Rickie Weeks
Encyclopedia
Rickie Darnell Weeks is a Major League Baseball
second baseman
for the Milwaukee Brewers
.
Weeks bats and throws right-handed. Until the 2009 season, Weeks had a distinctive batting stance similar to that of Gary Sheffield
, waggling his bat heavily before swinging. The waggle is still present, but noticeably less aggressive. Weeks pointed to this change when asked about his improved presence at the plate in 2009.
. He is the son of Richard and Valeria Weeks. His sister Kaisha was an NCAA Regional Finalist at Southern University in track. Weeks's brother Jemile Weeks
was drafted by the Brewers in 2005 out of high school, but never signed with them, choosing to attend the University of Miami
instead. The Oakland Athletics
drafted Jemile in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft twelfth overall. He is currently their starting second baseman.
In 2005, Weeks signed a sponsorship contract with sportswear
company 3N2, which designed a shoe for him. In 2009, Weeks was voted "Sexiest Baseball Player" by Cosmopolitan Magazine.
in Baton Rouge, Lousiana. As a sophomore in 2002, he batted .495 with 20 home runs, winning the NCAA Division I batting title. The next year, he batted .479 with 16 home runs, winning a second straight batting title and finishing his career with a .473 batting average, highest in NCAA history. In 2003 he also was named Baseball America
College Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes Award
, given annually to the top amateur playerr. The Milwaukee Brewers
selected him second overall in the 2003 MLB Draft.
He made extra cash by winning the Florida hotdog eating contest 2 years in a row. One reporter said this about his hotdog eating ability," I have never seen someone eat wieners like the young Weeks".
He made his major league debut on September 15, , soon after inking a contract which included a $3.6 million signing bonus.
Weeks did not become a full-time player for the Brewers until June 2005, when he was recalled from Triple-A Nashville
, despite playing much of the 2005 season with a thumb injury. In his first full MLB season in 2005, Weeks had a batting average of .239 to go with 13 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 96 games. These HR/SB number are consistent with his minor league totals (playing in 209 games) of 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases. In 2006, Weeks hit .279 with 8 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 95 games.
Weeks returned to the Nashville Sounds
on July 31, 2007, since he was batting below .200 after returning from a wrist injury.
, who finished 2007 last of all eligible major league first basemen in range factor (8.49), and first in errors (14).
In Game 1 of the 2008 NL Division Series, Weeks made a key error in the third inning that led to three unearned runs scored by the Phillies in Philadelphia's 3–1 victory. In Game 3, Weeks injured his knee while trying to beat out a throw at first base. He underwent surgery the next day to remove torn cartilage
from his left knee.http://fantasybaseball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=MLB&id=3752
In early 2009, sabermetrician Bill James
wrote in John Dewan's "The Fielding Bible Volume II," that Weeks should be moved to a position other than second base. James said Weeks led the majors at his position in a category he calls defensive misplays (which does not include errors), with 44. An average second baseman has 28 defensive misplays a season. Dewan ranked Weeks the worst starting second baseman in the majors.http://www.jsonline.com/sports/41635367.html
On May 18, 2009, Weeks was diagnosed with a torn muscle in his left hand, and declared himself out for the 2009 season. Recovery time is 4–6 months.
He saw a drop in offensive production statistically, though this was due to a severe ankle sprain he sustained while legging out an infield single in July. Weeks was placed on the DL for nearly 2 months before he was able to play full time again.
On September 27, in the second to last game of the regular season, Weeks hit one of the longest home runs ever hit at Miller Park. It was his first home run since his return from the DL, and his 20th of the season.
In the 2011 regular season, he batted .269 with 20 home runs. On defense, he led the NL in errors by a second baseman for the fourth season, with 25, and his .969 fielding percentage was the lowest of all major league starting second basemen.
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...
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...
for the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
Weeks bats and throws right-handed. Until the 2009 season, Weeks had a distinctive batting stance similar to that of Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
, waggling his bat heavily before swinging. The waggle is still present, but noticeably less aggressive. Weeks pointed to this change when asked about his improved presence at the plate in 2009.
Personal life
Weeks was born in Daytona Beach, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He is the son of Richard and Valeria Weeks. His sister Kaisha was an NCAA Regional Finalist at Southern University in track. Weeks's brother Jemile Weeks
Jemile Weeks
Jemile Nykiwa Weeks is an American professional baseball second baseman for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball.He is the younger brother of Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks.-Professional career:...
was drafted by the Brewers in 2005 out of high school, but never signed with them, choosing to attend the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
instead. The Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
drafted Jemile in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft twelfth overall. He is currently their starting second baseman.
In 2005, Weeks signed a sponsorship contract with sportswear
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
company 3N2, which designed a shoe for him. In 2009, Weeks was voted "Sexiest Baseball Player" by Cosmopolitan Magazine.
