Royce Clayton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royce Clayton |
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Clayton with the St. Louis Cardinals
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| Shortstop | ||||||||||||||
| Born: January 2, 1970 Burbank, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| September 20, 1991, for the San Francisco Giants | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||
| September 30, 2007, for the Boston Red Sox | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .258 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 110 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 723 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Royce Spencer Clayton (born January 2, 1970) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 11 different teams from 1991 to 2007.
As a young player, Clayton played for St. Bernard High School and the United States national under-18 baseball team. The San Francisco Giants picked him in the first round of the 1988 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 1991. Later, the Giants traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. There, he took over as shortstop from his childhood hero, Ozzie Smith. Clayton became an All-Star in 1997.
After his baseball career, Clayton appeared in the movie Moneyball. He also started different businesses. Since 2016, he has been the head baseball coach at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Royce Clayton was born on January 2, 1970, in Burbank, California. He grew up in Inglewood. His parents wanted him to focus on school. They did not let him play Little League Baseball until he was eight years old. He started playing as a third baseman.
After watching a game at Dodger Stadium, Clayton began to look up to Ozzie Smith, the famous shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. This inspired him to switch to playing shortstop.
High School Success
Instead of going to his local high school, Clayton attended St. Bernard High School, a private school. He played shortstop for the school's baseball team. Sometimes, he would even do a back flip on the field, just like Ozzie Smith.
In 1987, during his junior year, Clayton had a great batting average of .448. He played in a championship game at Dodger Stadium. He also joined the United States national under-18 baseball team. His team won a silver medal at the 1987 World Junior Baseball Championships.
In his senior year (1988), Clayton's batting average was .513. He signed a letter to play college baseball for the USC Trojans at the University of Southern California.
Professional Baseball Career
Before the 1988 MLB draft, experts called Clayton one of the top young players in the U.S. The San Francisco Giants chose him as the 15th overall pick. He decided to sign with the Giants for $195,000 instead of going to college.
Playing for the San Francisco Giants (1988–1995)
Clayton started his professional career with the Everett Giants in 1988. He hit .259 and stole 10 bases in 60 games. He then played for the Clinton Giants and San Jose Giants. In 1990, he was named to the California League's all-star game and hit the game-winning hit.
In 1991, Clayton played for the Shreveport Captains. He had a .280 batting average and stole 36 bases. Baseball America called him the best defensive shortstop in his league. The Sporting News named him the best young player in baseball.
The Giants called Clayton up to the major leagues in September 1991. He played nine games. In 1992, he became the Giants' starting shortstop. He played 98 games that year.
By 1993, Clayton was the Giants' main shortstop. He hit .282 in 153 games. He also led all National League shortstops in turning double plays. The Giants offered him a big contract, but he turned it down. He continued to play for the Giants through the 1995 season.
Becoming a St. Louis Cardinal (1996–1998)
After the 1995 season, the Giants traded Clayton to the St. Louis Cardinals. This was a big move because the Cardinals' legendary shortstop, Ozzie Smith, was getting older. Clayton was now set to take his place.
In 1996, Clayton competed with Ozzie Smith for the starting job. Even though Smith was popular, the manager, Tony La Russa, chose Clayton as the starter. Cardinals fans sometimes booed Clayton because they loved Smith so much. But Clayton played well, hitting .277 and stealing 33 bases. Smith announced he would retire at the end of the season. The Cardinals made it to the playoffs that year.
In 1997, Clayton was chosen for the 1997 MLB All-Star Game. He was hitting .261 with six home runs. He played 154 games for the Cardinals that year. In 1998, he started the season with the Cardinals.
Time with the Texas Rangers (1998–2000)
In July 1998, the Cardinals traded Clayton to the Texas Rangers. He became the Rangers' starting shortstop. He played well, hitting .285 in 52 games for Texas. The Rangers won their division and made the playoffs.
After the season, Clayton signed a four-year, $18 million contract to stay with the Rangers. In 1999, he hit .288, and the Rangers won their division again. They made the playoffs but lost to the New York Yankees.
In 2000, Clayton played 148 games for the Rangers. He led all American League shortstops in putouts.
Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers (2001–2003)
In December 2000, the Rangers traded Clayton to the Chicago White Sox. He became their starting shortstop. He struggled a bit at the start of 2001 but finished the season hitting .263. In 2002, he played 112 games for the White Sox before being released in September.
In 2003, the Milwaukee Brewers signed Clayton to be their starting shortstop. He played 135 games, hitting 11 home runs. After the season, the Brewers decided not to keep him.
Later Career and Retirement (2004–2007)
Clayton signed with the Colorado Rockies for the 2004 season. He was their starting shortstop and had a great year defensively, leading all National League shortstops with a .986 fielding percentage.
In 2005, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks and played 143 games. In 2006, he signed with the Washington Nationals. He became their starting shortstop when another player got injured. He played 87 games for Washington before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in July. He played 50 games for the Reds.
In 2007, Clayton signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played 69 games for them before being released in August. He then signed with the Boston Red Sox in September. He wanted to play for a team that could make the playoffs. The Red Sox were his 11th team, which tied a record for position players. He played eight games for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox won the 2007 World Series that year. Even though Clayton did not play in the postseason, he received a World Series ring.
Clayton did not get any more contract offers and retired in March 2008. He finished his career with a .258 batting average, 110 home runs, and 1,904 hits.
After Baseball
After retiring from baseball, Royce Clayton started new ventures. He invested in a bank and worked in real estate. He also started entertainment companies that created music for baseball players.
Clayton also became a youth baseball coach. He coached Little League Baseball. In 2016, he became the head baseball coach for Oaks Christian School.
Personal Life
Royce Clayton met Samantha Davies, a runner who competed in the Olympics, in 2000. They got married the next year. Clayton says his wife helped him stay in shape for his long baseball career. They have two daughters, Niya and Imani, and two sons, Royce Jr. and Elijah. Elijah, Niya, and Imani are triplets.
Clayton's brother, Royal Clayton, also played professional baseball.
Clayton appeared in two movies. He was an adviser for the 2002 film The Rookie. He also played Miguel Tejada in the 2011 movie Moneyball.
See also
- List of Colorado Rockies team records
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
