Floyd Rayford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Floyd Rayford
Third baseman / Catcher
Born: (1957-07-27) July 27, 1957 (age 68) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 17, 1980, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last appearance
September 16, 1987, for the Baltimore Orioles
MLB statistics
Batting average	.244
Home runs	38
Runs batted in	117
Teams
Baltimore Orioles (1980, 1982) St. Louis Cardinals (1983) Baltimore Orioles (1984–1987)

Floyd Kinnard "Sugar Bear" Rayford is a former professional baseball player. He was born on July 27, 1957. Floyd played for seven seasons in the Major Leagues. He was known as "Sugar Bear" because of his friendly, round shape. Fans really liked him!

Floyd mostly played third base and catcher. But he was a "utility man," meaning he could play many different positions. He played four different spots during his time in the Major Leagues. After his playing career, he also worked as a batting coach for the Rochester Red Wings.

Early Baseball Days

Floyd Rayford's journey in professional baseball started in 1975. He was drafted as a catcher right out of Manual Arts High School. The California Angels picked him in the fourth round of the amateur draft.

He spent five years, from 1975 to 1979, playing in the Angels' minor league system. In 1979, he played at the Triple-A level for the Salt Lake City Gulls. This is just one step below the Major Leagues. In his first Triple-A season, he hit really well. He batted .294 and hit 13 home runs while playing third base.

Playing for the Baltimore Orioles (First Time)

After playing one season with the Gulls, Floyd Rayford was traded. He went from the Angels to the Baltimore Orioles. This trade happened in exchange for another player, Larry Harlow.

In 1980, Floyd made his big debut in the Major Leagues with the Orioles. He played in 8 games that year. Most of his time was spent with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings. He stayed with the Red Wings for all of 1981. During that year, he played in the longest game in baseball history. He even caught for his team in the 31st inning of that super long game!

In 1982, Floyd returned to the Major Leagues with the Orioles. However, he didn't hit as well that season. He batted only .132 in 34 games.

An interesting fact from 1982 is about Cal Ripken Jr.. Cal Ripken Jr. started his amazing streak of playing 2,632 games in a row that year. Floyd Rayford was the player Cal Ripken Jr. replaced in the lineup to start that streak. Floyd had a day off in a doubleheader, and Cal Ripken Jr. started at third base instead.

Floyd went back to Rochester in 1983. He had a great season there, hitting .371 in 42 games.

Time with the St. Louis Cardinals

Floyd Rayford was traded again on June 13, 1983. This time, he went to the St. Louis Cardinals. He became the backup third baseman for the Cardinals that year. He played in 56 games and hit .212 for them.

Back with the Baltimore Orioles (Second Time)

Less than a year after trading him, the Orioles wanted Floyd back! They bought his contract from the Cardinals before the 1984 season. In his first year back with the Orioles, he mainly played as a backup catcher. His hitting got much better, and his batting average reached .256 in 1984.

In 1985, Floyd shared time as the regular third baseman. This was his best year ever in baseball! He hit .306, which is excellent. He also hit 18 home runs and had 48 runs batted in. These were all career highs for him.

For the 1986 season, people thought he would become the main catcher. But his hitting numbers dropped, and he batted only .176. He was sent back to Rochester again. In 1987, he split his time between Baltimore and Rochester. He batted .220 in the Major Leagues. This turned out to be his final season in the big leagues.

Minor League Coaching Career

Before he officially stopped playing, Floyd Rayford played parts of three more seasons. From 1989 to 1991, he played for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. He played in 81 games for them over those three years.

During his last two seasons with the Red Barons, Floyd was a player-coach. This meant he was still playing but also helping coach the team. This started his long career as a minor league coach. Since 1990, he has coached eight different minor league teams. In 1996, he spent one season as a minor league manager for the Batavia Clippers. He was also a coach for the Rock Cats from 2005 onwards.