Danny Napoleon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Danny Napoleon |
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: January 11, 1942 Claysburg, Pennsylvania |
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| Died: April 26, 2003 (aged 61) Trenton, New Jersey |
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| debut | |||
| April 14, 1965, for the New York Mets | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 1966, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .162 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 7 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Daniel Napoleon (born January 11, 1942, died April 26, 2003) was a professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was part of the New York Mets team from 1965 to 1966. Danny, as he was known, was right-handed when he batted and threw the ball.
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Danny's Early Life and Baseball Start
Danny Napoleon was a talented athlete. He played many sports in high school, like baseball, football, basketball, and track. He went to Morrisville High School in Pennsylvania.
After high school, Danny played baseball at Rider University. There, the New York Mets baseball team noticed his skills. He signed with them as a free agent before the 1964 season began.
In his first year of professional baseball, Danny played for the Auburn Mets. He had a great season, hitting for a .351 average. He also hit 36 home runs and had 134 runs batted in. His strong play helped the Auburn Mets finish first in their league. The Mets then added him to their main roster to keep him from being picked by other teams.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Danny Napoleon made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on April 14, 1965. This was during an extra innings game against the Houston Astros. In his very first time at bat in the major leagues, he hit a single.
Just ten days later, Danny hit a special kind of hit called a triple. This happened when the bases were loaded with other players. This hit brought in three runs for his team.
Even though Danny was mostly an outfielder, he played his first six games at third base. He often came into games as a pinch hitter (to bat for someone else) or a pinch runner (to run for someone else). In August 1965, he was sent to a lower league team to get more playing time. He played 30 games for the Buffalo Bisons, hitting .274. He returned to the Mets later that year.
In 1966, Danny played for the Jacksonville Suns. He was one of the team's best hitters, with 15 home runs and 53 runs batted in. He was called back up to the Mets in September and played 12 games.
After the Mets
In 1967, Danny Napoleon was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals team. He played for their minor league team, the Tulsa Oilers.
He continued to play well in the minor leagues. In 1969, he hit for a .314 average with the Arkansas Travelers. He played and coached for the Travelers until 1971. However, he did not return to play in the major leagues.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Danny Napoleon played professional softball in 1977. He was part of the New Jersey Statesmen team.
Danny also worked for the New Jersey State Department of Treasury. He was also one of the first employees at the Candlelight Lounge in Trenton. At the time of his death, he worked for General Motors. Danny Napoleon passed away on April 26, 2003. He was survived by his wife and three children.
