Clay Bellinger
Encyclopedia
Clayton Daniel Bellinger (born November 18, 1968 in Oneonta, New York
) is a former Major League Baseball
player. Bellinger attended Rollins College
.
Bellinger played for the New York Yankees
in , , and , where he won two World Series rings. He played every position (including designated hitter
) except for catcher
and pitcher
. Perhaps Bellinger's career high point came in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the 2000 World Series. Put in left field in place of David Justice, Bellinger's glove went over the wall to rob the Mets' Todd Zeile of a two run home run and preserve a crucial victory for the Yankees. The Yankees released him when he became eligible for arbitration; Bellinger then signed with the Anaheim Angels
. He played two games at first base for the Anaheim Angels
in , had one at-bat in which he struck out, and was eventually demoted to the minor leagues.
While playing in the Baltimore Orioles
system in 2004, he was recruited by owner Peter Angelos to play for the Greek
baseball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics
, held in Athens. Bellinger has Greek grandparents and Angelos was in charge of the Greek national baseball team
. In order to field a competitive team in his hometown Olympics, Angelos made the controversial decision to use experienced American players mostly with distant Greek ancestry (players ancestry eligibility was allowed to date as far back as great-grandparents), as opposed to native Greeks due to their inexperience in a country where baseball was almost never played. Bellinger reluctantly agreed as he hoped it would earn him a September call-up to the Orioles roster when the Olympics were over. The Greek team went 1-6 and failed to advance to the medal round. Bellinger was clearly the most recognizable player from that team, one of a handful of players with Major League experience and the only player to have won a World Series ring. He was not promoted to the Orioles roster after the games concluded.
Little League All-Stars, who advanced to the 2007 Little League World Series
.
As of 2011, he was working for the Gilbert Fire Department.
Oneonta, New York
Oneonta is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, had a population of 13,901. Its nickname is "City of the Hills." While the word "oneonta" is of undetermined origin, it is popularly believed to mean "place of open rocks" in the Iroquois language...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. Bellinger attended Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
.
Career
sBellinger played for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in , , and , where he won two World Series rings. He played every position (including designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
) except for catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. Perhaps Bellinger's career high point came in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the 2000 World Series. Put in left field in place of David Justice, Bellinger's glove went over the wall to rob the Mets' Todd Zeile of a two run home run and preserve a crucial victory for the Yankees. The Yankees released him when he became eligible for arbitration; Bellinger then signed with the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. He played two games at first base for the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in , had one at-bat in which he struck out, and was eventually demoted to the minor leagues.
While playing in the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
system in 2004, he was recruited by owner Peter Angelos to play for the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
baseball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, held in Athens. Bellinger has Greek grandparents and Angelos was in charge of the Greek national baseball team
Greece national baseball team
-2004 Olympics:The first time that Greece put together a national team that got any recognition in the baseball world was during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Greece, as the host country, was faced with the dilemma that the actual baseball talent pool in the country was very small, and what...
. In order to field a competitive team in his hometown Olympics, Angelos made the controversial decision to use experienced American players mostly with distant Greek ancestry (players ancestry eligibility was allowed to date as far back as great-grandparents), as opposed to native Greeks due to their inexperience in a country where baseball was almost never played. Bellinger reluctantly agreed as he hoped it would earn him a September call-up to the Orioles roster when the Olympics were over. The Greek team went 1-6 and failed to advance to the medal round. Bellinger was clearly the most recognizable player from that team, one of a handful of players with Major League experience and the only player to have won a World Series ring. He was not promoted to the Orioles roster after the games concluded.
After Baseball
Bellinger was recently the assistant coach of the Chandler, ArizonaChandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
Little League All-Stars, who advanced to the 2007 Little League World Series
2007 Little League World Series
-Pool play:The top two teams in each pool move on to their respective semifinals. The winners of each met on August 26 to play for the Little League World Championship. Teams marked in green qualified to the knockout stage, while teams marked in red were eliminated.Ties are broken based on records...
.
As of 2011, he was working for the Gilbert Fire Department.