Kevin Bass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kevin Bass |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 12, 1959 Redwood City, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 9, 1982, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 1995, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .270 | ||
| Home runs | 118 | ||
| Runs batted in | 611 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Kevin Charles Bass, born on May 12, 1959, is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Kevin played for teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles.
Contents
Kevin Bass's Baseball Journey
Starting Out in Baseball
Kevin Bass was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft. He made his first big league appearance on April 9, 1982, playing against the Toronto Blue Jays. He came in as a pinch hitter and hit a fly ball out.
Most of the 1982 season, Kevin played for the Triple-A Vancouver Canadians. There, he had a great batting average of .315. He also hit 17 home runs and brought in 65 runs for his team. Later that year, he was traded to the Houston Astros.
Becoming an Astros Star
In 1985, Kevin became a regular starter for the Houston Astros. He batted .269 and hit 16 home runs. He also had 68 RBI, which means he helped score 68 runs.
His best season was in 1986. That year, the Astros almost made it to the World Series. Kevin was chosen for the 1986 National League All-Star team. He led the Astros with a .311 batting average, 20 home runs, and 79 RBI. He also stole 22 bases and played excellent defense.
Memorable Moments with Houston
On August 3, 1987, Kevin Bass made history against the San Francisco Giants. He became the 15th switch hitter in MLB history to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in the same game. This means he hit one home run batting right-handed and another batting left-handed.
In 1989, Kevin hit two grand slams in one season. A grand slam is a home run hit when all three bases are loaded, scoring four runs. One of these was a "walk-off" homer, which means it ended the game instantly with an Astros victory.
Time with the Giants and Mets
In 1989, Kevin signed a contract to play for the San Francisco Giants. In 1990, he had to take time off due to a knee injury. He had surgery to fix it and returned to play later that season. He finished his first year with the Giants batting .252.
In 1991, he played in 124 games, hitting 10 home runs. In 1992, Kevin was traded to the New York Mets. Between the Giants and Mets that year, he batted .269 and stole 14 bases.
Return to Houston and Final Season
Kevin Bass returned to the Houston Astros in 1993. He played 111 games and batted .284. He re-signed with the Astros for the 1994 season, which was shorter due to a strike. In 82 games, he batted an impressive .310.
In 1995, Kevin signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He played 111 games for them. Kevin played his final MLB game on October 1, 1995.
Career Statistics
Over 14 seasons and 1571 games, Kevin Bass had a batting average of .270. This means he got a hit about 27% of the times he tried. He had 1,308 hits, scored 609 runs, and hit 118 home runs. He also brought in 611 runs for his teams. Kevin was fast, stealing 151 bases during his career. He was also a strong defender in the outfield, with a .982 fielding percentage.
About Kevin's Life
Kevin Bass was born in Redwood City, California. He went to Menlo School before starting his professional baseball career. When he was growing up, his favorite team was the San Francisco Giants.
Kevin has two sons who also played baseball. Both of them were chosen in the 2007 MLB draft. His son Garrett played for a couple of seasons in the Washington Nationals organization. His son Justin played for several seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization.
Kevin Bass is also related to some other famous athletes. He is a cousin of James Lofton, a former American football player. He is also the nephew of Stan Johnson, who was a professional baseball player for the White Sox and Athletics teams.
See also
- Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
