Donnie Sadler
Encyclopedia
Donnie Lamont Sadler is a former right-handed Major League Baseball
utility player. An alumnus of Valley Mills High School
in Valley Mills, Texas
(where he was an all-state shortstop
), Sadler is small in stature, standing at only 5'6" tall and weighing 175 pounds. His cousin, Ray Sadler
, is an outfielder
in the Tampa Bay Rays
organization.
Drafted 229th overall by the Boston Red Sox
in , Sadler quickly displayed impressive speed in the minor leagues. From 1994 to , for example, he averaged nearly 36 steals
per season, while playing in an average of only 95 games each year. He earned a spot on the Midwest League
All-Star team in because he not only stole 41 bases, he batted
a respectable .283 with nine home run
s and 55 RBI
.
Sadler made his big league debut at the age of 23 in the second game of the season, April 1. Although Sadlers' Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics
2-0 that game, he went 0 for 3 at the plate.
After starting the season without collecting a single hit
in his first 11 at bat
s, he was quickly sent down and did not see any Major League action until July of that year. The first hit of his career was quite impressive-it came in his second game after being recalled from Pawtucket
in July-off of pitcher Jason Bere
on July 3, he smacked a triple
in the sixth inning. Although he finished the game one for five, he did help the Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox
15 to 2-he scored one of the Red Sox' many runs
in that game.
The rest of his career has seen him bouncing up and down between the minors and majors, spending only one season in the majors for the entire year: .
He has been involved in a couple noteworthy transactions in his career. The first occurred on November 16, 2000, when he and Michael Coleman
were sent to the Cincinnati Reds
for Chris Stynes
. The second came on June 20, 2001, when the Reds traded Sadler to the Kansas City Royals
for minor league pitcher Cary Ammons.
So far, his career batting average is only .202, and he has not shown the speed he displayed in the minors-the highest total of stolen bases he has had in a season is seven. Oddly, of the six home runs he has hit in his career, three of them came in the first 124 at bats of his career. He has hit only three more in 643 at bats since.
His postseason batting average is .500-he has collected one hit (a double
) in two at bats.
On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Sadler had tested positive for "a drug of abuse" and was handed a 50 game suspension.
Donnie is now a hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies organization.
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...
utility player. An alumnus of Valley Mills High School
Valley Mills High School
Valley Mills High School is a public high school located in Valley Mills, Texas and is part of the Valley Mills Independent School District located in southern Bosque County, Texas...
in Valley Mills, Texas
Valley Mills, Texas
Valley Mills is a city in Bosque and McLennan Counties in Central Texas. The population was 1,123 at the 2000 census.The McLennan County portion of Valley Mills is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
(where he was an all-state shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
), Sadler is small in stature, standing at only 5'6" tall and weighing 175 pounds. His cousin, Ray Sadler
Ray Sadler
Raymond Lee Sadler is a professional baseball outfielder who is currently with the Kansas City T-Bones. He played in Major League Baseball in 2005 for the Pittsburgh Pirates Sadler bats and throws right-handed, is 6'1" tall, and weighs 200 pounds...
, is an 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 the 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...
organization.
Drafted 229th overall by 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"...
in , Sadler quickly displayed impressive speed in the minor leagues. From 1994 to , for example, he averaged nearly 36 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...
per season, while playing in an average of only 95 games each year. He earned a spot on the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
All-Star team in because he not only stole 41 bases, he batted
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 :...
a respectable .283 with nine 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 and 55 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...
.
Sadler made his big league debut at the age of 23 in the second game of the season, April 1. Although Sadlers' Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
2-0 that game, he went 0 for 3 at the plate.
After starting the season without collecting a single hit
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....
in his first 11 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, he was quickly sent down and did not see any Major League action until July of that year. The first hit of his career was quite impressive-it came in his second game after being recalled from Pawtucket
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
in July-off of pitcher Jason Bere
Jason Bere
Jason Phillip Bere is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for parts of 11 seasons from to...
on July 3, he smacked a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in the sixth inning. Although he finished the game one for five, he did help the Red Sox beat 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...
15 to 2-he scored one of the Red Sox' many runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
in that game.
The rest of his career has seen him bouncing up and down between the minors and majors, spending only one season in the majors for the entire year: .
He has been involved in a couple noteworthy transactions in his career. The first occurred on November 16, 2000, when he and Michael Coleman
Michael Coleman (baseball)
Michael Donnell Coleman 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.-Early life:...
were sent 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...
. The second came on June 20, 2001, when the Reds traded Sadler to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
for minor league pitcher Cary Ammons.
So far, his career batting average is only .202, and he has not shown the speed he displayed in the minors-the highest total of stolen bases he has had in a season is seven. Oddly, of the six home runs he has hit in his career, three of them came in the first 124 at bats of his career. He has hit only three more in 643 at bats since.
His postseason batting average is .500-he has collected one hit (a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
) in two at bats.
On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Sadler had tested positive for "a drug of abuse" and was handed a 50 game suspension.
Donnie is now a hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies organization.