Jeff Cirillo
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Howard Cirillo (born September 23, 1969 in Pasadena, California
) is a former third baseman
in Major League Baseball
. In a 14-season career, Cirillo was a .296 hitter
with 112 home run
s and 727 RBI
in 1617 games. He was named an All-Star
in and . He is the Brewers all-time career leader in batting average at .306. He shares the major league record of playing 99 consecutive errorless
games at third base with John Wehner
. He batted and threw right-handed.
, Cirillo collected a .300 batting average or better for three seasons, including a career-high .326 in . The same year, he added 198 hits
(also a career-high) with 15 home runs and 88 RBI. His most productive season came in 2000 with the Rockies
, when he posted career-highs in RBI (115), runs
(111) and doubles
(53); finished with 195 hits, and matched his personal-best .326 average.
Before the season, Cirillo was traded to the Seattle Mariners
. Posting the lowest BABIP since his rookie season he was ineffective with the bat but provided strong defensive contributions while in Seattle, ranking by UZR the second best thirdbaseman in the American League in 2002. In 2003 he continued to provide above average defense but again posted the lowest BABIP of his career (.226 compared to a .320 career average)
He was traded to the San Diego Padres
before the season, but was inactive most of the year with a wrist injury. He made history by becoming Randy Johnson
's 4,000th strikeout victim on June 29, 2004.
Rejoining the Milwaukee Brewers in , Cirillo saw a resurgence in his stroke while continuing his solid defense posting wOBA
's of .355 in and .344 in .
Cirillo signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins
in December . He did not finish the season with the Twins and was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks on August 3, . Cirillo stated that he would most certainly retire at the end of the 2007 season. He made the first pitching appearance of his career on August 20, 2007, against Milwaukee. He pitched one inning and gave up two walks
and no runs while striking out
one player, former Diamondback Craig Counsell
. "He's way nastier than I thought he would be," said Bill Hall, who worked one of the walks. "I was shocked when I got up there. He's got a knuckleball
, a slider
, he was throwing some changeup
s. Those pitches make 84, 83 [mph fastballs] look pretty hard. I heard he was a better pitcher in college than he was a hitter."
Before the 2007 NLDS
, Cirillo held one of baseball's most unwanted records. He had played in 1,617 regular season games, but never in the postseason. When his team made the playoffs, the title was passed to Damion Easley
of the Mets
who finished the 2008 season having played 1,706 straight games without a playoff berth.
as an analyst for Milwaukee Brewers broadcasts. His first appearance was on April 18, 2008.
. The Sweets play in the West Coast League
, a summer collegiate wood-bat league located in Walla Walla, Washington
.
The Cirillo family lived in Whitefish Bay, WI during Jeff's time on the Milwaukee Brewers
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
) is a former 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...
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...
. In a 14-season career, Cirillo was a .296 hitter
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 112 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 727 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 1617 games. He was named an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in and . He is the Brewers all-time career leader in batting average at .306. He shares the major league record of playing 99 consecutive errorless
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 ...
games at third base with John Wehner
John Wehner
John Paul Wehner is a former Utility player in Major League Baseball and a current broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Pirates...
. He batted and threw right-handed.
Professional career
With the BrewersMilwaukee 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...
, Cirillo collected a .300 batting average or better for three seasons, including a career-high .326 in . The same year, he added 198 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....
(also a career-high) with 15 home runs and 88 RBI. His most productive season came in 2000 with the Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, when he posted career-highs in RBI (115), 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...
(111) and 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....
(53); finished with 195 hits, and matched his personal-best .326 average.
Before the season, Cirillo was traded to the 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...
. Posting the lowest BABIP since his rookie season he was ineffective with the bat but provided strong defensive contributions while in Seattle, ranking by UZR the second best thirdbaseman in the American League in 2002. In 2003 he continued to provide above average defense but again posted the lowest BABIP of his career (.226 compared to a .320 career average)
He was traded to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
before the season, but was inactive most of the year with a wrist injury. He made history by becoming Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
's 4,000th strikeout victim on June 29, 2004.
Rejoining the Milwaukee Brewers in , Cirillo saw a resurgence in his stroke while continuing his solid defense posting wOBA
WOBA
In baseball, wOBA is a statistic, based on linear weights, designed to measure a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. It is formed from taking the observed run values of various offensive events, dividing by a player's plate appearances, and scaling the result to be on...
's of .355 in and .344 in .
Cirillo signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota 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...
in December . He did not finish the season with the Twins and was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks on August 3, . Cirillo stated that he would most certainly retire at the end of the 2007 season. He made the first pitching appearance of his career on August 20, 2007, against Milwaukee. He pitched one inning and gave up two 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 no runs while striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
one player, former Diamondback Craig Counsell
Craig Counsell
Craig John Counsell is a Major League Baseball infielder.Counsell grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and attended Whitefish Bay High School, where he played baseball. His father worked for the Milwaukee Brewers...
. "He's way nastier than I thought he would be," said Bill Hall, who worked one of the walks. "I was shocked when I got up there. He's got a knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
, a slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
, he was throwing some changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
s. Those pitches make 84, 83 [mph fastballs] look pretty hard. I heard he was a better pitcher in college than he was a hitter."
Before the 2007 NLDS
2007 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies:-Game 1, October 3:Chase Field in Phoenix, ArizonaEighteen-game winners Carlos Zambrano and Brandon Webb matched each other pitch for pitch in the opening game of the series. Stephen Drew's fourth-inning home run stood as the game's only run until Ryan...
, Cirillo held one of baseball's most unwanted records. He had played in 1,617 regular season games, but never in the postseason. When his team made the playoffs, the title was passed to Damion Easley
Damion Easley
Jacinto Damion Easley is a former Major League Baseball player who is currently Executive Director of Warrior Baseball Academy. He is also an assistant coach for the Peoria Padres.-Biography:...
of the Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
who finished the 2008 season having played 1,706 straight games without a playoff berth.
Sportscaster
On April 2, 2008, it was announced that Cirillo would join FSN WisconsinFSN Wisconsin
Fox Sports Wisconsin is a regional sports network serving the state of Wisconsin. Originally the "Wisconsin" sub-feed of Fox Sports North, the network officially became Fox Sports Wisconsin on April 1, 2007 with its own feed originating from facilities in Milwaukee; the network had formerly been...
as an analyst for Milwaukee Brewers broadcasts. His first appearance was on April 18, 2008.
Walla Walla Sweets
Cirillo is a partner in Pacific Baseball Ventures, LLC, which owns the Walla Walla SweetsWalla Walla Sweets
The Walla Walla Sweets is an amateur baseball team located in Walla Walla, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Walla Walla calls Borleske Stadium on the campus of Whitman College home. Borleske has the capacity of 2,378 spectators.-2010 season:The...
. The Sweets play in the West Coast League
West Coast League
The West Coast League is a collegiate summer baseball league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The league is designed to develop college talent. As such, only current college players are allowed to participate in the league...
, a summer collegiate wood-bat league located in Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
.
Family
Cirillo and his wife, Nancy, have three sons : Cole (born 12-23-1997), Carson (10-29-1999) and Conner (born 5-24-2001).The Cirillo family lived in Whitefish Bay, WI during Jeff's time on the Milwaukee Brewers
External links
- Behind the Dugout: Jeff Cirillo
- publicradio.org Interview with Cirillo
- http://www.kffl.com/player/5341/mlb
- http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070820&content_id=2160549&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil