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 Major League Baseball (MLB) player. He was a left fielder for 17 seasons. He played for teams like the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, and New York Mets. Today, Cliff Floyd is a baseball analyst. He co-hosts shows on Sirius XM Radio and appears on MLB Network.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Cliff Floyd was born in 1972 to Cornelius Clifford Floyd Sr. and Olivia Floyd. He grew up in Markham, Illinois, near Chicago. Cliff was an only child for 13 years. Later, his brother Julius was born. His family also adopted his sister Shanta. She was a classmate of Julius' who needed a loving home. Cliff's father worked hard to make sure the family lived in a safe neighborhood.
At Thornwood High School, Cliff was a fantastic athlete. He played baseball, football, and basketball. In baseball, he was amazing, hitting .508 with 130 RBI in his last two years. He led his team to win the Illinois state baseball championship. Many colleges wanted him to play for them. But in 1991, the Montreal Expos picked him in the first round of the MLB draft. Cliff decided to start his professional baseball career instead of going to college.
Major League Baseball Career
Montreal Expos (First Time)
Before joining the Expos, Cliff Floyd was named The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year in 1993. He made his MLB debut that same year when he was just 21. He played 10 games with the Expos. In 1994, he hit a memorable home run off famous pitcher Greg Maddux. Cliff loved his time in Montreal. He says it helped him grow as a player and a person.
Florida Marlins
In 1997, the Expos traded Cliff to the Florida Marlins. That year, he helped the Marlins win the World Series. It was his only World Series championship. In 1998, he became a regular player in the Marlins' outfield. By 2000, he was hitting .300 with 22 home runs and 91 RBI. In 2001, Cliff had an amazing year. He hit 31 home runs and had a career-best .317 batting average and 103 RBI. He was also chosen for his first and only All-Star Game.
Montreal Expos (Second Time)
In 2002, Cliff was traded back to the Montreal Expos from the Marlins. This time, his stay was very short. He played in only 15 games before being traded again.
Boston Red Sox
On July 30, 2002, Cliff Floyd was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He played well for the Red Sox, hitting .317 in 47 games.
New York Mets
In 2003, Cliff signed with the New York Mets. He played well for the Mets, but injuries kept him off the field in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, he stayed healthy. He hit a career-high 34 home runs, leading the team. The next year, injuries bothered him again. He played only 97 games. Even so, he made the final catch that helped the Mets win their division.
Chicago Cubs
On January 21, 2007, Cliff signed a one-year deal with his hometown team, the Chicago Cubs. In August 2007, he missed nine games to mourn the death of his father. When he returned, he helped the Cubs win a game by driving in the winning runs.
Tampa Bay Rays
On December 14, 2007, Cliff signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2008, he often played as a designated hitter for the Rays.
San Diego Padres
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. This was his last team in MLB.
Career Highlights
In his 17 seasons, Cliff Floyd played 1621 games. He had a .278 batting average. He hit 233 home runs and had 865 RBI. He also stole 148 stolen bases. He was a good fielder, playing all three outfield positions and first base.
Broadcasting Career
After retiring from playing, Cliff Floyd became a baseball broadcaster. In 2010, he started working for Fox Sports Florida. He also joined SportsNet New York in 2015 to analyze New York Mets games.
Today, Cliff is a co-host on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio. He also appears on MLB Network's show MLB Tonight. In 2018, he became an analyst for the Toronto Blue Jays on Sportsnet. In 2022, he joined Marquee Sports Network and Apple TV+'s Friday Night Baseball.
Personal Life
Cliff Floyd lives in Florida with his longtime partner Maryanne Manning. They have three children: Bria, Tobias, and Layla. His mother also lives with them, along with his sister Shanta's two children. Shanta passed away in 2006 after a long illness.
In 1997, Cliff appeared on the TV show Saturday Night Live 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
Images for kids
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Cliff Floyd with the New York Mets
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Cliff Floyd talking to hitting coach Jim Lefebvre for the San Diego Padres in 2009
