Jim Leyritz
| Jim Leyritz | |||
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| Catcher / Infielder / Outfielder | |||
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Born: December 27, 1963 Lakewood, Ohio |
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| MLB debut | |||
| June 8, 1990, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 13, 2000, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .264 | ||
| Home runs | 90 | ||
| Runs batted in | 387 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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James Joseph Leyritz (born December 27, 1963) is an American former professional baseball catcher and infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his MLB career, Leyritz played for the New York Yankees, Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Yankees, Leyritz was a member of the 1996 and 1999 World Series championships, both over the Atlanta Braves.
Leyritz grew up in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio with his parents, brother, and sister, and attended Turpin High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He then attended Middle Georgia College, a junior college in Cochran, Georgia, before transferring to the University of Kentucky. At Kentucky, Leyritz played college baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team.
After playing the 1985 season for the Kentucky Wildcats, Leyritz went undrafted by Major League Baseball, but was signed as a free agent by the New York Yankees. Leyritz made his MLB debut for the Yankees on June 8, 1990. His playing days were highlighted by a pair of walk off postseason home runs he hit with the Yankees in 1995 & 1996. He hit a walk off home run in the 15th inning of game 2 of the newly created American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners, giving the Yankees a 2–0 series lead. However, the Yankees lost the next three games in Seattle and were eliminated. The following year he hit a home run off Atlanta Braves closer Mark Wohlers in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series. That home run was significant, as the Yankees were down 2–1 in the series and had trailed 6–0 early in Game 4, facing a possible 3–1 deficit, the Yankees rallied and Leyritz' home run tied the score 6–6. They eventually won game 4, tying the series at two games apiece and won the next two games to win the World Series.
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