Rob Deer
Encyclopedia
Robert George Deer is a former American
baseball
player. He attended Canyon High School
in Anaheim
and Fresno City College
, and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants
in the 4th round of the 1978 amateur draft.
Deer is famous for hitting the game-tying home run on Easter Sunday in 1987, to give the Milwaukee Brewers their 12th straight win to start the season. The home run was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
. He also carried the dubious honor of having the lowest official batting average
while still qualifying for the batting title when he batted .179 in 1991; this record stood for twenty years until Adam Dunn
of the Chicago White Sox
hit .159 in 2011 . He is the only player since 1910 to have a batting average less than .220 in at least 400 at-bats in at least four seasons.
Deer held the American League record for strikeouts in a season (186 strikeouts in 1987) until being passed by Jack Cust
in 2008, and had at least 140 strikeouts on seven occasions.
Deer has also gained some notoriety among studiers of baseball statistics due to his propensity for the Three True Outcomes (defined as a strikeout, home run, or bases on balls.) Because of his ability to hit home runs and take walks, he remained a moderately valuable player despite his complete inability to hit for average, as evidenced by his career 17.0 Wins Over Replacement.
Since his playing days, Deer has served as a roving hitting instructor for the San Diego Padres minor league system and is currently the owner of Viz-U-Bat..
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 attended Canyon High School
Canyon High School (Anaheim, California)
Canyon High School is a traditional four-year high school located in the Anaheim Hills community in the city of Anaheim, California and is an International Baccalaureate school. It is located on of land on Imperial Highway between the cross streets of Santa Ana Canyon Road and Nohl Ranch Road, and...
in Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
and Fresno City College
Fresno City College
Fresno City College is a community college in Fresno, California. Established in 1910, it was the first community college in California and the second in the nation...
, and was drafted by 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....
in the 4th round of the 1978 amateur draft.
Deer is famous for hitting the game-tying home run on Easter Sunday in 1987, to give the Milwaukee Brewers their 12th straight win to start the season. The home run was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. He also carried the dubious honor of having the lowest official 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 :...
while still qualifying for the batting title when he batted .179 in 1991; this record stood for twenty years until Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn
Adam Troy Dunn , nicknamed "Big Donkey", is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed....
of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
hit .159 in 2011 . He is the only player since 1910 to have a batting average less than .220 in at least 400 at-bats in at least four seasons.
Deer held the American League record for strikeouts in a season (186 strikeouts in 1987) until being passed by Jack Cust
Jack Cust
John Joseph "Jack" Cust III is an American professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder who is a free agent. Cust attended Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey...
in 2008, and had at least 140 strikeouts on seven occasions.
Deer has also gained some notoriety among studiers of baseball statistics due to his propensity for the Three True Outcomes (defined as a strikeout, home run, or bases on balls.) Because of his ability to hit home runs and take walks, he remained a moderately valuable player despite his complete inability to hit for average, as evidenced by his career 17.0 Wins Over Replacement.
Since his playing days, Deer has served as a roving hitting instructor for the San Diego Padres minor league system and is currently the owner of Viz-U-Bat..