Troy O'Leary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Troy O'Leary |
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O'Leary with the Boston Red Sox in 1998
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: August 4, 1969 Compton, California, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: May 9, 1993, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| KBO: 2004, for the Samsung Lions | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: September 28, 2003, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| KBO: 2004, for the Samsung Lions | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 127 | ||
| Runs batted in | 591 | ||
| KBO statistics | |||
| Batting average | .265 | ||
| Home runs | 10 | ||
| Runs batted in | 28 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Troy Franklin O'Leary (born August 4, 1969) is a former American professional baseball outfielder. He played for several teams during his career. These teams included the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, and Chicago Cubs.
Troy O'Leary played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 11 years. He had a batting average of .274. He also hit 127 home runs and brought in 591 runs for his team. He played in 1198 games in total.
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Early Life and Sports
Troy O'Leary was born in Compton, California. He went to Cypress High School in Cypress, California. When he was younger, he planned to play college football as a wide receiver at Oregon State University.
Baseball Career Highlights
Starting in the Pros
The Milwaukee Brewers chose Troy O'Leary in the 13th round of the 1987 MLB draft. This was his start in professional baseball.
In 1992, O'Leary had a great season playing for the Double-A El Paso Diablos team. He won the batting title in the Texas League. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Texas League that year. He hit .334, had 5 home runs, 79 RBI, and stole 28 bases.
Troy O'Leary played his first Major League Baseball game for the Milwaukee Brewers on May 9, 1993. He played as a defensive replacement in left field. In 1993 and 1994, he played 46 games for the Brewers. He batted .280 during that time.
Time with the Boston Red Sox
On April 14, 1995, the Boston Red Sox picked up O'Leary. This was a big move for his career.
In his first year with the Red Sox, O'Leary played in 112 games. He finished the season with a strong .308 batting average. Because of his great performance, he was named the 1995 Red Sox Rookie of the Year.
The year 1999 was Troy O'Leary's best season for statistics. He led the Red Sox with 28 home runs. He was second on the team in RBI with 103, right behind Nomar Garciaparra. His batting average was .280. He played in 157 out of 162 games, leading the team in games played and at-bats. He also had 84 runs, 167 hits, and 36 doubles.
Memorable Postseason Game
One of Troy O'Leary's most famous games was on October 11, 1999. It was a very important game in the 1999 American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.
In the third inning, the Indians decided to intentionally walk Nomar Garciaparra. This meant they walked him on purpose to load the bases for O'Leary. With the bases full, O'Leary hit a grand slam! This was the first grand slam in Red Sox postseason history. It gave Boston a 7-5 lead.
Later in the game, the score was tied 8-8. The Indians again chose to intentionally walk Garciaparra to get to O'Leary. And again, O'Leary hit a home run, this time a 3-run shot! His 7 RBI in that game, along with amazing pitching from Pedro Martinez, helped the Red Sox win. They moved on to play in the 1999 American League Championship Series.
O'Leary played two more seasons with the Boston Red Sox. His role changed when the team signed another strong hitter, Manny Ramirez. During his seven years with the Red Sox, O'Leary played in 962 games. He had 954 hits, 117 home runs, and a .276 batting average.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving the Red Sox, O'Leary played 97 games for the Montreal Expos in 2002. He batted .286 that season.
In 2003, O'Leary signed with the Chicago Cubs. He batted .218 in 194 times at bat.
In his very last at-bat in Major League Baseball, during game 7 of the 2003 National League Championship Series, O'Leary hit a pinch-hit home run. This happened off of pitcher Josh Beckett.
In 2004, Troy O'Leary played for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Over his 11 seasons in the major leagues, Troy O'Leary played 1198 games. He had a .274 batting average, 547 runs, 234 doubles, 40 triples, 127 home runs, and 591 RBI. He was also a good fielder, with a .985 fielding percentage playing in all three outfield positions.
