Mickey Rivers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mickey Rivers |
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Rivers in 2010
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| Center fielder | |||
| Born: October 30, 1948 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 4, 1970, for the California Angels | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 1984, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .295 | ||
| Home runs | 61 | ||
| Runs batted in | 499 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Milton "Mickey" Rivers (born October 30, 1948) is a former American baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1984. Mickey Rivers was known for his amazing speed. He was often called "Mick The Quick."
He played for the California Angels, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers. While playing for the Yankees, he helped his team win two World Series championships. They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in both 1977 and 1978. Mickey was a great leadoff hitter, meaning he was usually the first batter in the lineup. He was also an excellent center fielder.
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Mickey Rivers: Early Life and Baseball Start
Mickey Rivers graduated from Miami Northwestern Senior High School in 1967. His journey in baseball began during his college days. He attended Miami Dade Community College.
He quickly became known for his speed and athletic skills as an outfielder. There's a funny story from his college days: once, he disappeared right before a game. His teammates and coaches later found him asleep under a tree nearby!
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the California Angels
Mickey Rivers first signed with the Atlanta Braves. However, he began his professional baseball career in 1970 with the California Angels. He played center field for them. He stayed with the Angels until the 1975 season.
For his first few years, Mickey played part-time. By 1974, he became a full-time starter. He was very good at hitting triples, which are hits where a player reaches third base. He led the American League in triples in both 1974 and 1975. In 1975, he also stole a career-high 70 bases, leading the league in that too.
Becoming a New York Yankee Champion
In December 1975, the New York Yankees traded for Mickey Rivers and another player, Ed Figueroa. This trade was a big success for the Yankees. Ed Figueroa won 19 games, and Mickey Rivers had one of his best years ever.
In 1976, Mickey was chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He had a great batting average of .312. He also stole 43 bases and hit 8 home runs, with 67 runs batted in. He was even voted as one of the top players for the Most Valuable Player award that year.
Mickey continued to play well in his next two full seasons with the Yankees. In 1977, his batting average was an impressive .326. In the middle of the 1979 season, he was traded to the Texas Rangers.
Time with the Texas Rangers
After joining the Texas Rangers, Mickey Rivers continued to shine. In 1980, he set a new team record for the Rangers. He had 210 hits in a single season.
He finished his baseball career in 1984. By then, he had a lifetime batting average of .295. He also had 267 stolen bases and a total of 1,660 hits. In his 29 postseason games, which are important games played after the regular season, he had an excellent .308 batting average.
Mickey Rivers' Baseball Legacy
While Mickey Rivers played for the New York Yankees, the team won the World Series in 1977 and 1978. Both times, they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1976, the Yankees won the American League pennant, but they lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.
Mickey Rivers was known for his unique personality and quick wit. He was honored with many of his teammates from the 1977 World Series champion New York Yankees at the Yankee Old Timers Game in 2007.
Baseball expert Bill James ranked Mickey Rivers as the 59th greatest center fielder of all time. He had a special way of walking to the plate, but he was incredibly fast once he started running. He would often twirl his bat after each pitch, which was one of his trademarks.
After his baseball career, Mickey Rivers started training racehorses in his home state of Florida. His son, Mickey Jr., also played minor league baseball for a while. His daughter, Rhonda, is a teacher in the Houston area.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
