Jesse Barfield
| Jesse Barfield | |||
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Barfield in 2009
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| Right fielder | |||
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Born: October 29, 1959 Joliet, Illinois |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 3, 1981, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| June 17, 1992, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .256 | ||
| Home runs | 241 | ||
| Runs batted in | 716 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jesse Lee Barfield (born October 29, 1959) is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He batted and threw right-handed.
Barfield is considered to have had "by far the best outfield arm of the 1980s". He led American League outfielders in assists for three consecutive years (1985–87). Along with George Bell (LF) and Lloyd Moseby (CF), Barfield starred in what many analysts considered the best all-around outfield of the 1980s with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Selected by the Blue Jays in the ninth round of the 1977 amateur draft, Barfield debuted in the majors in 1981, where he hit .232 in just 25 games. He was a regular the following season, and hit .246 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs, including the first pinch hit grand slam in franchise history. He finished eighth in American League Rookie of the Year voting, and solidified himself as a regular in the lineup for years to come.
In 1983, Barfield hit .253 with 27 home runs and 58 RBIs, and the following year, increased his average to .284 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs. In 1985, he helped Toronto reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. He hit a career-high .289 with 27 homers and 84 RBIs that season, and became the first player in franchise history to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in the same season. In his only playoff appearance, Barfield hit .280 with a home run, four RBIs, and a stolen base.
Despite the Blue Jays' failure to defend their division title from the previous year, Barfield enjoyed his best personal season in 1986. He collected career-highs in batting average (.289), RBI (108), runs (107), hits (170) doubles (35), and wRC+ (147). He also hit a career-best 40 home runs, leading the major leagues and setting a team record which lasted one year. In addition, Barfield was awarded the Gold Glove Award, Silver Slugger Award and selected to the American League All-Star team.
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