John Mayberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Mayberry |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: February 18, 1949 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 10, 1968, for the Houston Astros | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1982, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .253 | ||
| Home runs | 255 | ||
| Runs batted in | 879 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Claiborn Mayberry Sr. (born February 18, 1949) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) player. He played as a first baseman from 1968 to 1982. John Mayberry Sr. played for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees. He was chosen for the All-Star team two times.
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
John Mayberry Sr. grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He went to Northwestern High School and graduated in 1967. John was a very talented athlete in high school. He played baseball, football, and basketball. He was even named to the Detroit News All-State Basketball Team twice!
Becoming a Professional Player
After high school, John Mayberry was picked by the Houston Astros in the 1967 MLB draft. He was the sixth player chosen overall. He was the second first baseman picked that year.
As an 18-year-old, Mayberry started playing in the minor leagues. He played for the Covington Astros in 1967. He hit 4 home runs and had a batting average of .252.
Moving Up in the Minor Leagues
In 1968, John Mayberry continued to improve. He played at three different levels of minor league baseball. His batting average was very good at .320. He hit 23 home runs that season.
He even got to play in four major league games that year. During this time, he met the famous baseball player Hank Aaron. Mayberry remembered thinking, "So this is the Hammer, this is Henry Aaron."
In 1969, Mayberry played for the Oklahoma City 89ers. He hit 21 home runs and had a .303 batting average. He also had 78 runs batted in (RBI). He showed a lot of power in his hitting. He also walked more times than he struck out.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Starting with the Houston Astros
John Mayberry played his first full season in the major leagues in 1970 with the Houston Astros. He got his first career hit in April 1970. It was a single against the San Francisco Giants.
In 1971, he split his time between the minor and major leagues. The Astros wanted him to change his hitting style. They wanted him to hit fewer home runs and strike out less. But this change didn't work well for him. He said, "I not only wasn't cutting down on my strikeouts, but I wasn't hitting the long ball any more either."
In December 1971, the Astros traded Mayberry to the Kansas City Royals. This trade turned out to be very good for the Royals.
Becoming a Star with the Kansas City Royals
John Mayberry became a key player for the Kansas City Royals. In his first year with the team (1972), he hit 25 home runs and had 100 RBI. He also had a good batting average of .298.
In 1973, he continued to play well. He led the league in walks (122) and on-base percentage (.417). He hit 26 home runs and had 100 RBI again. He was chosen as an All-Star in both 1973 and 1974.
His Best Season in Kansas City
Mayberry's best season with the Royals was in 1975. He hit a career-high 34 home runs. This was a Royals team record at the time! He also had his most doubles, runs scored, and RBI that year.
In July 1975, he was named the American League Player of the Month. He hit 12 home runs and had a .365 batting average that month. He even hit three home runs in one game against a future Hall of Famer, Ferguson Jenkins. Mayberry finished second in the voting for the American League MVP (Most Valuable Player) award that year.
Challenges and a Special Game
In 1976 and 1977, Mayberry's hitting numbers went down. His batting average was lower, but he still hit 23 home runs in 1977.
On August 5, 1977, Mayberry had an amazing game against the Chicago White Sox. He got four hits: a single, a home run, a triple, and a double. This means he "hit for the cycle"! The Royals won that game 12-2.
Later in 1977, during the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, Mayberry had a tough game. His play was not at its best, and his manager decided to take him out of the game. Because of this, the Royals traded Mayberry to the Toronto Blue Jays before the 1978 season.
Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays
John Mayberry played for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1978 to 1982. In 1980, he hit 30 home runs and had 82 RBI. While his numbers didn't reach his 1975 peak, he was still a strong hitter for the Blue Jays. He played in 549 games for Toronto, hitting 92 home runs. In May 1982, the Blue Jays traded him to the New York Yankees.
Finishing His Career with the New York Yankees
Mayberry played 69 games for the New York Yankees in 1982. He finished the 1982 season with 10 home runs and 30 RBI. After this season, he decided to retire from baseball.
Career Highlights
John Mayberry was an All-Star twice (1973 and 1974). In his 15 seasons, he had a .253 batting average. He hit 255 home runs and had 879 RBI. He had 1,379 hits in his career.
He was known for his good eye at the plate, meaning he was good at not swinging at bad pitches. He led the American League in walks twice (1973 and 1975). He still holds some Royals team records, like most walks in a season (122 in 1973) and most home runs on the road (23 in 1975). He was also a very good defensive first baseman.
After Baseball
After retiring from playing, John Mayberry worked as a coach. He coached for the Blue Jays' minor league teams for five years. He also coached for the Royals for two years. He later worked for the Royals' Community Affairs Department. In 1996, he was honored by being inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame.
Family Life
John Mayberry Sr. has a son named John Jr.. John Jr. also became a professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 2009 to 2015. He mostly played for the Philadelphia Phillies.
When John Jr. played his first game at Yankee Stadium, a TV broadcast mistakenly showed John Sr. in the stands, thinking it was John Jr. John Jr. thought this was funny! Interestingly, John Jr. hit his first two career home runs in 2009 against his father's last two teams.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
