Mark Reynolds (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Mark Andrew Reynolds is a third baseman
/first baseman
in Major League Baseball
who plays for the Baltimore Orioles
. He is known both for his power-hitting abilities and for his record-breaking strike out totals. He holds the all-time record for most strikeouts in a season, with 223 in 2009
, and led the National League in strikeouts in his first three full major-league seasons and the American League in his fourth.
on August 3, 1983, Reynolds later moved with his family to Virginia Beach, Virginia
. In 1994 he played for the Virginia Blasters Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
baseball
program, where one of his teammates was B. J. Upton
. Both would eventually join B. J.'s younger brother Justin
, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman
on a Hampton Roads
-based autumn
showcase team called the Mets in 2000. The five players, who were all shortstop
s at the time, rotated among the three positions on the left side and middle of the infield
. While with the Mets, Reynolds was nickname
d "Skeletor
" due to his lanky build and "Forrest Gump
" because of his awkward running style.
He was a four-year letterman in baseball, basketball
and golf
at First Colonial High School
, where he graduated in 2001.
In his three years at the University of Virginia
, he was the starting shortstop
on the Cavaliers baseball team
. During his sophomore
and junior
campaigns, he played alongside Zimmerman, who had been shifted to third base
. Reynolds led the team in home run
s (15) in 2002, runs batted in
(46) in 2003 and triple
s (5) in 2004. His 60 run
s scored in 2004 matched a school record which has since been broken. His 35 career homers at Virginia is tied for second all-time in Cavaliers history. Through August 2011, he was one of 29 former UVA players to have made it to the major leagues, along with among others former Cavaliers Michael Schwimer
, Javier López
, and Zimmerman.
Reynolds was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks
in the 16th round (476th overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft
.
. He had been called up from Double-A Mobile
when Chad Tracy
was placed on the disabled list
. Reynolds made an instant impact with the Diamondbacks, driving in 14 runs in his first 15 MLB games.
Reynolds was the latest of a number of players from the Tidewater
, Virginia region to make it to the major leagues in recent years, a list that includes David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman
, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton
, and Michael Cuddyer
.
Reynolds ended the season 3rd among NL rookies in strikeouts (129), 4th in runs (62), tied for 4th in triples (4), and tied for 6th in home runs (17). He also drove in 62 runs and had a .279 batting average.
On October 3, 2007, when Arizona faced the Chicago Cubs
in the first game of the National League
Division series, Reynolds' seventh inning home run off of Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol
led the Diamondbacks to a 3–1 victory.
pitcher Joel Pineiro
. He broke the record of 199 set in by Philadelphia Phillies
first baseman Ryan Howard
. Reynolds ultimately finished the season striking out 204 times. He also led the majors in strikeout percentage, with 33.3%.http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-ratio-batting.shtml
Reynolds made the most errors (34) and had the lowest fielding percentage
(.904) of all major league third basemen.
He did have a good offensive year, leading the Diamondbacks in home runs (28) and RBIs (97) to go along with 11 stolen bases and 87 runs scored. His batting average saw a significant dip from his rookie campaign, however, ending with a .239 clip.
, finishing third behind Shane Victorino
and Pablo Sandoval
.
On July 28, 2009, Reynolds hit a two-run home run off of Philadelphia Phillies
closer Brad Lidge
landing at 481 feet, making it the longest home run of the 2009 season, and the second longest home run in the history of Chase Field
. Reynolds quickly became recognized for hitting towering home runs (25 of his 44 home runs being over 400 feet), averaging his home runs at 430 feet (longest in baseball).
In the Diamondbacks' four game series against the Mets on July 29 – August 3, Reynolds managed to hit the longest home run in the short history of Citi Field, at 461 feet, as well as capped off the series finale with home runs in consecutive innings (first and second). His 4 home runs at Citi Field rank him 2nd all time in home runs hit at the park by a visiting player.
On August 10, 2009, Reynolds was named the NL Player of the Week for the week ending August 9, beating out teammate Ryan Roberts
(who finished second) in voting for the honor. Reynolds finished the week hitting .448 with 6 home runs, 32 total bases, 10 RBIs, 1 stolen base, a .515 on base percentage
, and a slugging percentage of 1.103. This has been Reynolds's second NL Player of the Week award (the other being earlier this season for the week ending June 14). As tradition with the Player of the Week award, Reynolds has received two wrist watches (one for each week), one of which he gave to his father, and the other of which he gave to his grandfather.
Reynolds played at first base for 26 games, where he has a .974 fielding percentage, the second-highest in the league of players with 125 or more innings at first base, and a 8.21 range factor, the best in the league. Reynolds helped improve his defensive skills by working with former Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams, during Spring Training; work that has raised his fielding percentage by over 50 points from the previous season. He has also made headlines for several notable catches including July 21 in Colorado, July 24 in Arizona, and August 1 in New York.
He broke his own one-year-old major league record for strikeouts in a season in 2009 with 223. He also hit .260 (batting average), hit 44 home runs, had 102 RBI, and scored 98 runs, along with 24 stolen bases.
He led the major leagues in the Three True Outcomes (the total of the three main outcomes not involving defense) with 343.
extension on March 18, 2010, Reynolds began the season with two home runs in the first four games of the season. On May 20, Reynolds hit his 100th career home run off of the Giants' Tim Lincecum
. Though he finished the season with 32 home runs, the sixth highest total in the National League, along with 85 RBIs and a career high 83 walks in 145 games, Reynolds again led the league in strikeouts with 211 and, having reached the mark three times, remained the only player in major league history to have at least 200 strikeouts in a season. Most notably, his .198 batting average established him as the first full-time position player in Major League history to finish the season with a lower batting average (x 1000) than strikeout total.
on April 30, 2011) were traded to the Baltimore Orioles
for David Hernandez
and Kam Mickolio
on December 6, 2010. From the Diamondbacks' standpoint, the transaction, which was executed by new general manager
Kevin Towers
, was to improve the bullpen
and reduce the record-breaking strikeout total by the team's batters (1,529 in 2010
). The Orioles, on the other hand, needed a starting third baseman and a power hitter.
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...
/first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
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 plays for the 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...
. He is known both for his power-hitting abilities and for his record-breaking strike out totals. He holds the all-time record for most strikeouts in a season, with 223 in 2009
2009 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions – New York Yankees**American League Champions – New York Yankees**National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies*Postseason – October 7 to November 4...
, and led the National League in strikeouts in his first three full major-league seasons and the American League in his fourth.
Amateur baseball
Born in Pikeville, KentuckyPikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
on August 3, 1983, Reynolds later moved with his family to Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
. In 1994 he played for the Virginia Blasters Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
program, where one of his teammates was B. J. Upton
B. J. Upton
Melvin Emmanuel "B. J." Upton is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Tampa Bay Rays. Upton is a graduate of Greenbrier Christian Academy....
. Both would eventually join B. J.'s younger brother Justin
Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...
on a Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
-based autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
showcase team called the Mets in 2000. The five players, who were all 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...
s at the time, rotated among the three positions on the left side and middle of the infield
Infield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
. While with the Mets, Reynolds was nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
" due to his lanky build and "Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump (character)
Forrest Gump is a fictional character who first appears in the 1986 eponymous novel by Winston Groom. Forrest Gump also appeared on screen in the 1994 film of the same name directed by Robert Zemeckis. Gump was portrayed as a child by Michael Humphreys and portrayed as an adult by Tom Hanks, who...
" because of his awkward running style.
He was a four-year letterman in baseball, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
at First Colonial High School
First Colonial High School
First Colonial High School is a high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia. First Colonial opened in 1966 by splitting students out of the former Virginia Beach High School. Virginia Beach High then became Virginia Beach Middle School. James C. Mounie was the first principal of the new high school...
, where he graduated in 2001.
In his three years at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, he was the starting 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...
on the Cavaliers baseball team
Virginia Cavaliers baseball
The Virginia Cavaliers baseball team represents the University of Virginia in NCAA Division I college baseball. Established in 1889, the team participates in the Coastal division of the Atlantic Coast Conference and plays its home games at Davenport Field. There was discussion at one time to...
. During his sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
and junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
campaigns, he played alongside Zimmerman, who had been shifted to third base
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...
. Reynolds led the team in 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 (15) in 2002, runs batted in
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...
(46) in 2003 and 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....
s (5) in 2004. His 60 run
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...
s scored in 2004 matched a school record which has since been broken. His 35 career homers at Virginia is tied for second all-time in Cavaliers history. Through August 2011, he was one of 29 former UVA players to have made it to the major leagues, along with among others former Cavaliers Michael Schwimer
Michael Schwimer
Michael Fredarick Schwimer is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.The 6' 8" closer was drafted by the Phillies in 2008, out of the University of Virginia...
, Javier López
Javier López
Javier Alfonso López is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants. López previously played for the Colorado Rockies , Arizona Diamondbacks , Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates . He is a left-handed specialist known for his sidearm delivery...
, and Zimmerman.
Reynolds was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the 16th round (476th overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft
2004 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
.
2007 season
Reynolds made his major league debut on May 16, , against the Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. He had been called up from Double-A Mobile
Mobile BayBears
The Mobile BayBears are a minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major league club. The BayBears play in Hank Aaron Stadium, named after baseball's former all-time home...
when Chad Tracy
Chad Tracy
Chad Austin Tracy is a Major League Baseball third baseman, who is currently with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.-College & draft:...
was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Reynolds made an instant impact with the Diamondbacks, driving in 14 runs in his first 15 MLB games.
Reynolds was the latest of a number of players from the Tidewater
Tidewater region of Virginia
The Tidewater region of Virginia is the eastern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia formally known as Hampton Roads. The term tidewater may be correctly applied to all portions of any area, including Virginia, where the water level is affected by the tides...
, Virginia region to make it to the major leagues in recent years, a list that includes David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...
, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton
Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, and Michael Cuddyer
Michael Cuddyer
Michael Brent Cuddyer is a Major League Baseball right fielder who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed, and wore number 5 for Minnesota Twins.-High school:...
.
Reynolds ended the season 3rd among NL rookies in strikeouts (129), 4th in runs (62), tied for 4th in triples (4), and tied for 6th in home runs (17). He also drove in 62 runs and had a .279 batting average.
On October 3, 2007, when Arizona faced the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in the first game of 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...
Division series, Reynolds' seventh inning home run off of Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol
Carlos Marmol
Carlos Agustín Mármol is a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.-Minor league career:Mármol started his career as a catcher/outfielder...
led the Diamondbacks to a 3–1 victory.
2008 season
On September 25, he set a major league record by striking out for the 200th time in one season when he failed to check his swing against St. Louis CardinalsSt. 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...
pitcher Joel Pineiro
Joel Piñeiro
Joel Alberto Piñeiro is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is right-handed and made his major league debut on August 8, .-Career:...
. He broke the record of 199 set in by Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
first baseman Ryan Howard
Ryan Howard
Ryan James Howard is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicknamed "The Big Piece", Howard stands and weighs . He bats and throws left-handed....
. Reynolds ultimately finished the season striking out 204 times. He also led the majors in strikeout percentage, with 33.3%.http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2008-ratio-batting.shtml
Reynolds made the most errors (34) and had the lowest fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
(.904) of all major league third basemen.
He did have a good offensive year, leading the Diamondbacks in home runs (28) and RBIs (97) to go along with 11 stolen bases and 87 runs scored. His batting average saw a significant dip from his rookie campaign, however, ending with a .239 clip.
2009 season
Reynolds was named one of the five finalists for the National League Final Vote for the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
, finishing third behind Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
and Pablo Sandoval
Pablo Sandoval
Pablo E. Sandoval , nicknamed Kung Fu Panda, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Sandoval is a 5'11", 237 pound switch hitter. He was born left handed, but did not want to have to play outfield all of his career. He therefore...
.
On July 28, 2009, Reynolds hit a two-run home run off of Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
closer Brad Lidge
Brad Lidge
Bradley Thomas "Brad" Lidge is a reliever who is currently a free agent. Nicknamed "Lights Out", he is the all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 200 appearances in their career...
landing at 481 feet, making it the longest home run of the 2009 season, and the second longest home run in the history of Chase Field
Chase Field
Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...
. Reynolds quickly became recognized for hitting towering home runs (25 of his 44 home runs being over 400 feet), averaging his home runs at 430 feet (longest in baseball).
In the Diamondbacks' four game series against the Mets on July 29 – August 3, Reynolds managed to hit the longest home run in the short history of Citi Field, at 461 feet, as well as capped off the series finale with home runs in consecutive innings (first and second). His 4 home runs at Citi Field rank him 2nd all time in home runs hit at the park by a visiting player.
On August 10, 2009, Reynolds was named the NL Player of the Week for the week ending August 9, beating out teammate Ryan Roberts
Ryan Roberts
Ryan Alan Roberts is a Major League Baseball infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. A right-handed batter, Roberts is 5' 11" tall and weighs 190 pounds. He is married to actress Kim Camille. Roberts has over 30 tattoos.-College career:After graduating from L. D...
(who finished second) in voting for the honor. Reynolds finished the week hitting .448 with 6 home runs, 32 total bases, 10 RBIs, 1 stolen base, a .515 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
, and a slugging percentage of 1.103. This has been Reynolds's second NL Player of the Week award (the other being earlier this season for the week ending June 14). As tradition with the Player of the Week award, Reynolds has received two wrist watches (one for each week), one of which he gave to his father, and the other of which he gave to his grandfather.
Reynolds played at first base for 26 games, where he has a .974 fielding percentage, the second-highest in the league of players with 125 or more innings at first base, and a 8.21 range factor, the best in the league. Reynolds helped improve his defensive skills by working with former Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams, during Spring Training; work that has raised his fielding percentage by over 50 points from the previous season. He has also made headlines for several notable catches including July 21 in Colorado, July 24 in Arizona, and August 1 in New York.
He broke his own one-year-old major league record for strikeouts in a season in 2009 with 223. He also hit .260 (batting average), hit 44 home runs, had 102 RBI, and scored 98 runs, along with 24 stolen bases.
He led the major leagues in the Three True Outcomes (the total of the three main outcomes not involving defense) with 343.
2010 season
After signing a three-year, $14.5 million contractContract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
extension on March 18, 2010, Reynolds began the season with two home runs in the first four games of the season. On May 20, Reynolds hit his 100th career home run off of the Giants' Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
. Though he finished the season with 32 home runs, the sixth highest total in the National League, along with 85 RBIs and a career high 83 walks in 145 games, Reynolds again led the league in strikeouts with 211 and, having reached the mark three times, remained the only player in major league history to have at least 200 strikeouts in a season. Most notably, his .198 batting average established him as the first full-time position player in Major League history to finish the season with a lower batting average (x 1000) than strikeout total.
Baltimore Orioles
Reynolds and a player to be named later (John HesterJohn Hester
John Hester is a right-handed Major League Baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. On August 28, 2009 on his major league debut, he hit a two-run homer in his first Major League at-bat in a game against the Houston Astros.-Education career:He attended Marist School in Atlanta before attending...
on April 30, 2011) were traded to the 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...
for David Hernandez
David Hernandez (baseball)
David Jose Hernandez is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks...
and Kam Mickolio
Kam Mickolio
Kameron Kraig 'Kam' Mickolio is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball.-Amateur career:...
on December 6, 2010. From the Diamondbacks' standpoint, the transaction, which was executed by new general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
, was to improve the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
and reduce the record-breaking strikeout total by the team's batters (1,529 in 2010
2010 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The Arizona Diamondbacks' 2010 season, the franchise's thirteenth season in Major League Baseball, included the team's attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007. On July 1, 2010, the Arizona Diamondbacks fired Manager A.J. Hinch following a 31-48 start to the 2010 season and...
). The Orioles, on the other hand, needed a starting third baseman and a power hitter.