Richie Sexson

Infobox MLB player
name=Richie Sexson

---

width=200
caption=Sexson with the Mariners in 2008
position=First baseman
team=Free Agent
number=--
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|12|29
birthplace=city-state|Portland|Oregon
debutdate=September 14
debutyear=1997
debutteam=Cleveland Indians
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.261
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=306
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=943
stat4label=On-base plus slugging
stat4value=.851
teams=
*Cleveland Indians (by|1997-by|2000)
*Milwaukee Brewers (by|2001-by|2003)
*Arizona Diamondbacks (by|2004)
*Seattle Mariners (by|2005-by|2008)
*New York Yankees (by|2008)
awards=
* 2x All-Star selection (2002, 2003)

Richmond Lockwood "Richie" Sexson (born December 29, 1974 in Portland, Oregon) is an American first baseman who is currently a free agent. Standing at 6 feet 8 inches tall, he is the tallest position player in the history of Major League Baseball. [cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070722&content_id=2102242&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea&partnered=rss_sea |title=Notes: Reitsma an integral part of 'pen |accessdate=2008-08-10 |work=MLB.com |publisher= |date= ]

High school career

At Prairie High School in Brush Prairie, Washington, Sexson was an All-State performer in baseball, basketball, and football. He also set the school record for the most RBI and home runs in a career.

Baseball career

Cleveland Indians

Sexson was drafted in by|1993 by the Cleveland Indians in the 24th round (671st overall) of the baseball amateur draft. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball in mlby|1997, when he played in 5 games for the Indians. He appeared in 49 games the following year, collecting 174 at bats. Sexson had a breakout year in mlby|1999, playing 134 games while collecting 479 at bats, 122 hits, 31 home runs, and 116 runs batted in.

Milwaukee Brewers

In mlby|2000, Sexson was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers with a player to be named later, for Bob Wickman, Steve Woodard, and Jason Bere. In mlby|2001, Sexson played in 158 games for the Brewers, hitting 45 home runs (tying a team record at the time set by Gorman Thomas in mlby|1979, a record since broken by Prince Fielder in mlby|2007) with a .271 batting average, but also set the then single-season record for strikeouts by a Brewer player with 178, which was surpassed by José Hernández in mlby|2002. In 2002, he represented the Milwaukee Brewers in the MLB All-Star Game which was played in Milwaukee. In mlby|2003, Sexson played in every inning of all 162 games, hit .272 and blasted 45 home runs to tie his own record (and Thomas'), while earning a selection to the 2003 MLB All-Star Game. During the all star game, he used a bat which weighed 71 ounces and was 44 inches long.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Sexson was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in December of 2003 along with pitcher Shane Nance and a player to be named later (Noochie Varner) for infielders Junior Spivey, Craig Counsell, Lyle Overbay, catcher Chad Moeller, and pitchers Chris Capuano and Jorge de la Rosa. This trade proved to be disastrous for the Diamondbacks, as Sexson missed most of the mlby|2004 season after twice suffering a reverse subluxation of his left shoulder while attempting to check his swing.

eattle Mariners

Prior to the mlby|2005 season, Sexson signed a four-year contract with the Seattle Mariners worth $50 million. Sexson hit 2 home runs in his first game as a Mariner on opening day against the Minnesota Twins. Sexson played well in the 2005 season, hitting 39 home runs and 121 RBI. On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Sexson was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the [http://www.komen.org Breast Cancer Foundation] .

On May 8, mlby|2008, in a game against the Texas Rangers, Sexson charged the mound towards Rangers starting pitcher Kason Gabbard and threw his batting helmet at him after Gabbard threw a head-high pitch inside, to which Sexson reacted as if it had hit him. Sexson later stated he was frustrated and had a lot going on in his head, including his son being in the hospital and his club's recent struggles. He was suspended six games for the incident. He later appealed the suspension, and it was dropped to five games.

Sexson struggled mightily in the 2007 season, batting .205 with 21 home runs and 63 RBIs, and again this season, hitting just .218 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs for Seattle.

On July 10, 2008, Sexson was released by the Mariners.

New York Yankees

On July 18, 2008, Sexson signed with the New York Yankees. [cite web |url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080718&content_id=3147560&vkey=pr_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy |title=Yankees sign first baseman Richie Sexson |accessdate=2008-08-10 |work=MLB.com |publisher= |date= ] Sexson did well in his Yankee debut, by collecting his first hit as a Yankee in the first inning with a single and also bringing in Bobby Abreu for the first run by the Yankees and as a Yankee. He went 1-3 with one RBI, one walk, and one strikeout. His first home run (a grand slam) as a New York Yankee came on August 5, 2008, against the Texas Rangers. Sexson was designated for assignment on August 15, 2008, after batting .250 with one home run in 22 games for New York. [ [http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080815&content_id=3313520&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy Yanks demote Melky, cut Sexson] ] He was released on August 24.

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

References

External links

*Baseballstats |mlb=122027 |espn=3770|br=s/sexsori01|fangraphs=709 |cube=s/richie-sexson