Mike Mordecai | |
---|---|
Infielder / Coach | |
Born: Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | December 13, 1967|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
May 8, 1994, for the Atlanta Braves | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 21, 2005, for the Florida Marlins | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .244 |
Home runs | 24 |
Runs batted in | 132 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Michael Howard Mordecai (born December 13,1967) is an American former professional baseball infielder,who played for the Atlanta Braves,Montreal Expos,and Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since 2010,he has worked in the Toronto Blue Jays organization,including serving as the Blue Jays' quality control coach in 2018. He is currently the head baseball coach at Northside Methodist Academy in Dothan,AL.
Mordecai graduated in 1986 from Hewitt-Trussville High School,in Trussville,Alabama,where he played baseball,basketball and football. During his time in college at the University of South Alabama,he was a two-time All-American and named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team each year. In 1987,he helped the Jaguars to the conference title. Mordecai majored in criminal justice and minored in sociology. In 1988,he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. [1]
With their sixth round selection of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft,the Atlanta Braves drafted Mordecai. He began his minor league career at Class A Burlington and eventually worked his way up to Greenville. In 1992,he made his way to Triple-A Richmond on June 19. In 1993,he was selected as Richmond's Most Competitive Player. He played every defensive position with the exception of center field and pitcher that season.
In 1994,Mordecai made it to the majors but only for four at bats. His first tour was from May 3–20 for the Atlanta Braves,when he replaced Jeff Blauser on the roster. Mordecai's first hit was a three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. Mordecai continued to torment the Phillies throughout his career. He received the John M. Zwack III Memorial Award for being the most community-minded player.
Mordecai played on the 1995 World Series team as a bench player. He made his first start at second on July 16 at San Diego. In the NLDS he went 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI. His pinch-hit single in the ninth inning of Game 2 gave the Braves the go-ahead run. [2] In the World Series,he went 1-for-3.
Unfortunately for Mordecai,the Braves had Mark Lemke at second base,Chipper Jones at third and Fred McGriff at first preventing him from getting more than a reserve role with the team. Mordecai was the Braves' starting third baseman on opening day 1996,though only because Chipper Jones was on the DL with an injury. On August 30,he collected the first three-hit game of his career at Chicago.
Mordecai's inability to stay consistent while a member of the Braves frustrated the front office and,in 1998,he joined the Montreal Expos. Mordecai made 53 starts the next year. He then enjoyed his best seasons there in 2000 and 2001. On April 2,2001,Mordecai demonstrated his versatility by playing catcher in the tenth inning of a game against the Cubs after Montreal's first catcher,Michael Barrett,was ejected and their second catcher,Sandy Martínez,was injured.
In the midst of the 2002 trade deadline he was traded to the Florida Marlins. His statistics for the season drastically improved after the trade. The following season,he was again a key part in helping the inexperienced Marlins win the 2003 World Series. In Game 6 of the NLCS,the Marlins were five outs away from being eliminated when Cubs fan,Steve Bartman,prevented a foul ball from being potentially caught by extending his arms over Moisés Alou while Alou attempted to field the pop-up. Mordecai's subsequent three-run double blew the game open,highlighting the Cubs' historic collapse in what is sometimes referred to as simply "The Inning". Mordecai would go on to win his second World Series,as the Marlins handily defeated the Yankees in the World Series.
On June 1,2004,Mordecai again filled the role as emergency catcher,this time for eight innings after Ramón Castro was injured. On September 29 2004 Mordecai while playing third base caught the final out of the Montreal Expos final home game preserving a 9-1 Marlins win over the Expos
Mordecai took a job as manager with the Marlins minor league affiliate Jamestown Jammers in December 2004. A few days later,the team announced that they would give him a chance to join the team in September so he could reach ten years of Major League service;Mordecai played two games in 2005 before retiring for good. Mordecai also worked as a batting coach for MLB before turning to coaching for a private High School in Dothan,Alabama. The school in Dothan is Houston Academy. His last high school game was against the Leroy Bears on the road in the first round of the Alabama State High School Playoffs in 2009.[ citation needed ]
In 2010,Mordecai was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays as a minor league infield coordinator. In 2015,he was promoted to coordinator of instruction,and on January 10,2018,Mordecai was promoted to the quality control coach position. [3] In 2019,Mordecai was once again reassigned within the Blue Jays organization,to his position as manager of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. [4] Mordecai currently works at Northside Methodist Academy,where he is the athletic director,coaches baseball,and teaches history.
Mordecai was married on February 5,2000,to his second wife,Jennifer. Later that year,she gave birth to the first of their three sons. He also has a daughter,Taylor,born in 1995 from a first marriage.[ citation needed ]
Moisés Rojas-Alou Beltré is an American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games,Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits,421 doubles,332 home runs,and 1,287 runs batted in.
Felipe Rojas Alou is a Dominican former Major League Baseball outfielder,first baseman,coach and manager. He managed the Montreal Expos (1992–2001) and the San Francisco Giants (2003–2006). The first Dominican to play regularly in the major leagues,he is the most prominent member of one of the sport's most notable families of the late 20th century:he was the oldest of the trio of baseball-playing brothers that included Matty and Jesús,who were both primarily outfielders,and his son Moisés was also primarily an outfielder;all but Jesús have been named All-Stars at least twice. His son Luis,in turn,managed the New York Mets.
Alexander Scott Gonzalez is an American former Major League Baseball infielder,who spent the majority of his 13-year career with the Toronto Blue Jays. Gonzalez established a career-high with 20 home runs for the Chicago Cubs in 2003 and hit 20 or more doubles eight times. He was regarded as a glove-first player,sporting a lower-than-average batting average,on-base percentage (.302),and OPS (.694) while leading the American league twice in fielding percentage. At Killian High School in Miami,Florida,Gonzalez was an All-State pick in baseball as a senior. He was drafted straight out of high school in the 14th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft by the Blue Jays. He is Cuban-American and was nicknamed "Gonzo" in order to tell the difference between him and the other Alex Gonzalez,who signed with the Blue Jays on November 26,2009;coincidentally,they would face each other in the 2003 National League Championship Series between the Marlins and Cubs.
Antonio Alfonseca is a Dominican former relief pitcher. He last pitched in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007. Alfonseca also played for the Florida Marlins,the Chicago Cubs (2002–2003),the Atlanta Braves (2004),and the Texas Rangers (2006).
Angel Sandy Martínez Martínez is a Dominican former professional baseball player,and current Manager for the DSL Nationals. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays (1995-1997),Chicago Cubs (1998-1999),Florida Marlins (2000),Montreal Expos (2001),Cleveland Indians (2004),and Boston Red Sox (2004). He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
Cornelius Clifford Floyd Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for 17 seasons,most notably for the Montreal Expos,Florida Marlins and New York Mets. He is currently a baseball analyst who co-hosts on Sirius XM Radio and appears on MLB Network.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2003 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2000 throughout the world.
Michael Patrick Barrett is an American former professional baseball player and current catching coordinator for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB as a catcher and started his professional career with the Montreal Expos at age 18. Barrett spent three years playing in Minor League Baseball as a shortstop and catcher. He played with the Honolulu Sharks,West Palm Beach Expos,and Delmarva Shorebirds,and was elected to two Minor League All-Star games. Barrett made his MLB debut in 1998 as a third baseman,but was shortly outrighted to the minor leagues to play with the Harrisburg Senators for a season.
Brian Duncan Schneider,nicknamed "Hoops",is an American former professional baseball catcher and coach,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals,New York Mets,and Philadelphia Phillies. Schneider was the Miami Marlins catching coach from 2016 through 2019,and the quality control coach for the Mets from 2020 through 2021.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1998 throughout the world.
Jeffrey Stephen Mathis is an American former professional baseball catcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,Toronto Blue Jays,Miami Marlins,Arizona Diamondbacks,Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves.
Graeme John Lloyd is an Australian former professional baseball pitcher,who appeared with the Milwaukee Brewers,New York Yankees,Toronto Blue Jays,Montreal Expos,Florida Marlins,New York Mets,and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).
The 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS) was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 7 to 15 to determine the champion of the National League,between the Central Division champion Chicago Cubs and the wild-card qualifying Florida Marlins. The Cubs,by virtue of being a division winner,had the home field advantage. The Marlins came back from a three games to one deficit and won the series in seven games,advancing to the World Series against the New York Yankees,whom they defeated in six games.
Randy Anthony St. Claire is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for the Montreal Expos (1984–88),Cincinnati Reds (1988),Minnesota Twins (1989),Atlanta Braves (1991–92) and Toronto Blue Jays (1994) as a relief pitcher. He made one World Series appearance with the Braves in 1991,pitching the 9th inning of a Game 5 blowout win. He worked as pitching coach for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins before being hired by the Blue Jays organization.
Alfonso Márquez is a Mexican umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB) who worked in the National League in 1999 and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. He was promoted to crew chief for the 2020 season,becoming the first full time Latino-born crew chief. Márquez wears uniform number 72,a number he shared with friend and National Hockey League linesman Stéphane Provost.
Philip Anthony Roof is an American former professional baseball player,coach and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball in 1961 and from 1964 to 1977,most notably for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and the Minnesota Twins. Although Roof did not produce impressive offensive statistics,he excelled defensively as a catcher which enabled him to sustain a lengthy career in the major leagues due to his valuable defensive abilities. He was the first player acquired by the expansion Toronto Blue Jays.
The 1998 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees sweeping the San Diego Padres in the World Series,after they had won a then AL record 114 regular season games. The Yankees finished with 125 wins for the season,which remains the MLB record.
The 2003 Chicago Cubs season was the 132nd season of the Chicago Cubs franchise,the 128th in the National League and the 88th at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by Dusty Baker in his first year in Chicago. The Cubs went 88–74 during the 2003 season and won the National League Central for the first time since the division's formation in 1994,and the team's first division title since its 1989 NL East title. In the NLDS,the Cubs defeated the Atlanta Braves three games to two for their first postseason series win since 1908. The Cubs lost to the Florida Marlins four games to three in the NLCS.
Michael Peter Cather is an American professional baseball coach and a former professional baseball right-handed pitcher who appeared in Major League Baseball (MLB) in three seasons (1997–99) for the Atlanta Braves. In 2016,he was named minor league pitching coordinator of the Miami Marlins.