Name	Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Width	200
Position	Point guard / Forward
Number	32
Birth date	August 14, 1959
Birth place	Lansing, Michigan
Height ft	6
Height in	9
Height footnote
Weight lbs	255
Weight footnote
Career start	1979
Career end	1996
Draftyear	1979
Draftround	1
Draftpick	1
Draftteam	Los Angeles Lakers
High school	Everett (Lansing, Michigan)
College	Michigan State (1977–1979)
Years1	–, |team1 Los Angeles Lakers
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	17,707 (19.5 ppg)
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	6,559 (7.2 rpg)
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	10,141 (11.2 apg)
Bbr	johnsma02
Letter	j
Highlights	5× NBA Champion (, , , –) 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (, –) 12× NBA All-Star (, –) 3× NBA Finals MVP (, , ) 9× All-NBA First Team (–) All-NBA Second Team () NBA All-Rookie First Team () 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (, ) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team NCAA Champion (1979) #32 Retired by Los Angeles Lakers
Hof player	earvin-magic-johnson }}

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 37, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in assists per game, with an average of 11.2. Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992.

Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. He was rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time by ESPN in 2007. His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, were well documented. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and motivational speaker.

Amateur career

Early years

Earvin Johnson Jr. was born to Earvin Sr., a General Motors assembly worker, and Christine, a school custodian. Johnson grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and came to love basketball as a youngster, idolizing players such as Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes, and practicing "all day".

Johnson was first dubbed "Magic" as a 15-year-old sophomore playing for Lansing's Everett High School, when he recorded a triple-double of 36 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists. After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the ''Lansing State Journal'', gave him the moniker despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a Christian, that the name was sacrilegious. In his final high school season, Johnson led Lansing Everett to a 27–1 win–loss record while averaging 28.8 points and 16.8 rebounds per game, and took his team to an overtime victory in the state championship game.

Michigan State University

Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. His college decision came down to the University of Michigan and Michigan State University in East Lansing. He ultimately decided to attend Michigan State when their coach Jud Heathcote told him he could play the point guard position. The talent already on Michigan State's roster also drew him to the program.

Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and on his desire to become a television commentator. Playing with future NBA draftees Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent and Mike Brkovich, Johnson averaged 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game as a freshman, and led the Spartans to a 25–5 record, the Big Ten Conference title, and a berth in the 1978 NCAA Tournament. The Spartans reached the Elite Eight, but lost narrowly to eventual national champion Kentucky.

During the 1978–79 season, Michigan State again qualified for the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game and faced Indiana State University, which was led by senior Larry Bird. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. After two years in college, during which he averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, Johnson was drafted in the 1979 NBA Draft.

Professional career

Rookie season in the NBA (1979–80)

Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the team's 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. Despite Abdul-Jabbar's dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal. Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter.

The Lakers compiled a 60–22 record in the regular season and reached the 1980 NBA Finals, in which they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by forward Julius Erving. The Lakers took a 3–2 lead in the series, but Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33 points a game in the series, sprained his ankle in Game 5 and could not play in Game 6. Paul Westhead decided to start Johnson at center in Game 6; Johnson recorded 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in a 123–107 win, while playing guard, forward, and center at different times during the game. Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award, and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in NBA history. He also became one of four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.

Ups and downs (1980–83)

Early in the 1980–81 season, Johnson was sidelined after he suffered torn cartilage in his left knee. He missed 45 games, and said that his rehabilitation was the "most down" he had ever felt. Johnson returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs, but the Lakers' then-assistant and future head coach Pat Riley later said Johnson's much-anticipated return made the Lakers a "divided team". The 54-win Lakers faced the 40–42 Houston Rockets in the first round of playoffs, where Houston upset the Lakers 2–1 after Johnson airballed a last-second shot in Game 3.

During the off-season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Lakers, which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point. At the beginning of the 1981–82 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable". After Johnson demanded to be traded, Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and replaced him with Riley. Although Johnson denied responsibility for Westhead's firing, he was booed across the league, even by Lakers' fans. Despite his off-court troubles, Johnson averaged 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and a league-high 2.7 steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team. He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to tally at least 700 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in the same season. The Lakers advanced through the 1982 playoffs and faced Philadelphia for the second time in three years in the 1982 NBA Finals. After a triple-double from Johnson in Game 6, the Lakers defeated the Sixers 4–2, as Johnson won his second NBA Finals MVP award. During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged 16.2 points on .533 shooting, 10.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Johnson later said that his third season was when the Lakers first became a great team, and he credited their success to Riley.

During the 1982–83 NBA season, Johnson averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game and earned his first All-NBA First Team nomination. The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving. With Johnson's teammates Norm Nixon, James Worthy and Bob McAdoo all hobbled by injuries, the Lakers were swept by the Sixers, and Malone was crowned the Finals MVP. In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Johnson averaged 19.0 points on .403 shooting, 12.5 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game.

Battles against the Celtics (1983–87)

In Johnson's fifth season, he averaged a double-double of 17.6 points and 13.1 assists, as well as 7.3 rebounds per game. The Lakers reached the Finals for the third year in a row, where Johnson's Lakers and Bird's Celtics met for the first time in the post-season. The Lakers won the first game, and led by two points in Game 2 with 18 seconds to go, but after a layup by Gerald Henderson, Johnson failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded, and the Lakers lost 124–121 in overtime. In Game 3, Johnson responded with 21 assists in a 137–104 win, but in Game 4, he again made several crucial errors late in the contest. In the final minute of the game, Johnson had the ball stolen by Celtics center Robert Parish, and then missed two free throws that could have won the game. The Celtics won Game 4 in overtime, and the teams split the next two games. In the decisive Game 7 in Boston, as the Lakers trailed by three points in the final minute, opposing point guard Dennis Johnson stole the ball from Johnson, a play that effectively ended the series. Friends Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre consoled him that night, talking until the morning in his Boston hotel room amidst fan celebrations on the street. During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0 points on .560 shooting, 13.6 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game. Johnson later described the series as "the one championship we should have had but didn't get".

In the regular season, Johnson averaged 18.3 points, 12.6 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game and led the Lakers into the 1985 NBA Finals, where they faced the Celtics again. The series started poorly for the Lakers when they allowed an NBA Finals record 148 points to the Celtics in a 34-point loss in Game 1. However, Abdul-Jabbar, who was now 38 years old, scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in Game 2, and his 36 points in a Game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 3–2 lead for Los Angeles. After the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, who averaged 18.3 points on .494 shooting, 14.0 assists, and 6.8 rebounds per game in the championship series, said the Finals win was the highlight of their careers.

Johnson again averaged a double-double in the 1985–86 NBA season, with 18.8 points, 12.6 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, but were unable to defeat the Houston Rockets, who advanced to the Finals in five games. In the next season, Johnson averaged a career-high of 23.9 points, as well as 12.2 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game, and earned his first regular season MVP award. The Lakers met the Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals, and in Game 4 Johnson hit a last-second hook shot over Celtics big men Parish and Kevin McHale to win the game 107–106. The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook", helped Los Angeles defeat Boston in six games. Johnson was awarded his third Finals MVP title after averaging 26.2 points on .541 shooting, 13.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.33 steals per game.

Repeat and falling short (1987–91)

Before the 1987–88 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals. Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6 points, 11.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game. In the 1988 playoffs, the Lakers survived two 4–3 series against the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks to reach the Finals and face Thomas and the Detroit Pistons, known as the "Bad Boys" for their physical style of play. Johnson and Thomas greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek before the opening tip of Game 1, which they called a display of brotherly love. After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP James Worthy had his first career triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, and led his team to a 108–105 win. Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1 points on .550 shooting, 13.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.

In the 1988–89 NBA season, Johnson's 22.5 points, 12.8 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game earned him his second MVP award, and the Lakers reached the 1989 NBA Finals, in which they again faced the Pistons. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 4–0.

Playing without the retired Abdul-Jabbar for the first time, Johnson won his third MVP award after a strong 1989–90 NBA season in which he averaged 22.3 points, 11.5 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game. However, the Lakers bowed out to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals, which was the Lakers' earliest playoffs elimination in nine years. Johnson performed well during the 1990–91 NBA season, with averages of 19.4 points, 12.5 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the 1991 NBA Finals. There they faced the Chicago Bulls, led by shooting guard Michael Jordan, a five-time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era. Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan, Bulls forward Scottie Pippen defended effectively against Johnson. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 4–1 win. In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6 points on .431 shooting, 12.4 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game.

HIV announcement and Olympics (1991–92)

After a physical before the 1991–92 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. In a press conference held on November 7, 1991, Johnson made a public announcement that he would retire immediately. He stated that his wife Cookie and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to "battle this deadly disease". Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease, but later acknowledged that it was through having multiple sexual partners during his playing career. At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive people had contracted it from heterosexual sex, and it was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both. Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied. Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States, and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh most memorable moment of the past 25 years. Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and former U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports."

}}

Despite his retirement, Johnson was voted by fans as a starter for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game at Orlando Arena, although his former teammates Byron Scott and A. C. Green said that Johnson should not play, and several NBA players, including Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, argued that they would be at risk of contamination if Johnson suffered an open wound while on court. Johnson led the West to a 153–113 win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds. The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson.

Johnson was chosen to compete in the 1992 Summer Olympics for the US basketball team, dubbed the "Dream Team" because of the NBA stars on the roster. During the tournament, which the USA won, Johnson played infrequently because of knee problems, but he received standing ovations from the crowd, and used the opportunity to inspire HIV-positive people.

Post-Olympics and later life

Before the 1992–93 NBA season, Johnson announced his intention to stage an NBA comeback. After practicing and playing in several pre-season games, he returned to retirement before the start of the regular season, citing controversy over his return sparked by opposition from several active players. During his retirement, Johnson has written a book on safer sex, run several businesses, worked for NBC as a commentator, and toured Asia and Australia with a basketball team that comprised former college and NBA players.

He returned to the NBA as coach of the Lakers near the end of the 1993–94 NBA season, replacing Randy Pfund. After losing five of six games, Johnson announced he would resign after the season, choosing instead to purchase a 5% share of the team in June 1994. In the following season, at the age of 36, Johnson attempted another comeback as a player. Playing power forward, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game in the last 32 games of the season. After the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, Johnson retired permanently, saying, "I am going out on my terms, something I couldn't say when I aborted a comeback in 1992."

Off the court

Personal life

Johnson first fathered a son in 1981, when Andre Johnson was born to Melissa Mitchell. Although Andre was raised by his mother, he visited Johnson each summer, and as of October 2005 was working for Magic Johnson Enterprises as a marketing director. In 1991, Johnson married Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly in a small wedding in Lansing which included guests Thomas, Aguirre, and Herb Williams. Johnson and Cookie had one son, Earvin III; the couple adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995.

Media figure and business interests

In 1998, Johnson hosted a late night talk show on the Fox network called ''The Magic Hour'', but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings. He runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company that has a net worth of $700 million; its subsidiaries include Magic Johnson Productions, a promotional company; Magic Johnson Theaters, a nationwide chain of movie theaters; and Magic Johnson Entertainment, a movie studio. Johnson has also worked as a motivational speaker. Johnson was an NBA commentator for Turner Network Television for seven years, before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN's ''NBA Countdown'' in 2008. In 1994, Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers, having reportedly paid more than $10 million for part ownership. He also held the title of team vice president. Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers in October 2010. In 2006 Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic.

