Tom Prince
Encyclopedia
This article is about the former professional baseball player. For the bodybuilder, see Tom Prince (bodybuilder)
.
Thomas Albert Prince (b. August 13, 1964, Kankakee, Illinois
) is a former Major League Baseball
player. He is currently the manager of the Bradenton Pirates in the Gulf Coast League
.
Primarily a catcher
during his playing career, Prince batted and threw with his right hand. He was listed as 5'11" tall and 185 lbs. After a successful career at Bradley-Bourbonnais High School, Prince was drafted twice by the Atlanta Braves
: with the 195th pick of the 1983 January draft, as part of that draft's 8th round, and with the 76th overall pick of that same year's June draft, as part of that draft's 4th round. He elected not to sign both times, instead attending Kankakee Community College
. There, he attracted the attention of the Pittsburgh Pirates
, who selected him with the 64th overall pick of the 1984 January draft. This time, he signed the deal, and that summer began play with the Pirates' farm club in the Gulf Coast League
.
Prince enjoyed a strong defensive reputation as a prospect, but his offensive production fluctuated wildly as he advanced through the system. With the Macon Pirates of the South Atlantic League
, he put up an unusually low .208 batting average
, but hit for moderate power and drew 96 base on balls
in only 360 at bats. Two years later at AA, he put up a .307 batting average with the Harrisburg Senators
of the Eastern League
.
After a promotion to the AAA Buffalo Bisons
of the American Association
the next year, his batting average dropped back down to .260 and his walk rate collapsed, but he started hitting for substantially more power, putting up a .451 slugging percentage. He was generally well regarded as a prospect, but talent evaluators weren't sure exactly which skills he would display after promotion to the majors.
Prince ultimately settled in as a backup catcher, relying on solid defense to compensate for a weak bat. He would never total even 200 at bats in a single major league season, but he spent parts of seventeen years in the big leagues with the Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers
, Philadelphia Phillies
, Minnesota Twins
, and Kansas City Royals
. During that time, he caught for some of the best pitchers in baseball, including Cy Young
winner Doug Drabek
and six-time All-Star
Curt Schilling
. For his career as a whole, Prince played in 519 games and collected 248 hits. He had a batting average of .208, an on-base percentage of .286, and a slugging percentage of .331.
After retiring as a player, Prince retained his connection with professional baseball. In 2005, he became the manager of the Williamsport Crosscutters
in the New York-Penn League and in his first year, led them to the playoffs. After one more year in Williamsport, Prince became the manager of the Pirates' Gulf Coast League team in Bradenton, Florida in 2007.
Tom Prince (bodybuilder)
This article is about the former IFBB Pro bodybuilder. For the baseball player, see Tom Prince.Tom Prince is a retired American professional bodybuilder....
.
Thomas Albert Prince (b. August 13, 1964, Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
) is a former 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...
player. He is currently the manager of the Bradenton Pirates in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
.
Primarily a 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...
during his playing career, Prince batted and threw with his right hand. He was listed as 5'11" tall and 185 lbs. After a successful career at Bradley-Bourbonnais High School, Prince was drafted twice by 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 195th pick of the 1983 January draft, as part of that draft's 8th round, and with the 76th overall pick of that same year's June draft, as part of that draft's 4th round. He elected not to sign both times, instead attending Kankakee Community College
Kankakee Community College
Kankakee Community College is a two-year institution of higher learning located in Kankakee, northeastern Illinois. The main campus is located on the southern border of the city of Kankakee and spans along the banks of the Kankakee River. KCC is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of...
. There, he attracted the attention of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, who selected him with the 64th overall pick of the 1984 January draft. This time, he signed the deal, and that summer began play with the Pirates' farm club in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
.
Prince enjoyed a strong defensive reputation as a prospect, but his offensive production fluctuated wildly as he advanced through the system. With the Macon Pirates of the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, he put up an unusually low .208 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 :...
, but hit for moderate power and drew 96 base on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in only 360 at bats. Two years later at AA, he put up a .307 batting average with the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
of the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
.
After a promotion to the AAA Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
of the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
the next year, his batting average dropped back down to .260 and his walk rate collapsed, but he started hitting for substantially more power, putting up a .451 slugging percentage. He was generally well regarded as a prospect, but talent evaluators weren't sure exactly which skills he would display after promotion to the majors.
Prince ultimately settled in as a backup catcher, relying on solid defense to compensate for a weak bat. He would never total even 200 at bats in a single major league season, but he spent parts of seventeen years in the big leagues with the Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, 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...
, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, and 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...
. During that time, he caught for some of the best pitchers in baseball, including Cy Young
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Doug Drabek
Doug Drabek
Douglas Dean Drabek is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.-Early life:...
and six-time All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
. For his career as a whole, Prince played in 519 games and collected 248 hits. He had a batting average of .208, an on-base percentage of .286, and a slugging percentage of .331.
After retiring as a player, Prince retained his connection with professional baseball. In 2005, he became the manager of the Williamsport Crosscutters
Williamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a Short-Season A classification minor league baseball team based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in the New York-Penn League and in his first year, led them to the playoffs. After one more year in Williamsport, Prince became the manager of the Pirates' Gulf Coast League team in Bradenton, Florida in 2007.