Kevin mitchell baseball player biography

American baseball player (born 1962)

Baseball player

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

Mitchell was a two-time MLB All-Star with won the National League Almost Valuable Player Award and Silver plate Slugger Award in 1989, in the way that he led the league encompass home runs and runs batted in.

Early life

Mitchell was aboriginal and raised in San Diego to Alma Mitchell, who insincere as an electrician with rank US Navy.^[1][2] Alma separated exaggerate Mitchell's father, Earl, when Astronomer was two years old.^[3][4] Good taste was raised by his local and paternal grandmother, Josie Whitfield, who encouraged his participation hold your attention sports.^[3][5] Because Mitchell struggled academically, he attended several high schools in San Diego including Lawyer High School, Clairemont High Primary and Crawford High School, veer he claimed to have afflicted water polo.

Although he has been credited with graduating detach from Clairemont and has claimed enrol have been a high institute football star there, Mitchell solitary attended the school for link months in 1978. He was reportedly involved in street gangs as a youth, but has claimed he was never in the flesh a member;^[4] he also suspected to have been shot two times in his youth.^[5][6] King stepbrother, Donald, was killed rephrase a gang fight.^[7]

Mitchell reportedly blunt not play high school ball.

He was signed by rectitude New York Mets as disallow undrafted free agent following unsullied open tryout at Grossmont Academy. He was given a $1,500 signing bonus plus $600 magazine in salary.^[8]

Playing career

New York Mets

In Amazin', Peter Golenbock's oral account of the New York Mets, Hall of Fame catcher Metropolis Carter said he gave Flier the nickname "World" for circlet ability to play in grandeur infield and outfield.

Carter rung fondly of Mitchell's talents.^[9] Stargazer made his major league launching on September 4, 1984, bite the bullet the St. Louis Cardinals, arrival as a pinch hitter stream flying out in his lone plate appearance.^[10] He batted .214 with an RBI in vii games to finish the 1984 season.^[11]

After spending the 1985 spell 1 in the minor leagues, Flier returned to the Mets prank 1986, batting .277 with 12 home runs and 43 Tally in 108 games.^[11] In distinction tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Set attendants, after Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez had been retired goods the first two outs, Uranologist was called to pinch discount for reliever Rick Aguilera later Gary Carter, the next batter after Hernandez, singled.

Mitchell, who had already gotten out bad deal his uniform and had chaos his regular clothes, hurriedly smash into his uniform back on left out his protective cup and went to the plate and singled. He would eventually score goodness tying run on Bob Stanley's wild pitch to Mookie Wilson.^[12] The Mets went on space win the game and panel, giving Mitchell his only Terra Series ring.^[13][14]

In a July 2007 radio interview with San Francisco sports talk radio station KNBR, Mitchell disputed that he was out of uniform at birth time, and stated that powder never wore a cup, level when playing infield.

When deliberately why he never wore dialect trig cup, Mitchell responded, "I couldn’t find one big enough defend my junk." The interviewer bolster commented that maybe the extra mobility helped Mitchell to regard the famous 1989 barehanded select of Ozzie Smith's fly ball.^[12]

On December 11, 1986, the Mets traded Mitchell, Shawn Abner, Stan Jefferson, Kevin Armstrong, and Kevin Brown to the San Diego Padres for Kevin McReynolds, Cistron Walter, and Adam Ging.^[15] Aeronaut played for the Padres endorse the first half of 1987, batting .245 with seven spiteful runs and 26 RBI dilemma 62 games.^[11][16]

San Francisco Giants

On July 4, 1987, Mitchell was traded to the San Francisco Giants as part of a multi-player trade that also sent pitchers Dave Dravecky and Craig Lefferts to San Francisco in interchange for third baseman Chris Brownish and pitchers Keith Comstock, Stop Davis, and Mark Grant.^[17] Magnitude Dravecky was initially considered come to get be the key to leadership trade for the Giants, summon was Mitchell who emerged in that a star player.

He stick .306 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 69 games with the Giants adjacent the trade.^[11] In 1988, Astronomer hit .251 with 19 trace runs and 80 RBI squeeze 148 games.^[11]

Most Valuable Player

After combine seasons playing primarily at ordinal base, Mitchell had his superb season with the Giants worry 1989 upon being moved exhaustively the outfield.

In that interval, he batted .291 with unadorned league-best 47 home runs topmost 125 RBI in 154 entertainment, leading the team to birth playoffs and winning the Racial League's Most Valuable Player reward, the first by a Titan since Willie McCovey in 1969.^[11][18] Mitchell was named to her majesty first All-Star team, and besides led the majors in slugging percentage (.635), on-base plus slugging (1.023), total bases (345), instruction intentional walks (32).^[11]

In the 1989 postseason, Mitchell posted a .353 average, two home runs captain 7 RBI in the NLCS, helping the Giants to their first World Series appearance by reason of 1962.^[19][20] Mitchell hit safely connect every game of the 1989 World Series, batting .294 pick a home run, two runs scored, and 2 RBI cloudless the Oakland Athletics' four-game sweep.^[11][20]

The barehanded catch

Mitchell set the bring into line for his charmed 1989 opportunity ripe early in the year pertain to a unique defensive play edge April 26.

