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Jim Dwyer (baseball)
Encyclopedia
James Edward Dwyer is a former outfielder
who enjoyed an eighteen year major league
career for seven different teams between and . Listed at 5' 10", 165 lb., he batted and threw left-handed
.
hitter, Dwyer was used mostly against right-handed pitching and played all three outfield positions well. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
in the draft out of Southern Illinois University
, he wasted little time in the minor leagues
, debuting in the majors in 1973 with the Cardinals. Midway through the season, he was traded to the Montreal Expos
(1975–76). The following season, another midseason trade landed him with the New York Mets
. He rejoined the Cardinals for the season and part of , and later played with the San Francisco Giants
(1978) and Boston Red Sox
(1979–80). Finally, he found a home with the Baltimore Orioles
in .
With Baltimore, Dwyer became a role player as a designated hitter
, pinch-hitter, and a defensive replacement for outfielders Al Bumbry
, Gary Roenicke
and John Lowenstein
, and first baseman
Eddie Murray
. He enjoyed a good season in , hitting .304 (74-for-260) in 71 games, but his most productive year came in , when he appeared in 100 games while hitting .286 with eight home run
s and 38 runs batted in, helping his team to reach the World Series
, won by Baltimore in five games. In Game One of the Series, Dwyer got the Orioles only run with a solo home run off Philadelphia Phillies
pitcher John Denny
.
During the season he hit a career-high 15 home runs in 241 at-bats. From 1988-90 Dwyer was technically on five teams, playing with Baltimore (1988[start]) and Montreal (1989 [end]), but he did have three separate stints with Minnesota (1988[end]-1989 [start]; 1990).
For his career, Dwyer was a .260 hitter (719-for-2761) with 77 home runs and 349 RBI in 1328 games, including 409 runs
, 115 doubles
, 17 triples
, 26 stolen base
s, and a .353 on-base percentage. In four postseason games he hit .333 (4-for-12), including one home run, two doubles, four runs, and one RBI . He also collected a career 103 pinch-hits. He also played from to 1980 with the Mayaguez Indians of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
, and following his majors career, Dwyer played for the 1990 Sun City Rays of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
.
(.528 in 68 AB, September 1998 and .513 in 49 AB, September 1999), Jim Rice
(.525 in 66 AB, September 1985) and Sean Berry
(.524 in 49 AB, August 1998).
(1991) and managed
(1992–94) the triple A Portland Beavers
. In , he became hitting coach of the Minnesota Twins' Double-A affiliate, the New Britain Rock Cats
, and has remained within the Twins' organization in one capacity or another ever since. He remained with the Rock Cats through before becoming Twins' minor league roving hitting coordinator (-). Currently, he is the hitting coach of Minnesota's advanced A affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle
(-present).
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...
who enjoyed an eighteen year major league
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...
career for seven different teams between and . Listed at 5' 10", 165 lb., he batted and threw left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
.
MLB career
A fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
hitter, Dwyer was used mostly against right-handed pitching and played all three outfield positions well. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the draft out of Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois Salukis
The Southern Illinois Salukis are the varsity athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University. The nickname comes from the saluki, the royal dog of Egypt and the Persian greyhound, which ties into the fact that southern Illinois has had the nickname "Little Egypt" for just under 200...
, he wasted little time in 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...
, debuting in the majors in 1973 with the Cardinals. Midway through the season, he was traded to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(1975–76). The following season, another midseason trade landed him with the New York 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...
. He rejoined the Cardinals for the season and part of , and later played with 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....
(1978) and Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1979–80). Finally, he found a home with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in .
With Baltimore, Dwyer became a role player as a 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...
, pinch-hitter, and a defensive replacement for outfielders Al Bumbry
Al Bumbry
Alonza Benjamin Bumbry is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres from 1972 through 1985.-Playing career:...
, Gary Roenicke
Gary Roenicke
Gary Steven Roenicke is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Montreal Expos , Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves .-Early career:...
and John Lowenstein
John Lowenstein
John Lee Lowenstein , is a former professional baseball player who played Major League Baseball primarily as an outfielder from to...
, and 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...
Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
. He enjoyed a good season in , hitting .304 (74-for-260) in 71 games, but his most productive year came in , when he appeared in 100 games while hitting .286 with eight 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 38 runs batted in, helping his team to reach the World Series
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
, won by Baltimore in five games. In Game One of the Series, Dwyer got the Orioles only run with a solo home run off 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...
pitcher John Denny
John Denny
John Allen Denny is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher from 1974 to 1986 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds. He won the Cy Young Award in 1983.-Career:Denny was born in Prescott, Arizona and attended Prescott High School...
.
During the season he hit a career-high 15 home runs in 241 at-bats. From 1988-90 Dwyer was technically on five teams, playing with Baltimore (1988[start]) and Montreal (1989 [end]), but he did have three separate stints with Minnesota (1988[end]-1989 [start]; 1990).
For his career, Dwyer was a .260 hitter (719-for-2761) with 77 home runs and 349 RBI in 1328 games, including 409 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...
, 115 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....
, 17 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 26 stolen base
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...
s, and a .353 on-base percentage. In four postseason games he hit .333 (4-for-12), including one home run, two doubles, four runs, and one RBI . He also collected a career 103 pinch-hits. He also played from to 1980 with the Mayaguez Indians of the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
The Puerto Rico Baseball League formerly known as Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico or LBPPR, is the main professional baseball league in Puerto Rico. In 2007, the LBPPR recessed for the first time since its creation...
, and following his majors career, Dwyer played for the 1990 Sun City Rays of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
.
Highlight
Dwyer, who was one of the most extreme platoon players of the 1980s, started just 11 games in July 1983, playing a complete game just four times that month. He hit .452 in just 48 at-bats, ranking fifth for the Best Month Performance in the all-time list behind Larry WalkerLarry Walker
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
(.528 in 68 AB, September 1998 and .513 in 49 AB, September 1999), Jim Rice
Jim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...
(.525 in 66 AB, September 1985) and Sean Berry
Sean Berry
Sean Berry , is a former Major League Baseball player who served primarily as a third baseman from -...
(.524 in 49 AB, August 1998).
Coaching career
Following his playing career, He coachedCoach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
(1991) and managed
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
(1992–94) the triple A Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. In , he became hitting coach of the Minnesota Twins' Double-A affiliate, the New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club. They compete in the Eastern League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.-History:...
, and has remained within the Twins' organization in one capacity or another ever since. He remained with the Rock Cats through before becoming Twins' minor league roving hitting coordinator (-). Currently, he is the hitting coach of Minnesota's advanced A affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
(-present).