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 a famous American former third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves. After he stopped playing, he became a coach for the Braves. Terry Pendleton played in 5 World Series but never won a championship. This is a record he shares with two other players.
Terry's Early Baseball Days
Terry Pendleton started playing baseball in Little League. He played second base at Channel Islands High School. From 1979 to 1980, he played at Oxnard College. He helped his team, the Condors, reach the state championship. This earned him a scholarship.
He then went to Fresno State for the 1981 and 1982 seasons. He helped his team win their fourth straight conference title in 1982. He set a school record with 98 hits that season. He was named an All-American player. In 2007, Fresno State retired his jersey number.
The St. Louis Cardinals picked Terry in the 1982 amateur draft. He signed with them on June 12, 1982.
Playing in the Minor Leagues
Terry Pendleton began his professional career in the minor leagues in 1982. He played for the Johnson City Cardinals and the St. Petersburg Cardinals. In 1983, he moved up to class AA with the Arkansas Travelers. He was chosen for the league's all-star team.
By 1984, Terry was promoted to class AAA with the Louisville Redbirds. After playing a few games at second base, he became a third baseman. This was the position he would play for the rest of his career. The Cardinals were very impressed with his progress. They traded their starting third baseman to make room for Terry. When another player struggled at third base, the Cardinals called Terry up to the major leagues. He became their starting third baseman.
Terry's Major League Career
Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1984-1990)
Terry Pendleton made his first MLB appearance on July 18, 1984. He played against the San Francisco Giants. He had a great start, getting three hits in five at-bats. The Cardinals won the game 8–4. In 1984, he had a .324 batting average and 20 stolen bases. He finished seventh in the Rookie of the Year voting.
In 1985, Terry remained the starting third baseman. His batting average dropped to .240. He hit an inside-the-park grand slam against the New York Mets. The Cardinals reached the 1985 World Series. Terry hit the team's only triple in Game 4.
His 1986 season was similar. His batting average was .239, and he hit only one home run. However, he stole 24 bases and hit many doubles and triples. The team's management was not happy with his hitting. But manager Whitey Herzog said Terry's base running and fielding were very important. Terry led the National League in putouts and assists at third base.
Winning a Gold Glove
In 1987, Terry had his best season yet. His batting average improved to .286. He was a big reason the Cardinals won their league title. He was second on the team in home runs and third in runs batted in. Terry's excellent fielding earned him his first Gold Glove Award. This award is given to the best defensive players. He also finished 17th in the MVP voting.
The Cardinals played in the 1987 World Series. Terry was hurt with a rib injury for most of the series. He still played in three games, getting three hits. The Cardinals lost in seven games.
In 1988, Terry struggled with injuries. He missed time with a hamstring injury and had surgery. He stole only three bases that year. He hoped to do better in 1989. He did! He played in all 162 games, which was the only time in his career he did that. He had 162 hits and won his second Gold Glove. His fielding percentage was an impressive .971.
In 1990, Terry's performance went down. His batting average was .230. He started sharing playing time with a new player. After the season, Terry became a free agent.
Joining the Atlanta Braves (1991-1994)
After leaving the Cardinals, Terry Pendleton signed a big contract with the Atlanta Braves in December 1990. The Braves were a last-place team. With Terry and other new players, the team changed completely.
In 1991, Terry had an amazing year. He led the Braves from last place to winning their division. He had his best individual season. He led the National League with a .319 batting average and 187 hits. He also hit a career-high 22 home runs. Even though he had great stats, he was not picked for the All-Star Game. However, he was named the National League MVP. He also won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award for his big improvements.
Terry played well in the 1991 World Series against the Twins. He had 11 hits and 2 home runs. The Braves lost Game 7, which was Terry's third World Series loss in a row.
All-Star and Another Gold Glove
In 1992, Terry continued to play at a high level. He batted .311, hit 21 home runs, and had 105 RBIs. This was the only time he had over 100 RBIs in his career. He also led the National League with 199 hits. This earned him his only trip to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Terry also won his third Gold Glove Award. The Braves made it to the World Series again. But they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in 6 games. This was Terry's fourth World Series loss.
In 1993, Terry hit 17 home runs and 33 doubles. However, his batting average dropped to .272. In 1994, he was on the disabled list with neck and back problems. His batting average was .252. After this season, Terry decided to become a free agent again.
Later Career and Retirement (1995-1998)
Terry Pendleton signed with the Florida Marlins in April 1995. He improved his batting average to .290 and hit 14 home runs. He played for the Marlins in 1995 and most of 1996.
In August 1996, he was traded back to the Atlanta Braves. The Braves had many injured players. Terry's return allowed another player, Chipper Jones, to play his usual position. Terry played in the 1996 World Series, his fifth World Series. He had a limited role as the Braves lost to the New York Yankees. This meant Terry had played in five World Series without winning a championship.
After 1996, the Braves let Terry go. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds in January 1997. He was released in July 1997 after struggling with injuries. He spent the rest of the season recovering.
In January 1998, the Kansas City Royals signed Terry. They wanted his experience to help their younger players. Terry played in a limited role, mostly as a designated hitter and third baseman. After the 1998 season, his 15th professional season, Terry retired from playing baseball. He wanted to spend more time with his family.
Career Statistics Overview
In 1893 games over 15 seasons, Terry Pendleton had a .270 batting average. He had 1897 hits, 851 runs, 356 doubles, 39 triples, and 140 home runs. He also had 946 RBI and 127 stolen bases.
Defensively, he was excellent. He had a .957 fielding percentage. He led National League third basemen in putouts and assists five times each. In 66 postseason games, including 5 World Series, he batted .252.
Terry's Coaching Career
After retiring from playing, Terry Pendleton spent a few years with his family. In November 2001, he got his first coaching job. He became the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves. He stayed in this role until the 2010 season.
In 2006, he was considered for the manager job of the Washington Nationals. He later decided not to pursue it. In 2007, he was also a top candidate to manage the St. Louis Cardinals.
When Bobby Cox, the Braves' manager, retired in 2010, Terry was a candidate to replace him. However, Fredi Gonzalez became the new manager. Terry was then moved from hitting coach to first base coach for the Braves. He stayed in this role until May 2016.
When Fredi Gonzalez was replaced by Brian Snitker, Snitker chose Terry as his bench coach. Terry was replaced by Walt Weiss after the 2017 season.
See Also
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
