Michael Roy Fitzgerald (born July 13, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1983 through 1992 for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos and California Angels.[1]
Major League career
Fitzgerald was selected by New York Mets in the 6th round of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft.[2] He made his major league debut with the New York Mets on September 13, 1983.[1] Fitzgerald hit a home run in his first major league at bat, becoming the 57th player in major league history to accomplish the feat.[3][4] In 1984, he led National League catchers in range factor and fielding percentage, becoming only the fourth catcher in major league history to win a fielding title in his rookie year.[5][6] Fitzgerald was selected as the catcher for the 1984 Baseball Digest Rookie All-Star team, and for the 1984 Topps All-Star Rookie Roster.[7]
On December 14, 1984, the New York Mets traded Fitzgerald along with Hubie Brooks, Herm Winningham and minor league pitcher Floyd Youmans to the Montreal Expos for catcher Gary Carter.[8] He became the Expos starting catcher, posting his best offensive year in its 1986 season with a .282 batting average, six home runs and 37 runs batted in.[1] In October 1991, the Expos granted Fitzgerald free agency; he signed to play for the California Angels in their 1992 season.[8] After one year as the Angels' starting catcher, he retired as a player.[1]
Career statistics
In a ten-year major league career, Fitzgerald played in 848 games, accumulating 545 hits in 2316 at bats for a .235 career batting average along with 48 home runs and 293 runs batted in.[1] He ended his catching career with a .988 fielding percentage.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f Mike Fitzgerald at Baseball Reference
- ^ 1978 Major League Baseball Draft. The Baseball Cube website.
- ^ Home Run In First MLB At Bat. Baseball Almanac website.
- ^ Catchers who Homered in First MLB at-bat. The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers website.
- ^ 1984 National League Fielding Leaders. Baseball Reference website.
- ^ Baseball Digest May 2007, Vol. 99, No. 6, ISSN 0005-609X
- ^ Rookie of the Year Winners at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers
- ^ a b Mike Fitzgerald Trades and Transactions at Baseball Almanac
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Baseball Almanac
- Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)
Recent Comments