Kevin Mitchell (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Kevin Darnell Mitchell (born January 13, 1962 in San Diego, California
) is a former American
Major League Baseball
left fielder
. He became widely known not only for his occasional brilliance on the field, but also for his unpredictable and sometimes volatile behavior off the field.
's oral history of the New York Mets, Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter
said he gave Mitchell the nickname "World" for his ability to play in the infield and outfield. Carter spoke fondly of Mitchell's talents.
An urban legend
involving Mitchell holds that during the Mets' championship run in , during an argument with his then live-in girlfriend, Mitchell decapitated
her cat. The story first came to light in Dwight Gooden
's autobiography, Heat. Gooden claimed that an enraged Mitchell held him hostage during the alleged cat incident. Mitchell responded to Gooden's accusations by accusing Gooden of fabricating the stories in an attempt to divert attention away from Gooden's personal problems.
In the famous tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series
, after Wally Backman
and Keith Hernandez
had been retired for the first two outs, Mitchell went to the clubhouse to make plane reservations for home in San Diego. However, he was called to pinch hit for reliever Rick Aguilera
after Gary Carter
, the next hitter after Hernandez, singled. Mitchell, who had already gotten out of his uniform and had on his regular clothes, hurriedly put his uniform back on without his protective cup and went to the plate and singled. He would eventually score the tying run on Bob Stanley
's wild pitch to Mookie Wilson
.
In a July 2007 radio interview with local sports talk radio station KNBR
, Mitchell disputed that he was out of uniform at the time, and stated that he never wore a cup, even when playing infield. When asked why he never wore a cup, Mitchell responded, "I couldn’t find one big enough for my junk." The interviewer then commented that maybe the increased mobility helped Mitchell to make the famous 1989 barehanded catch of Ozzie Smith
's fly ball.
Mitchell was traded to the San Diego Padres
after the 1986 season, where he played half a season before landing in San Francisco
where he would reach his full potential.
and Craig Lefferts
to San Francisco in exchange for third baseman Chris Brown and pitchers Keith Comstock
, Mark Davis, and Mark Grant
. While Dravecky was initially considered to be the key to the trade for the Giants, it was Mitchell who emerged as a superstar.
Most Valuable Player
After two seasons playing primarily at third base, he had his best season with the Giants in upon being moved to the outfield. In that season, he batted
.291 with a league-best 125 RBI
and 47 home run
s, leading the team to the playoffs and winning the National League
's Most Valuable Player
award, the first by a Giant since Willie McCovey
in . He added a .353 average and 2 homers in the NLCS
to help the team to its first World Series
appearance since 1962
.
Mitchell is the only player in Major League Baseball history to win a Most Valuable Player award and play for five major league teams before his 32nd birthday. Mitchell is also the only MVP award winner to play for eight major league teams in his career.
The barehanded catch
Mitchell set the tone for his charmed 1989 season early in the year with a unique defensive play. Sprinting toward the left field foul line in St. Louis
' Busch Stadium, for a ball off the bat of Ozzie Smith
, Mitchell realized he had overrun the ball, but was able to reach back and snare the ball with his barehand. Mitchell was unable to stop his momentum following the spectacular catch, but rather than crash into the wall, Mitchell had the good fortune to fly through an unlatched door leading under the stands, making the play all the more memorable.
with the Giants, later years saw his play decline due to an often indifferent attitude as well as various other distractions. One story making the rounds was an incident during the 1991 season in Los Angeles when an unnamed Giant player said he saw Mitchell "stone drunk" at 2 a.m. after a Saturday night game . Traded to the Mariners after the season, he arrived at spring training
the following year 30 pounds (14 kg) overweight. He had a resurgence in with the Reds, batting .326 with 30 HRs and 77 RBI in just 310 at-bats in the strike-shortened season; but he opted to play for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
in Japan the following year, where he became the highest-paid player in Japanese history. In Japan, he incurred the displeasure of team management when he chose to travel to the U.S. in mid-season for treatment of knee problems against the team's wishes.
In the next two years, he played for four major league teams (Cincinnati, Boston, Cleveland, Oakland), rarely showing his former ability.
Today, Mitchell lives in San Diego and plays in the San Diego Adult Baseball League for the championship team, the San Diego Black Sox, run by Mike Micheli.
Mitchell is listed as one of California's top delinquent taxpayers, with a $5,184,641.51 debt from a lien filed on July 6, 2000.
In 2010, Mitchell was arrested for alleged misdemeanor battery at the Bonita Golf Club in Bonita, California
.
and 25 triples
in 1,223 games.
Mitchell's cousin, Keith Mitchell
, also played in the major leagues for four different teams across four seasons (between 1991 and ), ending his career with a .260 batting average and eight home runs.He is also known as Boogie Bear by his players on the Giants.
, and he was later fitted with a gold tooth as the replacement.
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
. He became widely known not only for his occasional brilliance on the field, but also for his unpredictable and sometimes volatile behavior off the field.
New York Mets
In Amazin, Peter GolenbockPeter Golenbock
Peter Golenbock is a sports journalist and author. He is best known for the 1975 book Dynasty: The New York Yankees 1949–1964 about the Yankees of that era...
's oral history of the New York Mets, Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
said he gave Mitchell the nickname "World" for his ability to play in the infield and outfield. Carter spoke fondly of Mitchell's talents.
An urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
involving Mitchell holds that during the Mets' championship run in , during an argument with his then live-in girlfriend, Mitchell decapitated
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
her cat. The story first came to light in Dwight Gooden
Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden , nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.-Career:...
's autobiography, Heat. Gooden claimed that an enraged Mitchell held him hostage during the alleged cat incident. Mitchell responded to Gooden's accusations by accusing Gooden of fabricating the stories in an attempt to divert attention away from Gooden's personal problems.
In the famous tenth inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
, after Wally Backman
Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from - and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team...
and Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez
Keith Barlow Hernandez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He is currently a baseball analyst working for the New York Mets, for whom he played from –, on SportsNet New York and WPIX television broadcasts...
had been retired for the first two outs, Mitchell went to the clubhouse to make plane reservations for home in San Diego. However, he was called to pinch hit for reliever Rick Aguilera
Rick Aguilera
Richard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
after Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
, the next hitter after Hernandez, singled. Mitchell, who had already gotten out of his uniform and had on his regular clothes, hurriedly put his uniform back on without his protective cup and went to the plate and singled. He would eventually score the tying run on Bob Stanley
Bob Stanley
Robert William "Bob" Stanley is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox.Over his 13-year career, Stanley played only for the Red Sox from 1977-89...
's wild pitch to Mookie Wilson
Mookie Wilson
William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder and current coach for the New York Mets. He played 12 years in baseball for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays . He was a switch hitter primarily known for his impressive speed and positive attitude...
.
In a July 2007 radio interview with local sports talk radio station KNBR
KNBR
KNBR, The Sports Leader, is the on-air branding used by two AM radio stations in the San Francisco, California, area broadcasting a sports radio format, owned by Cumulus Media....
, Mitchell disputed that he was out of uniform at the time, and stated that he never wore a cup, even when playing infield. When asked why he never wore a cup, Mitchell responded, "I couldn’t find one big enough for my junk." The interviewer then commented that maybe the increased mobility helped Mitchell to make the famous 1989 barehanded catch of Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
's fly ball.
Mitchell was traded to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
after the 1986 season, where he played half a season before landing in San Francisco
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
where he would reach his full potential.
San Francisco Giants
On July 4, , Mitchell was traded to the Giants as part of a multi-player trade that also sent pitchers Dave DraveckyDave Dravecky
David Francis Dravecky is a Christian motivational speaker, author, and former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants...
and Craig Lefferts
Craig Lefferts
Craig Lindsay Lefferts was a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , San Diego Padres , San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles , Texas Rangers and California Angels...
to San Francisco in exchange for third baseman Chris Brown and pitchers Keith Comstock
Keith Comstock
Keith Martin Comstock is a former left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He went to high school in San Carlos, California. He played for the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners over his six-year career. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants in...
, Mark Davis, and Mark Grant
Mark Grant
Mark Andrew Grant is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and is the current color commentator for the San Diego Padres' television broadcasts.-Career:...
. While Dravecky was initially considered to be the key to the trade for the Giants, it was Mitchell who emerged as a superstar.
Most Valuable Player
After two seasons playing primarily at third base, he had his best season with the Giants in upon being moved to the outfield. In that season, he batted
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 :...
.291 with a league-best 125 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and 47 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, leading the team to the playoffs and winning the National League
National League
The 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...
's Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
award, the first by a Giant since Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
in . He added a .353 average and 2 homers in the NLCS
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
to help the team to its first World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
appearance since 1962
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
.
Mitchell is the only player in Major League Baseball history to win a Most Valuable Player award and play for five major league teams before his 32nd birthday. Mitchell is also the only MVP award winner to play for eight major league teams in his career.
The barehanded catch
Mitchell set the tone for his charmed 1989 season early in the year with a unique defensive play. Sprinting toward the left field foul line in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
' Busch Stadium, for a ball off the bat of Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
, Mitchell realized he had overrun the ball, but was able to reach back and snare the ball with his barehand. Mitchell was unable to stop his momentum following the spectacular catch, but rather than crash into the wall, Mitchell had the good fortune to fly through an unlatched door leading under the stands, making the play all the more memorable.
Later years
A two-time All-StarMajor League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
with the Giants, later years saw his play decline due to an often indifferent attitude as well as various other distractions. One story making the rounds was an incident during the 1991 season in Los Angeles when an unnamed Giant player said he saw Mitchell "stone drunk" at 2 a.m. after a Saturday night game . Traded to the Mariners after the season, he arrived at spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
the following year 30 pounds (14 kg) overweight. He had a resurgence in with the Reds, batting .326 with 30 HRs and 77 RBI in just 310 at-bats in the strike-shortened season; but he opted to play for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
in Japan the following year, where he became the highest-paid player in Japanese history. In Japan, he incurred the displeasure of team management when he chose to travel to the U.S. in mid-season for treatment of knee problems against the team's wishes.
In the next two years, he played for four major league teams (Cincinnati, Boston, Cleveland, Oakland), rarely showing his former ability.
Today, Mitchell lives in San Diego and plays in the San Diego Adult Baseball League for the championship team, the San Diego Black Sox, run by Mike Micheli.
Mitchell is listed as one of California's top delinquent taxpayers, with a $5,184,641.51 debt from a lien filed on July 6, 2000.
Arrests and suspension
After being released for the last time, he was arrested in 1999 for assaulting his father during an argument. Back in the minor leagues as manager of the Sonoma County Crushers in , he was suspended for nine games after punching the opposing team's owner in the mouth during a brawl.In 2010, Mitchell was arrested for alleged misdemeanor battery at the Bonita Golf Club in Bonita, California
Bonita, California
Bonita is a census-designated place in southern San Diego County, California, nestled between the cities of Chula Vista, National City, and San Diego. The population was 12,538 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bonita is located at ....
.
Records
In his 13-season career with eight teams, Mitchell batted .284, with 234 home runs, 760 runs batted in, 630 runs scored, 1,173 hits, 224 doublesDouble (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and 25 triples
Triple (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....
in 1,223 games.
Mitchell's cousin, Keith Mitchell
Keith Mitchell (baseball player)
Keith Alexander Mitchell is a former professional baseball player. He played parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball for the Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox...
, also played in the major leagues for four different teams across four seasons (between 1991 and ), ending his career with a .260 batting average and eight home runs.He is also known as Boogie Bear by his players on the Giants.
Injuries
Mitchell sustained several unusual injuries during his career. He once strained a muscle while vomiting. However, the most infamous of Mitchell's injuries occurred when he broke a tooth eating a frozen chocolate donut that he had put in the microwave too long and had hardened. The incident is said to have led to Mitchell's needing a root canalRoot canal
A root canal is the space within the root of a tooth. It is part of a naturally occurring space within a tooth that consists of the pulp chamber , the main canal, and more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root canals to each other or to the surface of the root.-Root canal anatomy:...
, and he was later fitted with a gold tooth as the replacement.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions