Gary Ward (outfielder) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gary Ward |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Left fielder | |||
| Born: December 6, 1953 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 3, 1979, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1990, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .276 | ||
| Home runs | 130 | ||
| Runs batted in | 597 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Gary Lamell Ward, born on December 6, 1953, is a former American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1979 to 1990. He played for several teams, including the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers. Gary is also the father of another former MLB player, Daryle Ward.
Playing Baseball in the Major Leagues
Gary Ward started his professional baseball journey when he was signed by the Minnesota Twins in 1972. He made his first appearance in the major leagues late in the 1979 season. He played a few games for the Twins that year and also in 1980.
On September 18, 1980, Gary Ward achieved something very special. He became the sixth Twins player to hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game! He did this in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. What's even more amazing is that this was only the 14th game of his career. This is still an MLB record for the fewest games played before hitting for the cycle.
In 1981, Gary was named the American League Rookie of the Year by Baseball Digest. He also earned the Twins Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards in 1982. That year, he had a great season, hitting for a .289 average. He also hit 28 home runs and had 91 runs batted in.
In 1983, he continued to play well, hitting .278 with 19 home runs and 88 RBI. He was also excellent in the outfield, leading all outfielders with 24 assists. This was the most for an American League outfielder since 1944. After this successful season, he was traded to the Texas Rangers.
With the Texas Rangers, Gary continued his strong performance. In his first year with the team, he hit .284 with 21 home runs and 79 RBI. He also set a team record with 7 triples and scored a personal high of 97 runs. He led the Rangers in batting average in both 1985 and 1986.
After his time with the Rangers, he joined the New York Yankees in 1987. He played well in the first half of that season. He then played as a part-time player for the next two seasons. He finished his career with the Detroit Tigers in 1990.
Gary Ward was chosen to be an All-Star twice, in 1983 and 1985. Throughout his career, he had a .276 batting average. He hit 130 home runs, had 1,236 hits, and 597 RBI. He also scored 594 runs, hit 196 doubles, 41 triples, and stole 83 stolen bases in 1,287 games.
Life After Playing Baseball
After retiring as a player, Gary Ward became a coach in Minor League Baseball. He coached for several teams that are part of the Chicago White Sox organization. These teams included the Charlotte Knights, Winston-Salem Dash, Birmingham Barons, and Arizona League White Sox.
In 2004, Gary's son, Daryle Ward, also hit for the cycle. This made Gary and Daryle the first father-son duo in Major League Baseball history to each hit for the cycle! Later, Craig and Cavan Biggio also achieved this rare feat in 2019.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