Politics

Johnson is a supporter of the Democratic Party—in 2006, he publicly endorsed Phil Angelides for governor of California, and in 2007 he supported Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. In 2010 Johnson endorsed Barbara Boxer in her race for re-election.

HIV activism

After announcing his infection in November 1991, Johnson created the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat HIV, although he later diversified the foundation to include other charitable goals. In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, but left after eight months, saying that the commission was not doing enough to combat the disease. He was also the main speaker for the United Nations (UN) World AIDS Day Conference in 1999, and has served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

HIV had been associated with drug addicts and homosexuals, but Johnson's campaigns sought to show that the risk of infection was not limited to those groups. Johnson stated that his aim was to "help educate all people about what [HIV] is about" and teach others not to "discriminate against people who have HIV and AIDS". Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease.

To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs. He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs, and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.

Career achievements

In 905 NBA games, Johnson scored 17,707 points, 6,559 rebounds, and 10,141 assists, translating to career averages of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game, the highest assists per game average in NBA history. Johnson shares the single-game playoff record for assists (24), holds the Finals record for assists in a game (21), and has the most playoff assists (2,346). He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127). Johnson introduced a fast-paced style of basketball called "Showtime", described as a mix of "no-look passes off the fastbreak, pin-point alley-oops from halfcourt, spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams." Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper said, "There have been times when [Johnson] has thrown passes and I wasn't sure where he was going. Then one of our guys catches the ball and scores, and I run back up the floor convinced that he must've thrown it through somebody." Johnson was exceptional because he played point guard despite being 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), a size reserved normally for frontcourt players. He combined the size of a power forward, the one-on-one skills of a swingman, and the ball handling talent of a guard, making him one of the most dangerous triple-double threats of all time; his 138 triple-double games are second only to Oscar Robertson's 181.

For his feats, Johnson was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time by the NBA in 1996, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. ESPN's ''SportsCentury'' ranked Johnson #17 in their "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" In 2006, ESPN.com rated Johnson the greatest point guard of all time, stating, "It could be argued that he's the one player in NBA history who was better than Michael Jordan." Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA.

Rivalry with Larry Bird

Johnson and Larry Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson's Michigan State squad defeated Bird's Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA finals. The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987. Johnson asserted that for him, the 82-game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two Lakers–Celtics games. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning.

Several journalists hypothesized that the Johnson–Bird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts, such as the clash between the Lakers and Celtics, between Hollywood flashiness ("Showtime") and Boston/Indiana blue collar grit ("Celtic Pride"), and between blacks and whites. The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. With the two future Hall of Famers, the league won a whole generation of new fans, drawing both traditionalist adherents of Bird's dirt court Indiana game and those appreciative of Johnson's public park flair. Sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN asserted that Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy.

Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became close friends during the filming of a 1984 Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever"; during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival.

Works

Biographies

Johnson's autobiography is Other biographies include: (German) (German) (In ''ESPN SportsCentury'')

Instructional

Updated version of

See also

List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game

List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game

References

External links

Magic Johnson Bio, NBA Encyclopedia, Playoff Edition

Magic Johnson Foundation

Magic Johnson Official Website

Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball coaches Category:African American basketball players Category:African American sports executives Category:AIDS activists Category:American health activists Category:American motivational speakers Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from Michigan Category:California Democrats Category:People with HIV/AIDS Category:Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:Los Angeles Lakers head coaches Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:National Basketball Association executives Category:National Basketball Association head coaches Category:National Basketball Association owners Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:People from Lansing, Michigan Category:Point guards Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Olympic medalists in basketball

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name	Stephen Strasburg
width	300
team	Washington Nationals
number	37
position	Starting pitcher
birth date	July 20, 1988
birth place	San Diego, California
bats	Right
throws	Right
debutdate	June 8
debutyear	2010
debutteam	Washington Nationals
statyear	2010 season
stat1label	Win–loss record
stat1value	5–3
stat2label	Earned run average
stat2value	2.97
stat3label	Strikeouts
stat3value	92
stat4label	Walks
stat4value	17
stat5label	WHIP
stat5value	1.12
teams	Washington Nationals (–present)
highlights	On June 8, 2010, struck out fourteen Pittsburgh Pirates batters (Washington Nationals record) }}

}} Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988 in San Diego, California) is a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who selected him with the first pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed a record $15.1 million contract with the Nationals on August 17, 2009, just 77 seconds before the deadline, breaking a record previously held by Mark Prior, who had signed 93 seconds before the deadline in 2001. He was called the "most-hyped pick in draft history" by ESPN and the "most hyped and closely watched pitching prospect in the history of baseball" by ''Sports Illustrated''.

Amateur career

San Diego State

In 2008, as a sophomore at San Diego State University, Strasburg went 8–3 with a 1.58 earned run average and 134 strikeouts in 98⅓ innings for the San Diego State Aztecs. Four of his thirteen starts in 2008 were complete games, two of which were shutouts. On April 11 of that year, he struck out a Mountain West Conference record 23 batters in a game versus the University of Utah.

Strasburg finished the 2009 season 13–1 with a 1.32 ERA, 59 hits allowed, 16 earned runs, 19 walks, and 195 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched. In his final home start on May 8, 2009, Strasburg threw his first career no-hitter while striking out 17 Air Force batters. His lone loss came against the Virginia Cavaliers in the NCAA Regionals as Virginia advanced toward the College World Series, but he still struck out 15 in seven innings during the loss.

In the summer of 2007, Strasburg also played for the Torrington Twisters of the NECBL where he was awarded as the 2007 Top Pro Prospect, 2007 Top Relief Pitcher, and to the 2007 NECBL First Team as a closer.

International play

Strasburg was the lone collegiate player selected for the U.S. Baseball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He had previously pitched for the USA Baseball National Team (College).

