| Matt Stairs | |
|---|---|
 Stairs with the Washington Nationals in 2011 | |
| Outfielder /Designated hitter /First baseman | |
| Born: (1968-02-27)February 27, 1968 (age 57) Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: May 29, 1992, for the Montreal Expos | |
| NPB: June 15, 1993, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| Last appearance | |
| NPB: October 18, 1993, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| MLB: July 22, 2011, for the Washington Nationals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .262 |
| Home runs | 265 |
| Runs batted in | 899 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 6 |
| Runs batted in | 23 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2015 |
Matthew Wade Stairs (born February 27, 1968) is aCanadian former professionalbaseballoutfielder,first baseman, anddesignated hitter, who holds the record for mostpinch-hithome runs inMajor League Baseball (MLB) history with 23.[1] His pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning ofGame 4 in the2008 National League Championship Series off theLos Angeles DodgersrelieverJonathan Broxton was called "one of the most memorable home runs in Phillies history".[2]
In his career, Stairs played for more teams than any position player in MLB history (12—technically 13 teams, but 12 franchises, as he played for theMontreal Expos andWashington Nationals);Edwin Jackson holds the record for pitchers and all players at 14.[3] Additionally, he is one of only four Canadians to have played for both theToronto Blue Jays andMontreal Expos, the others beingDenis Boucher,Rob Ducey, andShawn Hill.
He was the second Canadian-born player ever to hit more than thirty-five home runs in a season, and only the second to hit more than 25 home runs and drive in more than 100 runs in back-to-back seasons. He ranks either first or second in power hitting categories for Canadian major leaguers. Stairs also holds the all-time MLB record of home runs hit as a pinch-hitter with 23. His ability to pinch hit made him a valuable asset to several teams and earned him the nickname "Matt Stairs – Professional Hitter". Stairs,Larry Walker,Justin Morneau,Jason Bay, andJoey Votto are the only Canadian MLB players to hit at least 200 career home runs.[4] On February 4, 2015, Stairs was elected to theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame.[5]
Born inSaint John and raised inTay Creek, New Brunswick, Stairs showed athletic ability at an early age, playing Beaver League baseball a year before his age eligibility; he also excelled inhockey. After playing Bantam & Midget baseball at age 16 and 17, he played for the local Marysville Royals of theNew Brunswick Senior Baseball League and was voted "Rookie of The Year" in 1984 and the league'sMost Valuable Player in 1985. He was also namedNova Scotia Senior Baseball League MVP in 1987 and '88 while playing for the Fredericton Schooners.
He attended the National Baseball Institute (NBI) inVancouver, British Columbia, for one year and played for Canada at the 1987 World Amateur Championships in Italy where he was named to the "World All-Star" team. In 1988, he joined the Canadian Junior National team after graduating fromFredericton High School. From there he went on to play for the Canadian Olympic Team at the1988 Summer Olympics inSeoul, South Korea.
On January 17, 1989, Stairs was signed as an international free agent by theMontreal Expos. Stairs was then assigned to low single-AJamestown Expos where he played second and third base. He played Double-A ball inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania for theHarrisburg Senators, where he led the league in hitting and was voted theEastern League's 1991 Most Valuable Player. In 1992 and 1993, he moved up to Triple-A (Indianapolis andOttawa, respectively), with only brief appearances in the majors. Over his career, Stairs has played for six other minor league teams: TheIndianapolis Indians (Triple-A) in 1992, theOttawa Lynx (Triple-A) in 1993, theNew Britain Red Sox (Double-A) in 1994, thePawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A) in 1995, theEdmonton Trappers (Triple-A) in 1996 and a few rehab games for theNashville Sounds (Triple-A) in 2003. His totals in the minors include a .291batting average with 46home runs and 237RBI.[6]
On June 8, 1993, Stairs' contract was purchased by theChunichi Dragons of theNPB. He played 60 games for the Dragons that season, hitting .250, with six home runs and 23 RBI in 142 at-bats.[6]
Stairs began hisMajor League career in 1992 with the Montreal Expos, with whom he played sporadically throughout the season. On December 15, 1993, he was re-signed as afree agent by Montreal. He ended up only playing in 19 games for the Expos from 1992 to 1993.[7] Stairs was sold on February 18, 1994, to theBoston Red Sox and assigned to the Double-ANew Britain Red Sox for the 1994 season, where he batted .309 with nine home runs and 61 RBI in 93 games.[6]
He started the 1995 season with the Pawtucket farm club until being called up to the major leagues in June 1995. He played in 39 games for the Red Sox, hitting .261 with a home run and 17 RBI.[7] At the end of the season, he accepted an offer to play with theOakland Athletics after becoming a free agent.
Stairs had the best years of his career playing for the Athletics. He was called up from Triple-AEdmonton after compiling a .344 average with eight home runs and 41 RBI over the first 51 games in theInternational League.[6] He played mostly in right field and as adesignated hitter, alongside superstarsRickey Henderson,Mark McGwire, andJose Canseco, throughout his tenure in Oakland.
In his July 5, 1996, debut with Oakland, Stairs tied a major league record with six runs batted in during one inning. That first inning performance included agrand slam and a two-run single[8] (subsequently broken byFernando Tatís in 1999). In 1999, he finished 17th in theAmerican League in theMVP race with a .258 batting average, 38 home runs and 102 RBI in 146 games.[7]
After five seasons with the Athletics, during which he hit 122 home runs and drove in 315 RBI, he was traded on November 20, 2000, to theChicago Cubs for minor league pitcher Eric Ireland.[9] The trade was largely seen as a cost-cutting move by the cash-strapped Athletics—Stairs was set to earn $3.2 million for the 2001 season, and his production had dropped in 2000, hitting just .227 with 21 home runs and 81 RBI.[7]
On December 19, 2000, Stairs agreed to a one-year, $3.2 million contract with the Cubs to avoid arbitration.[10] He served as thefirst baseman for the Cubs in 2001. Stairs had an OBP of .358 and batted .250 with 17 home runs and 61 RBI in 128 games.[7] He then became a free agent after the season.
On January 25, 2002, Stairs signed a one-year, $500,000 contract with theMilwaukee Brewers for the 2002 season.[11] In 2002, Stairs had a similar season to the previous one with the Cubs. He finished the season with 16 home runs and 41 RBI in 107 games, but still had a low batting average, hitting .244.[7]
On December 16, 2002, Stairs agreed to a one-year, $900,000 contract with thePittsburgh Pirates.[12] 2003 was a strong year for Stairs. He finished the year batting .292 with 20 home runs and 57 RBI in 128 games while playing as a first baseman and outfielder.[7] Stairs' 2003 season included a three-game series back in Canada against the Blue Jays. In the three games atRogers Centre (then called the Skydome), Stairs had fivehits in eightat-bats, which included two long home runs.[13]
On December 9, 2003, Stairs signed a one-year deal with theKansas City Royals.[14] He went on to enjoy three solid years with the Royals, hitting 39 home runs in his two-and-a-half years in Kansas City.[7] Despite being on one of the worst teams in baseball, Stairs helped some of the younger players likeJohn Buck andDavid DeJesus adjust to the majors. On July 31, 2006, at the trade deadline, Stairs was dealt to theTexas Rangers forJoselo Díaz.[15]
The Rangers hoped that Stairs could provide some veteran leadership on their club, but he just played in 26 games, batting .210 with three home runs and 11 RBI before being waived by the Rangers.[7] He was picked up off waivers by theDetroit Tigers on September 15, 2006.[16]
On the day he was claimed, he immediately went to Detroit, arriving atComerica Park halfway through the game and immediately takingMarcus Thames's place in the lineup. The Tigers picked up Stairs in hopes that his experience could help them hold their division lead.[16] The Tigers lost their division lead on the final day of the season, but still clinched theWild Card. In 14 games with the Tigers, Stairs batted .244 with two home runs and 8 RBI.[7] Since he was acquired after August 31, the deadline for playoff eligible players, he was unable to play for the Tigers during the playoffs. The Tigers went on to win the AL Pennant and lost in theWorld Series to theSt. Louis Cardinals.[17] He did not re-sign with the Tigers following the season.
On December 7, 2006, Stairs and theToronto Blue Jays agreed to a one-year minor-league contract with an invitation tospring training.[18] He made the team and saw significant playing time as the fourth outfielder, replacingLyle Overbay at first base during Overbay's time on theDL. The 2007 season rejuvenated Stairs' career, due to increased playing time following injuries toReed Johnson and Overbay. Unexpectedly playing every day, he performed well above expectations, providing consistency at the plate and a valuable veteran presence in the Toronto dugout; team managerJohn Gibbons publicly stated, "I don't know where we'd be without him."[19] As of September 4, Stairs had the highestslugging average on the Jays at .606 and the highest batting average at .312.
On August 8, 2007, Stairs became the first Toronto Blue Jays player to hit five consecutivedoubles in five at-bats, and the first Major Leaguer to double in five straight at-bats in 14 years sinceCharles Johnson accomplished the feat in 1993.[20] As of September 8, 2007, Stairs was playing well for the Blue Jays, with a team-leading .315 average on the season and a .989 OPS. He finished the season batting .289 with 21 home runs and 64 RBIs.[7]
On November 2, 2007, Stairs and the Blue Jays agreed on a two-year, $3.25 million contract, which included a $1.25 million signing bonus and a $1 million base salary in each of the two seasons.[21] With performance bonuses, Stairs could make as much as $3.5 million based on plate appearances.[21]
Though his age and increasingly poor speed earned him a reputation as a defensive liability in the outfield, he still possessed a strong throwing arm, and was considered a perfectly capable fielder at first. In 2008, Stairs initially platooned in left field withShannon Stewart; however, upon the club's release ofFrank Thomas on April 20 Stairs became the everyday DH for the ball club, although was laterdesignated for assignment on August 28, 2008.[22]
On August 30, 2008, Stairs was traded to thePhiladelphia Phillies forFabio Castro.[23]
Stairs hit his first career postseason home run on October 13, 2008, in Game 4 of the2008 National League Championship Series against theLos Angeles Dodgers offJonathan Broxton, allowing the Phillies to take the lead and win the game.[24]
He won the firstWorld Series ring of his 16-year career on October 29, 2008, when the Phillies won theseries against the Rays, four games to one.[25] On April 12, 2009, Stairs' game-winning home run against theColorado Rockies was the last home run called by broadcasterHarry Kalas, who died unexpectedly less than 24 hours later.[26]
Stairs faced Broxton again in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the2009 NLCS rematch between the Phillies and Dodgers atCitizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Broxton pitched around Stairs, walking him on four pitches.[27] The Phillies won the game later in the inning on a walk-off double by Jimmy Rollins, on which Stairs'pinch runnerEric Bruntlett scored.[27] In the 2009 season, he once again made it to the World Series, but the Phillies lost to theNew York Yankees in six games.[28]
During his time with the team, T-shirts were marketed which touched on Stairs' pinch-hitting prowess in clutch situations. They used a warning which can be found in manyelevators: "In Case of Emergency, Use Stairs."[29]
On January 23, 2010, Stairs agreed to a minor league contract with theSan Diego Padres with an invite to spring training hoping to crack their 25-man roster out of spring as a left-handed bat off the bench.[30][31] During the offseason, he lost nearly 40 pounds, which helped him make the team out of spring training.[32] When he joined the Padres, he became the only player in MLB history to play for all four of the1969 expansion teams (the Padres, Royals, Expos, and Brewers). On August 21, Stairs hit his 21st home run as apinch hitter to break a tie withCliff Johnson for the Major League record.[33]
On December 14, 2010, theWashington Nationals signed Stairs to a non-guaranteed minor league contract, which included an invitation to Major League Spring training.[34][35] After spring training, he was placed on the 25-man roster and went north with the team. Mostly used as apinch hitter, with four appearances at first base, in 65 at-bats he had 10 hits and two RBIs.[7] He wasdesignated for assignment on July 27, 2011.[36] He was released on August 1[37] and announced his retirement two days later.[38]
On November 2, 2016, Stairs was hired as the hitting coach for thePhiladelphia Phillies.[39]
On October 30, 2017, Stairs was hired as the hitting coach for theSan Diego Padres.[40] He was fired after one season.[41]
In 2024, Stairs was hired to theOkotoks Dawgs Baseball Club as the program’s Academy Coaching Staff as the Dawgs Hitting Coordinator.[42]
Noted baseball analystsBill James andJoe Posnanski have theorized that Stairs is probably a far more talented hitter than his career stats suggest. Stairs didn't have 500 plate appearances until age 30, at which point he had recorded 100 RBI seasons and anadjusted OPS of over 130 two years in a row—and never exceeded 500 plate appearances again after three straight seasons of 500 or more from 1998–2000. James contends, "You put him in the right park, right position early in his career ... he's going to hit a LOT of bombs." Possibly, Posnanski contends, enough to have been worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.[43]
In January 2012, Stairs accepted a job with theNESN sports news station to work as aBoston Red Sox studio analyst.[44] On February 11, 2014, the Phillies announced that Stairs and fellow former-PhillieJamie Moyer would join the team's television broadcasting crew as color analysts, following the dismissal ofGary Matthews andChris Wheeler. Stairs worked with play-by-play commentatorTom McCarthy and in-game reporter Gregg Murphy, and occasionally withBen Davis,[45] before moving to the Phillies' dugout as the team's hitting coach starting with the 2017 season.[39]
He is married to Lisa Astle ofFredericton with whom he has three daughters, Nicole, Alicia and Chandler.[46] He lives in Fredericton and was named coach of theFredericton High School ice hockey team in 2012, a job he had often referred to as his dream.[47]
Stairs was inducted into theNew Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in June 2012.[48]
On June 15, 2015, Stairs was inducted into theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame.[49]
In November 2016, Stairs was among those nominated and placed on the2017 ballot for theBaseball Hall of Fame;[50] he did not receive enough votes to appear on future ballots.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Oldest Player in the National League 2011 | Succeeded by |