| Keith Miller | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infielder | |||||||||||||||
| Born:June 12, 1963 Midland, Michigan, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||
| June 16, 1987, for the New York Mets | |||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||
| May 13, 1995, for the Kansas City Royals | |||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .262 | ||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 92 | ||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||
Medals
| |||||||||||||||
Keith Alan Miller (born June 12, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as an infielder for the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals from 1987 to 1995.
After leading Bay City, Michigan All Saints Central High School to a baseball state championship in 1981, [1] Miller was selected in the 24th round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft by the Cleveland Indians, but opted to attended Oral Roberts University, instead. He was drafted in the second round of the 1984 Major League Baseball draft by the New York Yankees for $75,000, however, the contract was voided when the Yankees were made aware of a knee injury Miller suffered at ORU. [2] He signed with the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in September 1984 for $50,000.
Miller was a second baseman with some experience at third when he came up with the Mets in June of 1987. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored in his major league debut [3] on his way to hits in each of his first seven games. At the end of the month, he was optioned back to triple A Tidewater with a .366 average. He came back up that September, and went 4-for-10. Overall, he batted .373.
He began the season again with the Tidewater Tides in 1988, but joined the Mets by late May. He wasn't as successful as he was the previous season, going 0-for his first-10. He hit his first career home run on July 1 off the Houston Astros' Jim Deshaies, and went 3-for-6 in the extra innings loss to bring his average above .200 for the first time all season. [4] He ended the season with a .214 average, the one home run and five runs batted in. On October 1, he made his debut as an outfielder. He handled the one ball hit to him (a line out by Tom Pagnozzi) cleanly. [5]
His 1989 season mirrored the previous season; he was called up from Tidewater in late May, and batted .231 with one home run and seven RBIs. In September, he began seeing more playing time in the outfield, and actually began the 1990 season as the Mets' starting center fielder. That idea was pretty much abandoned after the Mets acquired Daryl Boston from the Chicago White Sox, [6] however, 1990 turned out to be the one full season of Miller's career in which he logged more innings in the outfield (423.1) than the infield (69). His best season as a Met turned out to be 1991, when he batted .280 with four home runs and 23 RBIs, all career highs to that point.
At the Winter meetings, he was part of a blockbuster deal in which he, Gregg Jefferies and Kevin McReynolds were traded to the Kansas City Royals for two time Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen and infielder Bill Pecota. [7]
The 1992 Royals got off to an 0–7 start. They were being no hit by Miller's former Mets teammate Ron Darling (now with the Oakland Athletics) in the eighth game of the season until Miller led off the eighth with a single. Darling was pulled from the game after that play, and replaced by Rick Honeycutt. The Royals rallied for three runs off Honeycutt for their first win of the season. [8] Miller was in left field that day, but he was shifted back to his natural position at second base by the end of April to replace the slumping Terry Shumpert. His first season in Kansas City, Miller had a career year. Batting lead off or in the number two hole for most of the season, he batted .284 and tied his career high four home runs. He also had career highs in games (106) runs (57) and RBIs (38).
During the off-season, the Royals dealt Jeffries to the St. Louis Cardinals, and shifted Miller to third. [9] The 1993 season got off to a rough start for Miller. After injuring himself running out a fly ball in the first game of the season, Miller went into an 0-for-25 slump. He was batting .163 when he was sent down to triple A Omaha in the beginning of June. He returned in late August in a far more limited role, and batted .179 the rest of the way.
Miller played just twenty games in 1994 due to injury. In fifteen games at Omaha, he batted .184 with three RBIs. He went 2-for-15 in five major league games with one run scored. After a similarly limited 1995 season, he retired.
| Games | PA | AB | Runs | Hits | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | Avg. | OBP | Slg. | OPS | Fld% |
| 465 | 1468 | 1326 | 190 | 347 | 67 | 8 | 12 | 92 | 63 | 100 | 205 | .262 | .323 | .351 | .675 | .965 |
His experience with the Yankees as a young athlete inspired Miller to become a sports agent. Among his notable clients with Aces Inc. are David Wright, Brandon Inge and Scott Rolen. [10]
Carlos Iván Beltrán is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers. A right-handed thrower and switch hitter, Beltrán stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighs 215 pounds (98 kg).
