Delino DeShields
Encyclopedia
Delino Lamont DeShields (born January 15, 1969 in Seaford, Delaware
) is a former second baseman
in Major League Baseball
who enjoyed a 13-year career with 5 teams. He is currently the manager for the Dayton Dragons
in the Cincinnati Reds
organization.
and played for Seaford High School. DeShields was to attend Villanova University
where he would have played point guard
on the basketball
team; however, after being selected as the 12th overall pick in the 1987 MLB draft, he chose a career in baseball.
in 1990, finishing in second place for the NL Rookie of the Year award. He suffered from a sophomore slump
in 1991, but went on to post his two best years in 1992 and 1993, hitting
.294 and averaging 45 stolen base
s.
On November 19, 1993, DeShields was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
for then-prospect Pedro Martínez
. In retrospect, this is considered one of the worst trades in Dodgers history. DeShields hit a mediocre .241 during his three years in Los Angeles, while Martinez went on to win three Cy Young Award
s and established himself amongst the greatest pitchers of his time.
In 1996, DeShields signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals
, and later played with the Baltimore Orioles
and Chicago Cubs
. In 2001, he was the last out in Hideo Nomo
's no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles
.
as part of the Oil Can Boyd Urban All Stars to promote baseball in African American
communities.
The Cincinnati Reds
have formally announced Delino DeShields will be the new field manager for the Dayton Dragons
in 2011
. He has five children (two sons, Delino, Jr and D'Angelo and three daughters, Diamond, Denim, and Delaney). His eldest child, Delino DeShields, Jr.
, was drafted with the 8th overall pick by the Houston Astros
in the 2010 MLB Draft
. His daughter Diamond is listed by ESPNU as one of the top 25 women's basketball
recruits for the class of 2013. At age 15, Diamond was the youngest member of the gold-medal winning United States team at the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship
.
Seaford, Delaware
Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...
) is a former second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
in 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...
who enjoyed a 13-year career with 5 teams. He is currently the manager for the Dayton Dragons
Dayton Dragons
The Dayton Dragons are a Class A minor league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. They play in the Midwest League at Fifth Third Field.The Dragons came to Dayton in 2000...
in the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
organization.
Early life
DeShields was born in Seaford, DelawareSeaford, Delaware
Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...
and played for Seaford High School. DeShields was to attend Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
where he would have played point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
on the basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team; however, after being selected as the 12th overall pick in the 1987 MLB draft, he chose a career in baseball.
Career
DeShields became the regular second baseman for the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in 1990, finishing in second place for the NL Rookie of the Year award. He suffered from a sophomore slump
Sophomore slump
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the standards of the first effort...
in 1991, but went on to post his two best years in 1992 and 1993, hitting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.294 and averaging 45 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s.
On November 19, 1993, DeShields was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for then-prospect Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
. In retrospect, this is considered one of the worst trades in Dodgers history. DeShields hit a mediocre .241 during his three years in Los Angeles, while Martinez went on to win three Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
s and established himself amongst the greatest pitchers of his time.
In 1996, DeShields signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, and later played with 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...
and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. In 2001, he was the last out in Hideo Nomo
Hideo Nomo
is a former right-handed pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball from Japan. He achieved early success in Japan, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to...
's no-hitter against 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...
.
After retirement
DeShields is the Co-Founder and VP of the Urban Baseball League. He also travels with Oil Can BoydOil Can Boyd
Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , and Texas Rangers .He batted and threw right-handed....
as part of the Oil Can Boyd Urban All Stars to promote baseball in African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
communities.
The Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
have formally announced Delino DeShields will be the new field manager for the Dayton Dragons
Dayton Dragons
The Dayton Dragons are a Class A minor league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. They play in the Midwest League at Fifth Third Field.The Dragons came to Dayton in 2000...
in 2011
Personal
Delino DeShields is married to Michelle Elliott DeShields, an educator and television host for the PBS series Georgia Traveler airing on Georgia Public BroadcastingGeorgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia Public Broadcasting is the public broadcasting radio and television state network in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission....
. He has five children (two sons, Delino, Jr and D'Angelo and three daughters, Diamond, Denim, and Delaney). His eldest child, Delino DeShields, Jr.
Delino DeShields, Jr.
Delino Diaab DeShields, Jr. is an American professional baseball player. He is also the son of former Major League Baseball player Delino DeShields...
, was drafted with the 8th overall pick by the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in the 2010 MLB Draft
2010 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in New York City.-First-round selections:The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team picking first.Key...
. His daughter Diamond is listed by ESPNU as one of the top 25 women's basketball
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
recruits for the class of 2013. At age 15, Diamond was the youngest member of the gold-medal winning United States team at the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship
FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship
The FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship is the name commonly used to refer to the American basketball championships for players under 18 years that take place every two years among national teams of the continent. Before the 2006 edition the championship was played by under-19 teams.-Men's Americas...
.
Highlights
- Named State Baseball Player of the Year in 1986.
- Placed second in Rookie of the YearMLB Rookie of the Year AwardIn Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
Award voting in 1990 - Led National LeagueNational LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in triplesTriple (baseball)In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(14, 1997) - 9-time top 10 finisher among NL base stealers (1990–98)
- His career 463 stolen bases ranks him 44th on the all-time list
- Wore his socks just below the knee, to honor the players of the defunct Negro LeaguesNegro league baseballThe Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
- Inducted into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of FameDelaware Sports Museum and Hall of FameThe Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is a membership-based organization founded in 1976. The organization runs a museum with exhibits at Daniel S...
in 2006. - Inducted into the Eastern Shore Baseball Foundation Hall of Fame and Museum in 2010.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions