David Eckstein

Toronto Blue Jays — No. 11
Shortstop
Born: January 20, 1975 (1975-01-20) (age 33)
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 3, 2001 for the Anaheim Angels
Selected MLB statistics (through April 24, 2008)
Batting average	. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 286
Hits	1,100
Doubles	164
Runs	570
Walks	284
OBP	. In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) 351
Teams
Anaheim Angels (2001-2004) St. Louis Cardinals (2005-2007) Toronto Blue Jays (2008-present)

David Mark Eckstein, (born January 20, 1975 in Sanford, Florida), is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: Headline events of the year The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since, ending the Curse of the Bambino. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Minor League Baseball The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Calendar Major League Baseball See also 2008 Major League Baseball season Postseason October 1 – ALDS and Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sanford is a city in and the County seat of Seminole County, Florida, United States. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is noted for his size, as he is a small (for professional sports) 5' 7", but weighs 175 pounds. Professional sports, as opposed to amateur Sports are those in which athletes receive payment for their performance Eckstein's name is pronounced (ECK-styne) and means "cornerstone" in German. His "entrance music" is Ludacris's "Number One Spot" (appropriate since Eckstein usually bats as the leadoff hitter) and Crystal Method's "Busy Child". " Number One Spot " is a 2005 hit off rapper Ludacris ' 2004 album The Red Light District. In Baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. The Crystal Method is an American Electronic music duo consisting of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland

High school career

Eckstein played baseball all four years at Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida. For other schools with the same name see Seminole High School (disambiguation. Sanford is a city in and the County seat of Seminole County, Florida, United States. He was a two-time All-State athletic selection, and a prominent member of a state championship team. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. "The Championship" redirects here For the English football competition see Football League Championship.

He was also a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Started in 1921 the National Honor Society, or NHS, is an organization whose intent is to recognize middle and high school students who show achievement in scholarship The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a not-for-profit Christian organization that has been based in Kansas City Missouri since 1956 David was voted "Most Helpful", in the Class of 1993.

Eckstein also is commemorated on the 2006-07 Seminole High baseball squad's T-shirt with the recognition at the bottom of the shirt as follows: "22. DE. WS. MVP. 06". 22 is Eckstein's number, DE are his initials, and he was the World Series MVP.

College career

At the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, Eckstein was a walk-on player to the Gators baseball team in season of 1994, later earning a scholarship. The University of Florida ( Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major Research Gainesville is the largest City in and County seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States. Autumn (also known as fall in North American English) is one of the four Temperate Seasons Autumn marks the transition from Summer Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) A standout in the Southeastern Conference, he was a two-time All-SEC (1995-1996) first team sports in 1996 and a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection (1995-1997). The Southeastern Conference (SEC is a College Athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which operates in the southeastern Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) An All-American "team" is an honorary Sports team composed of outstanding Amateur players those considered the best players of a specific season for Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Eckstein was the first two-time corporation Academic All-American in Gator history. GTE Corporation (formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation) was the largest of the "independent" US Telephone companies during An All-American "team" is an honorary Sports team composed of outstanding Amateur players those considered the best players of a specific season for History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology He was also a member of the 1996 baseball team that finished third in the country. The College World Series or CWS is a Baseball Tournament held in Omaha Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered

Eckstein was also selected to the Jewish All-American team, despite the fact he is Catholic and not Jewish^[1].

MLB career

Eckstein was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th round of the 1997 amateur draft, and selected off waivers by the Anaheim Angels on August 16, 2000. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians (4-3 Liván Hernández, The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: He was a member of the 2002 World Series champion Anaheim Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), as well as the 2006 Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was selected 2006 World Series MVP. The World Series was the 98th edition of the Fall Classic held from October 19-27 2002 The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball 's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St However, in several post-Series interviews, Eckstein said that he cannot use his prize, a Chevrolet Corvette Z06, because he does not know how to drive a manual transmission. The Chevrolet Corvette is a Sports car that has been manufactured by General Motors since 1953 A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift or just 'stick' 'straight drive' or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in He gave the car to his brother Rick. During his 2002 championship year, he led the major leagues with three grand slams, including grand slams in back-to-back games against the Toronto Blue Jays, one of which was a walk-off grand slam leading the Angels to complete the sweep over Toronto, at a time when the Angels were 7-14. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After the sweep of the Jays, the Angeles went on to win 20 of their next 23 games. ^[2] The walk-off Grand Slam is seen as a turning point in the 2002 season for the Angels, propelling them to a World Series title.

At the end of the 2004 season, Eckstein was part of a "shortstop merry-go-round," in which three free agent shortstops swapped teams: Edgar Rentería went from the Cardinals to the Red Sox, Orlando Cabrera went from the Red Sox to the Angels, and Eckstein went from the Angels to the Cardinals. Headline events of the year The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since, ending the Curse of the Bambino. A carousel ( carrousel in French) is an Amusement ride consisting of a rotating platform with seats for passengers In Professional sports a free agent is a team player whose contract with a team has expired and the player is able to sign a contract with another team if that player Edgar Enrique Rentería (pronounced as ˌɾenteˈɾia (born August 7 1975 in Barranquilla, Colombia) is a Shortstop in Major League Baseball The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Orlando Luis Cabrera (born November 2 1974 in Cartagena, Colombia) is a Major League Baseball Shortstop who plays for the Chicago White The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St

