak to 30 games during a rehab stint in 1996.

Entering the 1996 season, newly acquired catcher Rick Wilkins was expected to get most of the work behind the plate with Eusebio reserved to facing left-handed opposing pitchers.

Compounding his diminished role, Eusebio suffered a left-wrist sprain in spring training and later spent over a month on the disabled-list due to a cyst that was surgically removed from this the same wrist.

Less than a week after returning to the lineup, Eusebio suffered a broken bone in his left hand and missed another month and a half.

Because of his multiple injuries, Eusebio appeared in only 58 games hitting .270.

Before the 1997 season, the Astros traded for catcher Brad Ausmus.

After manager Larry Dierker made known his intentions to have Ausmus start a vast majority of games, Eusebio requested to be traded from the team.

Dierker would later agree to give Eusebio more playing time, although the manager made it clear he wished Eusebio would improve his defensive skills.

However, as the season wore on, Eusebio would gradually see less playing time due to a nagging knee injury.

His playing time would later be reduced to only catching when Darryl Kile pitched, and the injury would force him to have arthroscopic surgery during the offseason.

The 1998 season began with Eusebio in the same backup catcher role he occupied in 1997.

In 2000, Eusebio set a Houston Astros franchise record for consecutive games with a hit with 24, although the mark has since been surpassed by Jeff Kent and Willy Taveras.

Because Eusebio was a catcher and did not play in every game, his 24-game hitting streak came over a span of 51 days in which time the Astros played 45 games.

This was the longest time ever for a 24-game single season streak.

The streak tied for longest in the National League in 2000.

During and after his streak, Eusebio was often referred to affectionately as "The Astro Clipper" in a sort of mock homage to Joe DiMaggio, "The Yankee Clipper" and holder of the MLB record hit streak.