Skeeter Barnes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skeeter Barnes |
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Barnes with the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays in 2006
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| Utility player | |||
| Born: March 7, 1957 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 6, 1983, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 20, 1994, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .259 | ||
| Home runs | 14 | ||
| Runs batted ins | 83 | ||
| Teams | |||
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William Henry "Skeeter" Barnes, born on March 7, 1957, is a former professional baseball player. He was a utility player in Major League Baseball (MLB), meaning he could play many different positions. Skeeter played for several teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, and Detroit Tigers. After he stopped playing, he became a manager and coach in Minor League Baseball for almost 20 years.
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Skeeter Barnes's Baseball Journey
Skeeter Barnes was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He played college baseball at the University of Cincinnati. In 1978, the Cincinnati Reds chose him in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball draft.
Climbing Through the Minor Leagues
Barnes worked hard to move up through the minor leagues. In 1983, he was promoted to the Reds after hitting very well for their Indianapolis team. He made his first MLB appearance on September 6, 1983. In that game, he was hit by two pitches. As of 2020, he is the only player to be hit by more than one pitch in his very first game!
Even though Barnes played very well in the minor leagues for many years, it was tough for him to stay in the major leagues. Between 1984 and 1990, he played in only 60 big-league games. He even played four games for the St. Louis Cardinals when they won the National League championship in 1987. In four of those years, he hit .300 or better in the minor leagues. This means he got a hit in at least 3 out of every 10 times he batted.
Finally Making It Big
Barnes finally became a regular player in the major leagues when he was 34 years old. Many players have already retired by this age. In 1991, he was playing great in the International League, hitting .330. The Detroit Tigers then called him up to their team.
Skeeter was a good fit for the Tigers. He could play several different positions well, and he was good at hitting the ball. Tigers fans liked his hard work and effort. Sometimes, they called him "Crash Davis." This was after a character in the movie Bull Durham who spent most of his career in the minor leagues.
Barnes played in 353 games during his time in the major leagues. He had 159 hits, 14 home runs, and 83 runs batted in (RBIs). His batting average was .259. In the minor leagues, Barnes had an impressive .296 batting average for his career. He also had 1,773 hits in the minors. His uniform number 00 was retired by the Nashville Sounds team in 1991.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing baseball in 1994, Barnes continued to be involved in the sport. He became a coach and manager in the minor leagues. He managed the Lakeland Tigers in 2000 and the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays in 2006.
Barnes also held other coaching jobs in different leagues. From 2007 until he retired in 2023, he worked for the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He was a coordinator, helping minor league players with their outfield skills and base-running.
