How's this for obscure? Jim Byrd played just two games in the Major Leagues. In that time, he did not have a single plate appearance. He did not play in the field either. How is that possible? On May 31, 1993, he made his Major League debut by entering the game as a pinch runner for Andre Dawson in the bottom of the eighth. He did not score but did make it as far as third base. Then, the next day he once again entered the game as a pinch runner, this time for Ernest Riles who pinch-hit for John Valentin and singled. This occurred in the bottom of the ninth. And so that was it for Byrd's Major League career. Two games, two pinch-running appearances, no runs, no plate appearances, and he did not appear in the field.
Byrd was drafted in the eighth round of the 1987 draft. He was a middle infielder in the minors and never really had much of a bat. He did have a little bit of pop in his bat as he hit eight home runs in 1990, despite a .225 batting average. He was not a terribly good fielder either. One year he made 44 errors and made 34 and 36 in other years. The one skill that he had in the minors that helped him make it to the Majors was his speed. And of course that explains why his only two Major League appearances were as a pinch runner.
That's about as obscure as it can get.
ReplyDeleteIt is frustrating the way that cards are now. You look back and see that this guy whose entire Major League career consisted of two pinch-running stints, and he has a card. But then you look at a guy like Andrew Miller, who pitched in 157 games over the span of four years for the Red Sox, and not once does he appear in a Boston Red Sox uniform on a card. I definitely miss the old days.
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