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 an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played for 11 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). His teams included the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, and Chicago Cubs. After his MLB career, he also played baseball in South Korea.
During his time in MLB, Troy O'Leary had a batting average of .274. He hit 127 home runs and brought in 591 runs batted in (RBI). He played in a total of 1198 games.
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Early Life
Troy O'Leary was born in Compton, California. He went to Cypress High School in Cypress, California. Before playing baseball, he planned to play college football. He was going to be a wide receiver at Oregon State.
Baseball Career
Starting Out
The Milwaukee Brewers picked Troy O'Leary in the 13th round of the 1987 MLB draft. This was his first step into professional baseball.
Shining in the Minor Leagues
In 1992, O'Leary had a fantastic season playing for the El Paso Diablos. This team was in Double-A minor league baseball. He won the batting title in the Texas League. He was also named the 1992 Texas League MVP (Most Valuable Player). That year, he batted .334, hit 5 home runs, and had 79 RBI. He also stole 28 bases.
Big League Start
Troy O'Leary made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on May 9, 1993. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers against the Boston Red Sox. He played in 46 games for the Brewers in 1993 and 1994. During this time, he had a batting average of .280.
Joining the Boston Red Sox
On April 14, 1995, the Boston Red Sox picked up O'Leary. In his first year with the Red Sox, he 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.
Amazing 1999 Season
The year 1999 was Troy O'Leary's best season for stats. He led the Red Sox with 28 home runs. He was also second on the team with 103 RBI. His batting average was .280. He played in almost every game that season.
One of his most memorable games was on October 11, 1999. It was a big playoff game against the Cleveland Indians. The score was close. The Indians chose to intentionally walk another strong Red Sox hitter. This meant they let him go to first base on purpose. They did this to get to O'Leary, hoping he would not hit well. But O'Leary hit a huge grand slam home run! This gave the Red Sox a big lead.
Later in the same game, the score was tied. The Indians again intentionally walked the same strong hitter to get to O'Leary. And again, O'Leary hit another home run! This time it was a 3-run homer. His 7 RBI in that game helped the Red Sox win. They moved on to the next round of the playoffs.
Later Career Highlights
Troy O'Leary played two more seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He hit double-digit home runs in all seven of his seasons with the team. He also had at least 70 RBI each year from 1996 to 2000. In his seven years with the Red Sox, he played in 962 games. He had 954 hits, 117 home runs, and a .276 batting average.
In 2002, O'Leary played 97 games for the Montreal Expos. He batted .286 that season. In 2003, he signed with the Chicago Cubs.
His very last at-bat in Major League Baseball was special. It happened in a playoff game in 2003. He hit a pinch-hit home run in the 7th inning.
Playing Overseas
After his MLB career, Troy O'Leary played baseball in South Korea. He played for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization in 2004.
Career Stats Summary
Over his 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, Troy O'Leary played in 1198 games. He had a batting average of .274. He hit 127 home runs and had 591 RBI. He was a good fielder too, with a .985 fielding percentage. He played all three outfield positions.
