Mo Vaughn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mo Vaughn |
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Vaughn with the Wareham Gatemen in 1988
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: December 15, 1967 Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 27, 1991, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 2, 2003, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .293 | ||
| Home runs | 328 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,064 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
Maurice Samuel Vaughn (born December 15, 1967), known as "the Hit Dog", is a former American Major League Baseball player. He played as a first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels, and New York Mets from 1991 to 2003. Mo Vaughn was chosen for the All-Star team three times. He also won the American League MVP award in 1995 while playing for Boston.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Mo Vaughn grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut. He went to New Canaan Country School and later played baseball for Trinity-Pawling School in New York.
College Baseball Career
Vaughn played college baseball at Seton Hall University. He was coached by Mike Sheppard. While there, he set a school record for home runs in a single season with 28. Over three years, he hit 57 home runs and had 218 RBIs. These were both team records.
His teammates at Seton Hall included future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. Vaughn won the Jack Kaiser Award as the MVP of the 1987 Big East Conference baseball tournament. This helped his team win the championship.
Summer League and Nickname
During his college years, Vaughn also played collegiate summer baseball. He played for the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) for two summers. In 2000, he was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame.
His college friends gave him the nickname "Hit Dog." This nickname stuck with him throughout his career.
Professional Baseball Journey
Boston Red Sox Years
Mo Vaughn became a key player for the Red Sox in 1993. He hit 29 home runs and had 101 RBIs. In 1995, he became known as one of the best hitters in the American League. That year, he hit 39 home runs, had 126 RBIs, and a .300 average. He also stole 11 bases.
His great performance helped the Red Sox reach the playoffs. He was awarded the American League MVP award for his efforts.
Career Highs and Special Moments
Vaughn had his best year with the Red Sox in 1996. He played in 161 games and had a .326 batting average. He also hit a career-high 44 home runs and 143 RBIs. On September 24, 1996, he hit three home runs in one game against the Orioles.
On April 15, 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42 to honor Jackie Robinson. However, Vaughn was one of a few players allowed to keep wearing the number for the rest of their careers. In a game on May 30, 1997, Vaughn hit three solo home runs against the Yankees.
Vaughn continued to play well from 1996 to 1998. He batted .315 or higher and averaged 40 home runs and 118 RBIs each season. The Red Sox made the playoffs in 1998 but lost to the Cleveland Indians. Vaughn played well in that series, hitting two home runs.
He was known for standing very close to home plate when he batted. This made pitchers nervous and often led them to throw pitches outside the strike zone.
Leaving the Red Sox
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Mo Vaughn was very popular in Boston because of his powerful playing style and his charity work. However, he had some disagreements with the Red Sox management. As a strong leader in the clubhouse, Vaughn felt that the team management did not want him to stay.
In 1998, Vaughn hit a walk-off grand slam on Opening Day at Fenway Park. He and shortstop Nomar Garciaparra formed a strong hitting duo. They combined for 75 home runs in 1998, which was Vaughn's last year with the team. After the playoffs, Vaughn became a free agent. He then signed a large contract with the Anaheim Angels.
Anaheim Angels Experience
Vaughn played well for the Angels when he was healthy. He hit over 30 home runs and had over 100 RBIs in both 1999 and 2000. However, he was often hurt during his time with the team. He missed the entire 2001 season due to injuries.
In his first game with the Angels, he sprained his ankle. Despite injuries, he was still seen as a valuable player. In December 2001, he was traded to the New York Mets. The year after Vaughn left Anaheim, the Angels went on to win the World Series.
New York Mets and Retirement
With the Mets, Vaughn was expected to be a major part of their new lineup. He started slowly in 2002. On April 3, he hit his 300th career home run. On June 16, he hit a game-winning three-run home run against the Yankees. He also hit a very long 505-foot home run at Shea Stadium on June 26. He finished the 2002 season with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs.
In 2003, knee problems ended his season after less than a month of playing. In January 2004, he announced that his knee issues would prevent him from playing again. While he didn't officially retire, he knew his playing career was likely over. At that time, Vaughn was one of the last players to wear the number 42, honoring Jackie Robinson.
Career Highlights and Statistics
Over 12 seasons, Mo Vaughn played in 1512 games played. He had a .293 batting average with 861 runs and 328 home runs. He also had 1064 RBIs. He had five seasons in a row where his batting average was over .300 (1994–1998).
In seven post-season games, he hit .226 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs. His career fielding percentage as a first baseman was .988.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Mo Vaughn became involved in different businesses. He became a managing director for Omni New York, LLC. This company buys and fixes up old buildings to create affordable housing. They work in the New York metropolitan area and other cities like Cheyenne, Miami, and Las Vegas.
Vaughn also owned a trucking company called Mo Vaughn Transport. He sold this company in 2018.
In April 2013, Vaughn bought an advertisement in The Boston Globe. He used it to thank everyone who helped the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Vaughn became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. However, he did not receive enough votes to be inducted.
See also
In Spanish: Mo Vaughn para niños
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
