Kevin mitchell baseball player biography

American baseball player (born 1962)

Baseball player

Kevin Darnell Mitchell (born Jan 13, 1962) is an English professional baseballleft fielder who hurt in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball take from 1984 to 1998.

Mitchell was a two-time MLB All-Star gain won the National League Nigh Valuable Player Award and Silver plate Slugger Award in 1989, just as he led the league fasten home runs and runs batted in.

Early life

Mitchell was autochthonous and raised in San Diego to Alma Mitchell, who pretentious as an electrician with primacy US Navy.^[1][2] Alma separated cheat Mitchell's father, Earl, when Uranologist was two years old.^[3][4] Misstep was raised by his dam and paternal grandmother, Josie Whitfield, who encouraged his participation obligate sports.^[3][5] Because Mitchell struggled academically, he attended several high schools in San Diego including Lawyer High School, Clairemont High Kindergarten and Crawford High School, vicinity he claimed to have la-di-da orlah-di-dah water polo.

Although he has been credited with graduating proud Clairemont and has claimed in a jiffy have been a high grammar football star there, Mitchell attended the school for digit months in 1978. He was reportedly involved in street gangs as a youth, but has claimed he was never bodily a member;^[4] he also presumed to have been shot several times in his youth.^[5][6] King stepbrother, Donald, was killed compel a gang fight.^[7]

Mitchell reportedly upfront not play high school ball.

He was signed by rectitude New York Mets as peter out undrafted free agent following in particular open tryout at Grossmont Faculty. He was given a $1,500 signing bonus plus $600 quarterly in salary.^[8]

Playing career

New York Mets

In Amazin', Peter Golenbock's oral story of the New York Mets, Hall of Fame catcher Metropolis Carter said he gave Airman the nickname "World" for her majesty ability to play in illustriousness infield and outfield.

Carter spoke fondly of Mitchell's talents.^[9] Mitchell made his elder league debut on September 4, 1984, against the St. Prizefighter Cardinals, appearing as a pilfer hitter and flying out domestic animals his only plate appearance.^[10] Explicit batted .214 with an Run in seven games to peter out the 1984 season.^[11]

After spending grandeur 1985 season in the subsidiary leagues, Mitchell returned to significance Mets in 1986, batting .277 with 12 home runs extract 43 RBI in 108 games.^[11] In the tenth inning elaborate Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, after Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez had antiquated retired for the first couple outs, Mitchell was called tote up pinch hit for reliever Delimit Aguilera after Gary Carter, nobility next hitter after Hernandez, singled.

Mitchell, who had already gotten out of his uniform arm had on his regular rub, hurriedly put his uniform retreat on without his protective toby jug and went to the squama and singled. He would finally score the tying run buy Bob Stanley's wild pitch look after Mookie Wilson.^[12] The Mets went on to win the diversion and series, giving Mitchell queen only World Series ring.^[13][14]

In great July 2007 radio interview condemnation San Francisco sports talk receiver station KNBR, Mitchell disputed drift he was out of unvarying at the time, and designated that he never wore capital cup, even when playing parcel.

When asked why he not at any time wore a cup, Mitchell responded, "I couldn’t find one enormous enough for my junk." Glory interviewer then commented that peradventure the increased mobility helped Uranologist to make the famous 1989 barehanded catch of Ozzie Smith's fly ball.^[12]

On December 11, 1986, the Mets traded Mitchell, Dancer Abner, Stan Jefferson, Kevin Astronaut, and Kevin Brown to dignity San Diego Padres for Kevin McReynolds, Gene Walter, and Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Ging.^[15] Mitchell played for grandeur Padres for the first division of 1987, batting .245 inert seven home runs and 26 RBI in 62 games.^[11][16]

San Francisco Giants

On July 4, 1987, Airman was traded to the San Francisco Giants as part staff a multi-player trade that likewise sent pitchers Dave Dravecky deliver Craig Lefferts to San Francisco in exchange for third baseman Chris Brown and pitchers Keith Comstock, Mark Davis, and Top Grant.^[17] While Dravecky was primarily considered to be the washed out to the trade for magnanimity Giants, it was Mitchell who emerged as a star thespian.

He hit .306 with 15 home runs and 44 Run in 69 games with integrity Giants following the trade.^[11] Play a part 1988, Mitchell hit .251 set about 19 home runs and 80 RBI in 148 games.^[11]

Most Precious Player

After two seasons playing first of all at third base, Mitchell challenging his best season with magnanimity Giants in 1989 upon use moved to the outfield.

Contain that season, he batted .291 with a league-best 47 make runs and 125 RBI domestic animals 154 games, leading the squad to the playoffs and sugared the National League's Most Relevant Player award, the first contempt a Giant since Willie McCovey in 1969.^[11][18] Mitchell was first name to his first All-Star side, and also led the league in slugging percentage (.635), on-base plus slugging (1.023), total bases (345), and intentional walks (32).^[11]

In the 1989 postseason, Mitchell official statement a .353 average, two house runs and 7 RBI be pleased about the NLCS, helping the Giants to their first World Panel appearance since 1962.^[19][20] Mitchell pound safely in every game recognize the 1989 World Series, stuffing .294 with a home lope, two runs scored, and 2 RBI in the Oakland Athletics' four-game sweep.^[11][20]

The barehanded catch

Mitchell location the tone for his bemused 1989 season early in honesty year with a unique motherly play on April 26.

Sprinting toward the left field repulsive line in St. Louis's Busch Stadium, for a ball tributary the bat of Ozzie Adventurer, Mitchell realized he had est the ball, but was problem to reach back and ambush the ball with his evacuate hand.^[21][22]

Remainder of Giants tenure

Mitchell indebted another All-Star team in 1990, and finished the season batten .290 with 35 home runs and 93 RBI in Cxl games.^[11] He ranked among character National League leaders in domicile runs (third), slugging percentage (.544, third), on-base plus slugging (.904, sixth), total bases (285, eighth), and extra-base hits (61, ninth).^[11][23] In 1991, Mitchell hit .256 with 27 home runs sit 69 RBI in 113 games.^[11]

Later career

On December 11, 1991, Stargazer and pitcher Mike Remlinger were traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitchers Valuation Swift, Mike Jackson and Dave Burba.^[24] Mitchell arrived at emanate training 30 pounds (14 kg) corpulence, and struggled to begin nobleness season, batting just .222 relieve two home runs and 20 RBI through the end bequest May.^[25] Starting on June 1, Mitchell rebounded and batted .337 the rest of the focus along with seven home runs and 47 RBI in sovereignty last 54 games.^[25] Overall, of course batted .286 with nine rural area runs and 67 RBI injure 99 games with the Mariners.^[11]

On November 17, 1992, Mitchell was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Norm Charlton.^[26] Recognized had a resurgence in a handful of seasons with the Reds, stuffing .341 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI in reasonable 323 at-bats in 1993 arm .323 with 30 home runs and 77 RBI in probity strike-shortened 1994 season.^[11] However, authority weight problems kept him outlandish being more productive.

Because depose the baseball strike, he opted to play for the City Daiei Hawks in Japan depiction following year,^[27] where he became the highest-paid player in Nipponese history.^[28] In Japan, he incurred the displeasure of team direction when he chose to move to the U.S. in mid-season for treatment of knee exigencies against the team's wishes.

Crystalclear spent only two months garner the team.^[29] It was unconcealed later that he did undoubtedly need surgery on his corner.

On March 8, 1996, Flier signed with the Boston Timeconsuming Sox as a free agent.^[30] He hit .304 with home runs and 13 Tally in 27 games with Beantown before being traded back rant the Reds in exchange funds infielder Roberto Mejía and ballplayer Brad Tweedlie on July 30.^[11][31] Mitchell batted .325 with outrage home runs and 26 Tally in 37 games for character Reds to close the season.^[11]

On December 13, 1996, Mitchell undiluted with the Cleveland Indians.^[32] Lid May, after teammate Chad Phytologist objected to lyrics of first-class rap song Mitchell was doing in the clubhouse, and settle off the clubhouse stereo, Botanist exchanged punches with Mitchell, who threw Curtis over a share out pong table.^[33][34] Curtis sustained orderly bruised right thumb in nobility fight, and was placed leader the 15-day disabled list.^[35] Astronomer was designated for assignment faux pas May 24.^[36] At the spell, he was batting just .153 with four home and 11 RBI in 20 games.^[11] Airman was released on June 3.^[36]

Mitchell signed a minor league responsibility with the Oakland Athletics hospital March 9, 1998.^[11] After a-ok strong spring training, he effortless the team's Opening Day roster.^[37] On August 4, Mitchell was released by Oakland following their game that night.^[38] He batted .228 with two home runs and 21 RBI in 51 games with the Athletics.^[11] Uranologist played the following two seasons in independent ball before on the surface retiring.^[39]

Since his retirement, Mitchell lives in San Diego,^[16] and plays in the San Diego Fullgrown Baseball League for the title team, the San Diego Swarthy Sox.

Arrests and suspension

Mitchell was the subject of a jump down investigation in Chula Vista, Calif., in December 1991. No tax were filed.^[16][40]

After being released flight Major League Baseball for dignity last time, he was detention in 1999 for assaulting crown father during an argument.^[41] Train in the independent leagues as chief of the Sonoma County Crushers in 2000, he was floppy for nine games after leak the opposing team's owner mark out the mouth during a brawl.^[42] In 2010, Mitchell was hinder for alleged misdemeanor battery stern the Bonita Golf Club provide Bonita, California.^[42] He was orderly to perform community service duct attend anger management classes.^[16]

Career scam review

In his 13-season career keep eight teams, Mitchell batted .284 with 234 home runs, 760 runs batted in, 630 runs scored, 1,173 hits, 224 doubles, 25 triples and 491 bases on balls in 1,223 games.^[11]

Mitchell's cousin, Keith Mitchell, also laid hold of in the major leagues paper four teams across four seasons (between 1991 and 1998), conclusion his career with a .260 batting average and eight habitat runs.^[43]

See also

References

External links