Bob Kearney
Encyclopedia
Robert Henry Kearney is a former American
professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
as a catcher
for the San Francisco Giants
, Oakland Athletics
, and Seattle Mariners
from to .
out of the University of Texas. He made his major league debut with the Giants late in the 1979
season, but returned to the minor leagues
for the following season. Kearney was drafted by the Oakland Athletics from the Giants in the minor league draft. Kearney's strong throwing arm was made evident in a game against the Tacoma Indians in when, he threw out
five baserunners attempting to steal
second base. He was selected as the catcher for the 1981 Pacific Coast League
Northern Division All-Star
team.
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. In September, he was recalled to the major leagues after hitting for a .253 batting average
in Tacoma. He shared catching duties with Heath in 1983
, posting a .255 batting average
with 8 home run
s and 32 runs batted in. Kearney was named as the catcher for the Topps All-Star Rookie Team
and was also named the Baseball Digest
All-Star Rookie
Catcher Of The Year.
Kearney was traded to the Seattle Mariners before the 1984
season, replacing Rick Sweet
as their starting catcher. Despite his strong throwing arm, he developed a reputation for poor pitch-calling skills. During the 1984 season, Mariners pitchers Salomé Barojas
and Mike Moore both demanded to have Orlando Mercado
as their catcher. 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. 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. In 1987
, he was displaced by Dave Valle
as the Mariners' starting catcher and was released in July of that year after posting a .170 batting average in 51 games.
, accumulating 316 hits
in 1356 at bats for a .233 career batting average along with 27 home run
s and 133 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .987 fielding percentage
. Kearney led American League
catchers in with 823 putout
s, and in , he led the league in fielding percentage with a .995 average, committing only three errors
in 108 games.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played 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...
as a 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...
for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, 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....
, and Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
from to .
Major League career
Kearney was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the fourteenth round of the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft1977 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1977 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The White Sox raised some brows when they passed on right-handed pitcher Bill Gullickson, a native of nearby Orland Park, IL, and selected outfielder Harold Baines as the number one...
out of the University of Texas. He made his major league debut with the Giants late in the 1979
1979 San Francisco Giants season
- Offseason :* December 4, 1978: Max Venable was drafted by the Giants from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1978 rule 5 draft.* December 5, 1978: Darrell Evans was signed as a free agent by the Giants....
season, but returned to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
for the following season. Kearney was drafted by the Oakland Athletics from the Giants in the minor league draft. Kearney's strong throwing arm was made evident in a game against the Tacoma Indians in when, he threw out
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
five baserunners attempting to steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
second base. He was selected as the catcher for the 1981 Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
Northern Division All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team.
Kearney began the 1982
1982 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1982 season involved the A's finishing fifth in the American League West with a record of 68 wins and 94 losses.Although a disappointing season standings-wise, a major highlight of the 1982 campaign for the A's was left fielder Rickey Henderson breaking the record for most...
season with the Athletics when regular catchers Mike Heath
Mike Heath
Michael Thomas Heath is a former catcher in Major League Baseball. Heath played fourteen seasons in the major leagues with the New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , St...
and Jeff Newman were sidelined by injuries but, would later be sent back to the minor leagues. In September, he was recalled to the major leagues after hitting for a .253 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 :...
in Tacoma. He shared catching duties with Heath in 1983
1983 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1983 season involved the A's finishing 4th in the American League West with a record of 74 wins and 88 losses.- Offseason :* October 9, 1982: Jack Daugherty was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics....
, posting a .255 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 :...
with 8 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 32 runs batted in. Kearney was named as the catcher for the Topps All-Star Rookie Team
Topps All-Star Rookie Rosters
This is a year-by-year list of the Topps All-Star Rookie teams. Note that players selected for a particular team appear in the following year's set release...
and was also named the Baseball Digest
Baseball Digest
Baseball Digest is a baseball magazine resource, published in Evanston, Illinois by Lakeside Publishing Company. It is the oldest and longest-running baseball magazine in the United States....
All-Star Rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
Catcher Of The Year.
Kearney was traded to the Seattle Mariners before the 1984
1984 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1984 season was their 8th since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 5th in the American League West, finishing with a record of 74-88.- Offseason :...
season, replacing Rick Sweet
Rick Sweet
Ricky Joe Sweet is a former professional baseball catcher. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball between 1978 and 1983, and has since had a long career as minor and major league coach and minor league manager...
as their starting catcher. Despite his strong throwing arm, he developed a reputation for poor pitch-calling skills. During the 1984 season, Mariners pitchers Salomé Barojas
Salomé Barojas
Salomé Barojas Romero is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies from to ....
and Mike Moore both demanded to have Orlando Mercado
Orlando Mercado
Orlando Mercado Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos...
as their catcher. This lack of pitch-calling skills along with his light-hitting caused the Mariners to trade for veteran catcher Steve Yeager
Steve Yeager
Stephen Wayne "Steve" Yeager is an American right-handed former major league baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from through , with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, , he played for the Seattle Mariners...
before the 1986
1986 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1986 season was their 10th since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 7th in the American League West, finishing with a record of 67-95.-Offseason:* November 1, 1985: Bob Long was released by the Mariners....
season. 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. In 1987
1987 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1987 season was their 11th since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 4th in the American League West, finishing with a record of 78-84.-Offseason:...
, he was displaced by Dave Valle
Dave Valle
David Valle is an American former professional baseball player and current television and radio sports commentator. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers from to ....
as the Mariners' starting catcher and was released in July of that year after posting a .170 batting average in 51 games.
Career statistics
In an eight-year career, Kearney played in 479 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 316 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....
in 1356 at bats for a .233 career batting average along with 27 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 133 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .987 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. Kearney led 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...
catchers in with 823 putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s, and in , he led the league in fielding percentage with a .995 average, committing only three errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in 108 games.