In seven seasons, he has amassed 1,079 hits while batting . 286. He was voted to the National League All-Star team in 2005, along with teammates Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols, Jason Isringhausen and Jim Edmonds. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series Christopher John Carpenter (born April 27, 1975 in Exeter, New Hampshire) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (IPA /puˌˡxols/ (born January 16, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) (nicknamed Prince Albert Jason Derik Isringhausen (born September 7, 1972 in Brighton Illinois) is a Closing pitcher in Major League Baseball for the James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds (born June 27, 1970 in Fullerton, California) is a left-handed Center fielder for He was a late addition to the 2006 All-Star team. 2006 Major League Baseball season|2006 Nippon Professional Baseball season Headline Event of the Year The 2006 World Baseball Classic is a surprise success In 3,772 regular season at-bats, Eckstein has struck out only 305 times, with a total of 22 in 2007.

Eckstein signing autographs before a May 30th game against the Astros in 2006

Eckstein was a fan favorite in St. The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. Louis, who considered him to be a "pesky" hitter^[3] (he chokes up on the bat about 2 inches^[4]). He is often pointed out for his resemblance (as a hitter) to former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in Baseball farthest from the batter Leonard Kyle (Lenny Dykstra (ˈdaɪkstɹə born February 10, 1963 in Santa Ana, California, and also known as Nails or The

One of Eckstein's more surprising feats, given his low home run numbers (30), is the fact that he hit grand slams in back-to-back games. In the Sport of Baseball, a grand slam (or just slam for short is a Home run hit with all the bases occupied by baserunners, thereby On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Eckstein was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Starting in 2006, the Louisville Slugger Company produced a limited supply of more than 400 pink baseball bats for use by more than 50 professional Baseball

As a member of the 2006 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, Eckstein was named the World Series MVP. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The World Series MVP Award is given to the player who most contributes to his team's success in the World Series - the Most Valuable Player. Following a 1-11 start in the first 2 games of the World Series, Eckstein went 8 for 22 with 4 RBI and scored 3 runs in the series, including going 4-for-5 with three doubles in game 4.

Among collectors of baseball trading cards, Eckstein is known for his 2004 Topps baseball trading card. A baseball card is a type of Trading card relating to baseball usually printed on some type of Paper stock or card stock "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " For the meat company see Topps Meat Company. The Topps Company Inc The card mistakenly features a picture of Adam Kennedy, not Eckstein, on the front, although all other aspects of the card are correct. Adam Thomas Kennedy (born January 10 1976 in Riverside, California) is a Major League Baseball player

On November 5, 2007, David Eckstein became a free agent along with Kip Wells, Troy Percival, and Miguel Cairo. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Robert "Kip" Wells (born April 21, 1977 in Houston Texas) is a Major League Baseball Pitcher for the Kansas City Royals Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969 in) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher who plays for the Tampa Bay Rays. Miguel Jesús Cairo (born May 4, 1974 in Anzoátegui State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball Utility player

On December 13, 2007, he signed a 1-year, $4. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life 5 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [1]

Personal life

David married actress Ashley Drane on November 26, 2005, at his family church in Sanford, Florida, followed by a reception at Walt Disney World. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels He is also a big fan of professional wrestling, having made public appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling during the 2006 World Series and on February 11, 2007, he co-managed (along with New York Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon) TNA wrestler Lance Hoyt for his match with current White Sox conditioning coach Dale Torborg, managed by Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski at TNA's Against All Odds pay-per-view. Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA) is an American Professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Johnny David Damon (born November 5 1973 in Fort Riley, Kansas) is a Thai American Major League Baseball Outfielder for the The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Dale "the Demon" Torborg (born October 24 1971) is an American Baseball trainer and former professional wrestler. Anthony John "AJ" Pierzynski (born December 30, 1976) is an American Major League Baseball Catcher who has played Against All Odds is a Neo-noir 1984 film, a remake of Out of the Past.

In December 2006, David released the second edition of his inspirational children's autobiography, "Have Heart: David Eckstein. "

Career highlights

• 2006 Holiday Inn Look Again Player of the Year
• 2-time World Series Champion (2002 Anaheim Angels, 2006 St. Louis Cardinals)
• 2006 World Series MVP
• 2-time All-Star (2005, 2006)
• Babe Ruth Award winner (2006)
• Inaugural winner of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association's Heart & Hustle Award in 2005. The World Series MVP Award is given to the player who most contributes to his team's success in the World Series - the Most Valuable Player. The Babe Ruth Award was an annual award given to the Major League Baseball player with the best performance in the World Series, similar to the World Series MVP The Heart & Hustle Award is given out annually by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association to a current player who not only excels on the field but also "best embodies

References

1. ^ Undercover Shortstop, ESPN, 28 August, 2002
2. ^ 2002 Anaheim Angels Schedule, Box Scores and Splits - Baseball-Reference.com
3. ^ Baseball: Spotlight; National League Scouting Report, The New York Times, 10 October, 2006
4. ^ "Baseball: Dynamo powers Cardinals' victory", International Herald Tribune, 27 October, 2006

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference
• David Eckstein page at Scout.com
• Article mentioning his winning of the MLBPAA Heart & Hustle Award
• [2]