Eric Campbell (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Eric Campbell is a minor league baseball third baseman
. Listed at 6-feet and 205 pounds, Campbell bats and throws right-handed.
Entering 2007, he was rated by Baseball America
as the No. 6 prospect in the Braves organization.
, home runs
, average
, stolen bases
, runs
, walks
and at bats
while at Gibson Southern High School. He was named to Baseball America's
Preseason All-America team. He earned All-Conference honors three times and captured the New Haven Register All-State honors twice. He was selected to All-Northeast Region first-team and served as team captain during his senior season. Campbell also played basketball for four seasons.
He did not play college baseball, but was drafted by the Braves out of high school.
June Player of the Month when he led the team in home runs, with three, and was second in RBIs, with six.
He was named Most Valuable Player of the Year in 2005 for the Danville Braves
and shared Appalachian League
Co-Player of the Year honors with teammate Max Ramirez
. He was also named Topps'
Minor League Baseball
Co-Player of the Year for the Appalachian League and voted to the 12-player Topps' Class A-Short Season/Rookie League All-Star team. He was honored by the Braves organization as the July Co-Player of the Month for the D-Braves. His 1.017 OPS was tops among Braves Minor Leaguers, while his .313 average was fourth best. Campbell dominated the Appy League in power statistics, leading with 26 doubles, 18 home runs, 64 RBIs, 77 runs scored and a .634 slugging percentage. His doubles, home runs, RBIs and runs scored all set Danville records.
Campbell played his first full season with the Class-A Rome Braves
as a third baseman in 2006. He overcame a midseason back injury to lead the South Atlantic League
with 22 home runs, second most among Braves Minor Leaguers, and rank fifth in both slugging percentage and extra-base hits. His 22 homers and 77 RBIs set single-season Rome records, while he led the Rome squad in average, hits, doubles and runs scored. He was named the Rome Braves MVP by Braves organization. He played for the Honolulu Sharks
of the Hawaiian Winter League
.
In 2007 he saw his offensive numbers slip slightly in his fourth professional campaign, batting .221 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs in 81 games for the Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach Pelicans
. He missed one month with a left thumb injury and one week with left shoulder soreness. Over a span of six games from June 17 to 25, he saw his average jump from .198 to .250 as he went 15-for-30 and also drove in nine runs.
He batted .255 in second full season at Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach. His 19 home runs were fourth most in the Southern League
and tied for fifth most among Braves Minor Leaguers. He ranked seventh in the organization with an .840 OPS
. He hit .279 against left-handed pitchers and .246 against righties. He hit .242 with two doubles and two RBIs in nine games for Mayos de Navojoa
of the Mexican Pacific League.
Campbell was released by the Braves on August 18, 2009. The front office indicated it "there were no extenuating circumstances or other factors. It was just a normal player release."
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...
. Listed at 6-feet and 205 pounds, Campbell bats and throws right-handed.
Entering 2007, he was rated by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
as the No. 6 prospect in the Braves organization.
High school
Campbell set school career records in hitsHit (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....
, home runs
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...
, 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 :...
, stolen bases
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...
, runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and at bats
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...
while at Gibson Southern High School. He was named to Baseball America's
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
Preseason All-America team. He earned All-Conference honors three times and captured the New Haven Register All-State honors twice. He was selected to All-Northeast Region first-team and served as team captain during his senior season. Campbell also played basketball for four seasons.
He did not play college baseball, but was drafted by the Braves out of high school.
Atlanta Braves
In 2004 he was named by the Braves organization as the Gulf Coast LeagueGulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
June Player of the Month when he led the team in home runs, with three, and was second in RBIs, with six.
He was named Most Valuable Player of the Year in 2005 for the Danville Braves
Danville Braves
The Danville Braves are a minor league baseball team in Danville, Virginia, USA. They are an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Atlanta Braves since 1993. The Braves play home games at American Legion Post 325 Field...
and shared Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
Co-Player of the Year honors with teammate Max Ramirez
Max Ramírez
Maximiliano R. Ramírez is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.-Atlanta Braves:...
. He was also named Topps'
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc., manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York, New York, Topps is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards and other sports and non-sports themed trading cards.-Company history:Topps itself was...
Minor League Baseball
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...
Co-Player of the Year for the Appalachian League and voted to the 12-player Topps' Class A-Short Season/Rookie League All-Star team. He was honored by the Braves organization as the July Co-Player of the Month for the D-Braves. His 1.017 OPS was tops among Braves Minor Leaguers, while his .313 average was fourth best. Campbell dominated the Appy League in power statistics, leading with 26 doubles, 18 home runs, 64 RBIs, 77 runs scored and a .634 slugging percentage. His doubles, home runs, RBIs and runs scored all set Danville records.
Campbell played his first full season with the Class-A Rome Braves
Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta....
as a third baseman in 2006. He overcame a midseason back injury to lead the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
with 22 home runs, second most among Braves Minor Leaguers, and rank fifth in both slugging percentage and extra-base hits. His 22 homers and 77 RBIs set single-season Rome records, while he led the Rome squad in average, hits, doubles and runs scored. He was named the Rome Braves MVP by Braves organization. He played for the Honolulu Sharks
Honolulu Sharks
The Honolulu Sharks were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They are based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Sharks name comes from the large number of shark species native to the waters of Hawaii. They play their home games at the Les Murakami Baseball Stadium.-Team...
of the Hawaiian Winter League
Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball.-History:...
.
In 2007 he saw his offensive numbers slip slightly in his fourth professional campaign, batting .221 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs in 81 games for the Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a minor league baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are a Class A Advanced team in the Carolina League and the franchise is currently the farm team of the Texas Rangers. From their inaugural season until 2010, the Pelicans were an affiliate of the...
. He missed one month with a left thumb injury and one week with left shoulder soreness. Over a span of six games from June 17 to 25, he saw his average jump from .198 to .250 as he went 15-for-30 and also drove in nine runs.
He batted .255 in second full season at Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach. His 19 home runs were fourth most in the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
and tied for fifth most among Braves Minor Leaguers. He ranked seventh in the organization with an .840 OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
. He hit .279 against left-handed pitchers and .246 against righties. He hit .242 with two doubles and two RBIs in nine games for Mayos de Navojoa
Mayos de Navojoa
The Mayos de Navojoa is a Mexican baseball team in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico .They have been champions of the league twice. The first time was at the 1978–79 season, with Chuck Goggin as coach...
of the Mexican Pacific League.
Campbell was released by the Braves on August 18, 2009. The front office indicated it "there were no extenuating circumstances or other factors. It was just a normal player release."