Rowland Office facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rowland Office |
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Office with the New York Yankees
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| Center fielder | |||
| Born: October 25, 1952 Sacramento, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 5, 1972, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 20, 1983, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .259 | ||
| Home runs | 32 | ||
| Runs batted in | 242 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Rowland Johnie Office, born on October 25, 1952, is a retired professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These teams included the Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, and New York Yankees. His career spanned from 1972 to 1983.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Rowland Office was born in Sacramento, California. He grew up playing baseball in his hometown. He played for his high school team at C. K. McClatchy High School. Later, he continued playing at Sacramento City College. During his time in Sacramento, he even played against Jerry Royster. Royster would later become his teammate in Major League Baseball.
MLB Career Highlights
Starting with the Braves
Office made his big league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 1972. This made him the youngest player in MLB that year. After spending 1973 playing in the minor leagues, he became a regular player for the Braves in 1974.
He often shared the left field position with the legendary Hank Aaron. Aaron was nearing the end of his amazing career at that time. People described Office as a very thin 21-year-old. He played with huge energy and was not afraid to dive for balls.
Amazing Catches
In 1975, Rowland Office made one of the most famous defensive plays. This happened at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. He leaped high to catch a ball that looked like it was going to be a home run. It was a truly incredible catch!
Hitting Streaks and Injuries
In 1976, the Braves were having a tough time, losing many games. Despite this, Office had an impressive 29-game hitting streak. This means he got at least one hit in 29 games in a row. However, he injured his knee in July. This injury affected how well he played for the rest of that year.
He stayed with the Braves until 1979. After that, he became a free agent. This meant he could sign with any team he wanted. He then joined the Montreal Expos.
Later Career with the Yankees
The Expos released Office in early 1982. He then played in the minor league system for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1983, he got a chance to play for the New York Yankees. However, he only played in two MLB games that season.
He spent most of 1983 in the minor leagues with the Columbus Clippers. There, he had a strong batting average of .297. He also hit eight home runs and had 45 runs batted in in 87 games.
Career Totals
Over his 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, Rowland Office played in 899 games. He finished his career with a .259 batting average.
