B.J. Surhoff
Encyclopedia
William James "B. J." Surhoff (born August 4, 1964 in the Bronx
, New York City
) is a former catcher
, outfielder
, first baseman
, third baseman
, and designated hitter
in Major League Baseball
. Over his 18-year major league career, he played every position except pitcher
. After playing for the Orioles from 1996 to 2000, he rejoined the team in 2003 and played through the 2005 season. He started his career with the Milwaukee Brewers
(1987–1995) and also played for the Atlanta Braves
(2000–2002). Surhoff began his career as a catcher, and after playing third base in the mid-1990s, shifted to become primarily a left fielder
.
, where he was honored as the 1985 ACC Male Athlete of the Year
, and played on the very first (1984) U.S. Olympic baseball team. He was a two time first team All-American at UNC and his career batting average of .392 was a school record until Dustin Ackley
set the mark at .412 in 2009.
He was selected by the Brewers with the first pick of the 1985 amateur draft. Surhoff was a very versatile player, having appeared at every position except pitcher over the course of his career. He had 2,326 hits
and 1,153 RBI
in his career. Although always a consistent hitter, having hit
over .280 in 12 of his 19 seasons, Surhoff's finest season was his 1999 campaign with the Orioles, in which he led the American League
in at-bats (673), ranked second in hits (207), was selected to the American League All-Star team, and ultimately won Most Valuable Oriole honors for the season, becoming one of five players to get 200 or more hits in a season for the team. He also participated in the Home Run Derby
. In other notable seasons, he finished sixth in the AL in doubles
in 1993 with the Brewers and finished fifth in batting average in the AL with the Brewers in 1995 with a .320 average.
In 2007, Surhoff was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame, with the official induction ceremony occurring before the start of the Orioles–Twins
game on August 25, 2007, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
.
in 1952–1953 and 1953–1954 and his brother Rick Surhoff
appeared in nine games in 1985 as a relief pitcher
for the Philadelphia Phillies
and the Texas Rangers
. His son, Austin Surhoff
, swims at the University of Texas and won the 200 individual medley
and 200 backstroke
at the 2010 Big 12 Championships. Then he won the 200 Individual Medley national title a month later.
Surhoff lives in Cockeysville, Maryland
with his wife Polly and their four children. He is the president of Pathfinders for Autism, a Hunt Valley support group for families with autistic children. Surhoff's son, Mason, is autistic.
Surhoff is the uncle of former UNC third-team All-American pitcher, Brian Moran (baseball), and current UNC third baseman Colin Moran. In 2008 and 2009, Surhoff was a spring training instructor for the Baltimore Orioles. His son, Austin, won the 200 Individual Medleys at the 2010 NCAA Swim competition.
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) is a former catcher
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...
, 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...
, first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, and designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
in Major League Baseball
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...
. Over his 18-year major league career, he played every position except 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...
. After playing for the Orioles from 1996 to 2000, he rejoined the team in 2003 and played through the 2005 season. He started his career with 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...
(1987–1995) and also played for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(2000–2002). Surhoff began his career as a catcher, and after playing third base in the mid-1990s, shifted to become primarily a left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
.
Baseball career
Surhoff attended Rye High School in Westchester, New York and hit a monstrous home run as a visitor at Somers High School which cleared route 139 and hit the firehouse. The homerun was dubbed "The Killer," and is infamous in high school baseball lore as it bounced off the firehouse and killed a small squirrel. The spot the homerun landed is still marked to this day. After high school he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, where he was honored as the 1985 ACC Male Athlete of the Year
ACC Athlete of the Year
The Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year award is given to the male and female athlete who show extraordinary talent throughout the entire season. The award is decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association....
, and played on the very first (1984) U.S. Olympic baseball team. He was a two time first team All-American at UNC and his career batting average of .392 was a school record until Dustin Ackley
Dustin Ackley
Dustin Michael Ackley is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. Ackley was drafted and selected second overall by the Mariners in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. He is a natural outfielder, though he played first base his junior...
set the mark at .412 in 2009.
He was selected by the Brewers with the first pick of the 1985 amateur draft. Surhoff was a very versatile player, having appeared at every position except pitcher over the course of his career. He had 2,326 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and 1,153 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in his career. Although always a consistent hitter, having hit
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 :...
over .280 in 12 of his 19 seasons, Surhoff's finest season was his 1999 campaign with the Orioles, in which he led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in at-bats (673), ranked second in hits (207), was selected to the American League All-Star team, and ultimately won Most Valuable Oriole honors for the season, becoming one of five players to get 200 or more hits in a season for the team. He also participated in the Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
. In other notable seasons, he finished sixth in the AL in 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....
in 1993 with the Brewers and finished fifth in batting average in the AL with the Brewers in 1995 with a .320 average.
In 2007, Surhoff was elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame, with the official induction ceremony occurring before the start of the Orioles–Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
game on August 25, 2007, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
.
Personal life
His father Dick Surhoff played two years in the NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
in 1952–1953 and 1953–1954 and his brother Rick Surhoff
Rick Surhoff
Richard Clifford Surhoff is an American former Major League Baseball player. A pitcher, Surhoff played for the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies in . He last played professional baseball in ....
appeared in nine games in 1985 as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
for 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...
and the 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...
. His son, Austin Surhoff
Austin Surhoff
Austin Surhoff is an American swimmer.-Swimming career:As a college swimmer at Texas, Surhoff is a one-time NCAA champion, having won the 200 yard IM in 2010. He also won the 200 yard IM and 200 yard backstroke at the 2010 Big 12 Championships.At the 2008 U.S...
, swims at the University of Texas and won the 200 individual medley
Medley swimming
Medley is a combination of four different swimming styles into one race. This race is either swum by one swimmer as individual medley or by four swimmers as a medley relay...
and 200 backstroke
Backstroke
The backstroke, also sometimes called the back crawl, is one of the four swimming styles regulated by FINA, and the only regulated style swum on the back. This has the advantage of easy breathing, but the disadvantage of swimmers not being able to see where they are going. It is also the only...
at the 2010 Big 12 Championships. Then he won the 200 Individual Medley national title a month later.
Surhoff lives in Cockeysville, Maryland
Cockeysville, Maryland
Cockeysville is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 19,388 at the 2000 census.-History:...
with his wife Polly and their four children. He is the president of Pathfinders for Autism, a Hunt Valley support group for families with autistic children. Surhoff's son, Mason, is autistic.
Surhoff is the uncle of former UNC third-team All-American pitcher, Brian Moran (baseball), and current UNC third baseman Colin Moran. In 2008 and 2009, Surhoff was a spring training instructor for the Baltimore Orioles. His son, Austin, won the 200 Individual Medleys at the 2010 NCAA Swim competition.
See also
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI