Terry Pendleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Terry Pendleton |
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Pendleton as a coach with the Atlanta Braves
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: July 16, 1960 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 18, 1984, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 25, 1998, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .270 | ||
| Home runs | 140 | ||
| Runs batted in | 946 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Terry Lee Pendleton (born July 16, 1960) is an American former third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for 15 years, mostly with the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves. He also played for the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, and Kansas City Royals.
Terry went to the World Series five times during his playing career. Even though his teams made it to the championship, they never won the final game. After he stopped playing, Terry became a coach for the Braves.
Terry Pendleton's Early Baseball Journey
Terry Pendleton started playing baseball in Little League. He played second base at Channel Islands High School. Then, he played college baseball at Oxnard College from 1979 to 1980.
In 1979, he helped the Oxnard team reach the state championship. This earned him a scholarship to Fresno State. At Fresno State, he helped his team win their fourth straight conference title in 1982. He even set a school record with 98 hits that season.
Becoming a Professional Player
In 1982, the St. Louis Cardinals picked Terry in the seventh round of the amateur draft. This meant they wanted him to play for their team. He started his professional journey in the minor leagues.
He played for the Johnson City Cardinals and St. Petersburg Cardinals in 1982. In 1983, he moved up to Class AA with the Arkansas Travelers. He was even chosen for the league's All-Star team.
Switching to Third Base
By 1984, Terry was promoted to Class AAA with the Louisville Redbirds. After playing a few games at second base, he switched to third baseman. This became the position he would play for the rest of his career.
The Cardinals were very impressed with his skills at third base. They traded their current third baseman to make room for Terry. Soon after, Terry was called up to the major leagues. He became the Cardinals' starting third baseman.
Terry Pendleton's Major League Career
Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1984-1990)
Terry Pendleton played his first Major League game on July 18, 1984. He had a great start, getting three hits in his first game. In his first season, he had a strong batting average of .324 and stole 20 bases.
In 1985, Terry continued as the starting third baseman. His team, the Cardinals, made it to the 1985 World Series. He even hit an inside-the-park grand slam that year!
Winning a Gold Glove Award
Terry's fielding skills were amazing. In 1987, he won his first Gold Glove Award. This award is given to the best defensive players in baseball. He also had a much better batting average of .286 that year.
He helped the Cardinals win their league championship again. They went to the 1987 World Series. Unfortunately, Terry was hurt during the series. The Cardinals lost in seven games.
Terry continued to play well in 1989. He played in every single game that season, which is 162 games! He won his second Gold Glove Award for his excellent fielding. By 1990, his performance started to slow down. After the season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
- Fun Fact*: Terry Pendleton has a baseball card from 1985 that has a mistake! It calls him "Jeff Pendleton" instead of Terry.
Joining the Atlanta Braves (1991-1994)
In 1991, Terry signed a big contract with the Atlanta Braves. The Braves were not a very good team the year before. But with Terry and other new players, they had an amazing turnaround.
Terry had the best year of his career in 1991. He led the National League in batting average (.319) and hits (187). He also hit a career-high 22 home runs. He was named the National League MVP! He also won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award.
More World Series Appearances
The Braves made it to the 1991 World Series. It was Terry's third time playing in the World Series. He played very well, hitting two home runs. However, the Braves lost in a very close Game 7.
In 1992, Terry continued his great play. He batted .311 and had a career-high 199 hits. He was chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which was his only time as an All-Star. He also won his third Gold Glove Award. The Braves went to the World Series again, but lost once more. This was Terry's fourth World Series loss.
By 1993 and 1994, Terry started to have more injuries. His batting average went down. After the 1994 season, he became a free agent again.
Later Playing Years (1995-1998)
Terry signed with the Florida Marlins in 1995. He played well for them for a season and a half. In 1996, he was traded back to the Atlanta Braves. The Braves had many injured players, and Terry's return helped them.
He played in his fifth World Series in 1996. However, he had a limited role in the series. The Braves lost to the New York Yankees. This meant Terry had been to the World Series five times but never won a championship.
After 1996, Terry played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1997. He had some injuries and was released. In 1998, he joined the Kansas City Royals. He helped guide younger players with his experience. After the 1998 season, Terry retired from playing baseball. He wanted to spend more time with his family.
Terry Pendleton's Career Numbers
In his 15 seasons, Terry Pendleton played in 1,893 games.
- He had a batting average of .270.
- He hit 140 home runs.
- He had 946 RBIs.
- He stole 127 bases.
- He won 3 Gold Glove Awards for his excellent defense.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Terry Pendleton became a coach. In 2001, he joined the Atlanta Braves as their hitting coach. He stayed in that role until 2010.
Terry was considered for manager jobs with other teams, but he chose to stay with the Braves. In 2011, he became the Braves' first base coach. Later, in 2016, he became the bench coach. He left coaching after the 2017 season.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
