Ronn Reynolds
Encyclopedia
Ronn Dwayne Reynolds was a Major League Baseball
catcher
, who played for the New York Mets
, Philadelphia Phillies
, Houston Astros
and San Diego Padres
. After playing college baseball at the University of Arkansas
, Reynolds was drafted
by the Oakland Athletics
in the 5th round in 1979. After not signing with the Athletics, he was again drafted in the 5th round in 1980, this time by the Mets. Reynolds played 51 games for two of the Mets' class-A minor league
teams, getting 29 hits
in 149 at bat
s.
In 1981, Reynolds was promoted to the Mets' class-AA team in Jackson
. There he played 88 games, getting 272 at bats and posting a batting average
of .235, a slugging percentage of .309 and an on-base percentage of .314. He repeated at Jackson in 1982, improving to a .255 batting average, a .360 slugging percentage and a .344 on-base percentage in 123 games and 431 at bats.
His 1982 performance earned him a late season promotion to the Mets. He made his major league debut for the Mets on September 29, 1982 against the Chicago Cubs
. In total, he played 2 games for the Mets in 1982, going hitless in 4 at bats.
In 1983, Reynolds split the season between the Mets and their class-AAA affiliate in Tidewater. He played with the Mets from April 27 through June 13, playing 24 games and getting 66 at bats. He posted a .197 batting average, a .280 slugging percentage and a .212 on-base percentage. As a catcher, he allowed 27 stolen base
s in 38 attempts. The Mets television and radio announcers often commented in the unusual spelling of his first name (with two n's) when he came to bat that season. During his time with Tidewater, he played 40 games, getting 128 at bats, posting a .211 batting average, a .273 slugging percentage and a .246 on-base percentage.
Reynolds spent the entire 1984 season with Tidewater, posting a batting average of .261, a slugging percentage of .418 and an on-base percentage of .303 in 90 games and 280 at bats. His 11 home run
s that season were a career high as a professional. Although he started the 1985 season at Tidewater, playing 3 games there, he was promoted to the Mets early in the season to back up Gary Carter
. He played 28 games for the Mets, with a batting average of .209, a slugging percentage of .227 and an on-base percentage of .256 in 43 at bats. He allowed just 10 stolen bases in 19 attempts. In George Plimpton
's 1985 April Fools Day hoax, The Curious Case of Sidd Finch
, Reynolds was mentioned as the catcher who painfully caught Sidd Finch's 168 mph fastball.
After the 1985 season, Reynolds was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
along with Jeff Bittiger
in exchange for Rodger Cole and Ronnie Gideon, neither of whom ever played a major league game. He split the 1986 season between the Phillies and their class-AAA minor league affiliate in Portland
. He played 43 games for the Phillies, with a batting average of .214 (his Major League high), a slugging percentage of .242 and an on-base percentage of .317 in 126 at bats. He also hit 3 of his 4 lifetime Major League home runs that season. He allowed 46 stolen bases in 59 attempts.
After the 1986 season, he was traded again to the Houston Astros
for Jeff Calhoun. He split the 1987 season between the Astros and their class-AAA minor league affiliate in Tucson
. He played 38 games for the Astros, with a batting average of .167, a slugging percentage of .189 and an on-base percentage of .235 in 102 at bats. He allowed 46 stolen bases in 59 attempts. On October 1, Reynolds was the victim of a rare triple-steal versus the Atlanta Braves
. With the bases loaded, Reynolds made a return throw to pitcher
Danny Darwin
and the Braves' Gerald Perry
broke from third towards home plate
. Darwin threw back to Reynolds but Reynolds dropped the ball and all three runners were safe. Not only were the Braves credited with three stolen bases but Reynolds was injured on the play and left the game.
He was released by the Astros after the 1987 season and signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers
. He never played a game for the Brewers, spending the 1988 and 1989 seasons playing for the Brewers' class AAA affiliate in Denver. His 1989 season was shortened by a pre-season Achilles tendon rupture
. He was granted free agency after the 1989 season and signed with the San Diego Padres
. He played most of the 1990 season with the Padres class-AAA affiliate in Las Vegas
. He did play 8 games for the Padres, getting just one hit (a double) in 15 at bats. He played his last major league game for the Padres on July 5, 1990.
In all, Reynolds played 143 Major League games in 6 seasons, getting 356 at bats, 4 home runs, a career batting average of .188, a career slugging percentage of .228 and a career on-base percentage of .256. His minor league totals were 701 games, 2193 at bats, 49 home runs, a .238 batting average, a .358 slugging percentage and a .309 on-base percentage.
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...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, who played for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, 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...
, Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
and San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. After playing college baseball at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
, Reynolds was drafted
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...
by 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....
in the 5th round in 1979. After not signing with the Athletics, he was again drafted in the 5th round in 1980, this time by the Mets. Reynolds played 51 games for two of the Mets' class-A minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams, getting 29 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....
in 149 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.
In 1981, Reynolds was promoted to the Mets' class-AA team in Jackson
Jackson Mets
The Jackson Mets were a professional baseball team based in Jackson, Mississippi, from 1975 through 1990. As of 2010, they are the longest-tenured club to be based in the Jackson metropolitan area...
. There he played 88 games, getting 272 at bats and posting a 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 :...
of .235, a slugging percentage of .309 and an on-base percentage of .314. He repeated at Jackson in 1982, improving to a .255 batting average, a .360 slugging percentage and a .344 on-base percentage in 123 games and 431 at bats.
His 1982 performance earned him a late season promotion to the Mets. He made his major league debut for the Mets on September 29, 1982 against 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 total, he played 2 games for the Mets in 1982, going hitless in 4 at bats.
In 1983, Reynolds split the season between the Mets and their class-AAA affiliate in Tidewater. He played with the Mets from April 27 through June 13, playing 24 games and getting 66 at bats. He posted a .197 batting average, a .280 slugging percentage and a .212 on-base percentage. As a catcher, he allowed 27 stolen base
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...
s in 38 attempts. The Mets television and radio announcers often commented in the unusual spelling of his first name (with two n's) when he came to bat that season. During his time with Tidewater, he played 40 games, getting 128 at bats, posting a .211 batting average, a .273 slugging percentage and a .246 on-base percentage.
Reynolds spent the entire 1984 season with Tidewater, posting a batting average of .261, a slugging percentage of .418 and an on-base percentage of .303 in 90 games and 280 at bats. His 11 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 that season were a career high as a professional. Although he started the 1985 season at Tidewater, playing 3 games there, he was promoted to the Mets early in the season to back up Gary Carter
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter , nicknamed "Kid" and "Kid Carter", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 19-year baseball career, mostly with the Montreal Expos and the New York Mets, Carter established himself as one of the premier catchers in the National League, winning three Gold...
. He played 28 games for the Mets, with a batting average of .209, a slugging percentage of .227 and an on-base percentage of .256 in 43 at bats. He allowed just 10 stolen bases in 19 attempts. In George Plimpton
George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton was an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review.-Early life:...
's 1985 April Fools Day hoax, The Curious Case of Sidd Finch
Sidd Finch
Sidd Finch was a fictional baseball player, the subject of the notorious article and April Fools' Day hoax "The Curious Case of Sidd Finch" written by George Plimpton and first published in the April 1, 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated.-Hoax:...
, Reynolds was mentioned as the catcher who painfully caught Sidd Finch's 168 mph fastball.
After the 1985 season, Reynolds was traded to the 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...
along with Jeff Bittiger
Jeff Bittiger
Jeffrey Scott Bittiger is a former relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball. He pitched four seasons in the major leagues, from until...
in exchange for Rodger Cole and Ronnie Gideon, neither of whom ever played a major league game. He split the 1986 season between the Phillies and their class-AAA minor league affiliate in Portland
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. He played 43 games for the Phillies, with a batting average of .214 (his Major League high), a slugging percentage of .242 and an on-base percentage of .317 in 126 at bats. He also hit 3 of his 4 lifetime Major League home runs that season. He allowed 46 stolen bases in 59 attempts.
After the 1986 season, he was traded again to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for Jeff Calhoun. He split the 1987 season between the Astros and their class-AAA minor league affiliate in Tucson
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
. He played 38 games for the Astros, with a batting average of .167, a slugging percentage of .189 and an on-base percentage of .235 in 102 at bats. He allowed 46 stolen bases in 59 attempts. On October 1, Reynolds was the victim of a rare triple-steal versus the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. With the bases loaded, Reynolds made a return throw to pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Danny Darwin
Danny Darwin
Daniel Wayne "Danny" Darwin , known as the "Bonham Bullet" and "Dr. Death," is a former pitcher of Major League Baseball. He amassed 171 wins and 182 losses over his career for 8 different Major League teams with a 3.84 earned run average...
and the Braves' Gerald Perry
Gerald Perry
Gerald June Perry is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1983 to 1995 for the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. Perry was selected to the 1988 National League All-Star team. In 1993 he tied a St...
broke from third towards home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
. Darwin threw back to Reynolds but Reynolds dropped the ball and all three runners were safe. Not only were the Braves credited with three stolen bases but Reynolds was injured on the play and left the game.
He was released by the Astros after the 1987 season and signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He never played a game for the Brewers, spending the 1988 and 1989 seasons playing for the Brewers' class AAA affiliate in Denver. His 1989 season was shortened by a pre-season Achilles tendon rupture
Achilles tendon rupture
The Achilles tendon is the most commonly injured tendon. Rupture can occur while performing actions requiring explosive acceleration, such as pushing off or jumping...
. He was granted free agency after the 1989 season and signed with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. He played most of the 1990 season with the Padres class-AAA affiliate in Las Vegas
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
. He did play 8 games for the Padres, getting just one hit (a double) in 15 at bats. He played his last major league game for the Padres on July 5, 1990.
In all, Reynolds played 143 Major League games in 6 seasons, getting 356 at bats, 4 home runs, a career batting average of .188, a career slugging percentage of .228 and a career on-base percentage of .256. His minor league totals were 701 games, 2193 at bats, 49 home runs, a .238 batting average, a .358 slugging percentage and a .309 on-base percentage.