Michael Coleman (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Michael Donnell Coleman (born August 16, 1975 in Nashville, Tennessee
) is a former backup outfielder
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Boston Red Sox
and New York Yankees
. He batted and threw right-handed.
, lettering in both baseball and football. He turned down a football scholarship to the University of Alabama
to play baseball professionally.
Coleman has a Sports Training Academy in Nashville, Tennessee called M3 Baseball.
in the 18th round of the 1994 amateur draft. He first appearance for Boston came in September 1997, where he would go on on to play eight games and post a .167 batting average
with two runs batted in and no home runs.
He did not appear in 1998, but was again called up in 1999, where he played in only two games, amassing one hit in five at bats.
During the fall offseason in 2000, he was traded along with Donnie Sadler
to the Cincinnati Reds
for Chris Stynes
. He was traded yet again that offseason to the New York Yankees
in the deal that brought Willy Mo Pena to Cincinnati.
In 2001, Coleman appeared in 12 games for New York, where he would hit two home runs. He posted seven runs batted in and a .211 batting average
during his time in New York, and was granted free agency
following the 2001 season.
Coleman never again appeared in the major leagues, and since the 2001 season, he has played in the minor league
systems of the Boston Red Sox
, Cincinnati Reds
, Washington Nationals
, New York Yankees
and Tampa Bay Rays
. Following the 2006 season, Coleman was granted free agency and has yet to sign with another team.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
) is a former backup 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...
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...
who played for the 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"...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He batted and threw right-handed.
Early life
Coleman was a two-sport star at Stratford High School in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, lettering in both baseball and football. He turned down a football scholarship to the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
to play baseball professionally.
Coleman has a Sports Training Academy in Nashville, Tennessee called M3 Baseball.
Professional career
Coleman was drafted by the Boston Red SoxBoston 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"...
in the 18th round of the 1994 amateur draft. He first appearance for Boston came in September 1997, where he would go on on to play eight games and post a .167 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 two runs batted in and no home runs.
He did not appear in 1998, but was again called up in 1999, where he played in only two games, amassing one hit in five at bats.
During the fall offseason in 2000, he was traded along with Donnie Sadler
Donnie Sadler
Donnie Lamont Sadler is a former right-handed Major League Baseball utility player. An alumnus of Valley Mills High School in Valley Mills, Texas , Sadler is small in stature, standing at only 5'6" tall and weighing 175 pounds...
to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Chris Stynes
Chris Stynes
Christopher Desmond Stynes is a former Major League Baseball utility player. He spent time with the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles...
. He was traded yet again that offseason to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the deal that brought Willy Mo Pena to Cincinnati.
In 2001, Coleman appeared in 12 games for New York, where he would hit two home runs. He posted seven runs batted in and a .211 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 :...
during his time in New York, and was granted free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
following the 2001 season.
Coleman never again appeared in the major leagues, and since the 2001 season, he has played in the minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
systems of the 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"...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. Following the 2006 season, Coleman was granted free agency and has yet to sign with another team.