Brian McRae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brian McRae |
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McRae in 2011
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| Park Pirates | |||
| Center fielder / Coach | |||
| Born: August 27, 1967 Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 7, 1990, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1999, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .261 | ||
| Home runs | 103 | ||
| Runs batted in | 532 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Brian Wesley McRae (born August 27, 1967) is a former American Major League Baseball player. He played as a center fielder for several teams. These included the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, and Toronto Blue Jays. His career in the big leagues lasted from 1990 to 1999.
Brian is the son of Hal McRae, who was also a famous baseball player. Hal was an All-Star and later a manager. Brian had a special experience: his dad managed him for four seasons with the Kansas City Royals. This was a rare event in baseball history. It was only the fourth time a major league manager coached his own son.
Brian was a switch hitter, meaning he could bat from both sides of the plate. He threw the ball with his right hand. He was often the leadoff batter for his team. This means he was the first player to bat in the game. Brian was also good at staying healthy. He played in many games each season. He played 150 or more games in five different years.
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Brian McRae's Early Baseball Career
Brian McRae was born in Bradenton, Florida. He went to high school in Florida and Missouri. He was good at both football and baseball. In 1985, many thought he would be picked later in the baseball draft. Brian said he would go to college and play both sports. The University of Kansas offered him a football scholarship.
However, the Kansas City Royals surprised everyone. They picked Brian in the first round of the draft. He was the 17th player chosen overall. The Royals offered him a lot of money to sign. So, Brian decided to skip college sports and play professional baseball.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Brian did not hit very well when he first started playing. He was in the Royals' minor league system. But he was very good at stealing bases. He stole 88 bases in his first three seasons. In 1987, Brian and his father, Hal, made history. They were the first father-son pair to play in a major league game together. This happened during a spring training game.
In 1990, the Royals' main center fielder, Bo Jackson, got hurt. The team tried a few other players. Then they gave Brian McRae a chance in August. He played well in the major leagues. When Bo Jackson returned, he moved to left field. Brian became the everyday center fielder. He held this position for the next four seasons.
Playing for the Kansas City Royals
In 1991, Brian's father, Hal McRae, became the Royals' manager. Brian played center field regularly. His hitting stats were generally average during his time in Kansas City. On July 14, 1991, Brian had a great game. He hit a two-run home run and a grand slam. This gave him six RBI (runs batted in), which was his career high.
Less than a week later, Brian started a 22-game hitting streak. This means he got a hit in 22 games in a row. This streak lasted from July 20 to August 13. The year 1993 was one of his best with the Royals. He had good numbers in many hitting categories. However, he also had a career-high 105 strikeouts that year.
Playing for Different Teams
In 1994, Brian's salary increased a lot. He was doing well in singles and stolen bases. But the season ended early because of a baseball strike. In April 1995, Brian was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played very well for the Cubs. He finished fourth in the National League with 167 hits. He also had a career-high 38 doubles.
In 1996, Brian set new career highs. He scored 111 runs and stole 37 bases. He was caught stealing only nine times. This meant he was successful 80% of the time, which was his best rate ever.
Moving to the Mets and Rockies
In 1997, Brian's performance declined. The Cubs traded him to the New York Mets in August. He played for the Mets for the rest of that season. In 1998, Brian had a strong year with the Mets. He led the team in doubles, triples, and stolen bases. He also set career highs in home runs, RBI, and walks.
On September 14, Brian hit an exciting home run. It was a two-run homer in the ninth inning. This tied the game against the Houston Astros. The Mets won that game. However, they just barely missed making it to the playoffs that year.
In 1999, Brian was traded again. The Mets sent him to the Colorado Rockies. Just nine days later, he was traded once more. This time he went to the Toronto Blue Jays. Brian did not hit well for the Blue Jays. He was eventually replaced by another player, Vernon Wells. After the season, Brian became a free agent. This marked the end of his playing career.
What Brian McRae Did After Baseball
After his baseball career, Brian McRae continued to be involved in sports. He had studied broadcast journalism in college. He worked as a baseball analyst for TV channels like WGN-TV and SportsChannel.
Brian also worked for MLB.com radio for five years. He appeared on ESPN's Baseball Tonight show. He even became a part-owner of a radio station in Kansas City called WHB 810 AM.
Brian also spends time helping others. He has worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. He also supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Brian helped start a charity event called "50 In 50." For this event, he and two friends planned to play golf on 50 courses in 50 states in 50 days. Their goal was to raise over $1 million for cancer research.
Brian also coaches baseball. He coaches for NAIA Park University in Kansas City. He also teaches young kids at baseball camps in the area. In 2016, Brian signed a contract to be the Head Coach for the Victoria HarbourCats team.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
