The 1991 Score baseball card #686 features left-handed pitcher John Habyan of the Cincinnati Reds. Issued as part of Score’s flagship baseball card set in 1991, card #686 provides a glimpse into Habyan’s career as a journeyman pitcher who briefly reached the major leagues in 1990 with the Reds.
Born in 1963 in Yakima, Washington, John Habyan was drafted by the Reds in the 9th round of the 1984 MLB Draft out of Yakima Valley Community College. He made his professional debut that season pitching for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League, going 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 games. Over the next several years, Habyan progressed steadily through Cincinnati’s minor league system, pitching for clubs such as the Tampa Reds, Cedar Rapids Reds, and Vermont Reds.
In 1988 with the AA Vermont Reds, Habyan finally began to establish himself as a reliable starter after several years in relief. That season, he led the Eastern League with 14 wins while posting a 3.54 ERA over 27 starts. His success earned him a promotion to AAA Nashville for the 1989 season. With Nashville, Habyan continued his ascension, winning 9 games and lowering his ERA to 3.33 over 26 games started. It appeared he was knocking on the door of a major league opportunity.
That opportunity came in 1990 when Habyan was called up by the Reds in August. He made his MLB debut on August 5th versus the Atlanta Braves, entering the game in relief and tossing 2 scoreless innings.Over the next month, Habyan appeared in 8 games out of Cincinnati’s bullpen, pitching to a respectable 3.38 ERA. While he didn’t rack up many strikeouts, the soft-tossing lefty showed he could get outs at the highest level with his excellent control and changeup.
Going into spring training in 1991, it seemed Habyan had a chance to crack Cincinnati’s starting rotation. He struggled in exhibitions, posting an unsightly 7.11 ERA over 12 innings. As a result, the Reds decided to send Habyan back to the minors to begin the 1991 season. He was assigned to their AAA Nashville club for another season of development.
It was during this time in 1991 spring training that Habyan’s baseball card #686 from Score was produced and distributed among that year’s set. The card features a headshot photo of Habyan in a Reds cap, with statistics from his brief 1990 MLB season printed on the back. It chronicled how he made the initial jump to the show but still had more to prove before securing an everyday role.
After being demoted from Reds camp in 1991, Habyan got off to a strong start at Nashville. In his first 8 starts spanning May and early June, he won 6 games while maintaining an ERA under 3.00. His dominance led to another promotion back up to Cincinnati on June 17th to bolster their injury-depleted starting rotation.
Over the next two months, Habyan made 8 starts for the Reds and experienced mixed results. He put together a couple quality outings, such as allowing just 1 earned run over 6 innings against the Cubs on June 27th. Consistent success eluded him as he also got lit up for 7 runs in an inning by the Dodgers on July 5th. By the end of July, with an underwhelming 4.97 ERA and Cincinnati acquiring other starting pitchers, Habyan’s second stint in the big leagues came to an end.
He spent the remainder of the 1991 season back in the minor leagues. Between AAA stints with Nashville and Colorado Springs, Habyan posted an uninspiring 5-7 record and 4.84 ERA. It was clear that while he showed flashes, Habyan simply didn’t have the consistent stuff or command required to stick in a major league rotation on a contending team.
Over the next couple seasons, Habyan bounced between AAA and AA, receiving only occasional call-ups to the majors to serve as pitching depth. In 1992, he made 4 relief appearances for Cincinnati before being released that September. Habyan also got brief cups of coffee with the 1993 Tigers and 1994 Giants, never appearing in more than 3 games. By 1995 at age 32, he was pitching independent ball, effectively ending his pro baseball career.
In the end, John Habyan spent parts of 4 seasons in the major leagues between 1990-1994, mostly as a reliever. Across 47 total games and 67 innings, he compiled a mediocre 5.40 ERA while displaying hittable stuff without overpowering velocity. Though he reached the top level of professional baseball, Habyan ultimately profiles as one of the many pitchers who battled inconsistency problems that prevented sustained MLB success.
While Habyan may be a mostly forgotten player today, his 1991 Score baseball card #686 stands as a representation of the moments he spent rubbing shoulders in the bigs. For fans who owned or viewed the card during its release year, it served as a notification that this soft-tossing lefty from the Pacific Northwest was giving the Reds innings, even if transitory. Nearly 30 years later, card #686 continues to tell John Habyan’s narrative as a journeyman who took the long road to Major League Baseball.
