Chuck Knoblauch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chuck Knoblauch |
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: July 7, 1968 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 9, 1991, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 2002, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .289 | ||
| Home runs | 98 | ||
| Runs batted in | 615 | ||
| Stolen bases | 407 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Chuck Knoblauch, born on July 7, 1968, is a former American professional baseball player. He played for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a star player for teams like the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. Chuck mainly played as a second baseman during his career.
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Growing Up with Baseball
Chuck Knoblauch was born in Houston, Texas. Baseball was a big part of his family. His father and uncle both played and managed in the minor leagues. Chuck played baseball for Bellaire High School. Even though he broke his leg in his senior year, his team won the state championship.
After high school, Chuck went to Texas A&M University. He played college baseball for the Texas A&M Aggies. He was a very good player, earning an All-American honor. In 1988, he played summer baseball for the Wareham Gatemen. He was named the league's best professional prospect. Later, he was even added to the CCBL Hall of Fame.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Starting with the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins picked Chuck Knoblauch in the 1989 MLB draft. He quickly became a key player. In 1991, he won the Rookie of the Year award. That same year, he helped the Twins win the World Series. In Game 7 of that series, he made a clever play. He pretended to start a double play to confuse an opposing runner.
From 1994 to 1996, Chuck was an excellent hitter. His batting average was over .300 in these years. In 1997, he won a Gold Glove Award for his great fielding at second base. He also stole more than 40 bases in three straight seasons.
Chuck asked to be traded from the Twins. This made some fans upset. When he returned to play against the Twins, fans sometimes booed him.
Joining the New York Yankees
In 1998, Chuck Knoblauch joined the New York Yankees. Fans were excited to see him play alongside star shortstop Derek Jeter. He hit a career-high 17 home runs that year. The Yankees had an amazing season, winning 114 games.
Chuck was part of the Yankees teams that won three World Series championships. They won in 1998, 1999, and 2000. In Game 3 of the 1999 World Series, he hit a dramatic two-run home run. This helped the Yankees tie the game, which they later won. In the 2001 World Series, he scored the winning run in Game 5.
Playing for the Kansas City Royals
Towards the end of his career, Chuck's hitting became more difficult. He joined the Kansas City Royals in 2002. He played in 80 games as a left fielder. After that season, he did not get a new contract. In 2003, Chuck Knoblauch announced his retirement from baseball.
Fielding Challenges
Chuck Knoblauch was once known as one of the best fielders in baseball. However, during his time with the Yankees, he started having trouble throwing the ball accurately to first base. This problem is sometimes called the "yips" in baseball.
He tried different ways to fix his throwing. But his accuracy did not fully improve. In 2000, he made many throwing errors. During one game, a throw went into the stands and hit a sportscaster's mother. After a tough game in June 2000, he left the game early. He later returned, but he often played as a designated hitter instead of second base. In 2001, he was moved to left field permanently.
Baseball Legacy
Chuck Knoblauch was a four-time All-Star. In his career, he had a batting average of .289. He hit 98 home runs and had 615 runs batted in. He was also a great base runner. He stole 25 or more bases in 10 of his 12 seasons. He finished his career with 407 stolen bases. This is the most for the Twins team since they moved to Minnesota in 1961. In 2018, Chuck returned to Yankee Stadium to celebrate the 1998 championship team.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report
- List of Texas A&M University people
