Cliff Floyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cliff Floyd |
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Floyd batting for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: December 5, 1972 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 18, 1993, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 17, 2009, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .278 | ||
| Home runs | 233 | ||
| Runs batted in | 865 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Cornelius Clifford Floyd Jr. (born December 5, 1972) is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons. He is best known for his time with the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets. After retiring from playing, he became a baseball analyst. He now co-hosts shows on Sirius XM Radio and appears on MLB Network and Marquee Sports Network.
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Early Life and High School Sports
Cliff Floyd grew up in Markham, Illinois, a small town near Chicago. His parents, Cornelius Sr. and Olivia, worked hard to provide a good home for him and his younger siblings, Julius and Shanta.
Cliff was a talented athlete at Thornwood High School. He was a star in three different sports: baseball, football, and basketball. In basketball, he helped his team reach the Class AA Sectional Playoffs. For baseball, he was an amazing hitter, getting a .508 average in his last two years. He also helped his team win the Illinois Class AA state baseball championship.
Many colleges wanted him to play for them, but Cliff chose a different path. The Montreal Expos picked him as the 14th player in the first round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. Cliff decided to start his professional baseball career right away in the minor leagues.
Major League Baseball Career
Starting with the Montreal Expos
Before joining the main Expos team, Cliff Floyd was named The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1993. He played very well for teams like the Harrisburg Senators and the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx.
He made his big league debut with the Expos in 1993 when he was just 21 years old. A memorable moment happened in 1994 when he hit a home run off famous pitcher Greg Maddux. Even though he didn't hit many home runs during his first time with the Expos, Cliff has said he really enjoyed his time in Montreal. He felt it helped him grow as a player and a person.
Winning a World Series with the Florida Marlins
In 1997, Cliff was traded to the Florida Marlins. That same year, he helped the Marlins win the World Series, which was his only championship. In 1998, he became a regular starter in the Marlins' outfield.
The year 2000 was a great one for Cliff. He hit for a .300 average with 22 home runs and 91 RBI. He even hit two "walk-off" home runs, which means his home run won the game in the final inning. In 2001, he had his best season, hitting 31 home runs and setting career highs with a .317 batting average and 103 RBIs. Because of his excellent play, he was chosen to play in his first and only All-Star Game.
Short Stints with Other Teams
In 2002, Cliff was traded back to the Montreal Expos from the Marlins. However, his second time with the Expos was very short. He played only 15 games before being traded again.
On July 30, 2002, Cliff was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He played well for the Red Sox, hitting .317 in 47 games.
Playing for the New York Mets
In 2003, Cliff signed with the New York Mets. He played well for the Mets, but injuries kept him from playing a full season in 2003 and 2004. However, in 2005, he stayed healthy and had a fantastic year. He hit a career-high 34 home runs, which was the most on his team.
In 2006, injuries bothered him again, and he played in only 97 games. Still, he was part of the Mets team that won their division. He even caught the final out that secured the division title for the Mets.
Later Career Teams
On January 21, 2007, Cliff signed a one-year deal to play for his hometown team, the Chicago Cubs. He missed some games in August 2007 to mourn the passing of his father. When he returned, he helped the Cubs win a game against the San Francisco Giants by hitting the winning runs.
In 2008, Cliff signed with the Tampa Bay Rays. He often played as a designated hitter against right-handed pitchers.
On February 5, 2009, Cliff agreed to a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. He was released by the Padres on October 8, 2009, which marked the end of his playing career.
Career Statistics Overview
Over 17 seasons and 1621 games, Cliff Floyd had a .278 batting average. He hit 233 home runs and had 865 RBI. He was also a good fielder, playing all three outfield positions and even first base.
Broadcasting Career
After retiring from playing baseball, Cliff Floyd began a career in broadcasting. In 2010, he started working for Fox Sports Florida.
He made his debut as an analyst for FOX Sports' Baseball Night in America in 2014. In 2015, he joined SportsNet New York to analyze New York Mets games.
Today, Cliff is a co-host on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio and Fantasy Sports Radio. He also appears on the MLB Network's main show, MLB Tonight. In 2018, he became an analyst for Sportsnet covering the Toronto Blue Jays. Since 2022, he has been a studio analyst for the Marquee Sports Network and also appears on Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball.
Personal Life
Cliff Floyd lives in Florida with his family. He appeared on an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1997 with other MLB players. He also appeared on Seasons 9 and 10 of the Canadian TV show Dragons' Den.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
