Homer Bush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Homer Bush |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Bush at Old-Timer's Day in 2010
|
|||
| Second baseman / Manager | |||
| Born: November 12, 1972 East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| August 16, 1997, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 8, 2004, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .285 | ||
| Home runs | 11 | ||
| Runs batted in | 115 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Homer Giles Bush, born on November 12, 1972, is a former American professional baseball player. He was a second baseman, which is a player who fields near second base. Homer played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Florida Marlins. He played from 1997 to 2002 and then again in 2004. Homer was part of the Yankees team that won the 1998 World Series championship. They won against the San Diego Padres.
Contents
Homer Bush: A High School Sports Star
Homer Bush went to East St. Louis High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. He was an amazing wide receiver in football. A book called The Right Kind Of Heroes talks about him. This book was written by Kevin Horrigan. It tells the story of Coach Bob Shannon and the successful East St. Louis Flyers football team in 1989 and 1990. The book often mentions Bush as the team's most important player. It also describes him as a very friendly person.
Bush still holds some impressive Illinois State High School football records. He has the record for the most touchdowns scored in one season. He also holds the record for the most receiving yards in a single season. Because of his great skills, he was chosen for the All-Century team for Illinois High School Football.
After high school, the University of Missouri wanted Bush to play receiver for their football team. However, Homer decided to follow his dream of playing baseball instead.
Homer Bush's Early Baseball Career
The San Diego Padres picked Homer Bush in the seventh round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. This was his first step into professional baseball.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
In his first year in the minor leagues, Bush played for the Arizona Padres. This team was part of the Rookie-level Arizona League. He batted really well, with an average of .323. In 1992, he played for the Charleston Rainbows. This was a Class A team in the South Atlantic League. His batting average was .234 that year.
Rising Through the Ranks
In 1993, Bush played for the Waterloo Diamonds in the Class A Midwest League. He batted .322 and stole 39 bases. He was named the Minor League Player of the Year for the Padres organization. During the winter, he played baseball in Australia. He batted .364 there and won the batting title. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
In 1994, Bush played for two different teams. He spent time with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the Class A-Advanced California League, where he hit .335. He also played for the Wichita Wranglers in the Class AA Texas League, hitting .298. That off-season, he played in the Australian Baseball League with the Brisbane Bandits.
In 1995, Bush played for the Memphis Chicks. This was a Class AA team in the Southern League. He hit .280 and stole 34 bases. In 1996, Bush was promoted to the Las Vegas Stars. This was a Class AAA team in the Pacific Coast League. He was hitting .362 before he broke his leg, which ended his season.
Joining the Yankees Organization
In 1997, the Padres traded Bush to the New York Yankees. He was traded along with pitcher Hideki Irabu. In return, the Padres received outfielder Rubén Rivera and pitcher Rafael Medina. Bush split his time between the Columbus Clippers and the New York Yankees. The Clippers were a Class AAA team in the International League. Bush played 11 times for the Yankees and hit .364.
Homer Bush's Major League Career
Homer Bush officially joined the New York Yankees major league team in 1998. He was a key part of the team that won the 1998 World Series championship. During the regular season, he batted an impressive .380. He also stole six bases in only 45 games. After the 1998 season, Bush was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He was traded with pitchers Graeme Lloyd and David Wells for pitcher Roger Clemens.
Playing for the Blue Jays and Marlins
Bush played for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1999 to 2002. His best season was in 1999, when he batted .320 and stole 32 bases. In 2000, hip injuries limited his playing time, and he batted .215. He bounced back in 2001, hitting .306. Overall, Bush had a .283 batting average during his years in Toronto.
The Blue Jays released him early in 2002. He then signed with the Florida Marlins and finished the season with them. Bush did not play baseball in 2003 because of his ongoing hip injuries.
Return to the Yankees and Retirement
In 2004, the New York Yankees signed a healthy Homer Bush again. However, he did not play much that season. The Yankees invited him to their spring training in 2005. But because of his recurring hip problems, Bush decided to leave spring training and retire from baseball.
Life After Professional Baseball
After retiring from baseball, Homer Bush started a new career. He became a financial analyst for a company called Merrill Lynch. He worked in finance until the Great Recession, a time when the economy was very difficult.
In 2014, Bush returned to baseball as a hitting coach for the Eugene Emeralds. In 2016, the Texas Rangers hired him. He became their director of youth baseball programs, helping young players develop their skills.
More recently, in 2022, Bush was named the manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. This team plays in the MLB Draft League. In 2023, he became the new manager for the Staten Island FerryHawks. This team is part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Personal Life
Homer Bush is married to Monica, and they have two children. Their children are named Jailyn and Homer Jr. The family lives in Southlake, Texas. His son, Homer Jr., was chosen by the Padres in the 4th round of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.
Writings
- Hitting Low in the Zone: A New Baseball Paradigm TN, Paige1Publishing 2015 ISBN: 978-1-937250-77-5
