| Jeff King | |
|---|---|
 Jeff King as a Pittsburgh Pirate | |
| Infielder | |
| Born:December 26, 1964 Marion, Indiana, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 2, 1989, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 21, 1999, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .256 |
| Home runs | 154 |
| Runs batted in | 709 |
| Teams | |
Jeffrey Wayne King (born December 26,1964) is an American former professional baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals.
King graduated from Rampart High School in Colorado Springs in 1983. He was drafted first overall by Pittsburgh in the 1986 June Amateur Draft,after playing college ball at the University of Arkansas. He played his 1987–88 seasons with the Eastern Leagues Harrisburg Senators before being promoted to Pittsburgh.
King was a key part of the Pirates Division Championship teams of 1990,1991,and 1992,batting 6th right after Barry Bonds,Andy Van Slyke and Bobby Bonilla. He was plagued by back injuries which forced Bonilla to play third base during the 1990 NLCS.
King was the third player—the first two being Willie McCovey and Andre Dawson—to hit two home runs in the same inning twice during his career. On August 8,1995,he hit two home runs in the second inning of the Pirates' 9–5 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. [1] On April 30,1996,he repeated this feat,this time in the fourth inning of the Pirates' 10–7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Cinergy Field. [2] Alex Rodriguez and Edwin Encarnación would later accomplish this feat.
After the 1996 season,the Pirates traded King and Jay Bell to the Kansas City Royals for Joe Randa. In two full seasons with the Royals,he hit 28 and 24 home runs. King was the Royals regular first baseman at the beginning of the 1999 season,but,bothered by back problems,he abruptly announced his retirement on May 23,1999,two days after going 1–4 against the Texas Rangers. Sportswriter Joe Posnanski,who covered King when Posnanski worked for the Kansas City Star,reported that King disliked baseball so much that he retired the day after his pension from Major League Baseball fully vested.
King finished his career with a .256 batting average and 154 home runs in 1,201 games.
Jacob Peter Beckley,nicknamed "Eagle Eye",was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys,Pittsburgh Burghers,Pittsburgh Pirates,New York Giants,Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals from 1888 to 1907.
Charles Joseph Hiller was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. In the 1962 World Series,he became the first National League player to hit a grand slam in a World Series.
Reginald Laverne Sanders is an American former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He played professionally with the Cincinnati Reds,St. Louis Cardinals,Pittsburgh Pirates,Atlanta Braves,San Francisco Giants,San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals,and was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks' 2001 World Series championship over the New York Yankees.
Richard Dale Long was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates,St. Louis Browns,Chicago Cubs,San Francisco Giants,New York Yankees and Washington Senators between 1951 and 1963. Listed as 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and 205 pounds (93 kg),he batted and threw left-handed.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1973 throughout the world.
The 1992National League Championship Series was played between the Atlanta Braves (98–64) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (96–66) from October 6 to 14. A rematch of the 1991 NLCS,Atlanta won the 1992 NLCS in seven games to advance to their second straight World Series. The series ended in dramatic fashion;in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7,with Atlanta down 2–1 and the bases loaded,the Braves' Francisco Cabrera cracked a two-run single that scored David Justice and Sid Bream. Bream famously slid to score the Series-winning run,beating the throw by Pirates left fielder Barry Bonds.
William Henry Robinson,Jr. was an American professional baseball outfielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1966 to 1983,for several teams. He also played some first and third base. Robinson batted and threw right-handed.
Kevin Daniel Elster is an American former professional baseball shortstop. Known primarily for his glove,Elster broke a 42-year-old Major League Baseball record by playing 88 consecutive games at shortstop without committing an error.
Larry Steven Jeltz is a French-born American former professional baseball player. He played in parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals. Jeltz primarily played shortstop and batted .210 in his career. Jeltz is one of only a handful of MLB players to have been born in France,and he leads that nation's MLB players in several career statistical categories.
Kevin Stacey Young is an American former professional baseball player. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals (1996),primarily as a first baseman. He batted and threw right-handed.
Timothy John Foli is an American former professional baseball player,coach and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop for the New York Mets,Montreal Expos,San Francisco Giants,Pittsburgh Pirates,California Angels and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1985. At age 17,Foli was the first pick in the Major League Baseball Draft in 1968 and went on to be a member of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates. Foli was known as a fiery player who was a reliable fielder but only an average hitter. Foli was a free swinger,especially in 1982 when he walked only 14 times,the lowest total ever for 150 or more games played. His free swinging did not aim for the fences,however,as he averaged less than two home runs per season.
Raymond Michael Sadecki was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the left-handed complement to Bob Gibson,who in 1964,won 20 games to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to their first World Series title in eighteen years. He was notable for throwing the palmball.
James Phillip Rooker is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and broadcaster.
Curtis Benjamin Roberts was an American baseball second baseman who played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1956. He was signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before the 1951 season,and obtained by Pittsburgh a year later. After two seasons in the Pirates farm system,Major League Baseball recognizes Roberts as the first black player for the Pirates. After becoming the starting second baseman for the Pirates in his rookie year,Roberts' playing time decreased and he was out of the Majors within three seasons. He then played for multiple teams in the minor leagues before retiring from professional baseball in 1963.
The 1997 Major League Baseball season was the inaugural season for Interleague play,as well as the final season in the American League for the Milwaukee Brewers before moving to the NL the following season. The California Angels changed their name to the Anaheim Angels. The Florida Marlins ended the season as the World Champions defeating the Cleveland Indians in a seven-game World Series,four games to three.
The 1992 Major League Baseball season saw the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Atlanta Braves in the World Series,becoming the first team outside the United States to win the World Series.
The 1991 Major League Baseball season saw the Minnesota Twins defeat the Atlanta Braves for the World Series title,in a series where every game was won by the home team.
The 1977 Major League Baseball season saw the American League (AL) having its third expansion,as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays began play,with Seattle returning to the MLB fold after a seven-year absence when the Pilots relocated to Milwaukee to become the Brewers. However,the National League (NL) did not expand,remaining at 12 teams compared to the AL's 14,until the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins joined the NL in 1993.
The 1976 Major League Baseball season ended with the Cincinnati Reds winning their second consecutive World Series championship.
Boyd Gail Harris Jr. was an American professional baseball first baseman who played for the New York Giants and Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) during all or part of six seasons between 1955 and 1960. In 1958,Harris hit a career high 20 home runs with the Tigers. Harris batted and threw left-handed and was listed as 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 195 pounds (88 kg).