Daryle Ward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Daryle Ward |
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Ward with the Newark Bears in 2012
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| First baseman / Left fielder | |||
| Born: June 27, 1975 Lynwood, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 14, 1998, for the Houston Astros | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 27, 2008, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .263 | ||
| Home runs | 90 | ||
| Runs batted in | 379 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Daryle Lamar Ward was born on June 27, 1975. He is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman and left fielder. Daryle played for 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned from 1998 to 2008. He played for teams like the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Cubs. Daryle is the son of Gary Ward, who was also a major league baseball player. As of 2025, Daryle Ward is the Hitting Coach for the Louisville Bats. This team is part of the Cincinnati Reds organization.
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Daryle Ward's Baseball Career
Daryle Ward joined the Houston Astros in December 1996. This happened as part of a big trade involving ten players. In 1999, he won the AAA Home Run Derby. This event took place in his team's home stadium. The very next day, he hit a three-run home run in the All-Star Game. This helped his team, the PCL, win the game.
He started playing in the MLB in 1999. He hit 8 home runs in 150 "at-bats." An "at-bat" is when a player tries to hit the ball. In 2000, he hit 20 home runs in only 264 at-bats. For his third season with the Astros, Ward had a batting average of .263. This means he got a hit about 26.3% of the time. He also hit 9 home runs and had 39 RBI in 95 games. An RBI is when a player's hit helps a teammate score a run.
In 2002, he had a batting average of .276. He hit 12 home runs and had 72 RBIs in 136 games. On July 6, 2002, he made history. He became the first player to hit a home run completely out of Pittsburgh's PNC Park. The ball flew directly into the Allegheny River. This amazing hit was a grand slam. It happened during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Playing for Different Teams
After the 2002 season, the Astros traded Ward to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played a part-time role in 2003. He had a batting average of .183. After that season, the Dodgers let him go. The Pirates then signed him.
Ward played better in 2004. The Pirates signed him again for 2005. He played as their part-time first baseman. Later, Ward joined the Chicago Cubs for the 2007 season. In his career, Ward played 549 games. He had a batting average of .259. He hit 65 home runs and had 254 RBIs.
2004 Season Highlights
In 2004, Ward was called up from the Triple-A Nashville Sounds team. He started playing very well. On May 26, 2004, Ward achieved something special. He hit for the cycle in the Pirates' 11–8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Hitting for the cycle means a player hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game.
In that game, Ward hit a two-run double in the first inning. He hit an RBI triple in the fourth. He then hit a three-run homer in the fifth. Finally, he hit a single in the ninth inning. He was the first Pittsburgh player to hit for the cycle since Jason Kendall in 2000.
Ward and his father, Gary, made history together. They became the first father-son duo in MLB history to both hit for the cycle. Gary Ward did it in 1980 for the Minnesota Twins. Later, Craig and Cavan Biggio also achieved this in 2019. Ward's performance slowed down later in the 2004 season due to a wrist injury. He finished the season with a .249 batting average.
2006 Season
On August 31, 2006, Ward was traded to the Atlanta Braves. This trade was for a minor-league pitcher named Luis Atilano.
2007 Season
On December 7, 2006, the Chicago Cubs signed Ward. He signed a one-year deal. He had played well in 2006 for Washington and Atlanta. He replaced John Mabry as a backup first baseman. On May 6, Ward hit a game-winning single against his old team, the Washington Nationals. He also played as a pinch hitter in close games. A pinch hitter is a player who bats in place of another player. On August 18, Ward hit a grand slam. This was his third career grand slam and his first for the Cubs. Ward ended the season with a career-high .327 batting average.
2008 Season
On August 15, 2008, Ward hit a three-run pinch-hit home run. This happened in the ninth inning. It helped the Cubs win 6–5 against the Florida Marlins. This win was their ninth straight road win. Ward became a free agent at the end of the season. He finished the 2008 season with a .216 batting average.
Minor League Career
After his MLB career, Daryle Ward continued to play baseball. On February 5, 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He was released by the Reds in March 2009. He then played for the Newark Bears in April. Later, he signed with the Chicago White Sox and played for their Triple-A team.
In August 2009, he was traded to the Washington Nationals organization. He played for the Syracuse Chiefs. Ward started the 2010 season with the Newark Bears again. He signed another minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox in November 2010.
Ward played his second full season with the Newark Bears in 2011. He played as a first baseman and designated hitter. A designated hitter is a player who only bats and does not play defense. In August 2011, he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was released in September 2011.
Ward played for the Lancaster Barnstormers in 2012 and 2013. He also played for the Somerset Patriots and in the Mexican League in 2014. In 2015, he signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. He later signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters in August 2015.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Daryle Ward became a coach. In 2023, he was named the hitting coach for the Chattanooga Lookouts. In 2025, Ward became the hitting coach for the Louisville Bats. This team is the Triple-A team for the Cincinnati Reds.
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