Jorge Antonio Bell Mathey, better known as George Bell, is a Dominican former left fielder and American League MVP in Major League Baseball who played 12 seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs (1991) and Chicago White Sox (1992–1993). Bell batted and threw right-handed.
Marvin Eugene Throneberry was an American Major League Baseball player. Affectionately known as "Marvelous Marv", he was the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern record for most losses in a season with 120. Throneberry became a well-known figure after appearing in numerous Miller Lite beer commercials in the 1970s and 1980s.
Raúl Javier Ibañez is an American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as vice president of baseball development and special projects for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played 11 of his 19 big league seasons for the Seattle Mariners, while also playing for the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. While primarily a left fielder, Ibañez often saw considerable time as a designated hitter (DH), throughout his career.
John Claiborn Mayberry Sr. is an American former Major League Baseball player who was active from 1968 to 1982 for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. He was a two-time All Star.
Gregory Scott Jefferies is an American former infielder/outfielder in Major League Baseball who had a 14-year career from 1987 to 2000. He was a highly touted prospect who became the first two-time winner of the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award. In 2017, Baseball America called him their most highly regarded prospect until Andruw Jones. He went on to become a two-time All-Star.
Walter Kevin McReynolds is an American former baseball player who was an outfielder with a 12-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 1994. A two-time All-America from the University of Arkansas, he played professionally for the San Diego Padres and New York Mets of the National League and the Kansas City Royals of the American League.
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.
Daryl Lamont Boston is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder, and the former first base coach for the Chicago White Sox.
William Joseph Pecota is an American former Major League Baseball infielder. He is the namesake of PECOTA, a sabermetric created by Nate Silver and owned by Baseball Prospectus.
The 1993 New York Mets season was the 32nd season in the history of the franchise. The team sought to improve on its 72–90 mark from 1992. Instead, the Mets slid back and for the first time since 1967 lost 100 games. The Mets finished with a 59–103 record, their fifth worst in history, and finished in last place in the National League East. They played all of their home games at Shea Stadium. As of 2023, this was the most recent 100-loss season for the Mets.
The 1992 New York Mets season was the 31st regular season for the Mets. The Mets entered the season attempting to improve on their 1991 season, where due in part to a second half collapse they finished 78–84 and recorded their first losing record since 1983. Instead, they had a worse record of 72–90, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. All 81 of the Mets' home games were played at Shea Stadium.
The 1985 New York Mets season was the 24th regular season for the Mets. They went 98–64 and finished second in the National League East; the team stayed in contention to win the division title until the last week of the season. They were managed by Davey Johnson. They played their home games at Shea Stadium.
The 1992 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing fifth in the American League West with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses.
The 1980 Kansas City Royals season was their 12th in Major League Baseball. The Royals, under new manager Jim Frey, finished first in the American League West with a record of 97–65. Kansas City finally broke through in the postseason, sweeping the New York Yankees 3-0 in the 1980 American League Championship Series after falling to the Yankees in the ALCS in 1976, 1977 and 1978. The Royals lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in the World Series.
The 1987 Chicago Cubs season was the 116th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 112th in the National League and the 72nd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished sixth and last in the National League East with a record of 76–85, 18½ games behind the division and pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals.
Thomas Steven Ashford is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. He was drafted second overall in the 1974 January Draft by the San Diego Padres. In addition to the Padres, Ashford also played for the Texas Rangers (1980), New York Yankees (1981), New York Mets (1983) and Kansas City Royals (1984).
Charles Richard McKinney is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1970 and 1977. Originally an infielder when he came up with the Chicago White Sox, he became more of a utility player as his career progressed.
Roy Joseph Staiger is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He was part of the first player trade between the New York Mets and New York Yankees that did not also involve a third team.
Germán Amed Valdez Rosario is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the New York Mets in 2017 and has also played for the Cleveland Indians/Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers.