College
Weeks attended Southern UniversitySouthern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in Baton Rouge, Lousiana. As a sophomore in 2002, he batted .495 with 20 home runs, winning the NCAA Division I batting title. The next year, he batted .479 with 16 home runs, winning a second straight batting title and finishing his career with a .473 batting average, highest in NCAA history. In 2003 he also was named Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
College Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes Award
Golden Spikes Award
The Golden Spikes Award is awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player. It is awarded by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Though the award can be presented to any amateur player, it has always been given to a college baseball player.-Past...
, given annually to the top amateur playerr. The Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
selected him second overall in the 2003 MLB Draft.
He made extra cash by winning the Florida hotdog eating contest 2 years in a row. One reporter said this about his hotdog eating ability," I have never seen someone eat wieners like the young Weeks".
Professional career
Weeks did not become a full-time player for the Brewers until June 2005, when he was recalled from Triple-A Nashville
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
, despite playing much of the 2005 season with a thumb injury. In his first full MLB season in 2005, Weeks had a batting average of .239 to go with 13 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 96 games. These HR/SB number are consistent with his minor league totals (playing in 209 games) of 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases. In 2006, Weeks hit .279 with 8 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 95 games.
Weeks returned to the Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
on July 31, 2007, since he was batting below .200 after returning from a wrist injury.
2007
In 2007, he had the lowest fielding percentage of all NL second basemen (.976), and the lowest zone rating among all major league second basemen, .737. His target at first base was Prince FielderPrince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...
, who finished 2007 last of all eligible major league first basemen in range factor (8.49), and first in errors (14).
2008
In 2008, he had the lowest fielding percentage (.975) and the most errors (15) of all NL second basemen. On offense, however, Weeks scored 46.6% of the time he reached base, second-best in the NL.http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/40010452.htmlIn Game 1 of the 2008 NL Division Series, Weeks made a key error in the third inning that led to three unearned runs scored by the Phillies in Philadelphia's 3–1 victory. In Game 3, Weeks injured his knee while trying to beat out a throw at first base. He underwent surgery the next day to remove torn cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
from his left knee.http://fantasybaseball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=MLB&id=3752
2009
On February 3, 2009, Weeks and the Brewers reached a 1-year deal worth $2.45 million, thereby avoiding salary arbitration. Weeks can earn an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances from 575 to 650.In early 2009, sabermetrician Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
wrote in John Dewan's "The Fielding Bible Volume II," that Weeks should be moved to a position other than second base. James said Weeks led the majors at his position in a category he calls defensive misplays (which does not include errors), with 44. An average second baseman has 28 defensive misplays a season. Dewan ranked Weeks the worst starting second baseman in the majors.http://www.jsonline.com/sports/41635367.html
On May 18, 2009, Weeks was diagnosed with a torn muscle in his left hand, and declared himself out for the 2009 season. Recovery time is 4–6 months.
2010
On June 12, 2010, Weeks tallied his 500th hit at Miller Park and received a standing ovation. He was later thrown out attempting to steal third base. Weeks finished with a career-high 29 home runs and 83 RBIs. He led the NL in at bats (651), (plate appearances (754), and hit by pitch (25), and was second in runs scored (112).2011
On February 16, 2011, Weeks signed a contract extension for 4 years at 38 million dollars. The deal includes an option for a 5th year provided Weeks is an everyday player in 2013 and 2014, and could raise the total value of the contract to 50 million dollars. Weeks was voted by the fans to be the starting second baseman for the National League in the 2011 All-Star Game.He saw a drop in offensive production statistically, though this was due to a severe ankle sprain he sustained while legging out an infield single in July. Weeks was placed on the DL for nearly 2 months before he was able to play full time again.
On September 27, in the second to last game of the regular season, Weeks hit one of the longest home runs ever hit at Miller Park. It was his first home run since his return from the DL, and his 20th of the season.
In the 2011 regular season, he batted .269 with 20 home runs. On defense, he led the NL in errors by a second baseman for the fourth season, with 25, and his .969 fielding percentage was the lowest of all major league starting second basemen.
Awards
- Baseball America College Player of the Year – 2003
- Dick Howser TrophyDick Howser TrophyThe Dick Howser Trophy, considered to be the Heisman Trophy of college baseball, is an award presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year, presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association ....
– 2003 - Golden Spikes AwardGolden Spikes AwardThe Golden Spikes Award is awarded annually to the best amateur baseball player. It is awarded by USA Baseball and sponsored by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Though the award can be presented to any amateur player, it has always been given to a college baseball player.-Past...
– 2003 - Rotary Smith AwardRotary Smith AwardThe Rotary Smith Award was created in 1988 to honor the most outstanding college baseball player of the year. The award was founded by the Greater Houston Sports Association. In 1996, the Rotary Club of Houston joined the award committee...
– 2003 - Southwestern Athletic Conference's Most Outstanding Hitter – 2003
- Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year – 2003