| Cliff Floyd | |
|---|---|
 Floyd batting for theTampa Bay Rays in 2008 | |
| Left fielder | |
| Born: (1972-12-05)December 5, 1972 (age 52) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 18, 1993, for the Montreal Expos | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 17, 2009, for the San Diego Padres | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .278 |
| Home runs | 233 |
| Runs batted in | 865 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Cornelius Clifford Floyd Jr. (born December 5, 1972) is an American formerMajor League Baseballleft fielder who played for 17 seasons, most notably for theMontreal Expos,Florida Marlins andNew York Mets. He is currently a baseball analyst who co-hosts onSirius XM Radio and appears onMLB Network and the Chicago Cubs onMarquee Sports Network.
Floyd was born to parents Cornelius Clifford Floyd Sr. and Olivia Floyd. After spending 13 years as an only child, Floyd was joined by brother Julius. Sister Shanta was later adopted when the Floyds noticed her as a six-year-old classmate of Julius' who had been troublesome for her then adoptive parents. The three siblings were raised inMarkham, Illinois, a small suburb southwest of Chicago. Floyd's father, a former member of theUnited States Marine Corps, worked double shifts at aU.S. Steel plant in Chicago to allow the family to live in a safe and stable neighborhood.[1]
AtThornwood High School inSouth Holland, Illinois, Floyd was a three-sport star inbaseball,football, andbasketball. In basketball, he led his high school to the Class AA Sectional Playoffs. Hehit .508 with 130RBI during the final two years of his high school career and led his team to the Illinois Class AA state baseball championship as a senior. He was heavily recruited byArizona State University,Stanford, andCreighton University and signed aletter of intent to play for head coachJim Hendry at Creighton.[2] However, when theMontreal Expos drafted him as the 14th pick in the 1st round of the1991 Major League Baseball draft, Floyd chose to go to the minor leagues.
Prior to being called up by the Expos, Floyd wonThe Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award in 1993 after successful stints with theHarrisburg Senators of theEastern League andTriple-AOttawa Lynx.[3] He made his major league debut that same year at only 21 years old, playing in 10 games with the Expos. On June 27, 1994, Floyd hit a home run offAtlanta Braves pitcherGreg Maddux atOlympic Stadium on a pitch that was low, by golfing the ball out in what would become a signature moment in the Expos dominant but strike-shortened1994 season.[3] Although Floyd never showed the power that was to come in later years during his first tenure with the Expos, he has expressed fondness for his time in Montreal, crediting his initial experience there for helping him grow both professionally and as a person.[4]
In1997, Floyd was traded from the Expos to theFlorida Marlins forDustin Hermanson andJoe Orsulak. He won his loneWorld Series with the franchise in 1997. In1998, Floyd earned a starting position in the Marlins'outfield. In2000, in 420at-bats, he hit .300 with 22home runs and 91 RBI,[5] including two walk-off home runs.[6] In 2001, Floyd hit 31 home runs and set career highs with a .317 batting average and 103 RBIs in 149 games and was selected to play in his first and onlyAll-Star Game.[5]
In2002, Floyd was traded from the Marlins back to the Expos, withClaudio Vargas,Wilton Guerrero, and cash, forGraeme Lloyd,Mike Mordecai,Carl Pavano,Justin Wayne, and Donald Levinski.[7] His second stint with the Expos was short-lived; he appeared in only 15 games before being traded.
On July 30, 2002, Floyd was traded from the Expos to theBoston Red Sox forSun-woo Kim andSong Seung-jun.[8] Theories swirled around baseball as to the move (along with several others done by the Expos that year), with critics suggesting the MLB-owned Expos had traded Floyd in order to help the Red Sox.[9] Floyd hit .317 in 47 games for the Red Sox.[10]
In2003, Floyd was signed by theNew York Mets. He played well for the Mets, but was hampered by injuries in 2003 and2004. However, Floyd stayed healthy in2005 and responded with a career-high and team-leading 34 home runs.[10] The next year, though, Floyd was once again limited by injuries and only played in 97 games during New York's division-winning year. He caught the division-clinching out for the Mets,[11] but was slowed by injuries in the playoffs for New York, only recording twelve at-bats in his team's ten postseason games.
On January 21, 2007, Floyd agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with his hometownChicago Cubs for the 2007 season. The deal included multiple incentives and an option for2008.[12] Floyd missed nine games in August 2007 to mourn the death of his father, Cornelius. He returned on August 21, 2007, to play theSan Francisco Giants, where he drove in the winning runs in the top of the 9th.[13]
On December 14, 2007, Floyd signed a $3 million, one-year contract with theTampa Bay Rays.[14] Floyd spent 2008 platooning for the Rays at DH against righties.
On February 5,2009, Floyd agreed to a one-year contract with theSan Diego Padres.[15] On October 8, 2009, the Padres released Floyd.[16]
In 1621 games over 17 seasons, Floyd posted a .278batting average (1,479-for-5,319) with 824runs, 340doubles, 23triples, 233home runs, 865RBI, 148stolen bases, 601bases on balls, .358on-base percentage and .482slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .980fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions and at first base. In 19 postseason games, he batted .216 (8-for-37) scoring 7 runs with 2 home runs and 4 RBI.[5]
On February 22, 2010, Floyd accepted a broadcasting job withFox Sports Florida.[citation needed]
Floyd made his debut in the broadcasting booth forFOX Sports'Baseball Night in America on June 21, 2014.[citation needed]
In 2015, Floyd joinedSportsNet New York where he would be an analyst forNew York Mets games. On March 8, 2015, Floyd broadcast his first Mets game, aspring training game against theBoston Red Sox onWPIX-TV, withGary Cohen doing play-by-play.[citation needed]
Floyd is currently a co-host onSiriusXM'sMLB Network Radio and Fantasy Sports Radio. He is also a contributor to theMLB Network, occasionally appearing on its flagship studio showMLB Tonight.[17]
In 2018, Floyd joinedSportsnet to become a featured analyst for the network'sToronto Blue Jays coverage.[18]
In 2022, Floyd joined the Marquee Sports Network as a studio analyst and also appeared on Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball as one of three rotating analysts.[19][20]
Floyd lives inFlorida with his longtime companion Maryanne Manning, the couple's three children (Bria, Tobias, and Layla), his mother, and the two children of his sister Shanta. Shanta died in 2006 after a long battle withcancer.[citation needed]
In 1997, Floyd appeared in aSeason 23 episode ofSaturday Night Live in full Florida Marlins uniform with fourteen other MLB players.[21]
He appeared on Season 9 and 10 ofDragons' Den.[citation needed]
· Baseball Almanac