| Matt Winters | |
|---|---|
 Winters in 1988 with theMemphis Chicks | |
| Right fielder | |
| Born: (1960-03-18)March 18, 1960 (age 65) Buffalo, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: May 30, 1989, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| NPB: April 7, 1990, for the Nippon Ham Fighters | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: October 1, 1989, for the Kansas City Royals | |
| NPB: October 4, 1994, for the Nippon Ham Fighters | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .234 |
| Home runs | 2 |
| Runs batted in | 9 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Home runs | 160 |
| Runs batted in | 428 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Matthew Littleton Winters (born March 18, 1960) is a former professionalbaseball player fromBuffalo, New York. He played part of one season inMajor League Baseball with theKansas City Royals, and four seasons with theNippon Ham Fighters inNippon Professional Baseball.
Winters was drafted by theNew York Yankees in the first round of the1978 amateur draft, and spent most of his career in the minor leagues. He was released by the Yankees in 1985, and signed with theChicago White Sox, before being returned to the Yankees in a trade for cash and several minor league players. He signed with theKansas City Royals in 1987, and made his major league debut in 1989 with the Royals. He played in 42 games in 1989 before being released at the end of the season.
He signed with the Fighters in the JapanesePacific League in 1990 and quickly emerged as the team's best power hitter, hitting over 30 home runs each of his first four seasons in Japan. He recorded the second most home runs in the league for three consecutive years, behindOrestes Destrade. He also attracted attention from fans for his avid personality; he frequently participated in between-inning dance performances, and performed magic tricks whenever a game was stopped due to rain. His antics and clutch hitting made him one of the most popular players in the league. He dropped to 22 home runs in 1994, and announced his retirement during the off-season.[citation needed]
In 1995, he was areplacement player in spring training for theFlorida Marlins during theongoing strike.[1]
He worked as a scout and coach in the minor leagues before becoming a scout for the Fighters.
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