Conroy was Oakland’s first pick in the 1978 June draft; Charley Finley brought the 18-year-old right to the majors, where he proved embarrassingly wild. Four years in Double-A and Class-A followed. He fought to control his 95-mph fastball and sharp-breaking curve, and returned to Oakland to go 7-10 in 1983. Back in the Pacific Coast League in 1985, he threw a seven-inning, 1-0 no-hitter against Tucson on May 14. He went to the Cardinals in the trade for Joaquin Andujar that December, but his flashes of brilliance were tempered by shoulder problems.
