Chris Sabo
Encyclopedia
Christopher Andrew Sabo (born January 19, 1962, in Detroit, Michigan
) is a former third baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Cincinnati Reds
(1988–93, 1996), Baltimore Orioles
(1994), Chicago White Sox
(1995) and St. Louis Cardinals
(1995). At 6'0" and 180 lb (82 kg), he batted and threw right-handed. He attended Detroit Catholic Central High School
.
He was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos
in 1980 but did not sign, opting to attend the University of Michigan
. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 1983 amateur draft
. Sabo also played hockey as a goaltender, and played one game in the Ontario Junior Hockey League for the Niagara Falls Flyers in the 1979-80 season, before devoting himself to baseball and enrolling in college.
Sabo was an unknown, having toiled in the minor leagues for several seasons. But in , Buddy Bell
started the season on the disabled list and the Reds needed a third baseman. Sabo stepped in and won the National League
Rookie of the Year Award
with a .271 average and 46 steals.
After a forgettable campaign, Sabo returned to help lead the Reds to a World Series Championship
. He had his most productive season in , posting career-highs in batting average
(.301), home run
s (26), RBI
(88), hits
(175) and games played
(153).
Sabo made the National League All-Star
team in , and .
After injuries limited his play in , his production dropped off drastically. Sabo never again hit above .260 nor would have more than 10 steals
in a season.
Baltimore signed him in where he endured another injury-plagued season and then split 1995 between Chicago and St. Louis.
His final season was in Cincinnati in . His homecoming did not go as well as he had hoped. In July of that season, Sabo shattered his bat which was filled with cork
. As a result of the incident, Sabo received a seven-game suspension.
Sabo maintains that he had never corked a bat in his life. He claimed that the bat in question belonged to another player (whom he would not name). He argued that his performance that season (3HR in 52 games) was hardly "an endorsement of the cork industry."
In a nine-season career, Sabo was a .268 hitter with 116 home runs and 426 RBI in 911 games.
Reds manager Pete Rose
gave Sabo the nickname "Spuds" during his rookie season in 1988, citing a resemblance to a bull terrier character in Bud Light commercials named Spuds MacKenzie
. Sabo was recognizable by his wraparound protective eyeglasses commonly known as Rec Specs
.
He is currently enrolled at Salmon P. Chase College of Law
at Northern Kentucky University.
Sabo was inducted in the Cincinnati Reds Hall Of Fame, along with Pedro Borbón
and Tony Mullane
on July 17, 2010. The Cincinnati Reds gave away Chris Sabo bobblehead dolls to fans in attendance that evening..
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is a former third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
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 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....
(1988–93, 1996), 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...
(1994), 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...
(1995) and 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...
(1995). At 6'0" and 180 lb (82 kg), he batted and threw right-handed. He attended Detroit Catholic Central High School
Detroit Catholic Central High School
Detroit Catholic Central High School is a private, Catholic, all-male, college preparatory high school in Novi, Michigan. Founded in 1928 in Detroit, Michigan by the Archdiocese of Detroit, the school is operated by the Congregation of St. Basil...
.
He was originally drafted by 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...
in 1980 but did not sign, opting to attend the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 1983 amateur draft
1983 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Other notable players :*Kevin Ward, 6th round...
. Sabo also played hockey as a goaltender, and played one game in the Ontario Junior Hockey League for the Niagara Falls Flyers in the 1979-80 season, before devoting himself to baseball and enrolling in college.
Sabo was an unknown, having toiled in the minor leagues for several seasons. But in , Buddy Bell
Buddy Bell
David Gus "Buddy" Bell is a former third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. After an 18-year career with four teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers, he managed the Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies and Kansas City Royals for three seasons each...
started the season on the disabled list and the Reds needed a third baseman. Sabo stepped in and won the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Rookie of the Year Award
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
with a .271 average and 46 steals.
After a forgettable campaign, Sabo returned to help lead the Reds to a World Series Championship
1990 World Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 16, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioUntil , this was the last World Series to be scheduled to begin play on a Tuesday, and the first since . The schedule called for the seven-game series to be held Tue–Wed, Fri–Sat–Sun, Tue–Wed. Games 5, 6, and 7, however...
. He had his most productive season in , posting career-highs in 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 :...
(.301), 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 (26), RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(88), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(175) and games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(153).
Sabo made the National League All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team in , and .
After injuries limited his play in , his production dropped off drastically. Sabo never again hit above .260 nor would have more than 10 steals
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...
in a season.
Baltimore signed him in where he endured another injury-plagued season and then split 1995 between Chicago and St. Louis.
His final season was in Cincinnati in . His homecoming did not go as well as he had hoped. In July of that season, Sabo shattered his bat which was filled with cork
Corked bat
In baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified baseball bat that has been filled with cork or other lighter, less dense substances to make the bat lighter without losing much power. A lighter bat gives a hitter a quicker swing and may improve the hitter's timing...
. As a result of the incident, Sabo received a seven-game suspension.
Sabo maintains that he had never corked a bat in his life. He claimed that the bat in question belonged to another player (whom he would not name). He argued that his performance that season (3HR in 52 games) was hardly "an endorsement of the cork industry."
In a nine-season career, Sabo was a .268 hitter with 116 home runs and 426 RBI in 911 games.
Reds manager Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
gave Sabo the nickname "Spuds" during his rookie season in 1988, citing a resemblance to a bull terrier character in Bud Light commercials named Spuds MacKenzie
Spuds MacKenzie
Spuds MacKenzie was a fictional dog character created for use in an advertising campaign marketing Bud Light beer in the late 1980s. The dog first showed up in a Bud Light Super Bowl XXI ad in 1987...
. Sabo was recognizable by his wraparound protective eyeglasses commonly known as Rec Specs
Eye protection
Eye protection is protective gear for the eyes, which comes in many types depending upon the threat that is to be reduced. The threats can be particles, light, wind blast, heat, sea spray or some type of ball or puck used in sports...
.
He is currently enrolled at Salmon P. Chase College of Law
Salmon P. Chase College of Law
Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University is a law school in Highland Heights, Kentucky that was founded in 1893 and accredited by the American Bar Association in 1959. The college of law provides both part-time and full-time programs of study that lead to a Juris Doctor degree...
at Northern Kentucky University.
Sabo was inducted in the Cincinnati Reds Hall Of Fame, along with Pedro Borbón
Pedro Borbón
Spudro spärde Von Dolan is a former pitcher. He played Major League Baseball for 12 seasons for four teams, including 10 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds , playing on two World Series winning teams...
and Tony Mullane
Tony Mullane
Anthony John "Tony" Mullane , nickamed "Count" and "The Apollo of the Box", was an Irish Major League Baseball player who pitched for seven teams during his 13-season career...
on July 17, 2010. The Cincinnati Reds gave away Chris Sabo bobblehead dolls to fans in attendance that evening..