Eric Fox | |||
---|---|---|---|
Outfielder | |||
Born: Lemoore, California |
August 15, 1963 |||
|
|||
MLB debut | |||
July 7, 1992, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
July 5, 1995, for the Texas Rangers | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .198 | ||
Home runs | 5 | ||
Runs batted in | 19 | ||
Teams | |||
Eric Hollis Fox (born August 15, 1963 in Lemoore, California) is an American professional baseball coach. The 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), 180 lb (82 kg) former Major League Baseball outfielder attended Fresno State University.
A switch hitter who threw left-handed, Fox was taken in the 22nd round (566th overall) of the 1984 Major League Baseball draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He failed to sign and re-entered the draft. In 1985, the Philadelphia Phillies took him in the 13th round, 330th overall; again, he did not sign. Finally, in the 1986 draft, the Seattle Mariners took him fifth overall in the first round, and he signed with them.
Fox spent three seasons in the Mariners organization before being released on March 29, 1989. On that same day, the Oakland Athletics quickly signed him. He spent the next few years in the Athletics' minor league system before making his Major League debut on July 7, 1992, at the age of 28.
Fox's career highlight may have come on July 29, 1992, when Fox hit a game-winning, three-run home run against the Minnesota Twins. That win put the A's into a first place tie with the Twins and catapulted them towards the American League West Division title that season, while the Twins finished in second place, six games back of the A's. Many Twins fan blame that game and his home run towards the downfall of the franchise through the rest of the 1990s, only one year removed from winning the World Series in 1991.
The minor league speedster did not live up to his 49-steal potential in the Majors. In 116 career MLB games, he stole only five bases (in 1,178 minor league games, he stole 224 bases).