Mitchell Page facts for kids

Mitchell Otis Page (born October 15, 1951 – died March 12, 2011) was a professional Major League Baseball player. He was a talented player who almost won the Rookie of the Year award in 1977. He played for the Oakland Athletics. Mitchell Page also appeared in the 1994 Disney movie Angels in the Outfield. He played a baseball player named "Abascal" in the film.

Mitchell Page's Early Life and Career

Mitchell Page was born in Los Angeles, California. He went to Centennial High School in Compton, California. The Oakland Athletics first picked him in the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft. However, he chose to go to Compton Community College instead.

Later, he transferred to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The Pittsburgh Pirates then drafted him in the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft. Page played two seasons in the Pirates' minor league system. He hit 43 home runs and had 173 runs batted in. His batting average was .292.

On March 15, 1977, the A's finally got Page. This happened in a big trade with the Pirates.

Playing for the Oakland Athletics

When Mitchell Page joined the Oakland Athletics, he became their everyday left fielder. He had a fantastic first year in 1977. He batted .307, hit 21 home runs, and had 75 runs batted in. He also stole 42 stolen bases.

His great performance led him to finish second in the voting for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. He was even featured on the cover of The Sporting News magazine!

Page continued to play well in 1978. He batted .285 with seventeen home runs and 70 RBIs. In 1979, he had some disagreements with the A's owner, Charlie Finley. He was suspended for a short time. Injuries also limited his ability to play in the outfield. He then became a designated hitter.

In 1981, which was a shorter season due to a strike, Page struggled. He spent most of 1982 and 1983 playing in the minor leagues or dealing with injuries.

Time with the Pittsburgh Pirates

The A's released Mitchell Page in 1984. He soon signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played briefly for them as a pinch hitter. After spending all of 1985 with the Pirates' top minor league team in Hawaii, he was released.

Over his 8 seasons in Major League Baseball, Page played in 673 games. He had a career batting average of .266. He hit 72 home runs and had 259 runs batted in.

Mitchell Page's Coaching Career

After his playing days, Mitchell Page became a baseball coach. From 1992 to 1994, he was a hitting coach for the Tacoma Tigers. Then, he worked as the first base coach for the Kansas City Royals from 1995 to 1997.

In 1998, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He started as a hitting coach for their minor league team, the Memphis Redbirds. By 1999, he became the minor league hitting coordinator for the Cardinals.

Midway through the 2001 season, he was promoted to be the hitting coach for the main St. Louis Cardinals team. He stayed with them until after the 2004 World Series.

Page later worked for the Washington Nationals. He was a minor league hitting instructor in 2005 and then the major league hitting coach in 2006. He returned to the Cardinals' organization in 2010.

His Passing

Mitchell Page passed away in his sleep on March 12, 2011. He was 59 years old.

See also

• List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches