Bob Kearney
| Bob Kearney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: October 3, 1956 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 25, 1979, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 20, 1987, for the Seattle Mariners | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .233 |
| Home runs | 27 |
| Runs batted in | 133 |
| Teams | |
Robert Henry Kearney (born October 3, 1956), is an American former professional baseball player.[1] He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, and Seattle Mariners from 1979 to 1987.[1]
Major League career
[edit]Kearney was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourteenth round of the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft out of the University of Texas.[2] He made his major league debut with the Giants late in the 1979 season, but returned to the minor leagues for the following season.[1] Kearney was drafted by the Oakland Athletics from the Giants in the 1980 minor league draft.[3] Kearney's strong throwing arm was made evident in a game against the Tacoma Indians in 1981 when, he threw out five baserunners attempting to steal second base.[4] He was selected as the catcher for the 1981 Pacific Coast League Northern Division All-Star team.[5]
Kearney began the 1982 season with the Athletics when regular catchers Mike Heath and Jeff Newman were sidelined by injuries but, would later be sent back to the minor leagues.[6] In September, he was recalled to the major leagues after hitting for a .253 batting average in Tacoma.[7] He shared catching duties with Heath in 1983, posting a .255 batting average with 8 home runs and 32 runs batted in.[8] Kearney was named as the catcher for the 1983 Topps All-Star Rookie Team and was also named the Baseball Digest All-Star Rookie Catcher Of The Year.[9][10]
Kearney was traded to the Seattle Mariners before the 1984 season, replacing Rick Sweet as their starting catcher.[3][11] Despite his strong throwing arm, he developed a reputation for poor pitch-calling skills.[12] During the 1984 season, Mariners pitchers Salomé Barojas and Mike Moore both demanded to have Orlando Mercado as their catcher.[13] This lack of pitch-calling skills along with his light-hitting caused the Mariners to trade for veteran catcher Steve Yeager before the 1986 season.[12] Yeager was expected to catch the majority of the Mariners' games however, he had a disappointing season and Kearney would eventually lead the team's catchers by appearing in 81 games.[14] In 1987, he was displaced by Scott Bradley as the Mariners' starting catcher and was released in July of that year after posting a .170 batting average in 51 games.[1][3]
Career statistics
[edit]In an eight-year career, Kearney played in 479 games, accumulating 316 hits in 1356 at bats for a .233 career batting average along with 27 home runs and 133 runs batted in.[1] He ended his career with a .987 fielding percentage.[1] Kearney led American League catchers in 1984 with 823 putouts, and in 1985, he led the league in fielding percentage with a .995 average, committing only three errors in 108 games.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Bob Kearney at Baseball Reference". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "1977 Major League Baseball Draft". thebaseballcube.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Bob Kearney Trades and Transactions". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "Minor league hits a peak". Rome News-Tribune. July 19, 1981. p. 3. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "Tribe places Henderson on All-Stars". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. September 11, 1981. p. 36. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "A's Pitching Woes Continue". Herald-Journal. Associated Press. June 4, 1982. p. 3. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "Transactions". Observer-Reporter. September 7, 1982. p. 6. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "1983 Oakland Athletics season". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "Rookie team named". The Spokesman-Review. November 19, 1983. p. 19. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "Rookie Catchers Of The Year". The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "1984 Seattle Mariners season". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ a b "No Middle Ground". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. February 13, 1986. p. 20. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "It was a great year for baseball oddities". The Day. December 30, 1984. p. 9. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "1986 Seattle Mariners season". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "1984 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "1985 American League Fielding Leaders". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference