Kevin Mitchell (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kevin Mitchell |
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Mitchell in 2016
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: January 13, 1962 San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: September 4, 1984, for the New York Mets | |||
| NPB: April 1, 1995, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| NPB: August 8, 1995, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |||
| MLB: August 3, 1998, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .284 | ||
| Home runs | 234 | ||
| Runs batted in | 760 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .300 | ||
| Home runs | 8 | ||
| Runs batted in | 28 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Kevin Darnell Mitchell (born January 13, 1962) is an American professional baseball player. He was a talented left fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (Japan) from 1984 to 1998. Kevin Mitchell was chosen for the MLB All-Star team twice. In 1989, he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award and the Silver Slugger Award. That year, he also led the league in home runs and runs batted in.
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Discovering Baseball: Kevin Mitchell's Early Life
Kevin Mitchell was born in San Diego, California. His mother, Alma Mitchell, worked as an electrician for the US Navy. Kevin's parents separated when he was two years old. He went to several high schools in San Diego, including Lincoln High School and Crawford High School.
Kevin Mitchell did not play high school baseball. He was signed by the New York Mets after attending an open tryout. He received a $1,500 bonus and $600 each month as a salary. This was his start in professional baseball.
Kevin Mitchell's Baseball Journey: Playing Career Highlights
Starting Strong: New York Mets Years
Kevin Mitchell made his first appearance in a major league game on September 4, 1984. He played against the St. Louis Cardinals. In his first game, he was a pinch hitter and hit a fly ball. He finished the 1984 season with a .214 batting average and one RBI.
After playing in the minor leagues in 1985, Mitchell returned to the Mets in 1986. He batted .277 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI in 108 games. He was part of the team that won the 1986 World Series. In Game 6 of that series, Mitchell came in as a pinch hitter and got a single. He later scored a key run that helped the Mets win the game and the series. This gave him his only World Series championship ring.
In December 1986, the Mets traded Mitchell and other players to the San Diego Padres. He played for the Padres for half of the 1987 season. During this time, he batted .245 with seven home runs and 26 RBI in 62 games.
Becoming a Star: San Francisco Giants Era
On July 4, 1987, Kevin Mitchell was traded to the San Francisco Giants. This trade also brought pitchers Dave Dravecky and Craig Lefferts to the Giants. While Dravecky was expected to be the main player from the trade, Mitchell quickly became a star. He hit .306 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 69 games after joining the Giants. In 1988, Mitchell hit .251 with 19 home runs and 80 RBI in 148 games.
Kevin Mitchell had his best season in 1989 when he moved to the outfield. He batted .291 and led the league with 47 home runs and 125 RBI in 154 games. His amazing performance helped the team reach the playoffs. He won the National League's Most Valuable Player award. This was the first time a Giants player won this award since Willie McCovey in 1969. Mitchell was also named to his first All-Star team.
In the 1989 postseason, Mitchell had a .353 batting average. He hit two home runs and had 7 RBI in the NLCS. This helped the Giants reach the 1989 World Series for the first time since 1962. Mitchell got a hit in every game of the 1989 World Series. He batted .294 with one home run and two RBI, though the Oakland Athletics won the series.
Mitchell's Famous Barehanded Catch
One of Mitchell's most memorable plays happened early in his 1989 MVP season. On April 26, he made a unique defensive play. He was sprinting towards the left field foul line in St. Louis's Busch Stadium to catch a ball hit by Ozzie Smith. Mitchell realized he had run past the ball. However, he was able to reach back and catch the ball with his bare hand! This amazing catch showed his incredible athleticism.
Continuing Success with the Giants
Mitchell was selected for another All-Star team in 1990. He finished that season batting .290 with 35 home runs and 93 RBI in 140 games. He was among the top players in the National League for home runs and other important stats. In 1991, Mitchell hit .256 with 27 home runs and 69 RBI in 113 games.
Later Career Teams
In December 1991, Kevin Mitchell was traded to the Seattle Mariners. He started the season slowly but improved greatly later on. Overall, he batted .286 with nine home runs and 67 RBI in 99 games with the Mariners.
In November 1992, Mitchell was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He played very well in his two seasons with the Reds. In 1993, he batted .341 with 19 home runs and 64 RBI. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, he batted .323 with 30 home runs and 77 RBI.
Because of the baseball strike, Mitchell decided to play for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in Japan in 1995. He became the highest-paid player in Japanese baseball history at that time. He played for two months with the team before needing knee surgery.
After Japan, Mitchell signed with the Boston Red Sox in March 1996. He batted .304 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 27 games. He was then traded back to the Reds in July. For the rest of the season with the Reds, he batted .325 with six home runs and 26 RBI.
In December 1996, Mitchell signed with the Cleveland Indians. He played 20 games with them before being released in June 1997.
Mitchell signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics in March 1998. He made the team's Opening Day roster. He batted .228 with two home runs and 21 RBI in 51 games before being released in August 1998. After his time in MLB, Mitchell played two more seasons in independent leagues before officially retiring.
Today, Kevin Mitchell lives in San Diego. He still plays baseball in the San Diego Adult Baseball League for a team called the San Diego Black Sox.
Kevin Mitchell's Career in Numbers
In his 13-season career, Kevin Mitchell played for eight different teams. He finished with a .284 batting average. He hit 234 home runs and had 760 runs batted in. He also scored 630 runs, had 1,173 hits, 224 doubles, and 25 triples.
Kevin Mitchell's cousin, Keith Mitchell, also played in the major leagues. He played for four teams over four seasons between 1991 and 1998.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
