Tom Prince (baseball)
Tom Prince | |
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![]() Prince with the Toledo Mud Hens in 2021 | |
Catcher | |
Born: Kankakee, Illinois, U.S. | August 13, 1964|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 22, 1987, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 28, 2003, for the Kansas City Royals | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .208 |
Home runs | 24 |
Runs batted in | 140 |
Teams | |
Thomas Albert Prince (born August 13, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player, and coach.[1] He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1987 to 2003. Although Prince didn't produce impressive offensive statistics, he excelled defensively as a catcher which enabled him to sustain a seventeen-year playing career with several major league teams.[2]
After his playing career, he served as a coach and manager in the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Tigers minor league organizations.
Baseball career
Primarily a catcher during his playing career, Prince batted and threw with his right hand. He was listed as 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) tall and 185 lbs. After a successful career at
Prince enjoyed a strong defensive reputation as a prospect, but his offensive production fluctuated wildly as he advanced through the system. With the
After a promotion to the AAA
Prince ultimately settled in as a backup catcher, relying on solid defense to compensate for a weak bat.[2] He would never total even 200 at-bats in a single major league season, but he spent parts of seventeen years in the big leagues with the Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and Kansas City Royals. During that time, he caught for some of the best pitchers in baseball, including Cy Young winners Doug Drabek and Johan Santana, and six-time All-Star Curt Schilling.
Career statistics
In a seventeen-year major league career, Prince played in 519
Post-playing career
After retiring as a player, Prince retained his connection with professional baseball. On July 18, 2004, he was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame.[6][7] In 2005, he became the manager of the Williamsport Crosscutters in the New York–Penn League and in his first year, led them to the playoffs.[8] After one more year in Williamsport, Prince became the manager of the Pirates' Gulf Coast League team in Bradenton, Florida in 2007.[8] In 2014, he took the helm as the fourth manager of the Pirates' Advanced-A Bradenton Marauders in Bradenton, Florida.[9] In January 2015, Prince was named as the manager for the Pirates' Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve.[10] He spent 2016 as the Pirates' minor league field coordinator and on October 29, 2016, he was named bench coach for the major league team for the 2017 season.[11]
Toledo Mud Hens
On December 3, 2019, Prince was named the manager of the Toledo Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers' Triple-A affiliate.[12] After leading the Mud Hens to a first place in the division in 2021, Prince was released by the Tigers organization on October 6, 2021.[13]
References
- ^ a b c "Tom Prince statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- ^ a b Doyle, Al (November 2002). "Sustaining a Long Career". Baseball Digest. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Tom Prince MLB Draft data". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ "Tom Prince Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Tom Prince minor league statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ "Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame". MiLB.com. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
- ^ "Tom Prince - Bisons Catcher - Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame".
- ^ a b "Tom Prince managerial statistics". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
- ^ "Marauders announce 2014 field staff". milb.com. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ Biertempfel, Rob (January 15, 2015). "Pirates Notebook: Assignments Finalized".
- ^ "Cora, Prince joining Pirates' major league staff". milb.com. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- MLive.com. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ "Detroit Tigers fire Triple-A Toledo manager Tom Prince after first-place finish".
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Tom Prince at Baseball Almanac
- Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by | Gulf Coast League Pirates Manager 2007–2012 |
Succeeded by Milver Reyes
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