Steve Bieser
Encyclopedia
Steven Ray Bieser is a former Major League Baseball
player. Known primarily for catching
and playing all three outfield
positions, Bieser batted from the left side and threw with his right hand. He was 5'10" tall and weighed 170 pounds.
, a junior college
in Missouri. Jefferson's coach David Oster enjoyed a good reputation as an instructor, having coached seven players who made the Major Leagues (including Bieser) and having been selected to the National Junior College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 http://www.gjsentinel.com/sports/content/sports/juco/stories/JUCO_David_Oster_HOF.html. Two years at Jefferson helped Bieser improve enough to make the team at Southeast Missouri State University
.
chose him in the 32nd round of the 1989 June draft, with the 818th overall pick. Very few players chosen that low in the draft advance to the major leagues, but Bieser defied the odds. He advanced to AAA within the Phillies' organization, and after signing with the New York Mets
as a six-year minor league free agent, made his major league debut on April 1, 1997.
Bieser appeared in 47 games with the Mets that year, chiefly as a bench player. His left-handed bat, above-average foot speed, and ability to play multiple positions helped him stay on the roster for a large portion of the season, as these traits afforded manager Bobby Valentine
an unusual variety of tactical options. As a further testament to his versatility as a player, Bieser also filled in as a pitcher
in minor league games during at least six different seasons http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/steve-bieser.shtml http://204.27.188.70/daily/05-96/05-24-96/d02sp110.htm.
At the end of the year, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates
as a free agent, and in 1998 he appeared in 13 games with that franchise. He finished his major league career with a .250 batting average
, a .351 on-base percentage, and a .300 slugging percentage in 80 at bat
s. Continuing to play professionally after the end of his time in the majors, Bieser last appeared in uniform as a player with the Memphis Redbirds
in 2001. And is Peyton Bieser's father's ( Ronald Ray Bieser) cousin.
. His squad won the state championship in 2004. Recently, Steve Bieser has again claimed the state championship in 2006.
As of 2009 Steve Bieser is 117-42 in 6 seasons with the Vianney Griffins
http://www.vianney.com/athletics/baseball/baseball_news.html
Bieser also works at the school as a math teacher. He left the position in 2010 for an assistant coaching position at Southeast Missouri State. http://www.vianney.com/index.php?datapg=faculty_directory.html
In 2009 Bieser became manager of the Danville Dans
, a team in the collegiate Prospect League
.
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...
player. Known primarily for catching
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and playing all three outfield
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...
positions, Bieser batted from the left side and threw with his right hand. He was 5'10" tall and weighed 170 pounds.
Amateur career
Bieser was not highly regarded as a prospect when he graduated from high school, where he played for the Ste. Genevieve Dragons, and after graduation he enrolled at Jefferson CollegeJefferson College
Jefferson College is a public, two-year community college located in Hillsboro, Missouri. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Jefferson College was founded in 1963. It is coeducational and has a semester-based academic calendar. It was granted a Phi Theta Kappa chapter in 1965...
, a 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...
in Missouri. Jefferson's coach David Oster enjoyed a good reputation as an instructor, having coached seven players who made the Major Leagues (including Bieser) and having been selected to the National Junior College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 http://www.gjsentinel.com/sports/content/sports/juco/stories/JUCO_David_Oster_HOF.html. Two years at Jefferson helped Bieser improve enough to make the team at Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
.
Professional career
After the end of Bieser's college career, the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia 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...
chose him in the 32nd round of the 1989 June draft, with the 818th overall pick. Very few players chosen that low in the draft advance to the major leagues, but Bieser defied the odds. He advanced to AAA within the Phillies' organization, and after signing with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
as a six-year minor league free agent, made his major league debut on April 1, 1997.
Bieser appeared in 47 games with the Mets that year, chiefly as a bench player. His left-handed bat, above-average foot speed, and ability to play multiple positions helped him stay on the roster for a large portion of the season, as these traits afforded manager Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
an unusual variety of tactical options. As a further testament to his versatility as a player, Bieser also filled in as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in minor league games during at least six different seasons http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/steve-bieser.shtml http://204.27.188.70/daily/05-96/05-24-96/d02sp110.htm.
At the end of the year, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
as a free agent, and in 1998 he appeared in 13 games with that franchise. He finished his major league career with a .250 batting average
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 :...
, a .351 on-base percentage, and a .300 slugging percentage in 80 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. Continuing to play professionally after the end of his time in the majors, Bieser last appeared in uniform as a player with the Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
in 2001. And is Peyton Bieser's father's ( Ronald Ray Bieser) cousin.
Coaching career
After his last game as a player, Bieser has become a notable high school baseball coach at St. John Vianney High School, a private Catholic school in Kirkwood, MissouriKirkwood, Missouri
Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west...
. His squad won the state championship in 2004. Recently, Steve Bieser has again claimed the state championship in 2006.
As of 2009 Steve Bieser is 117-42 in 6 seasons with the Vianney Griffins
http://www.vianney.com/athletics/baseball/baseball_news.html
Bieser also works at the school as a math teacher. He left the position in 2010 for an assistant coaching position at Southeast Missouri State. http://www.vianney.com/index.php?datapg=faculty_directory.html
In 2009 Bieser became manager of the Danville Dans
Danville Dans
The Danville Dans are a collegiate summer league baseball team located in Danville, Illinois. The team plays in the Prospect League, which their former league, the NCAA sanctioned Central Illinois Collegiate League, was absorbed into....
, a team in the collegiate Prospect League
Prospect League
The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. Players are not paid so as to maintain their college eligibility...
.