| Terry Blocker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1959-08-18)August 18, 1959 (age 65) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1985, for the New York Mets | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 11, 1989, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .205 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs batted in | 11 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Terry Fennell Blocker (born August 18, 1959) is an American formerMajor League Baseball (MLB)outfielder who played with theNew York Mets andAtlanta Braves. The 6'2" outfielder batted and threw left handed.
Blocker was the Mets' first round selection (#4 overall) in the1981 Major League Baseball Draft out ofTennessee State University. In his first professional season,1981, he batted .341 with sevenhome runs for theLittle Falls Mets of theNew York–Penn League. In1982, he played for the Mets'minor league affiliate inJackson, where he shared theoutfield with two players who would go on to greater fame -Darryl Strawberry andBilly Beane.
In 1985 Blocker played in 18games in the Major Leagues for the New York Mets. He got onehit in 15at bats. He sustained a bruisedtendon above his leftknee in a collision withDanny Heep in right-centerfield that resulted inTerry Pendleton'sinside-the-parkgrand slam in the fifth inning of an 8–2 loss to theSt. Louis Cardinals in the second game of adoubleheader atShea Stadium on June 9, 1985.[1] He spent the entire 1986 and 1987 seasons in the minor leagues.
He was traded to the Braves before the 1988 season and had his most successful season playing in 66 games that season, mostly as theircenter fielder, and had abatting average of .212 in 198 at bats. He also had 2home runs, 10rbis and scored 13runs. 1989 was his final Major League season playing in only 26 games. An attempt to become apitcher did not prolong hiscareer, and he onlypitched 1inning in his Major League career, for the Braves in 1989.
Although posting just a .205batting average (50-for-244) with 2home runs and 11RBI in 110 games in the majors, he was a strong defensive outfielder. He committed only one miscue in 177total chances for a .994fielding percentage.
In 1995, Terry Blocker helped track down who murdered fellow Braves replacement player Dave Shotkoski. Shotkoski was murdered March 24, 1995 while walking near the Braves' hotel in West Palm Beach, Fla. Blocker went into the hard neighborhood near the hotel, found an acquaintance made when he played for the Braves in the late '80s, and started a search for the killer. West Palm Beach police confirmed Blocker helped target suspect Neal Douglas Evans.
The locals initially stonewalled Blocker, but eventually word got out that Evans was bragging about the murder. Blocker learned Evans was hiding in an alleged crack house and relayed that to police. They arrested Evans—who, police said, has a rap sheet "seven feet long"—at the house.[2]
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