Mike Sweeney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Sweeney |
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Sweeney (right) with Carlos Correa in 2015
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| Designated hitter / First baseman / Catcher | |||
| Born: July 22, 1973 Orange, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 14, 1995, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 2010, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .297 | ||
| Home runs | 215 | ||
| Runs batted in | 909 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael John Sweeney (born July 22, 1973) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a designated hitter and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Sweeney played his first 13 seasons with the Kansas City Royals. He started as a catcher, then moved to first base and designated hitter. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Mike Sweeney retired from baseball on March 25, 2011. He now works as a special assistant for the Kansas City Royals. On August 15, 2015, Sweeney was honored by being inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.
Contents
Playing in the Major Leagues
Time with the Royals
Starting His Career (1991–1997)
The Royals picked Mike Sweeney in the 1991 MLB draft. He was a catcher from Ontario High School in Ontario, California. He joined the Royals in May 1991. He had just led his high school team to a perfect 26-0 season.
Sweeney played his first major league game on September 14, 1995, as a catcher. He got his first hit in the final game of that season. The Royals liked his hitting skills. However, they were not as impressed with his catching. Sweeney hit his first major league home run on August 12, 1996.
In 1997, Sweeney shared catching duties with another player, Mike Macfarlane. He hit a game-winning home run on May 15, 1997.
A Memorable Game (1998)
In 1998, Sweeney played in his first Opening Day game. On May 31, he tied a team record with two hits in one inning. This was during a game against the Oakland Athletics. He almost hit for the cycle, which means getting a single, double, triple, and home run in one game.
Becoming a Star (1999–2001)
Sweeney's career really took off in 1999. The Royals started using him as their regular designated hitter. He then became the team's first baseman. He had a great year, leading the team with a .322 batting average. He also hit 22 home runs and had 102 RBI. From July 18 to August 13, Sweeney had a hit in 25 games in a row. This hitting streak is one of the longest in Royals history.
In 2000, Sweeney was chosen for his first of five All-Star games. He and Jermaine Dye were the first pair of Royals to be All-Stars since 1989. He reached 100 RBI for the second year in a row. He finished second in the league with a club record 144 RBI.
In June 2001, Sweeney had an amazing month. He hit .392 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI. He was named the American League Player of the Month. This was the only time he won this award.
A Heated Moment
Sweeney was ejected from a game on August 10, 2001. This was his first time being thrown out of a game. He had a disagreement with pitcher Jeff Weaver of the Detroit Tigers. Words were exchanged between them. Sweeney was upset and charged towards the pitcher. He was suspended for ten games after this incident.
Continued Success (2002–2004)
Sweeney had one of his best seasons in 2002. He hit .340, which was the second-highest batting average in the American League. It was also the second-highest in Royals history. He almost won the A.L. batting title that year.
On August 14, 2002, he made a rare play. He became the fifth Royal to steal home base. This means he ran from third base to home plate and scored a run while the pitcher was throwing.
Sweeney started to have some injury problems in 2002. He was placed on the disabled list for the first time with a back and hip strain. He continued to deal with injuries in 2003.
In 2003, he was named to his fourth straight All-Star Game. He joined closer Mike MacDougal at the game.
On July 22, 2004, Sweeney hit a grand slam. He also hit another three-run home run in the same game. He had seven RBI in that game, which was a career high. He finished the 2004 season batting .287 with 22 home runs and 79 RBI.
By the end of 2004, Sweeney had a .305 batting average. He also had 161 home runs and 683 RBI in 1,026 games.
Later Years with Royals (2005–2007)
In 2005, Sweeney was named the Royals player of the year for the third time. He led the team in batting average (.300), doubles (39), and home runs (21). This was despite playing in only 122 games. He was also named to the All-Star team for the fifth and final time in his career.
In 2006, Sweeney played only 60 games because of back problems. He was mostly a designated hitter.
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On September 1, 2006, Sweeney was a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning. He hit a single that broke up a no-hitter by Minnesota Twins pitcher Scott Baker. Baker had pitched eight perfect innings before that.
Sweeney won the Hutch Award in 2007. This award honors players who show a strong fighting spirit.
Playing for Other Teams
Oakland Athletics (2008)
On February 10, 2008, Sweeney signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics. He played well in spring training. However, he needed surgery on his left knee in June. After a short return, the A's released him on September 9.
Sweeney thought about retiring, but decided he wanted to play one more year.
Seattle Mariners (2009–2010)
On January 29, 2009, Sweeney signed with the Seattle Mariners. He wanted to play for their manager, Don Wakamatsu. Sweeney made the team's Opening Day roster as a bench player. On April 22, he left a game early due to back spasms.
On May 3, 2009, Sweeney hit his first home run as a Mariner. It was also his 200th career home run. On August 6, he returned to Kansas City and hit his 100th home run in Kauffman Stadium.
Sweeney became a free agent on November 5, 2009. He re-signed with the Mariners on February 12, 2010. He played well in exhibition games and earned a spot on the team. In 2010, he hit .263 with 6 home runs and 18 RBI for the Mariners.
Philadelphia Phillies (2010)
On August 4, 2010, Sweeney was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He hit his first home run as a Phillie on August 29. With the Phillies, he made his first ever postseason appearance.
On March 25, 2011, Sweeney signed a one-day contract with the Kansas City Royals. This allowed him to retire as a Royal. He threw out the first pitch for the Royals on opening day that year.
Hall of Fame Recognition (2015)
On May 26, 2015, Mike Sweeney was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. He was honored alongside other baseball figures.
After Baseball
Working for MLB Network
In March 2012, Sweeney joined the MLB Network. He worked as a studio analyst, sharing his baseball knowledge. He left the network after a few appearances.
His Last Days as a Royal
On September 29, 2007, the day before his final game with the Royals, Sweeney placed a full-page ad in The Kansas City Star newspaper. He thanked the fans.
The next day, September 30, Sweeney played his last game for the Royals. Fans gave him standing ovations during his at-bats. He was taken out of the game in the 7th inning. He received a third standing ovation. After the game, he and his children ran the bases. He also signed autographs for fans. The Royals have not used his number 29 since he left. This makes some people think his number might be retired one day.
Returning to the Royals Family
In February 2014, the Kansas City Royals hired Sweeney. He became a special assistant to baseball operations. Sweeney said he wanted to help the Royals become a top team again. He attended spring training as a guest instructor. That year, the Royals made the postseason for the first time in 29 years.
Personal Life
On November 9, 2002, Mike Sweeney married Shara Nettles. Her father, Jim Nettles, was also a major league player. They have six children together.
During some fires in San Diego, Sweeney's family had to leave their home. They stayed with his parents. Their house was later found to be standing, but it had some smoke and water damage.
Helping the Community
Mike Sweeney speaks Spanish fluently. He was very active in the Kansas City community while playing for the Royals. He has been nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award. This award recognizes players who give back to their community. He supports programs like Children's Mercy Hospital and the Boys and Girls Club.
Sweeney was named the "Good Guy in Sports" by Sporting News in 2003 and 2004. He also hosts a golf tournament to help a faith-based program. He invites charity groups to Royals games.
Sweeney is known for being very polite and friendly to fans. He often signs autographs before and after games.
Before the 2009 season, the Royals created the Mike Sweeney Award. This award honors a player who best represents the team on and off the field. Sweeney also received the Mr. Baseball Award in 2009. This award is named after Ewing Kauffman, the founder of the Royals.
Faith and Beliefs
Sweeney is a strong Catholic. He has appeared on TV shows about faith. He is also the advisory chairman for Catholic Athletes for Christ. He is a spokesman for Life Teen, a large Catholic youth ministry program.
In 2007, Mike and his wife Shara hosted an event called "Lunch for Life." They raised money for crisis pregnancy centers in Kansas City.
Sweeney often played the song "Lose My Soul" by Toby Mac when he came up to bat.
See also
- List of Kansas City Royals team records
