Michael Tucker (baseball)
Michael Tucker | |
---|---|
Outfielder | |
Born: South Boston, Virginia, U.S. | June 25, 1971|
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 26, 1995, for the Kansas City Royals | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 1, 2006, for the New York Mets | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .256 |
Home runs | 125 |
Runs batted in | 528 |
Teams | |
Michael Anthony Tucker (born June 25, 1971) is an American former
Early career
He attended the then Longwood College (at the time an NCAA Division II school) from 1989 through 1992. In November 2005, Tucker was among the selection of Longwood's first Hall of Fame class, including basketball player Jerome Kersey and LPGA golfer Tina Barrett.
After college, Tucker begin his pro baseball career in the minors in
Major League career
Tucker made his Major League debut for the Royals at age 23 on April 26, 1995. Starting in left field and batting leadoff, Tucker singled in his first big-league at-bat against pitcher Mike Mussina in a 5-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.[3] Before the 1997 season, Tucker was traded to the Braves along with Keith Lockhart in exchange for outfielder Jermaine Dye and pitcher Jamie Walker.
Tucker enjoyed his most productive season in 1997 with the Braves, when he posted career highs in batting average (.283), runs (80) and hits (141) in 138 games. In 2004, for the Giants, he played 106 games in right field and 25 in center. He ended the year with a .256 average, 13 home runs, 62 RBI, 77 runs, and a .340 on-base percentage. In nine of his 10 seasons, he collected 11 or more home runs, with a career-high 15 in 2000. Tucker hit the first regular season home run at Turner Field off Kevin Foster in the third inning of the Braves' 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on April 4, 1997.[4]
In August 2005, San Francisco traded Tucker to the Philadelphia Phillies for
On January 9, 2006, Tucker agreed to a one-year contract with the
Tucker was basically a streaky line drive hitter with gap power whose struggles against left-handed pitching made him a platoon player throughout his career. Although his 108 stolen bases career total doesn't show it, he was an aggressive and smart base runner. In the field, Tucker had the ability to play all outfield positions well, particularly in right field. He had good range and a strong and accurate arm.
Return to pro baseball
In 2009, Tucker came back to baseball by signing with the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League. He was inactivated, after playing 12 games hitting .231 and considered retirement in May 2009. But Tucker signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on July 15, 2009 and, in 57 games, he hit .332.
References
- ^ "Michael Tucker Stats".
- ^ "Southern Maryland Blue Crabs - Waldorf, MD Baseball". Archived from the original on 2013-08-08. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles at Kansas City Royals Box Score, April 26, 1995".
- ^ "Retrosheet Boxscore: Atlanta Braves 5, Chicago Cubs 4".
- ^ PawSox.com - Player Moves
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)