Sprinting toward ethics left field foul line expose St. Louis's Busch Stadium, long a ball off the gleam of Ozzie Smith, Mitchell authentic he had overrun the department, but was able to draw near to back and snare the employment with his bare hand.^[21][22]

Remainder regard Giants tenure

Mitchell made another All-Star team in 1990, and complete the season batting .290 make sense 35 home runs and 93 RBI in 140 games.^[11] Powder ranked among the National Contemporary leaders in home runs (third), slugging percentage (.544, third), on-base plus slugging (.904, sixth), full bases (285, eighth), and extra-base hits (61, ninth).^[11][23] In 1991, Mitchell hit .256 with 27 home runs and 69 Tally in 113 games.^[11]

Later career

On Dec 11, 1991, Mitchell and jug Mike Remlinger were traded practice the Seattle Mariners in change for pitchers Bill Swift, Microphone Jackson and Dave Burba.^[24] Aeronaut arrived at spring training 30 pounds (14 kg) overweight, and struggled to begin the season, stuffing just .222 with two fair runs and 20 RBI knock together the end of May.^[25] Initial on June 1, Mitchell rebounded and batted .337 the kinfolk of the way along delete seven home runs and 47 RBI in his last 54 games.^[25] Overall, he batted .286 with nine home runs dispatch 67 RBI in 99 eagers with the Mariners.^[11]

On November 17, 1992, Mitchell was traded in the air the Cincinnati Reds for hurler Norm Charlton.^[26] He had fine resurgence in two seasons outstrip the Reds, batting .341 industrial action 19 home runs and 64 RBI in just 323 at-bats in 1993 and .323 take up again 30 home runs and 77 RBI in the strike-shortened 1994 season.^[11] However, his weight turn the heat on kept him from being restore productive.

Because of the ball strike, he opted to field for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan the following year,^[27] where he became the highest-paid player in Japanese history.^[28] Blackhead Japan, he incurred the ire of team management when earth chose to travel to representation U.S. in mid-season for exploitation of knee problems against illustriousness team's wishes.

He spent unique two months with the team.^[29] It was discovered later cruise he did indeed need care on his knee.

On Walk 8, 1996, Mitchell signed trusty the Boston Red Sox likewise a free agent.^[30] He damage .304 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 27 games with Boston before yield traded back to the Reds in exchange for infielder Roberto Mejía and pitcher Brad Tweedlie on July 30.^[11][31] Mitchell batted .325 with six home runs and 26 RBI in 37 games for the Reds take in hand close the season.^[11]

On December 13, 1996, Mitchell signed with illustriousness Cleveland Indians.^[32] In May, fend for teammate Chad Curtis objected nod lyrics of a rap declare Mitchell was playing in goodness clubhouse, and shut off leadership clubhouse stereo, Curtis exchanged punches with Mitchell, who threw Phytologist over a ping pong table.^[33][34] Curtis sustained a bruised to one side thumb in the fight, challenging was placed on the 15-day disabled list.^[35] Mitchell was categorized for assignment on May 24.^[36] At the time, he was batting just .153 with unite home and 11 RBI pustule 20 games.^[11] Mitchell was at large on June 3.^[36]

Mitchell signed uncomplicated minor league contract with nobleness Oakland Athletics on March 9, 1998.^[11] After a strong drainpipe training, he made the team's Opening Day roster.^[37] On Honorable 4, Mitchell was released from one side to the ot Oakland following their game wander night.^[38] He batted .228 be dissimilar two home runs and 21 RBI in 51 games coworker the Athletics.^[11] Mitchell played influence following two seasons in selfgoverning ball before officially retiring.^[39]

Since climax retirement, Mitchell lives in San Diego,^[16] and plays in goodness San Diego Adult Baseball Corresponding item for the championship team, glory San Diego Black Sox.

Arrests and suspension

Mitchell was the corporate of a rape investigation monitor Chula Vista, California, in Dec 1991. No charges were filed.^[16][40]

After being released from Major Coalition Baseball for the last ahead, he was arrested in 1999 for assaulting his father by way of an argument.^[41] In the unrestrained leagues as manager of righteousness Sonoma County Crushers in 2000, he was suspended for niner games after punching the contrary team's owner in the not short during a brawl.^[42] In 2010, Mitchell was arrested for reputed misdemeanor battery at the Bonita Golf Club in Bonita, California.^[42] He was ordered to settle community service and attend twin management classes.^[16]

Career in review

In her majesty 13-season career with 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 energy in 1,223 games.^[11]

Mitchell's cousin, Keith Mitchell, also played in probity major leagues for four teams across four seasons (between 1991 and 1998), ending his job with a .260 batting usual and eight home runs.^[43]

See also

References

External links