Matt Lawton facts for kids

Matthew Lawton, Jr. (born November 30, 1971) is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played for 15 seasons, with 12 of those in Major League Baseball (MLB). Matt Lawton was an outfielder, which means he played in the part of the field farthest from home plate.

He started his major league career on September 5, 1995, with the Minnesota Twins. The Twins had signed him four years earlier. Lawton also played for other MLB teams. These included the New York Mets (2001), Cleveland Indians (2002–04), Pittsburgh Pirates (2005), Chicago Cubs (2005), New York Yankees (2005), and Seattle Mariners (2006).

During his time in Major League Baseball, Lawton had a .267 batting average. He made 1,273 hits, including 267 doubles and 138 home runs. He also had 631 runs batted in (RBIs) and stole 165 stolen bases. He played in 1,334 games.

Lawton was chosen by the Twins in the 1991 MLB draft. This was after he played at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He began his professional career in the minor leagues in 1992. He played for several minor league teams before reaching the majors.

Matt Lawton earned some special awards during his career. He was picked for the 1994 Florida State League All-Star Game. He was also chosen twice for the MLB All-Star team. Both times, he played for the American League (AL) team (in 2000 and 2004). In 2000, he was named the Minnesota Twins Player of the Year.

Early Life and College Baseball

Matt Lawton went to Harrison Central High School in Lyman, Mississippi. He played American Legion baseball there. He even played with future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, Brett Favre. They were a great team, with Favre at shortstop and Lawton at second base.

After high school, Lawton attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. His college baseball coach was Cooper Farris. In 1991, the Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 13th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. Four other players from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College also went on to play in Major League Baseball.

In 2004, Lawton gave $10,000 to his college. This money helped build a covered batting cage and improve the baseball field for the team.

Professional Baseball Journey

Starting in the Minor Leagues (1992–1995)

Matt Lawton officially signed with the Minnesota Twins on August 12, 1991. He started his professional baseball journey in 1992. His first team was the Gulf Coast League Twins in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

In 1992, he batted .260 and scored 39 runs scored. He had 45 hits and stole 20 stolen bases in 53 games played. He was one of the top players in the league for runs scored and stolen bases.

In 1993, Lawton played for the Fort Wayne Wizards. This was a Class-A team in the Midwest League. He batted .285 and hit nine home runs. He also stole 23 bases in 111 games.

The next year, 1994, he moved up to the Class-A Advanced Fort Myers Miracle. He was chosen for the 1994 Florida State League All-Star Team. That season, Lawton batted .300. He scored 79 runs and stole 42 bases in 122 games. He was among the league leaders in stolen bases and walks.

Reaching the Major Leagues

Minnesota Twins (1995–2001)

Lawton started the 1995 season in the minor leagues. He played for the Hardware City Rock Cats, a Double-A team. He batted .269 with 13 home runs and 26 stolen bases.

The Minnesota Twins called Lawton up to the big leagues in September 1995. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on September 5 against the Detroit Tigers. He got his first major league hit the very next day. On September 28, he hit his first career major league home run against the Cleveland Indians.

In his first MLB season, Lawton batted .317 in 21 games. He played in center field, right field, and left field for the Twins.

In 1996, Lawton started with the Twins but was sent back to the minor leagues for a short time. He played for the Triple-A Salt Lake Buzz. He returned to the Twins later that season. He batted .258 with six home runs and 42 RBIs in 78 games.

The 1997 season was Lawton's first full year in MLB. He batted .248 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs in 142 games. He played mostly in right and left field.

In 1998, Lawton improved his game. On May 9, he hit a grand slam against the New York Yankees. This helped the Twins win 8–1. He finished the season with a .278 batting average. He had 21 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 152 games. He was among the top players in the American League (AL) for walks and triples.

Before the 1999 season, Lawton and the Twins had a disagreement about his contract. On April 18, 1999, Lawton hit another grand slam in the 11th inning. This gave the Twins a victory over the Cleveland Indians. Lawton had a serious injury on June 8 when a pitch hit him in the face. He returned to play in July. For the season, he batted .259 with seven home runs and 26 stolen bases in 118 games.

In 2000, Lawton's eye injury was fully healed. In July, he was chosen to play in the 2000 MLB All-Star Game for the AL team. He got one hit and drove in a run in the game. He had a great season, batting .305 with 44 doubles, 13 home runs, and 88 RBIs in 156 games. He was tied for fifth in the AL for doubles. After the season, he was named the Twins Player of the Year.

In 2001, Lawton gained some weight but continued to play well. He batted .293 with 10 home runs and 19 stolen bases in 103 games for the Twins.

New York Mets (2001)

On July 31, 2001, the Minnesota Twins traded Lawton to the New York Mets. He joined the Mets and played alongside other outfielders like Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Jay Payton. He got his first hit as a Met on July 13. His first home run with the Mets was on August 5. With New York, he batted .246 with three home runs and 10 stolen bases in 48 games.

Cleveland Indians (2002–04)

Lawton was traded to the Cleveland Indians in the winter of 2001. In 2002, he separated his right shoulder but kept playing. On May 18, he hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. This gave the Indians a walk-off win against the Baltimore Orioles. He later had to end his season early due to a torn shoulder muscle. He batted .236 with 15 home runs and 57 RBIs in 114 games. After the season, he had surgery to fix his shoulder.

Lawton spent the winter of 2002–03 recovering from his surgery. He was ready for the 2003 season. He continued to support the "Lawton Little Leaguers" group from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He had another injury in July 2003, jamming his middle finger. He returned in August but was placed on the disabled list again in September for the same finger. He also had surgery on his knee. In 2003, he batted .249 with 15 home runs and 53 RBIs in 99 games.

In 2004, Lawton had a strong season. He hit two home runs in a game against the Detroit Tigers on April 18. He was also selected to play in the 2004 MLB All-Star Game. He got one hit in the game. On August 9, he hit a game-winning home run against the Chicago White Sox. He finished the season batting .277 with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs in 150 games. He was tied for sixth in the AL for stolen bases.

Pittsburgh Pirates (2005)

The Cleveland Indians traded Lawton to the Pittsburgh Pirates on December 11, 2004. He was expected to be the team's leadoff hitter. As a Pirate, he batted .273 with 10 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 101 games. He hit a very long home run (463 feet) against the Colorado Rockies on May 20, 2005. This is still one of the longest home runs hit at PNC Park.

Chicago Cubs (2005)

On July 31, 2005, Lawton was traded again, this time to the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs wanted him to be their leadoff hitter. He was happy to join the Cubs and reunite with his friend Todd Walker. Lawton batted leadoff in his Cubs debut on August 2. He hit his only home run with the Cubs on August 14. In 19 games with Chicago, he batted .244.

New York Yankees (2005)

Lawton was traded to the New York Yankees on August 27, 2005. Yankees manager Joe Torre said Lawton would add depth to the team. Lawton got his first hit as a Yankee in his debut on August 27. He hit his first Yankees home run on August 29. He played 21 games with the Yankees, batting .125 with two home runs.

Suspension for Violating League Rules

On November 3, 2005, it was announced that Matt Lawton had been suspended by MLB. This was for violating league rules. Since he was a free agent, his suspension would start at the beginning of the 2006 season. Lawton accepted the suspension and apologized for his actions.

Seattle Mariners (2006)

After his suspension, Matt Lawton signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Mariners on December 23, 2005. He returned from his suspension on April 12, 2006. Lawton played 11 games with the Mariners, batting .259. He was later released by the team on May 20, 2006. This was his final season in Major League Baseball.

Personal Life

Matt Lawton was born on November 30, 1971, in Gulfport, Mississippi. He is married to Cazesta. He has a son named Chaseton, born on October 3, 2000. Matt Lawton's brother, Marcus Lawton, also played professional baseball. When his brother was playing for the New York Mets, Matt Lawton was the team's batboy. He also has a younger brother, O. J.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders