Tom Goodwin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Goodwin
Goodwin with the Mets in 2017
Atlanta Braves – No. 88
Center fielder
Born: (1968-07-27) July 27, 1968 (age 56) Fresno, California, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Right
debut
September 1, 1991, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last appearance
September 30, 2004, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Batting average	.268
Home runs	24
Runs batted in	284
Stolen bases	369
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (1991–1993) Kansas City Royals (1994–1997) Texas Rangers (1997–1999) Colorado Rockies (2000) Los Angeles Dodgers (2000–2001) San Francisco Giants (2002) Chicago Cubs (2003–2004) As coach New York Mets (2012–2017) Boston Red Sox (2018–2021) Atlanta Braves (2024–present)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (2018)
Medals Baseball Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 1988 Seoul Team Baseball World Cup Silver 1988 Rome Team

Thomas Jones Goodwin (born July 27, 1968) is an American baseball coach and former player. He is currently the first base coach for the Atlanta Braves. Tom played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 14 seasons. He was mainly a center fielder from 1991 to 2004. He also coached for the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.

Tom Goodwin's Baseball Journey

Early Life and College Baseball

Tom Goodwin grew up in Fresno, California. He went to Central High School. Later, he played college baseball for Fresno State University. He was a top player there. He was chosen as an All-American twice. In 1989, The Sporting News also named him to their college All-America team.

Becoming a Professional Player

The Pittsburgh Pirates first picked Tom in the 1986 MLB draft. But he decided not to sign with them. In 1988, he played for the United States national baseball team. They won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Seoul.

Tom waited until 1989 to sign with a team. He joined the Los Angeles Dodgers. They picked him in the first round of the 1989 MLB draft.

Climbing to the Major Leagues

Tom spent only three seasons playing in Minor League Baseball. He was very fast, stealing at least 48 bases each season. In 1989, he was named to the Baseball America all-star team. He also made the Pioneer League all-star team. In 1990, he was part of the Texas League all-star team.

He made his big league debut on September 1, 1991. He was 23 years old.

Major League Career Highlights

Tom Goodwin played for many teams during his 14 years in MLB. These teams included the Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs. He was known for his speed, stealing 369 bases in his career.

In 1996, he stole a career-high 66 bases with the Royals. In 1998, he had a great batting average of .290 with the Rangers.

In 2000, Tom hit six home runs. Two of them were grand slams. One was even an inside-the-park home run! He played in the 2002 World Series with the Giants. They lost to the Anaheim Angels in seven games. On August 20, 2003, Tom got his 1000th career hit.

Tom last played in MLB in 2004. He then played one more year in an independent league in 2005.

Career Stats and Achievements

Over his 14-year MLB career, Tom played in 1288 games. He had a .268 batting average. He hit 24 home runs and had 284 runs batted in (RBIs). He was also a great fielder, with a .991 fielding percentage. He played all three outfield positions.

Tom Goodwin as a Coach

Goodwin with the Mets in 2012.

After he stopped playing, Tom became a coach. He managed a minor league team called the Lewisville Lizards. He also coached for the Lowell Spinners, a minor league team for the Boston Red Sox. He helped teach outfielders and base runners in the Red Sox' minor league system.

Coaching for the New York Mets

On October 29, 2011, Tom became the first base coach for the New York Mets. He took over from Mookie Wilson.

Returning to the Boston Red Sox

On November 2, 2017, Tom went back to the Red Sox. He became their major league first base coach. He joined the staff of new manager Alex Cora. Tom was part of the Red Sox coaching staff when they won the 2018 World Series.

During the 2021 season, Tom had to miss some games. This was because he was in close contact with people who tested positive for a sickness. Later, he could not be on the field during the playoffs. This was because MLB required all staff in the dugout to have a certain health status, and Tom did not meet that requirement.

After the 2021 season, the Red Sox let Tom go. For the next two years, he worked as an instructor in the Atlanta Braves' minor league system. In 2024, he was promoted to be the first base coach for the Braves' major league team.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders