Mark Andrew Reynolds is a
third basemanA third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
/
first basemanFirst base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
in
Major League BaseballMajor 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 plays for the
Baltimore OriolesThe 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...
. He is known both for his power-hitting abilities and for his record-breaking strike out totals. He holds the all-time record for most strikeouts in a season, with 223 in
2009-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions – New York Yankees**American League Champions – New York Yankees**National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies*Postseason – October 7 to November 4...
, and led the National League in strikeouts in his first three full major-league seasons and the American League in his fourth.
Amateur baseball
Born in
Pikeville, KentuckyPikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
on August 3, 1983, Reynolds later moved with his family to
Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. In 1994 he played for the Virginia Blasters
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
program, where one of his teammates was
B. J. UptonMelvin Emmanuel "B. J." Upton is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Upton is a graduate of Greenbrier Christian Academy....
. Both would eventually join B. J.'s younger brother
JustinJustin Irvin Upton is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, David Wright and
Ryan ZimmermanRyan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...
on a
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
-based
autumnAutumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
showcase team called the Mets in 2000. The five players, who were all
shortstopShortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
s at the time, rotated among the three positions on the left side and middle of the
infieldInfield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
. While with the Mets, Reynolds was
nicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "
SkeletorSkeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
" due to his lanky build and "
Forrest GumpForrest Gump is a fictional character who first appears in the 1986 eponymous novel by Winston Groom. Forrest Gump also appeared on screen in the 1994 film of the same name directed by Robert Zemeckis. Gump was portrayed as a child by Michael Humphreys and portrayed as an adult by Tom Hanks, who...
" because of his awkward running style.
He was a four-year letterman in baseball,
basketballBasketball 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...
and
golfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
at
First Colonial High SchoolFirst Colonial High School is a high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia. First Colonial opened in 1966 by splitting students out of the former Virginia Beach High School. Virginia Beach High then became Virginia Beach Middle School. James C. Mounie was the first principal of the new high school...
, where he graduated in 2001.
In his three years at the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, he was the starting
shortstopShortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
on the
Cavaliers baseball teamThe Virginia Cavaliers baseball team represents the University of Virginia in NCAA Division I college baseball. Established in 1889, the team participates in the Coastal division of the Atlantic Coast Conference and plays its home games at Davenport Field. There was discussion at one time to...
. During his
sophomoreSophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
and
junior"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
campaigns, he played alongside Zimmerman, who had been shifted to
third baseA third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. Reynolds led the team in
home runIn 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 (15) in 2002,
runs batted inRuns 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...
(46) in 2003 and
tripleIn 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....
s (5) in 2004. His 60
runIn baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
s scored in 2004 matched a school record which has since been broken. His 35 career homers at Virginia is tied for second all-time in Cavaliers history. Through August 2011, he was one of 29 former UVA players to have made it to the major leagues, along with among others former Cavaliers
Michael SchwimerMichael Fredarick Schwimer is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.The 6' 8" closer was drafted by the Phillies in 2008, out of the University of Virginia...
,
Javier LópezJavier Alfonso López is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants. López previously played for the Colorado Rockies , Arizona Diamondbacks , Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates . He is a left-handed specialist known for his sidearm delivery...
, and Zimmerman.
Reynolds was selected by the
Arizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the 16th round (476th overall) of the
2004 Major League Baseball DraftThe 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
.
2007 season
Reynolds made his major league debut on May 16, , against the
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. He had been called up from Double-A
MobileThe Mobile BayBears are a minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major league club. The BayBears play in Hank Aaron Stadium, named after baseball's former all-time home...
when
Chad TracyChad Austin Tracy is a Major League Baseball third baseman, who is currently with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.-College & draft:...
was placed on the
disabled listIn Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Reynolds made an instant impact with the Diamondbacks, driving in 14 runs in his first 15 MLB games.
Reynolds was the latest of a number of players from the
TidewaterThe Tidewater region of Virginia is the eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia formally known as Hampton Roads. The term tidewater may be correctly applied to all portions of any area, including Virginia, where the water level is affected by the tides...
, Virginia region to make it to the major leagues in recent years, a list that includes David Wright,
Ryan ZimmermanRyan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...
, B.J. Upton,
Justin UptonJustin Irvin Upton is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, and
Michael CuddyerMichael Brent Cuddyer is a Major League Baseball right fielder who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed, and wore number 5 for Minnesota Twins.-High school:...
.
Reynolds ended the season 3rd among NL rookies in strikeouts (129), 4th in runs (62), tied for 4th in triples (4), and tied for 6th in home runs (17). He also drove in 62 runs and had a .279 batting average.
On October 3, 2007, when Arizona faced the
Chicago CubsThe 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 the first game of the
National 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...
Division series, Reynolds' seventh inning home run off of Cubs reliever
Carlos MarmolCarlos Agustín Mármol is a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.-Minor league career:Mármol started his career as a catcher/outfielder...
led the Diamondbacks to a 3–1 victory.
2008 season
On September 25, he set a major league record by striking out for the 200th time in one season when he failed to check his swing against
St. Louis CardinalsThe 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...
pitcher
Joel PineiroJoel Alberto Piñeiro is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is right-handed and made his major league debut on August 8, .-Career:...
. He broke the record of 199 set in by
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
first baseman
Ryan HowardRyan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
. Reynolds ultimately finished the season striking out 204 times. He also led the majors in strikeout percentage, with 33.3%.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-ratio-batting.shtml
Reynolds made the most errors (34) and had the lowest
fielding percentageIn baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
(.904) of all major league third basemen.
He did have a good offensive year, leading the Diamondbacks in home runs (28) and RBIs (97) to go along with 11 stolen bases and 87 runs scored. His batting average saw a significant dip from his rookie campaign, however, ending with a .239 clip.
2009 season
Reynolds was named one of the five finalists for the National League Final Vote for the
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
, finishing third behind
Shane VictorinoShane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
and
Pablo SandovalPablo E. Sandoval , nicknamed Kung Fu Panda, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Sandoval is a 5'11", 237 pound switch hitter. He was born left handed, but did not want to have to play outfield all of his career. He therefore...
.
On July 28, 2009, Reynolds hit a two-run home run off of
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
closer
Brad LidgeBradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
landing at 481 feet, making it the longest home run of the 2009 season, and the second longest home run in the history of
Chase FieldChase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...
. Reynolds quickly became recognized for hitting towering home runs (25 of his 44 home runs being over 400 feet), averaging his home runs at 430 feet (longest in baseball).
In the Diamondbacks' four game series against the Mets on July 29 – August 3, Reynolds managed to hit the longest home run in the short history of Citi Field, at 461 feet, as well as capped off the series finale with home runs in consecutive innings (first and second). His 4 home runs at Citi Field rank him 2nd all time in home runs hit at the park by a visiting player.
On August 10, 2009, Reynolds was named the NL Player of the Week for the week ending August 9, beating out teammate
Ryan RobertsRyan Alan Roberts is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. A right-handed batter, Roberts is 5' 11" tall and weighs 190 pounds. He is married to actress Kim Camille. Roberts has over 30 tattoos.-College career:After graduating from L. D...
(who finished second) in voting for the honor. Reynolds finished the week hitting .448 with 6 home runs, 32 total bases, 10 RBIs, 1 stolen base, a .515
on base percentageIn baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
, and a
slugging percentage of 1.103. This has been Reynolds's second NL Player of the Week award (the other being earlier this season for the week ending June 14). As tradition with the Player of the Week award, Reynolds has received two wrist watches (one for each week), one of which he gave to his father, and the other of which he gave to his grandfather.
Reynolds played at first base for 26 games, where he has a .974 fielding percentage, the second-highest in the league of players with 125 or more innings at first base, and a 8.21 range factor, the best in the league. Reynolds helped improve his defensive skills by working with former Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams, during Spring Training; work that has raised his fielding percentage by over 50 points from the previous season. He has also made headlines for several notable catches including July 21 in Colorado, July 24 in Arizona, and August 1 in New York.
He broke his own one-year-old major league record for strikeouts in a season in 2009 with 223. He also hit .260 (batting average), hit 44 home runs, had 102 RBI, and scored 98 runs, along with 24 stolen bases.
He led the major leagues in the Three True Outcomes (the total of the three main outcomes not involving defense) with 343.
2010 season
After signing a three-year, $14.5 million
contractA contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
extension on March 18, 2010, Reynolds began the season with two home runs in the first four games of the season. On May 20, Reynolds hit his 100th career home run off of the Giants'
Tim LincecumTimothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
. Though he finished the season with 32 home runs, the sixth highest total in the National League, along with 85 RBIs and a career high 83 walks in 145 games, Reynolds again led the league in strikeouts with 211 and, having reached the mark three times, remained the only player in major league history to have at least 200 strikeouts in a season. Most notably, his .198 batting average established him as the first full-time position player in Major League history to finish the season with a lower batting average (x 1000) than strikeout total.
Baltimore Orioles
Reynolds and a player to be named later (
John HesterJohn Hester is a right-handed Major League Baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. On August 28, 2009 on his major league debut, he hit a two-run homer in his first Major League at-bat in a game against the Houston Astros.-Education career:He attended Marist School in Atlanta before attending...
on April 30, 2011) were traded to the
Baltimore OriolesThe 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...
for
David HernandezDavid Jose Hernandez is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks...
and
Kam MickolioKameron Kraig 'Kam' Mickolio is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball.-Amateur career:...
on December 6, 2010. From the Diamondbacks' standpoint, the transaction, which was executed by new
general managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Kevin TowersKevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
, was to improve the
bullpenIn baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
and reduce the record-breaking strikeout total by the team's batters (1,529 in
2010The Arizona Diamondbacks' 2010 season, the franchise's thirteenth season in Major League Baseball, included the team's attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007. On July 1, 2010, the Arizona Diamondbacks fired Manager A.J. Hinch following a 31-48 start to the 2010 season and...
). The Orioles, on the other hand, needed a starting third baseman and a power hitter.
2011 season
In 2011, Reynolds led all major leaguers in errors, with 31, as his .897 fielding percentage was the lowest of all major league third basemen, and led the AL in strikeouts, with 196. He batted .221, and was fourth in the league in homers, with 37.
External links