Michael Bourn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael Bourn |
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Bourn with the Cleveland Indians in 2015
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| Center fielder | |||
| Born: December 27, 1982 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 30, 2006, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 2, 2016, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .266 | ||
| Home runs | 36 | ||
| Runs batted in | 361 | ||
| Stolen bases | 341 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael Ray Bourn (born December 27, 1982) is a former American Major League Baseball (MLB) player. He was a speedy center fielder who played for several teams from 2006 to 2016. These teams included the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Baltimore Orioles. He also played for the United States national baseball team.
Bourn grew up in Houston, Texas. He played baseball in high school and college at the University of Houston. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team twice, in 2010 and 2012. He also won two Gold Glove Awards in 2009 and 2010 for his excellent defense. From 2009 to 2011, he led the National League in stolen bases. He is known for his incredible speed on the baseball field.
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Early Life and College Baseball
Michael Ray Bourn was born in Houston, Texas, on December 27, 1982. He was the first of two sons for his parents, Carrie and Raymond. As a kid, Michael loved playing three sports: baseball, basketball, and football. His dad coached his Little League baseball team.
Bourn went to Nimitz High School in Houston. After high school, the Houston Astros baseball team picked him in the 2000 MLB draft. However, he decided not to sign with them. Instead, he chose to play college baseball for the Houston Cougars baseball team for three seasons. Even though he didn't hit many home runs, he was very good at getting on base and stealing bases. He stole 90 bases in 119 tries, which impressed professional scouts.
In 2002, he played summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League. This league is known for helping young players get ready for professional baseball.
Starting His Professional Career
Philadelphia Phillies
In June 2003, after his junior year of college, the Philadelphia Phillies picked Bourn in the fourth round of the baseball draft. Bourn signed with the Phillies and started playing for their minor league teams.
In 2004, Bourn played for the Lakewood BlueClaws. He was great at getting on base, with a .433 on-base percentage. He also stole 57 bases in 63 attempts, which is a very high success rate. Because of his strong performance, Baseball America named him one of the Phillies' top prospects.
Bourn continued to play in the minor leagues, moving up to higher levels. In September 2006, he briefly left his team to play for the USA Olympic qualifying team. He hit two home runs to help Team USA beat Cuba in the gold-medal game. After that, he joined the Phillies' major league team. He was often used as a pinch runner because of his speed.
In 2007, Bourn earned a spot on the Phillies' major league roster. He mostly played as a defensive replacement in left field. On July 15, 2007, he hit his first career home run. He finished his rookie season with 18 stolen bases and a .277 batting average.
Houston Astros
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In November 2007, Bourn was traded to the Houston Astros. The Astros' General Manager said Bourn would be their main leadoff hitter and starting center fielder.
In 2008, Bourn stole 41 bases. He worked hard to improve his hitting. In 2009, he had a much better year. He led the National League with 61 stolen bases. He also had a .285 batting average. His improved play led to him being named the Astros' team MVP.
In 2010, Bourn continued his success. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team. He also won his second straight Gold Glove award for his excellent defense in center field.
Atlanta Braves
In July 2011, Bourn was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He finished the 2011 season with his best batting average yet, .294, and 61 stolen bases.
In 2012, Bourn was again named an All-Star. He hit .274 and stole 42 bases. He also hit a career-high nine home runs. After the 2012 season, Bourn became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Cleveland Indians
In February 2013, Bourn signed a four-year contract with the Cleveland Indians. He played in 130 games in 2013, dealing with some injuries. He stole 23 bases that year.
On May 30, 2014, Bourn got his 1,000th career hit. A few days later, on June 1, he hit a walk-off two-run home run to win the game for the Indians.
Later Career Teams
In August 2015, Bourn was traded back to the Atlanta Braves. He was later released by the Braves in April 2016. He then signed minor league contracts with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Arizona Diamondbacks. After playing a few games in the minor leagues, the Diamondbacks brought him up to their major league team.
In August 2016, the Diamondbacks traded Bourn to the Baltimore Orioles. He played well for the Orioles, hitting .283 in 24 games. He re-signed with the Orioles in 2017 but was released later that year. He then signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but was released in July 2017.
Broadcasting Career
In 2022, Michael Bourn worked as a radio commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies Radio Network. He was known for his excitement and passion when talking about the game.
Personal Life
Michael Bourn has a son named Bryson, born in 2009. He also has two daughters, Blair and Bailey. His wife, Nikita, runs a babysitting business. Bourn owns three apartment buildings in Houston. He is a member of the Churches of Christ.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Bourn para niños
- Houston Astros award winners and league leaders
- List of Houston Astros team records
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a center fielder leaders
- List of people from Houston
- List of University of Houston people
