| Bob Zupcic | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1966-08-18)August 18, 1966 (age 59) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 7, 1991, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 4, 1994, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 7 |
| Runs batted in | 80 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Robert Zupcic (born August 18, 1966) is a former professionalbaseballoutfielder. He played four seasons inMajor League Baseball for theBoston Red Sox (1991–94) andChicago White Sox (1994). He batted and threw right-handed.
In his career, Zupcic posted a .250batting average with sevenhome runs and 80runs batted in in 319games played. Despite only hitting seven home runs in his career, Zupcic's greatest accomplishment may have been hitting two grand slams during his rookie season of 1992. As of 2011, the only other Red Sox players to have accomplished this feat areEllis Burks andRyan Kalish (in 1987 and 2010 respectively).[1]
Zupcic attended Bishop Egan (nowConwell-Egan) High School inFairless Hills, Pennsylvania. Zupcic, a star high schoolquarterback, turned down dozens of offers to playcollege football in order to playcollege baseball atOral Roberts University.[2] In 1985, Zupcic was awardedBaseball America's Summer Player of the Year Award after playing for theLiberal BeeJays in theJayhawk League, a summer collegiate league inKansas andMissouri.[3]
The Boston Red Sox selected Zupcic in the first round of the1987 amateur draft (32nd pick overall). Over the next few years, Zupcic slowly made his way up the ranks of the Red Sox farm system, with stops atElmira,Lynchburg,New Britain, andPawtucket.
In 1991, Zupcic was a late season callup for the Red Sox. He made his major league debut atFenway Park on September 7, 1991, as a pinch runner and defensive replacement in a win against theSeattle Mariners. Two weeks later, he hit his first home run, against theNew York Yankees. Zupcic wore #16 during this stint.[4]
In 1992, under new Red Sox managerButch Hobson, Zupcic made the team inspring training. For the rest of his Boston career he would wear #28. Injuries to starting outfielders Burks,Mike Greenwell, and other key players resulted in the Red Sox finishing in last place in the AL East. However, it did give Zupcic the opportunity to start regularly. He made the most of the chance, hitting .276, and started at all three outfield positions, collecting 11 outfield assists in 124 games.
Zupcic's defensive abilities caught the attention of longtimeBoston GlobesportswriterBob Ryan. On September 13, 1992, Zupcic climbed thebullpen railing in center field and robbedDetroit Tigers catcherMickey Tettleton of a home run. Ryan called the play "as good a CF grab as I've seen in 41 years of Fenway watching."[5]
In 1993, Zupcic continued to make starts at all the outfield spots. However, he proved not to be an offensive threat, and Zupcic shared playing time with a number of other players. He finished the year at .241 with only two home runs and 26 RBI.
The next season, Zupcic could not find a spot on the team. After making just four appearances in the first month, Zupcic was placed on waivers by the Red Sox. The Chicago White Sox claimed him on May 5, 1994. Zupcic made his White Sox debut on May 14 with a pinch-hit RBI single against theTexas Rangers. Over the next couple of months, Zupcic made occasional outfield starts in place of regularsTim Raines andDarrin Jackson. He also made his first major league appearances atfirst base andthird base. He wore #43 that season.[6]
Zupcic played his final game on August 4, 1994, and theMajor League Baseball strike resulted in the cancellation of the remainder of the season, the playoffs, andWorld Series.
In 1995, Zupcic was released by the White Sox. He started the 1995 season playing with the IndependentNorthern League'sDuluth–Superior Dukes, then moved to Triple A affiliates of theFlorida Marlins and White Sox, theCharlotte Knights and theNashville Sounds. He hit a combined .291 for the three teams with 14 home runs. In 1996, Zupcic played in 44 games with theScranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, the Triple A team for thePhiladelphia Phillies before playing four games with theKansas City Royals Triple AOmaha Royals. He hit .230 for the two teams in 48 combined games with two home runs. Zupcic attended spring training with thePittsburgh Pirates in 1997 but was released before opening day.
After a brief stint in theMexican League with theBroncos de Reynosa, Zupcic moved to the independentNortheast League in 1997, playing for and coaching theBangor Blue Ox. Zupcic played in only 25 of the team's 83 games, batting .195 and hitting three home runs. He retired after suffering a back injury.
In 1993, he described himself as aborn-againChristian.[7]