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 played for the California Angels, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.
As a Yankee, he helped his team win two World Series championships. They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in both 1977 and 1978. People called him "Mick The Quick" because he was very fast. He was known as a great leadoff hitter and an excellent center fielder.
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Mickey Rivers' Early Baseball Days
Mickey Rivers finished high school at Miami Northwestern Senior High School in 1967. His nickname, "Mick the Quick," started when he played at Miami Dade Community College. He was a fast and athletic outfielder.
Mickey was one of the best players on his college team. Once, he disappeared right before a game was about to start. His teammates and coaches found him sleeping under a tree nearby!
Mickey Rivers' Professional Career
Playing for the California Angels
Mickey Rivers first signed with the Atlanta Braves. But he began his big league career in 1970 with the California Angels. He played center field for them. He stayed with the Angels until the end of the 1975 season.
For his first few years, Mickey played part-time. He became a full-time starter in 1974. In both 1974 and 1975, he led the American League in triples. In 1975, he stole a career-high 70 bases, which was the most in the league.
Joining the New York Yankees
On December 11, 1975, the Yankees traded for Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa. They got them from the Angels in exchange for Bobby Bonds. This trade helped the Yankees right away. Ed Figueroa won 19 games, and Mickey Rivers had his best year ever.
Mickey was chosen for the All-Star team in 1976. He batted .312 and stole 43 bases. He also hit 8 home runs and had 67 runs batted in, which were his highest numbers at that time. Mickey finished third in the voting for the Most Valuable Player award.
Mickey played well in his next two full seasons with the Yankees. In 1977, he had a .326 batting average. He was traded to the Texas Rangers in the middle of the 1979 season.
Time with the Texas Rangers
After joining the Texas Rangers, Mickey Rivers set a new team record. In 1980, he had 210 hits in one season. He finished his baseball career in 1984.
Mickey ended his career with a .295 lifetime batting average. He had 267 stolen bases and 1,660 hits. In his 29 postseason games, he had an impressive .308 batting average.
Mickey Rivers' Legacy
While Mickey Rivers played for the Yankees, they won the World Series in 1977 and 1978. Both times, they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1976, the Yankees won the pennant but lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.
In the 1978 one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox, Mickey Rivers was part of a famous moment. He reportedly gave a bat to Bucky Dent, saying it "had a home run in it." Bucky Dent then hit a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. This home run gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
On September 30, 1984, Mickey Rivers played his last major league game. In that game, the Angels' Mike Witt pitched a perfect game against the Rangers, winning 1-0.
Baseball expert Bill James ranked Mickey Rivers as the 59th greatest center fielder of all time. Mickey had a unique way of walking to the plate, but he was very fast when running the bases. He would often spin his bat after each pitch.
Mickey Rivers' Personality
Mickey Rivers was known for his fun personality. 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.
In The Bronx Is Burning, an ESPN TV show about the 1977 Yankees, Mickey Rivers was played by Leonard Robinson.
Mickey was famous for his funny quotes. When Reggie Jackson told a reporter he had an IQ of 160, Mickey Rivers joked, "Out of what, a thousand?" He also once described the Yankees, who had a strong owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin, by saying, "Me and George and Billy, we’re two of a kind."
According to pitcher Goose Gossage, when Goose was having a tough time, Mickey once jumped on top of the bullpen car. He did this to try and stop Gossage from going into the game, showing his playful side.
Mickey Rivers After Baseball
After his baseball career, Mickey Rivers started training racehorses in his home state of Florida. His son, Mickey Jr., played minor league baseball for the Rangers organization. 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