In his first start at the Olympics, Strasburg one-hit the Netherlands over seven innings, striking out five of the first six batters he faced. The lone hit Strasburg allowed was a seventh-inning single to Sharnol Adriana. There were two rain delays each lasting at least 90 minutes, and the game was called off after eight innings following the second wait.

With the U.S. having already secured a spot in the semifinals medal round, Team USA Manager Davey Johnson held Strasburg from what should have been his second start on August 20 in order to pitch him in the first round of the semifinals against Cuban Norge Luis Vera. The strategy did not work, as Vera outdueled Strasburg with six innings pitched and only two runs (one earned). Strasburg, meanwhile, lasted only four innings while giving up three runs (two earned). Cuba won the game 10–2.

Strasburg ended up with a 1–1 record, a 1.67 ERA, and a bronze medal for the Olympics, as Team USA won its following contest against Japan 8–4.

Professional career

Draft

On June 9, 2009, Strasburg was drafted number one overall in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft by the Washington Nationals. On August 17, 2009, he signed a record-breaking four-year, $15.1 million contract with the Nationals. Strasburg is represented by agent Scott Boras.

Minor leagues

Strasburg made his professional debut on October 16, 2009, starting for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, which is in Phoenix, Arizona.

Before the 2010 season started, ''Baseball America'' named Strasburg as the top pitching prospect (#2 overall behind Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward) in baseball.

Strasburg was assigned to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators to begin his minor league career. There was so much anticipation and hype surrounding Strasburg that there were about 70 credentialed media members in attendance at his April 11, 2010 debut, and ESPN nationally broadcast portions of the game (only the half-innings in which Strasburg was pitching). He won that debut in Altoona, Pennsylvania, versus the Altoona Curve, allowing four hits and four runs (one earned), while striking out eight batters in five innings. During his first home start on April 16, he yielded two hits and an unearned run with three strikeouts in 2⅓ innings in a loss to the New Britain Rock Cats. Harrisburg set an attendance record in Strasburg's home debut and then topped the previous mark two weeks later in Strasburg's Double-A finale. He completed his Double-A stint with a 1.64 earned run average while striking out 27 and walking six in 22 innings.

On May 4, 2010, he was promoted to the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs. In his first game with the Chiefs, he pitched six scoreless innings, striking out six batters while allowing one hit and one walk. That game had the highest attendance in the 135-year history of baseball in Syracuse. In his second start, Strasburg was removed after pitching six no-hit innings. He finished his minor league stint with an overall record of 7–2, an ERA of 1.30, 65 strikeouts and 13 walks in 55⅓ innings, and a WHIP of 0.80.

Washington Nationals

Strasburg made his major-league debut on June 8, 2010, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. A ''Sports Illustrated'' columnist termed it "the most hyped pitching debut the game has ever seen." Strasburg picked up the win in his debut, pitching seven innings, allowing two earned runs and no walks and 14 strikeouts, setting a new team strikeout record. Further, he was the first pitcher in history to strike out at least eleven batters without issuing any walks in his pro debut, while falling just one strikeout short of the all-time record for a pitcher's debut—Karl Spooner (1954) and J. R. Richard (1971) both struck out 15, but each took nine innings to do it, and each walked three. (Bob Feller also struck out 15 in his first start, although it wasn't his big league debut). Strasburg's first career strikeout was of former National Lastings Milledge. He struck out every batter in the Pirates' lineup at least once and sturck out the last seven batters he faced—also a Nationals record. He threw 34 of his 94 pitches at or faster, including two that clocked .

In Strasburg's second and third major league starts he struck out another eight and ten batters, respectively, setting a major league record for the most strikeouts in a pitcher's first three starts with 32. The previous recordholder had been J.R. Richard, who struck out 29 in his first three starts in 1971. Strasburg was also featured in the cover story of ''Sports Illustrated'' following his second start.

Strasburg was placed on the disabled list with an inflamed right shoulder in July 2010. He returned to action on August 10, but in his third game back, on August 21, he was removed with an apparent injury. On August 27, the Nationals announced that Strasburg had a torn ulnar collateral ligament, requiring Tommy John surgery, and about 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation.

In the 2010 season Strasburg pitched in 12 games, all starts, throwing 68 innings, 92 strikeouts and compiling a 2.91 ERA. He was named a pitcher on the 2010 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team.

Strasburg made his first rehab start on August 7, 2011 for the Hagerstown Suns. He is reportedly slated to make his 2011 major league debut at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 6, 2011.

Personal life

Strasburg was born in San Diego, California, the son of Kathleen Swett, a dietitian, and Jim Strasburg, a real estate developer. He credits his maternal grandmother with helping him develop his baseball skills as a child. She would frequently play catch and even work on pitching with him. He labels her as one of his biggest inspirations. He was married on January 9, 2010, to Rachel Lackey.

Pitch repertoire

Strasburg's repertoire features four pitches: a two-seam fastball as his primary pitch that moves in on right-handed hitters, a four-seam fastball, a curveball/slider that Strasburg himself refers to as a slurve, and a circle changeup.

