Marlon Byrd
Encyclopedia
Marlon Jerrard Byrd popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
for the Chicago Cubs
. He has also played on the Philadelphia Phillies
, Washington Nationals
and Texas Rangers
.
(Marietta, Georgia
), and won All-State honors in baseball
and football
.
He played on the 1993 State Runner up team as a sophomore, and was part of the 1995 State Championship team.
. After a major injury, he transferred to Georgia Perimeter Junior College
where he earned an AS Degree in Business in May 1999, while rededicating himself to baseball. The injury was to his right leg in which he sustained muscular damage and an infection which cut off the circulation to his nerves. He had to undergo three operations to correct the problem. Many doctors had wanted to amputate his right leg, but Byrd refused and underwent a two-year rehab process. During the rehab process, Byrd reached up to 300 pounds.
.303 with 86 runs scored
, 28 doubles
, four triples
, seven home run
s and 11 stolen base
s in 135 games and 495 at-bats. In , he did not keep his high level performance and was eventually traded to the Washington Nationals
.
in for Endy Chávez
. On July 15, , Byrd was designated for assignment
and assigned to Washington's Triple-A affiliate, the New Orleans Zephyrs
.
by the Rangers on December 8, 2006, to compete for the starting position in center field. After failing to make the Rangers' major league roster out of spring training
, Byrd was assigned to the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks
. Byrd's contract was purchased on May 26, , following injuries to outfielders Brad Wilkerson
and Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Making the most of his call-up by hitting over .400 for the month of June, Byrd played his way into the line-up, allowing the Rangers to trade center fielder Kenny Lofton
prior to the trading deadline. On August 4, , he hit a walk-off grand slam
to help the Rangers beat the Yankees
9–5.
Byrd had a career season in 2009, hitting 20 home runs and collecting 89 RBIs.
Following the season, Byrd filed for free agency, declining the Rangers' offer of salary arbitration.
. In his first season with the Cubs, Byrd had his best season. He was selected for his first All-Star Game, Byrd entered the game as a substitute and drew a walk off of Matt Thornton. He scored from first base on a double by the Braves' Brian McCann. In the ninth inning, while playing right field, Byrd made an outstanding play, forcing David Ortiz at second after fielding what normally would have been a base hit. Also, a popular saying among Cubs fans is "The Byrd is the Word."
On May 21, 2011, while batting during the 2nd inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox
at Fenway Park
, Byrd was hit near his left eye by a pitch from Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves
. The pitch was, according to Aceves, unintentional. After the pitch hit him, Byrd dropped to the ground, covered the area by his left eye and rolled in pain; he was helped off the field by Cubs
medical personnel and taken to the trainer's room in the clubhouse. Byrd did not return to the game. He was taken to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
at Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston
, where he stayed overnight to be examined. The incident marked the fifth time that Byrd had been hit by a pitch in a ten day period. Byrd was placed on the 15-day disabled list the following day. Justin Berg
was called up to take his place. Since coming off his stint on the disabled list, Byrd has worn a protective mask customized to his helmet in order to shield his weakened facial bones.
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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the 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...
. He has also played on the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The 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...
, Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
and Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
.
High school career
Byrd is a 1995 graduate of Sprayberry High SchoolSprayberry High School
Sprayberry High School is a public high school located in eastern Cobb County in Georgia. Middle schools feeding upcoming students into Sprayberry are McCleskey, Daniell, and Simpson Middle School...
(Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
), and won All-State honors in baseball
Baseball
Baseball 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...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
.
He played on the 1993 State Runner up team as a sophomore, and was part of the 1995 State Championship team.
College career
The "Possish" played baseball at Georgia TechGeorgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. After a major injury, he transferred to Georgia Perimeter Junior College
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
where he earned an AS Degree in Business in May 1999, while rededicating himself to baseball. The injury was to his right leg in which he sustained muscular damage and an infection which cut off the circulation to his nerves. He had to undergo three operations to correct the problem. Many doctors had wanted to amputate his right leg, but Byrd refused and underwent a two-year rehab process. During the rehab process, Byrd reached up to 300 pounds.
Philadelphia Phillies
Once he reached the big leagues in , Byrd had an outstanding season. He came in fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting, battingBatting 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 :...
.303 with 86 runs scored
Run (baseball)
In 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...
, 28 doubles
Double (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....
, four 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....
, seven 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 and 11 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 in 135 games and 495 at-bats. In , he did not keep his high level performance and was eventually traded to the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
Washington Nationals
Byrd was traded to the Washington NationalsWashington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
in for Endy Chávez
Endy Chávez
Endy de Jesus Chávez is a Major League Baseball outfielder.Chávez bats and throws left-handed and is considered to have good fielding skills, speed, and the ability to hit to all parts of the field...
. On July 15, , Byrd was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
and assigned to Washington's Triple-A affiliate, the New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
.
Texas Rangers
Byrd was signed as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the Rangers on December 8, 2006, to compete for the starting position in center field. After failing to make the Rangers' major league roster out of 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...
, Byrd was assigned to the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
. Byrd's contract was purchased on May 26, , following injuries to outfielders Brad Wilkerson
Brad Wilkerson
Stephen Bradley "Brad" Wilkerson is a former American college and professional baseball player who was an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball for eight seasons in the 2000s. Wilkerson played college baseball for the University of Florida, and was selected by the Montreal Expos...
and Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Wayne Hairston, Jr. is a Mexican-American professional baseball utility player.-Professional career:...
Making the most of his call-up by hitting over .400 for the month of June, Byrd played his way into the line-up, allowing the Rangers to trade center fielder Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
prior to the trading deadline. On August 4, , he hit a walk-off grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
to help the Rangers beat the 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...
9–5.
Byrd had a career season in 2009, hitting 20 home runs and collecting 89 RBIs.
Following the season, Byrd filed for free agency, declining the Rangers' offer of salary arbitration.
Chicago Cubs
On December 31, 2009, Byrd signed a three year, $15 million contract with the Chicago CubsChicago 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 his first season with the Cubs, Byrd had his best season. He was selected for his first All-Star Game, Byrd entered the game as a substitute and drew a walk off of Matt Thornton. He scored from first base on a double by the Braves' Brian McCann. In the ninth inning, while playing right field, Byrd made an outstanding play, forcing David Ortiz at second after fielding what normally would have been a base hit. Also, a popular saying among Cubs fans is "The Byrd is the Word."
On May 21, 2011, while batting during the 2nd inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
, Byrd was hit near his left eye by a pitch from Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves
Alfredo Aceves
Alfredo Aceves Martínez is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He uses a fastball, which can reach the mid 90s, a curveball, a changeup, and a cut fastball. He is known for his control and his ability to throw any pitch in any count...
. The pitch was, according to Aceves, unintentional. After the pitch hit him, Byrd dropped to the ground, covered the area by his left eye and rolled in pain; he was helped off the field by Cubs
Cubs
Cubs may refer to:*Chicago Cubs, a baseball team of the National League of Major League Baseball**Iowa Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League**Daytona Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League...
medical personnel and taken to the trainer's room in the clubhouse. Byrd did not return to the game. He was taken to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, known locally as Mass. Eye and Ear, is a specialty hospital providing patient care for disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. Founded in 1824, MEEI is an international leader in Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology research and a teaching partner of...
at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he stayed overnight to be examined. The incident marked the fifth time that Byrd had been hit by a pitch in a ten day period. Byrd was placed on the 15-day disabled list the following day. Justin Berg
Justin Berg
Justin Christopher Berg is a right-handed professional baseball pitcher.Berg made his Major League debut on August 13, 2009 for the Chicago Cubs with two scoreless innings in relief against the Philadelphia Phillies....
was called up to take his place. Since coming off his stint on the disabled list, Byrd has worn a protective mask customized to his helmet in order to shield his weakened facial bones.