Michael Tucker (baseball) facts for kids

Michael Anthony Tucker is a former American Major League Baseball player. He was born on June 25, 1971. Michael played as an outfielder and sometimes a first baseman. He played for several teams during his career. These included the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets. Michael was a left-handed batter and threw the ball with his right-handed arm.

Michael Tucker: A Baseball Journey

Starting His Baseball Journey

Michael Tucker went to Longwood University from 1989 to 1992. At that time, it was called Longwood College. In 2005, Michael was chosen for Longwood's first Hall of Fame class. This is a special honor for great athletes from the school. Other famous athletes like Jerome Kersey (basketball) and Tina Barrett (golf) were also in this group.

After college, Michael began playing professional baseball in 1993. He spent most of that year with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. This team was in the Single-A Carolina League. Later, he moved up to Double-A and played for the Memphis Chicks. In 1994, Michael played in Triple-A for the Omaha Royals. Soon after, he joined Major League Baseball with the Kansas City Royals.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Michael Tucker made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on April 26, 1995. He was 23 years old. He started the game in left field and batted first for the Kansas City Royals. In his very first time at bat, Michael hit a single. This was against pitcher Mike Mussina in a game against the Baltimore Orioles. The Royals won that game 5-1.

Before the 1997 season, Michael was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He moved with another player, Keith Lockhart. In return, the Royals received outfielder Jermaine Dye and pitcher Jamie Walker.

Best Seasons and Big Hits

Michael had his best season in 1997 while playing for the Braves. He achieved his highest batting average of .283. He also scored 80 runs and had 141 hits in 138 games. In 2004, playing for the San Francisco Giants, he played 106 games in right field and 25 in center field. That year, he finished with a .256 batting average, 13 home runs, and 62 RBIs. He also scored 77 runs.

Michael hit 11 or more home runs in nine of his ten seasons. His highest number of home runs in a single season was 15 in 2000. He also hit the very first regular season home run at Turner Field. This happened on April 4, 1997, against Kevin Foster of the Chicago Cubs.

In August 2005, the San Francisco Giants traded Michael to the Philadelphia Phillies. This trade happened because the Phillies were trying to make it to the playoffs. Michael's playing time had been limited that season.

On January 9, 2006, Michael signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. Later, on August 9, he joined the New York Mets. This happened after another player, Cliff Floyd, was injured. Michael signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox in May 2007. However, he was released from that contract in July of the same year.

His Skills on the Field

Michael Tucker was known as a hitter who could get many line drives. He had "gap power," meaning he could hit the ball into the spaces between outfielders. He sometimes struggled when facing left-handed pitchers. This meant he often played as a "platoon player." A platoon player is someone who plays mostly against pitchers of a certain hand (like right-handed pitchers).

Even though his career total of 108 stolen bases might not seem huge, Michael was a smart and aggressive base runner. In the outfield, he was very good at playing all three positions. He was especially strong in right field. He could cover a lot of ground quickly and had a powerful, accurate throwing arm.

Back to Baseball

In 2009, Michael Tucker returned to baseball. He signed with the Newark Bears in the Atlantic League. After playing 12 games, he stopped playing and thought about retiring in May 2009. But then, on July 15, 2009, Michael signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. He played 57 games with them and had a very good batting average of .332.