Rob Ducey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rob Ducey |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 24, 1965 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: May 1, 1987, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| NPB: April 1, 1995, for the Nippon-Ham Fighters | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| NPB: September 24, 1996, for the Nippon-Ham Fighters | |||
| MLB: July 22, 2001, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .242 | ||
| Home runs | 31 | ||
| Runs batted in | 146 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .248 | ||
| Home runs | 51 | ||
| Runs batted in | 120 | ||
| Teams | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2013 | ||
Robert Thomas Ducey (born May 24, 1965) is a former professional baseball player from Canada. He was an outfielder and coach. Rob played for six different teams in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Contents
Rob Ducey's Baseball Journey
Rob Ducey grew up in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. He later attended Seminole Community College.
Playing in Major League Baseball
The Toronto Blue Jays signed Rob Ducey in 1984. He started playing in MLB with the Blue Jays in 1987. He stayed with them until July 1992. After that, he played for several other MLB teams. These included the California Angels (1992) and the Texas Rangers (1993–1994).
Later, he joined the Seattle Mariners (1997–1998) and the Philadelphia Phillies (1999–2001). He even returned to the Blue Jays briefly in 2000. His last MLB team was the Montreal Expos in 2001.
Over his 13-year MLB career, Rob Ducey played 703 games. He had a batting average of .242 and hit 31 home runs.
Playing in Japan
Rob Ducey also played baseball in Japan. He was with the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 1995 and 1996. During his time in Japan, he hit 51 home runs. This was more than the 31 home runs he hit in MLB.
Unique Trade Story
In 2000, something unusual happened to Rob Ducey. The Phillies traded him to the Blue Jays on July 26. Then, just a few days later, on August 7, the Blue Jays traded him back to the Phillies!
Playing for Team Canada
Rob Ducey played for the Canadian national baseball team. He was a designated hitter for Canada in the 2004 Summer Olympics. His team finished in fourth place.
Because of this, he became the first Canadian player to play for both Canadian MLB teams (the Expos and Blue Jays) and the Canadian Olympic team. Only a few other players, like Matt Stairs and Denis Boucher, have done this too.
Coaching and Scouting Career
After playing, Rob Ducey became a hitting coach. He worked for the New York Yankees and Expos minor league teams. In 2006, the Blue Jays hired him as a talent scout. He looked for new players in both major and minor leagues. He also worked in the Pacific Rim area.
In 2011, Ducey became a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays. From 2014 to 2017, he was a hitting coach again for the Phillies' minor league teams. In 2020, he was the hitting coach for the Fubon Guardians in Taiwan.
Rob Ducey also coached for Team Canada in several big events. These included the 2006 World Baseball Classic, the 2008 Olympics, and the 2015 WBSC Premier12.
Awards and Honors
In 1986, Rob Ducey won the Tip O'Neill Award. This award goes to the best Canadian baseball player each year.
In 2013, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. When he joined, he was one of only a few Canadian players to have won the Tip O'Neill Award and be in the Hall of Fame. Other players like Corey Koskie and Jason Bay have also achieved both honors.
Rob Ducey was also inducted into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
Life After Baseball
Rob Ducey lives in Tarpon Springs, Florida. He lives there with his wife, Yanitza, and their children, Thomas, Aaron, and Jenaka. In 2021, Rob Ducey started working as a life insurance agent in Florida.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Canada