References

External links

Washington Post Archives

Stephen Strasburg 5K Walk and Fun Run Strasburg5K.com

Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Washington Nationals players Category:Baseball players from California Category:San Diego State Aztecs baseball players Category:San Diego State University alumni Category:Olympic baseball players of the United States Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States Category:Baseball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Phoenix Desert Dogs players Category:Harrisburg Senators players Category:Syracuse Chiefs players Category:People from San Diego, California Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Tommy John surgery recipients Category:Olympic medalists in baseball

es:Stephen Strasburg fr:Stephen Strasburg la:Stephanus Iacobus Strasburg lv:Stīvens Strāzburgs ja:スティーブン・ストラスバーグ simple:Stephen Strasburg sv:Stephen Strasburg zh:史蒂芬·史特拉斯堡

Name	Wade Boggs
Position	Third baseman
Bats	Left
Throws	Right
Birth date	June 15, 1958
Birth place	Omaha, Nebraska
Debutdate	April 10
Debutyear	1982
Debutteam	Boston Red Sox
Finaldate	August 27
Finalyear	1999
Finalteam	Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.328
Stat2label	Hits
Stat2value	3,010
Stat3label	Home runs
Stat3value	118
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,014
Teams	Boston Red Sox (–) New York Yankees (–) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (–)
Highlights	12× All-Star (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996) World Series champion () 2× Gold Glove Award winner (1994, 1995) 8× Silver Slugger Award winner (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994) Tampa Bay Rays #12 retired
Hofdate
Hofvote	91.9% (first ballot) }}

Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His hitting in the 1980s and 1990s made him a perennial contender for American League batting titles, in much the same way as his National League contemporary Tony Gwynn. Boggs was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. With 12 straight All-Star appearances, Boggs is third only to Brooks Robinson and George Brett in number of consecutive appearances as a third baseman. His finest season was 1987, when he set career highs in home runs (24), RBI (89), and slugging percentage (.588). He also batted .363 and had a .461 on-base percentage that year, leading the league in both statistics. In 1999, he ranked number 95 on the ''Sporting News'' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Boggs, a 1976 graduate of Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, currently resides in the Tampa Palms neighborhood of Tampa.

Minor league career

Boggs played in the longest game in professional baseball history as a member of the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1981 against Cal Ripken, Jr. and the Rochester Red Wings.

"The Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings, two teams from the Triple-A International League, played the longest game in professional baseball history. It lasted for 33 innings over eight hours and 25 minutes. 32 innings were played from 18 to 19 April 1981 at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island."(Wikipedia-Longest professional baseball game).

Major league career

Boston Red Sox

A left-handed hitter, Boggs won five batting titles starting in . He also batted .349 in his rookie year which would have won the batting title, but was 121 plate appearances short of the required minimum of 502. From to , Boggs hit below .349 only once, hitting .325 in . From 1983 to , Boggs rattled off seven consecutive seasons in which he collected 200 or more hits, an American League record for consecutive 200-hit seasons that was later matched and surpassed by Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki. Boggs also had six seasons with 200 or more hits, 100+ runs and 40+ doubles. Although he would not win another batting title after 1988 (his batting title that year broke Bill Madlock's Major League record of four by a third baseman), he regularly appeared among the league leaders in hitting.

In 1986, Boggs made it to the World Series with the Red Sox, but they lost to the New York Mets in seven games. The photo of him fighting back tears, taken by George Kalinsky, photographer for the Mets, emblemized the emotions of many Red Sox fans after their team's loss at Shea Stadium.

New York Yankees

In , Boggs slumped to .259 – one of only three times in his career that he failed to reach .300 – and at the end of the season he left the Red Sox, with whom he had spent his entire career to that point. He was heavily pursued by two teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers and the arch-rival of the Red Sox, the New York Yankees - he chose the Yankees when they added the third year to the contract that the Dodgers would not offer. Boggs went on to be awarded three straight all-star appearances, had four straight .300-plus seasons, and even collected two Gold Glove Awards for his defense.

In 1996, Boggs helped the Yankees to their first World Series title in 18 years. It was the only World Series title earned by Boggs. At a key juncture in the 4th game of the series, in the 10th inning, Boggs's "sharp eye and patience at the plate" enabled him to draw a bases loaded walk in the 10th inning of a tie game, driving in the winning run and shifting the momentum of the series in favor of the Yankees. After the Yankees won the series in game 6, Boggs memorably celebrated by jumping on the back of an NYPD horse, touring the field with his index finger in the air - despite his self-professed fear of horses.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Boggs signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the final two seasons of his career, in 1999 collecting his 3,000th hit. Despite his reputation as a singles hitter with limited power, he is one of only two players whose 3,000th hit was a home run, and was the only until Derek Jeter hit his on July 9, 2011. The historic ball was caught in the right field stands of Tropicana Field by Mike Hogan, a sports information director at the University of South Florida, who gave it back to Boggs at the conclusion of the game. Hogan had moved to Tampa just 10 days before the event. Boggs retired in after sustaining a knee injury, leaving with a career batting average of .328 and 3,010 hits. A yellow seat among the rest of the Tropicana's blue seats marks where the ball landed in right field, with a small metal plate noting it as the area that the ball landed.

Baseball legacy

While not unique among non-pitchers, Boggs also recorded a few innings pitching at the Major League level. His main pitch was a knuckleball, which he used 16 times (along with one fastball) in one shutout inning for the Yankees against the Anaheim Angels in a 1997 game.

His own style included mental preparedness techniques, which consisted in visualizing four at-bats each evening before a game and imagining himself successfully getting four hits.

As of June 8, 1986, over the course of the previous 162 games (equivalent to a full season, though across two seasons) Boggs was hitting .400, with 254 hits in 635 at-bats.

In 1987, Boggs – who was up for a new contract following the season – hit 24 home runs, the most in any year of his career.

Boggs was the most admired player of Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez growing up.

On April 7, 2000 his #12 was retired by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although he has not had his number retired by the Boston Red Sox, he was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2005.

Boggs was known for his superstitions. He ate chicken before every game (Jim Rice once called Boggs "chicken man"), woke up at the same time every day, took exactly 100 ground balls in practice, took batting practice at 5:17, and ran sprints at 7:17. His route to and from his position in the field beat a path to the home dugout. He drew the Hebrew word "Chai", meaning "life", in the batter's box before each at-bat, though he is not Jewish.

Boggs is rumored to have once drunk 60-70 beers during a cross country flight, a story which originally received national attention via a sign in the background of an episode of ESPN's College Gameday before a Pittsburgh vs Virginia Tech football game. Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon questioned Boggs on an episode of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. According to Boggs "it was nothing to be proud of" and "let's just say it was a few Miller Lites."

Life outside baseball

The Margo Adams affair and palimony lawsuit

Boggs garnered non-baseball related media attention in 1989 for his four-year extramarital affair with Margo Adams, a California mortgage broker. After Boggs ended the relationship in 1988, Adams filed a $12 million lawsuit for emotional distress and breach of oral contract. She argued that Boggs had verbally agreed to compensate her for lost income and services performed while accompanying Boggs on road trips. Boggs' reputation was further sullied when Adams agreed to an interview with ''Penthouse'' magazine in which she discussed intimate details of her time with Boggs. While acknowledging the affair, Boggs went on the offensive in order to combat the wave of negative press, denying many of the claims made by Adams. Boggs' rebuttal included an appearance on the ABC program ''20/20'' in which he presented his side of the story to Barbara Walters. In February 1989, an appeals court threw out $11.5 million of the initial lawsuit, ruling that Adams could not seek compensation for emotional distress. The remaining demand for $500,000 was settled out of court later that year for an undisclosed amount.

Hall of Fame plaque cap logo controversy

Before his retirement, Boggs was plagued by newspaper reports that the expansion Devil Rays gave him financial compensation in return for selecting a Devil Rays cap for his plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame, though he has denied that any such condition was part of his contract. In light of those reports (and other rumors that teams were offering number retirement, money, or organizational jobs in exchange for the cap designation) the Hall decided in 2001 to change its practice of deferring to players' wishes regarding cap logo selection, and reinforced the Hall's authority to determine with which cap the player would be depicted. Boggs is wearing a Boston cap on his plaque.

Family

Boggs's mother died in June 1986 due to a car accident in Tampa while he was with the Red Sox. Shortly after her death, Boggs and his father bought a fish camp on U.S. 301 just south of Hawthorne, Florida they named ''Finway'', which his father operated until shortly before he died. Wade and his wife Debbie have two children, Brett and Meagann.

Wade Boggs was named one of the Top 10 Most Superstitious Athletes by Men's Fitness.

Bibliography

''Boggs!'', Contemporary Books, 1986. ISBN 0-8092-5063-2.

''The Techniques of Modern Hitting'', Perigee Books, 1990. ISBN 0-399-51595-X. (with David Brisson).

''Fowl Tips: My Favorite Chicken Recipes'' , 1984. (with Debbie Boggs)

See also

Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame

List of Major League Baseball hit records

List of Major League Baseball doubles records

DHL Hometown Heroes

List of Major League Baseball players with 2000 hits

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs

3000 hit club

List of Major League Baseball batting champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

References

External links

}}

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:People from Omaha, Nebraska Category:Baseball players from Nebraska Category:People from Tampa, Florida Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Major League Baseball third basemen Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:American League All-Stars Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:New York Yankees players Category:Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Category:American League batting champions Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:Elmira Pioneers players Category:Winston-Salem Red Sox players Category:Bristol Red Sox players Category:Pawtucket Red Sox players

de:Wade Boggs es:Wade Boggs fr:Wade Boggs ko:웨이드 보그스 ja:ウェイド・ボッグス pt:Wade Boggs

Name	Ryne Sandberg
Position	Second baseman
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	September 18, 1959
Birth place	Spokane, Washington
Debutdate	September 2
Debutyear	1981
Debutteam	Philadelphia Phillies
Finaldate	September 28
Finalyear	1997
Finalteam	Chicago Cubs
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.285
Stat2label	Hits
Stat2value	2,386
Stat3label	Home runs
Stat3value	282
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,061
Teams	Philadelphia Phillies () Chicago Cubs (–, –)
Highlights	10× All-Star selection (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) 9× Gold Glove Award winner (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991) 7× Silver Slugger Award winner (1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992) 1984 NL MVP 1990 Home Run Derby winner Chicago Cubs #23 retired
Hofdate
Hofvote	76.2% }}

Ryne Dee Sandberg (born September 18, 1959 in Spokane, Washington), nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best second basemen in baseball history. Sandberg was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2005; he was formally inducted in ceremonies on July 31, 2005.

Sandberg is currently the manager of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Sandberg established himself as a perennial All-Star and Gold Glove candidate, making 10 consecutive All-Star appearances and winning nine consecutive Gold Gloves from to . His career .989 fielding percentage is a major league record at second base.

Philadelphia Phillies

Sandberg was a star high school quarterback in Spokane, and was even offered a chance to become quarterback at Washington State. However, he turned it down after being drafted in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He went on to make his major league debut as a shortstop for the Phillies in .

However, the Phillies didn't have much room in the lineup for him at the time. The Phillies didn't think he could play shortstop, though he would have probably had trouble dislodging Larry Bowa from that spot in any event. While he'd seen time in the minors at second base, third base and center field, he was blocked from those positions by Manny Trillo, Mike Schmidt and Garry Maddox, respectively. Accordingly, he was traded along with Bowa to the Cubs for shortstop Ivan DeJesus prior to the season. The trade, now reckoned as one of the most lopsided deals in baseball history, came about after negotiations between Bowa and the Phillies broke down for a new contract.

However, Cubs general manager Dallas Green, a former Phillies manager, wanted a young prospect to go along with the aging Bowa (as it turned out, Bowa would be out of baseball by 1985). Green had largely been responsible for the Phillies drafting Sandberg in 1978, when Green worked in the Phillies front office. The two have remained very close over the years. Years later, Phillies general manager Paul Owens said that he didn't want to trade Sandberg, but Green and the Cubs weren't interested in any of the other prospects he offered. Owens then went back to his scouts, who told him Sandberg wouldn't be any more than a utility infielder. However, Sandberg had hit over .290 in the minors two years in a row. The trade is now considered one of the best (if not ''the'' best) in recent Cubs history. At the same time, it is considered one of the worst trades in Phillies history; DeJesus would only last three years in Philadelphia, and was out of baseball by 1988.

Sandberg is one of two Hall of Famers who came up through the Phillies farm system and earned their Hall of Fame credentials primarily as Cubs, the other being Ferguson Jenkins. Similarly, Jenkins was traded to the Cubs in another lopsided trade (a multi-player trade for pitchers Larry Jackson and Bob Buhl).

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs, who initially wanted Sandberg to play center field, installed him as their third baseman, and he went on to be one of the top-rated rookies of 1982. However, Sandberg was displaced by Chicago's trade for veteran Ron Cey following the 1982 season, so Sandberg moved to second base, where he became a star.

1984

After winning a Gold Glove Award in his first season at the new position, Sandberg emerged with a breakout season in , in which he batted .314 with 200 hits, 114 runs, 36 doubles, 19 homers and triples, and 84 RBI. He nearly became only the third player to collect 20 doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases in the same season, led the Cubs to the National League's Eastern Division title (their first championship of ''any kind'' since 1945), and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, the first by a Cub since Ernie Banks' back-to-back honors in and .

After his great season in which he garnered national attention, he wrote an autobiography ''Ryno'' with Fred Mitchell.

"The Sandberg Game"

One game in particular was cited for putting Sandberg (as well as the 1984 Cubs in general) "on the map", an NBC national telecast of a Cardinals–Cubs game on June 23, . The Cubs had been playing well throughout the season's first few months, but as a team unaccustomed to winning, they had not yet become a serious contender in the eyes of most baseball fans.

As for Sandberg, he had played two full seasons in the major leagues, and while he had shown himself to be a top-fielding second baseman and fast on the basepaths (over 30 stolen bases both seasons), his .260-ish batting average and single-digit home run production were respectable for his position but not especially noteworthy, and Sandberg was not talked about outside Chicago. The ''Game of the Week'', however, put the sleeper Cubs on the national stage against their regional rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams were well-established franchises with a strong fan base outside the Chicago and St. Louis area.

In the ninth inning, the Cubs trailed 9-8, and faced the premier relief pitcher of the time, Bruce Sutter. Sutter was at the forefront of the emergence of the closer in the late 1970s and early 1980s: a hard-throwing pitcher who typically came in just for the ninth inning and saved around 30 games a season. (Sutter was especially dominant in 1984, saving 45 games.) However, in the ninth inning, Sandberg, not yet known for his power, slugged a home run to left field against the Cardinals' ace closer. Despite this dramatic act, the Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the tenth. Sandberg came up again in the tenth inning, facing a determined Sutter with one man on base. As Cubs' radio announcer Harry Caray described it:

The Cubs went on to win in the 11th inning. The Cardinals' Willie McGee had already been named NBC's player of the game before Sandberg's first home run. As NBC play-by-play man Bob Costas (who called the game with Tony Kubek) said when Sandberg hit that second home run, ''"Do you believe it?!"'' The game is sometimes called "The Sandberg Game". The winning run for the Cubs was driven in by a single off the bat of Dave Owen.

1990

In , Sandberg led the National League in home runs–a rarity for a second baseman–with 40. Sandberg was only the third second baseman to hit 40 home runs; Rogers Hornsby and Davey Johnson hit 42, and no American League second baseman has yet reached forty. Sandberg also batted in 100 runs, despite batting second in the order. His batting average did not suffer from his new level of power, as he finished at .306 for the season. Sandberg, Brady Anderson and Barry Bonds are the only players to have both a 40-homer (1990) and 50-steal () season during their careers. Sandberg played a then major league-record 123 straight games at second base without an error. This record was later broken by Plácido Polanco, then of the Detroit Tigers.

1992

On March 2, , Sandberg became the highest paid player in baseball at the time, signing a $28.4 million ($}} today) four-year extension worth $7.1 million ($}} today) a season. He earned a spot on the NL All-Star roster and an NL Silver Slugger Award at second base with a .304 batting average, 26 home runs, 100 runs, and 87 runs batted in.

1994

After struggling early in the season, Sandberg retired in . While he had been a historically slow starter throughout his entire career, his 1994 start was slower than normal. In his book, ''Second To Home'', Sandberg said, He also said in the book that at the time of his retirement, to the best of his knowledge, everything was fine with his marriage and that he wanted to be at home with his kids.

1996-1997

He came back for the and seasons, retiring again with a career batting average of .285, and a record 277 home runs as a second baseman; this record was surpassed in by Jeff Kent.

Post-playing career

Initially, Sandberg kept a low profile after retiring. However, in , Sandberg accepted his first marketing deal since his retirement, agreeing to be spokesman for National City Bank. He also appeared on ESPN Radio 1000 as an analyst during the baseball season. He is also a former baseball columnist for Yahoo! Sports.

Hall of Fame induction

Sandberg delivered what many traditionalist fans considered a stirring speech at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2005. He thanked the writers who voted for him because it meant that he played the game the way he had been taught it should be played. He spoke several times of respect for the game, and chided a subset of current players who, in his opinion, lack that respect. Specifically, he spoke of how the game needs more than home run hitters, citing that turning a double-play and laying down a sacrifice bunt are weapons many of today's greats don't value. He also made a strong pitch for induction of his former teammate, Andre Dawson, who was ultimately elected to join the Hall in 2010.

Sandberg's number is retired

Following his Hall of Fame induction, Sandberg had his number 23 retired in a ceremony at Wrigley Field on August 28, , before a Cubs game against the Florida Marlins. He became only the fourth Chicago Cub to have his number retired, following Ernie Banks (#14), Billy Williams (#26), and Ron Santo (#10). Since then, #31 (Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux) has been retired. Since his retirement, no other Cub had been assigned #23. Sandberg has worn his uniform number 23 in past jobs as a Cubs spring training instructor and Peoria Chiefs manager. He also wore that number during his time with the Iowa Cubs as their manager.

Managerial career

Sandberg formerly served as a spring training instructor for the Cubs in Mesa, Arizona.

After the 2006 season, Sandberg was named manager of the Class-A Peoria Chiefs in the Midwest League. Following two seasons with Peoria, Sandberg was promoted to manager of the Double-A Tennessee Smokies, and the next year was named manager of the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. Sandberg was named Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year in 2010.

Sandberg has said that his ideal job would be to manage the Chicago Cubs. Former manager Lou Piniella suggested that Sandberg, as manager of the Cubs' top minor-league affiliate, would be in the mix to replace him when he retires after the 2010 season. However the position was given to interim manager Mike Quade.

Sandberg left the Cubs organization and on November 15, 2010, returned to his original organization as manager of the Phillies' top minor-league affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Charity foundations

Sandberg and his wife, Margaret, founded Ryno Kid Care to assist in the lives of children with serious illnesses. The organization provides anything from big brothers to a home-cooked meal. Ryno Kid Care also provides massage therapists and clowns dressed up as doctors and nurses to brighten the children's day.

Ryno Kid Care's mission is "dedicated to enhancing the lives of children with serious medical conditions and their families, by providing supportive, compassionate and meaningful programming."

Ryno Kid Care is no longer in operations.

Other information

In 1977, Sandberg was named to Parade Magazine's High School All-American football team, identifying him as one of the top two football players in the state of Washington. He was recruited to play quarterback at NCAA Division I colleges, and eventually signed a letter of intent with Washington State University. However, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies and chose to turn professional in baseball.

His last game at Wrigley Field on September 21, 1997 was also the last game during which Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray would perform "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch, as Caray died the following offseason.

On August 8, 1988, during the first scheduled night game at Wrigley Field, Morganna the Kissing Bandit almost kissed him, but was intercepted by park security; he knocked the next pitch out of the park, to thunderous applause. All events of that night were voided however, as the game was called in the fourth inning and wiped out.

Sandberg also lobbied to be the Cubs' new manager after the 2006 season. General Manager Jim Hendry thought Sandberg wanted to just have dinner when Sandberg called him; unbeknownst to Hendry, it was an interview for the job. Sandberg was a long shot, and the Cubs ended up hiring Lou Piniella, but Hendry hinted at perhaps hiring Sandberg for one of the Cubs' minor league affiliates. This was realized on December 5, 2006, when Sandberg was named manager of the Cubs' Class A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League, replacing former 1984 Cub teammate Jody Davis. In his first season as Manager of the Chiefs, he took his team to the Midwest League Championship Game, the Chiefs lost to the Lansing Lugnuts, a former Cubs affiliate. Sandberg's final game as manager of the Chiefs was on August 28, 2008, against the Clinton LumberKings.

In December 2008 Sandberg was named manager of the Tennessee Smokies Class Double A Team in the Southern League.

In December 2009 Sandberg was named manager of the Iowa Cubs. It was announced on September 3, 2010 that Sandberg was named as the Pacific Coast League's Manager of the Year for 2010

His nephew, Jared Sandberg, was a third baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays.

See also

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of major league players with 2,000 hits

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

List of Major League Baseball triples champions

References

External links

BaseballLibrary.com

Baseball-Almanac.com

Sandberg's writings on Yahoo! Sports

Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Speech Video, Audio and Text

Biography, Statistics, Fan Page

Photos from the Ryne Sandberg jersey retirement ceremony at Wrigley Field

Ryno Kid Care

Ryno cares, as children in hospitals discover

}}

Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Major League Baseball second basemen Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:National League All-Stars Category:National League home run champions Category:Baseball players from Washington (state) Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:Helena Phillies players Category:Spartanburg Phillies players Category:Reading Phillies players Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players Category:Daytona Cubs players Category:Orlando Cubs players Category:People from Spokane, Washington Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:1959 births Category:Living people

fr:Ryne Sandberg ja:ライン・サンドバーグ

name	Ricardo Marquez
fullname	José Ricardo Marquez
birth date	November 08, 1983
birth place	Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
height
position	Attacking midfielder
currentclub	CMFC
clubnumber	20
youthyears1	2001-2004
youthyears2	2007
youthclubs1	Erin Mills SC
youthclubs2	Cape Breton University
years1	2005-2006
years2	2008
years3	2009
years4	2009-
clubs1	Hamilton Thunder
clubs2	Dunaújváros FC
clubs3	Integrál-DAC
clubs4	CMFC
caps1	23
caps2	15
caps3	54
goals1	0
goals2	1
goals3	14
ntupdate	}}

José Ricardo Marquez (born November 8, 1983 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) is a Salvadoran-Canadian professional soccer player currently playing for CMFC in Ice Sports Winnipeg Indoor Soccer League.

Career

Marquez began his career with Erin Mills and signed in 2005 with Hamilton Thunder, than joined in January 2007 to Cape Breton University. After one and a half year with CBU Capers, he went on 15 July 2008 to a trial to Romania. Marquez later joined in summer 2008 to Dunaújváros FC and was later in January 2009 sold to Integrál-DAC.Integrál-DAC failed to appear in the 2009/2010 season schedule despite finishing 11th in the NBII Western Division. The club ceased operations in later 2009.

References

External links

Profile on Integral-DAC Website

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian expatriate soccer players Category:Canadian soccer players Category:Expatriate footballers in Hungary Category:Association football midfielders Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada Category:Canadian people of Salvadoran descent Category:Salvadoran emigrants to Canada Category:Hamilton Thunder players Category:Canadian expatriates in Hungary