Rodney McCray (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rodney McCray |
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McCray with the South Bend White Sox c. 1988
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: September 13, 1963 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 30, 1990, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 11, 1992, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .214 | ||
| Runs scored | 13 | ||
| Stolen bases | 9 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Rodney Duncan McCray (born September 13, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player. He is famous for a moment when he crashed through an outfield fence while trying to catch a ball! Rodney played most of his career in the minor leagues. However, he also played in the major leagues for the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets between 1990 and 1992. Today, he is a head coach for the New York Rise team. This team is part of the Association of Fastpitch Professionals (AFP).
Contents
Rodney McCray's Baseball Journey
Early Life and Starting Baseball
Rodney McCray was born in Detroit, Michigan. His family moved to the west coast when he was young. He went to University High in Los Angeles. Later, he attended West Los Angeles Junior College and Santa Monica Junior College.
Rodney was a very fast outfielder. Baseball teams noticed his speed. In 1982, the Chicago White Sox drafted him in the first round. The next year, the Los Angeles Dodgers also drafted him. But Rodney chose to stay in school. Finally, in 1984, he signed with the San Diego Padres.
Playing in the Minor Leagues
Rodney spent four years playing for teams connected to the Padres. Then, in 1987, the White Sox picked him up again. Rodney wasn't known for being a great hitter. His batting average in the minor leagues was .226. But he was good at getting on base by drawing walks. This helped his on-base percentage reach .362. He was also amazing at stealing bases! In one season with Charleston in 1986, he stole 91 bases.
The Famous Fence Crash!
Rodney made it to the major leagues with the White Sox in 1990. The next year, he was sent back to the minor leagues. He played for the AAA Vancouver Canadians team. On May 27, 1991, something unforgettable happened. It was during a game in Portland, Oregon. Rodney was chasing a fly ball hit by Chip Hale.
Rodney actually caught the ball! But he was running so fast that he crashed right through a plywood fence in right field. The fence was near the 369-foot marker. When he crashed, he dropped the ball. This amazing play was shown over and over on TV news. A video of the crash is now part of a blooper reel. You can see it at the Baseball Hall of Fame!
Back in the Major Leagues
After the famous crash, Rodney returned to the White Sox later that year. He was mostly used as a pinch runner. This means he would run for another player who got on base. He also played as a backup outfielder.
In 1992, Rodney signed with the New York Mets. Again, he was mostly a pinch runner. But on May 8, he had a big moment against the Dodgers. He pinch-ran for Eddie Murray. Then he stayed in the game as the right fielder. In the ninth inning, the score was tied 3-3. There were two runners on base. Rodney stepped up to bat. He hit a single off pitcher Tim Crews! This hit won the game for the Mets. It was his only major league at-bat in 1992. It was also the last at-bat of his career.
Rodney played in two more games as a pinch runner. Then, the Mets released him on June 8. He played one more year for an independent team called the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks. He batted .242 in 61 games in 1993. After that, he retired as a player.
In total, Rodney McCray played in 67 major league games. He had only fourteen at-bats and got three hits. But he was a great base stealer, getting nine stolen bases in ten tries!
Life After Playing Baseball
Coaching and Honors
After his playing career, Rodney McCray became a coach. For many years, he worked as an outfield and baserunning instructor. He taught young players in the minor league systems of several teams. These included the Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
On August 12, 2006, Portland honored Rodney McCray. They had a "Rodney McCray Bobblehead Night"! This celebrated his famous crash through the wall. Rodney threw out the first pitch at the game. The right-center field area of PGE Park was even renamed "McCray Alley" in his honor. Rodney joked, "I just wish I had run through something like a Coca-Cola sign so I could have gotten endorsements." He added, "Instead, I ran through a local sign, `Flav-R-Pac meats.'"
ESPN, a sports TV channel, has a show called Who's Number 1?. They ranked Rodney's fence incident as the seventh-favorite sports blooper of all time.
Rodney's Family in Sports
Rodney McCray's children are also involved in sports. On June 4, 2019, his son Grant was drafted by the San Francisco Giants. He was picked in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Rodney's daughter, Sidney, also plays sports. She received a scholarship to play college softball at Grand Canyon University.
