Lee Tinsley
| Lee Tinsley | ||
|---|---|---|
Runs batted in | 79 | |
| Teams | ||
As player
As coach | ||
Lee Owen Tinsley (March 4, 1969 – January 12, 2023) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1993 to 1997 for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. Tinsley later served as a coach in MLB for seven seasons, between 2006 and 2015.
Playing career
Oakland Athletics
Tinsley was drafted in the first round of the
Cleveland Indians
On July 26, 1991, Tinsley was traded by the Athletics (along with another minor leaguer) to the
Seattle Mariners
Tinsley was selected off waivers by the
Tinsley collected his first Major League hit on April 11, 1993, with a ninth inning pinch-hit single off Baltimore's Gregg Olson, eventually scoring the tying run to send the game into extra-innings. He hit his first home run on July 21, 1993, off Steve Farr of the New York Yankees. In 11 games with the Mariners, Tinsley had three hits in 19 at-bats for a .158 batting average.
Boston Red Sox / Philadelphia Phillies
Tinsley was traded to the Boston Red Sox on March 22, 1994, for a player to be named later. He hit .222 in 78 games for them in 1994, while tying a club record by going 13-for-13 in stolen base attempts in his first full year in the majors. Tinsley opened the 1995 campaign with a 14-game hitting streak, while also making good on his first two stolen base attempts of the year to run his streak to a team record 15 in a row, dating back to 1994. Tinsley later had a career-best 15-game hitting streak from June 10–25, finishing the campaign with a .284 average in 100 games for Boston.
On January 29, 1996, the Red Sox traded Tinsley (along with Glenn Murray and Ken Ryan) to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Heathcliff Slocumb and two minor leaguers. He appeared in 31 games for the Phillies before being dealt back to Boston on June 9. Tinsley appeared in 92 of the Red Sox' final 102 games and hit .245.
Back to Seattle
Tinsley was dealt to Seattle prior to the 1997 season, which was an injury-riddled campaign for Tinsley, who started 19 of Seattle's first 24 games, but was eventually sidelined in May with an injured right elbow. He was then activated on August 1, returning to the lineup two days later, but was placed back on the D.L. on August 21. He hit only .197 that season in 49 games.
Later career
Tinsley never returned to the Majors, but he spent 1998–99 in AAA with the affiliates of the
Coaching career
Tinsley made his coaching debut as the hitting coach for the
On December 1, 2008, Tinsley was named first base coach of the Seattle Mariners, a position he held through 2010.
Tinsley was the minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator for the Chicago Cubs from 2011 to 2013. He was named the manager of the Ogden Raptors for 2014, but chose to join the Cincinnati Reds as assistant hitting coach instead. On October 22, 2015, Tinsley did not have his contract renewed by the Reds.
Personal life and death
Tinsley had three children. On January 12, 2023, he died in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 53.[1][2]
References
- ^ "Former MLB Outfielder Dies At 53". Yard Barker. January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ Linder, Brian (January 12, 2023). "Former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder has died: reports". The Patriot-News. Advance Publications. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet