R. J. Reynolds (baseball) explained

R. J. Reynolds
Position:Outfielder
Birth Date:19 April 1959
Birth Place:Sacramento, California, U.S.
Bats:Switch
Throws:Right
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:September 1
Debutyear:1983
Debutteam:Los Angeles Dodgers
Debut2league:NPB
Debut2date:April 6
Debut2year:1991
Debut2team:Yokohama Taiyo Whales
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:October 2
Finalyear:1990
Finalteam:Pittsburgh Pirates
Final2league:NPB
Final2date:October 10
Final2year:1993
Final2team:Kintetsu Buffaloes
Statleague:MLB
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.267
Stat2label:Home runs
Stat2value:35
Stat3label:Runs batted in
Stat3value:294
Stat2league:NPB
Stat21label:Batting average
Stat21value:.288
Stat22label:Home runs
Stat22value:52
Stat23label:Runs batted in
Stat23value:196
Teams:

Robert James Reynolds (born April 19, 1959) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, from 1983 to 1990. He also played in Japan for the Yokohama Taiyo Whales and Kintetsu Buffaloes, from 1991 to 1993.

Career

Reynolds broke in as a September call-up with the Dodgers in 1983. On September 11, Reynolds' suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth inning helped the Dodgers defeat the Atlanta Braves amid the pennant race.[1] The Dodgers finished three games ahead of the second-place Braves.

Reynolds spent 1984 and most of 1985 with the Dodgers, playing in more than half the team's games. On August 31, 1985, just before the trade deadline, the Dodgers obtained third baseman Bill Madlock from the Pirates to shore up their run for the playoffs. Three days later, Reynolds was sent to Pittsburgh (along with Cecil Espy and Sid Bream) as a player to be named later.

Leading off the Pirates 1986 season opener, Reynolds hit a home run off of the New York Mets' Dwight Gooden.[2] He played in all six games of the 1990 NLCS, getting two hits and two walks in ten at-bats as the Pirates fell to the eventual champion Cincinnati Reds.

After the 1990 season, Reynolds did not re-sign with the Pirates or any other Major League team. He played for three years in Japan before retiring at age 34.

In 786 games over eight seasons, Reynolds posted a .267 batting average (605-for-2270) with 288 runs, 35 home runs, 294 RBIs, 109 stolen bases and 190 bases on balls. He finished his career with a .973 fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions.

Notes and References

  1. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19830912&id=DhMpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GIMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7257,4838904 Deseret News, September 12, 1983
  2. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=198604080PIT Boxscore from Baseball Almanac