Tyrone Woods facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tyrone Woods |
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Woods with the Chunichi Dragons
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: August 16, 1969 Brooksville, Florida, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| NPB: March 23, 2003, for the Yokohama BayStars | |||
| KBO: 1998, for the OB Bears | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| NPB: October 25, 2008, for the Chunichi Dragons | |||
| KBO: 2002, for the Doosan Bears | |||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .289 | ||
| Home runs | 240 | ||
| Runs batted in | 616 | ||
| KBO statistics | |||
| Batting average | .294 | ||
| Home runs | 174 | ||
| Runs batted in | 510 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
NPB
KBO
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Walter Tyrone Woods (born August 16, 1969) is an American professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman for many years. He spent five seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and then six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan.
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Baseball Career Highlights
Tyrone Woods had a long and successful career playing baseball. He started in the minor leagues in the United States. Later, he became a star player in both South Korea and Japan.
Starting in Minor League Baseball
Tyrone Woods began his baseball journey after being chosen by the Montreal Expos in the 1988 MLB draft. He started as a third baseman in high school. In his first year, he played for the GCL Expos. He worked hard to improve his skills.
Woods moved up to different teams in the minor leagues. He played for the Jamestown Expos and the Rockford Expos. He kept getting better at hitting home runs and getting on base. He also played for the West Palm Beach Expos and the Harrisburg Senators.
By 1994, Woods played for the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx. After leaving the Expos, he joined the Baltimore Orioles' farm team, the Rochester Red Wings. In 1996, he played for the Boston Red Sox's Double-A team, the Trenton Thunder. He hit 25 home runs that year. In 1997, he played for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. He also played in the Mexican League for the Potros de Minatitlán.
Becoming a Star in Korea
In 1998, Tyrone Woods moved to South Korea to play in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). He joined the OB Bears. He quickly made history by hitting a home run in his very first game. That year, he set a KBO record with 42 home runs. He also became the first foreign player to win the MVP award.
Woods continued to be a top player in Korea. In 2000, he hit 39 home runs and had 111 RBIs. In 2001, he was named MVP in the All-Star game and the playoffs. He also won the MVP award in the Korean Series, hitting four home runs. He played five years in Korea, hitting 174 home runs and getting 510 RBIs. He was a very important player for the Doosan Bears.
Playing in Japan's Top League
After his time in Korea, Woods signed with the Yokohama BayStars in Japan in 2003. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In his first year, he hit 40 home runs. He was the first player to lead a league in home runs in both Korea and Japan.
In 2004, Woods had an even better year with Yokohama. He hit 45 home runs and had 103 RBIs. He was recognized as one of the best first basemen in the league.
In 2005, Woods joined the Chunichi Dragons. He continued to be a powerful hitter, with 38 home runs and 103 RBIs. During one game, he had a disagreement with an opposing pitcher. This led to a brief suspension.
In 2006, Woods had an amazing season. He hit 47 home runs, which was the most in the league. He also had 144 RBIs, leading the league in that category too. He helped the Dragons win the league title. He even hit grand slams in two games in a row! He played for the Dragons until 2008, leaving a great legacy.
Life Outside Baseball
Besides his successful baseball career, Tyrone Woods also worked as a firefighter. He served with the Fire Department in his hometown of Brooksville, Florida.
