| Sean Casey | |
|---|---|
 Casey with theBoston Red Sox in 2008 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born: (1974-07-02)July 2, 1974 (age 51) Willingboro Township, New Jersey, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 12, 1997, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2008, for the Boston Red Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .302 |
| Home runs | 130 |
| Runs batted in | 735 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Sean Thomas Casey (born July 2, 1974),[1] nicknamed "the Mayor", is an American former professionalbaseballfirst baseman,coach and media personality. During hisMajor League Baseball (MLB) career, Casey played for theCleveland Indians,Cincinnati Reds,Pittsburgh Pirates,Detroit Tigers, andBoston Red Sox. Casey was selected to theMLB All-Star Game three times during his career.[2][3] He was the hitting coach for theNew York Yankees in 2023. After retiring from professional baseball, Casey transitioned into broadcasting and has been a prominent broadcaster and commentator forMLB Network[4] since 2009, a role he still holds today. In addition to his broadcasting work, Casey is the host of the popular “The Mayor’s Office with Sean Casey” podcast, where he shares engaging conversations with athletes, entertainers, and industry leaders.
Casey was born inWillingboro, New Jersey, the son of Joan and Jim Casey. He and his family moved toUpper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania, when he was a child. He graduated fromUpper St. Clair High School in Upper St. Clair,[5] and theUniversity of Richmond inRichmond, Virginia, where he playedcollege baseball for theRichmond Spiders.[6]
As a freshman for the Spiders in 1993, Casey had a .386batting average, a .447on-base percentage (OBP), and a .526 SLG, with two home runs. He was named a freshmanAll-American[7] and second team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).[8]
As a sophomore in 1994, Casey batted .371 with a .656 SLG, 13 home runs, and 57runs batted in (RBIs). He was named first team All-CAA.[8] Following his sophomore season at Richmond, Casey playedcollegiate summer baseball for theBrewster Whitecaps of theCape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), where he batted .338 with one home run and 30 RBIs, and was named a league all-star.[9] In 2003, he was inducted into theCCBL Hall of Fame.[10]
In the 1995 season as a junior, Casey hit for a .461 batting average to lead allDivision I players.[11] Casey was again named first team All-CAA and won the CAA Player of the Year.[8] He was also named a Second Team All-American and ECAC Player of the Year while becoming the first player to ever win the CAA Triple Crown.[12] He graduated from Richmond and was a member ofSigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.[6]
TheCleveland Indians chose Casey in the second round, with the 53rd overall selection, of the1995 MLB draft.[13] Casey began his professional career with theWatertown Indians of theClass A-Short SeasonNew York–Penn League, where he batted .329 with two home runs. He was promoted to theKinston Indians of theClass A-AdvancedCarolina League to begin the 1996 season. He hit .331 with twelve home runs for Kinston.
Casey started 1997 with theAkron Aeros of theClass AAEastern League. On June 18, the Indians promoted Casey to theBuffalo Bisons of theClass AAAAmerican Association after batting .386 with 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 66 RBIs in 62 games with Akron. In 20 games with Buffalo, Casey hit five home runs and 18 RBIs. On September 12, Casey was promoted to the Cleveland Indians as aSeptember call-up. He appeared in six games for the Indians, going 2-for-10 (.200) with two walks and one RBI. Casey won the Lou Boudreau Award as the Cleveland Indians' top minor-league position player, at the conclusion of the 1997 season.[14]Baseball America named him the No. 20 prospect in baseball before the 1998 season.[15]
On March 30, 1998, Casey was traded to theCincinnati Reds forDave Burba.[16] On April 3,1998, Casey was hit in the eye with a ball thrown by teammateDamian Jackson during batting practice, resulting in an orbital fracture, and subsequent surgery.[17] Casey's surgery took two surgeons, operating for four hours to fix his fracture.[18] Just three weeks after the surgery, Casey began his rehab assignment with theIndianapolis Indians, and just a week after joining the Indians, he was recalled to the Reds.[18] Casey struggled during his first season with the Reds, his average dipped to .133, and he was sent back to Indianapolis.[19] On June 18, Casey was recalled to the Reds.[20]
On May 19,1999, the Reds defeated theColorado Rockies in a 24−12 final, tied for the fourth-highest run-scoring output in MLB history. Casey hit two of the Reds' six home runs, and reached base seven times with four hits and three walks. He also scored five runs anddrove in six.[21] He was selected to theAll-Star Game for the first time in 1999. Casey produced a breakout offensive season in 1999, batting .332 with 25 home runs, 99 RBIs, 42doubles, and 103 runs scored in 151 games. He was fourth in the National League in batting and doubles, and sixth insingles. In 1999, he won theHutch Award.[22]
During his tenure in Cincinnati, and later in Pittsburgh and Detroit, Casey was regarded as approachable and friendly, and his nickname, "the Mayor", comes from his reputation for chatting casually with every runner who makes it to first base, and from his very public charity work. It was frequently expanded to "the Mayor of Riverfront" when the Reds played atRiverfront Stadium. On May 16, 2007, Casey was voted in 2007 as "the friendliest player in baseball" by fellow players in a Sports Illustrated poll.[23] He garnered 46% of the vote with the second place vote being split betweenJim Thome andMike Sweeney with only 7% each. Casey was also regarded as among the slowest-running players in the game, grounding into 27double plays in the 2005 season. This tied him withA. J. Pierzynski for the record of most grounding in double plays by a National League left-handed batter in a season.[24]
On December 8, 2005, Casey was traded to his hometownPittsburgh Pirates forleft-handed pitcherDave Williams.[25] On April 14, 2006, Casey left a game against theChicago Cubs after suffering two fractures of thetransverse process in his lower left back. He was placed on the disabled list on April 15.[26] After a rehab assignment with theAltoona Curve,[27] Casey returned to the Pirates lineup. He played in 59 games for the Pirates during the 2006 season, batted .296 with three home runs and 29 RBIs.[citation needed]
On July 31, 2006, the Pirates traded Casey to theDetroit Tigers for minor league pitcherBrian Rogers.[28] During the2006 American League Championship Series against theOakland Athletics, he partially tore his left calf muscle in Game 1.[29] After coming back from his torn calf in Game 2 of the World Series, Casey became the hottest hitter for the Tigers, belting two home runs and batting .432 in five games. His .432 batting average was one of the best in Tigers' postseason history.[30]
Casey has been active inBig Brothers andMake-A-Wish Foundation, as well as the "Casey's Crew" program, where he provided free high-priced tickets to disadvantaged youth.[31] Casey credits hisChristian upbringing in Pittsburgh's affluentUpper St. Clair suburb for his generosity.[32]
After being told byDave Dombrowski andJim Leyland that he would not be re-signed, Casey still praisedMike Ilitch, Dombrowski, and Jim Leyland for giving him the opportunity to come play for Detroit. Casey said "They let me know. I've had a great time with this team, the greatest year and a half of my career. It was great. But I understand the situation."[33]
On February 5, 2008, theBoston Red Sox announced they had signed Casey to a one-year deal.[34] On April 9, 2008, Red Sox third basemanMike Lowell injured his thumb and was then placed on the DL, first basemanKevin Youkilis was moved to third, and Casey stepped in as the starting first baseman[35] and exploded by making some good defensive plays and hitting .318 with five RBIs in his first seven games despite missing games inJapan due to astiff neck he received during the 18-hour flight.[36] He was on the disabled list from April 26 through May 12, and returned as a significant part-time player, finishing the regular season with a .773 OPS on 199 at-bats in 69 games.
Casey was suspended by theMLB for three games after his actions in theCoco Crisp–James Shields brawl.[37]
Casey announced his retirement on January 25, 2009, at the age of 34, having played 12 seasons of Major League Baseball. He accepted a position as a baseball analyst forMLB Network.[38] He appeared onMLB Tonight, the Spring Training series30 Clubs in 30 Days, the children-focused weekly interview and demonstration showPlay Ball and MLB Network's special event coverage throughout the year.[4]
On July 3, 2009, Casey sat in for Red Soxcolor commentatorJerry Remy, calling the first game for his old team. On January 14, 2011, the Reds announced that Casey would docolor commentary for 15 telecasts onFox Sports Ohio during the 2011 season.[39]
TheNew York Yankees hired Casey as theirhitting coach on July 10, 2023.[40]
WithConan O'Brien, Casey is a founder of Labels Are For Jars,[41] an innovative anti-hunger organization based inLawrence, Massachusetts.
In a May 16, 2007,Sports Illustrated Player's Poll,[23] Casey won the distinction of being considered the "friendliest player in baseball", after winning 46% of the votes. 464 MLB players participated in the survey.Hal McCoy, a Cincinnati Reds beat writer for 35 years, has said, "There's no debate, and there never will be a debate. Sean Casey is the nicest guy in professional baseball. Ever."
On August 26, 2008, Casey was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame.[42]
On January 29, 2009, Casey was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.[43]
Casey was inducted to theCincinnati Reds Baseball Hall of Fame (along withDan Driessen andJohn Reilly) on June 23, 2012.[12]
In 2014, Casey was inducted into theVirginia Sports Hall of Fame.[44]
Casey resides in Upper St. Clair Township, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Sarah, and four children, Andrew, Jake, Carli, and Jillian.[6][45]
For example, Sean Casey, a lifetime .300 hitter, plays first base for the Cincinnati Reds and hails from Willingboro, NJ.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Indians Minor League Player of the Year (theLou Boudreau Award) 1997 | Succeeded by |
