| Mark Whiten | |
|---|---|
| Right fielder | |
| Born: (1966-11-25)November 25, 1966 (age 58) Pensacola, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 12, 1990, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 11, 2000, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .259 |
| Home runs | 105 |
| Runs batted in | 423 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Mark Anthony Whiten (born November 25, 1966) is an American former professionalbaseballoutfielder andswitch-hitting batter, who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theToronto Blue Jays (1990–1991),Cleveland Indians (1991–1992,1998–2000),St. Louis Cardinals (1993–1994),Boston Red Sox (1995),Philadelphia Phillies (1996),Atlanta Braves (1996),Seattle Mariners (1996), andNew York Yankees (1997). He became known by the nickname "Hard-Hittin'" Mark Whiten. In 1993, Whiten became the 12th player in major league history tohit four home runs in a single game and tied theall-time single game RBI record with 12.
Whiten was born inPensacola, Florida on November 25, 1966. He did not play baseball competitively until his senior year atPensacola High School but managed to earn a scholarship to play baseball atPensacola State College.[1]
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He was selected by Toronto in the1986 amateur draft and made his major league debut in the 1990 season. Whiten was an up-and-down player. He had one of the best outfield arms in the 1990s and hit for power. The Blue Jays had little patience with his development and sent him to Cleveland. After two seasons with the Indians he was sent to the Cardinals.
In his first season with St. Louis, Whiten recorded nine outfield assists, fifth-best in theNational League. On September 7, 1993, he gained notability with his performance against theCincinnati Reds in the second game of a doubleheader. Whiten hit fourhome runs and drove in 12 runs,[2] tying the all-time single-game records in both categories in the process. He also tied the major league mark forruns batted in in a doubleheader (13), set byNate Colbert in 1972.[3] Whiten became the 12th player in major league history to hitfour home runs in one game; he andJim Bottomley are the only two players with12 RBI in one game.
During the same season, he belted a 464-foot homer into the upper deck atThree Rivers Stadium, becoming the first visiting player to reach the right-field overhang. He finished that year with a .253 batting average, to go along with 25 home runs and 99 RBI.[4]
Whiten suffered through pulled rib cage muscles early at the 1994 season that limited him to play in 92 games. Injuries would limit him to no more than 136 games a season. Over the following six seasons, he played for six teams, including a second stint with Cleveland.[4] In 1997, Whiten faced sexual assault charges while playing with the New York Yankees.[5] On July 31, 1998, Whiten pitched his only inning of professional ball, for Cleveland against theOakland Athletics. He walked two and gave up a hit and an earned run, but also struck out the side (which included future AL MVPMiguel Tejada). He thus has a perfect career K/9 ratio of 27.
In his 11-year major-league career, Whiten had a .259batting average, with 105 home runs, 423 RBIs, 465runs scored, 804hits, 129doubles, 20triples, and 70stolen bases in 939 games.[4] He resumed his playing career with theLong Island Ducks in theAtlantic League.
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Batters with 4 home runs in one game September 7, 1993 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |