Bubba Crosby

Infobox MLB player
name=Bubba Crosby
position=Outfielder
team=Free Agent
number=--
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1976|8|11
debutdate=May 29
debutyear=2003
debutteam=Los Angeles Dodgers
statyear=July 3, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.216
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=4
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=20
teams=
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|2003)
*New York Yankees (by|2004-by|2006) Richard Stephen "Bubba" Crosby (born August 11, 1976 in Bellaire, Texas) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He became Bubba when his 15-month-old sister, Charmin, couldn't say brother, and it stuck. He said, "I tried to change it in school, call myself Richard, but kids would call for me and ask for Richard, and my parents would burst out laughing and say, 'You mean Bubba?'"

High school & college

Crosby was a star at baseball powerhouse Bellaire High School (Bellaire, Texas) 1991-1995, where he won a Texas 5-A sports state high school championship.

At Rice University from 1996-1998, he earned All-American honors in by|1997 and by|1998. In 1998, he hit 25 home runs and drove in 91 runs in only 221 at bats, and batted .394 with a .504 on-base percentage and a .828 slugging percentage. He also had a 30-game hitting streak. He is the all-time Rice leader with 20 career triples, and 2nd with 59 home runs, 243 RBI, 499 total bases, and a .737 slugging percentage, trailing only Lance Berkman in each category.

Professional career

Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2003)

Crosby was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League in the 1st round (23rd overall) of the 1998 amateur entry draft.

His best seasons in the minors were by|1999 (.296 with 19 stolen bases in A+ ball), by|2000 (27 stolen bases in A+ ball), by|2001 (.302 with 22 stolen bases in Double-A), and by|2003 (.361 in Triple-A).

Crosby was finally called up by the Dodgers in 2003, while he was batting .361 with a .410 on-base percentage and .635 slugging percentage.

Following a dozen at bats in Los Angeles, he was traded to the New York Yankees on July 31, 2003, with Scott Proctor for Robin Ventura.

New York Yankees (2004-2006)

Crosby played primarily as a back-up outfielder (mostly in RF--where he has never made an error in the major leagues--and CF) and pinch runner for the Yankees.

While he liked to run, he hesitated to do so with the Yankees. "Sometimes I'd get the green light, but I'd get the stare from Joe (Torre) that said I better be sure. Then you hesitate and just wait for (Hideki) Matsui to hit a two-run homer." [http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070221/SPT05/702210327/1027]

In early by|2004, he hit two home runs and played impressive defense after starting a game against the Chicago White Sox. During the season, as Crosby was being sent back and forth to Columbus and New York numerous times, Manager Joe Torre jokingly called the process of being call up from the Minors as the "Bubba." He batted .153 for the season, but .400 with runners in scoring position, and showed hustle and proved to be a reliable backup.

In by|2005, Crosby hit .320 in spring training, and began the season playing for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, but he was called up by the Yankees on June 16, 2005. He was optioned down to the Clippers on July 8, 2005, but returned to the Yankees on July 18. Crosby returned to the Yankees wearing jersey number 18 because his previous number, 19, had been assigned to the newly acquired Al Leiter. On September 19, 2005, he hit his first walk-off home run, against Eric DuBose of the Baltimore Orioles, leading off the bottom of the 9th inning by sending a breaking ball over the right-centerfield fence.

On October 10, 2005, Crosby was involved in a collision in Game 5 of the 2005 ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. With the Yankees up 2-1, the Angels had runners on first and second with two outs when Adam Kennedy hit a pitch off Mike Mussina deep to right-center. Crosby and Gary Sheffield collided while trying to catch the ball, allowing two runs to score to give the Angels a 3-2 lead. The Angels would go on to win the game 5-3.

On August 4, by|2006, Crosby was designated for assignment by the Yankees. He cleared waivers on August 9, however, and reported back to the Clippers, remaining in the Yankee organization. He became a 6-year Minor League free agent after the season.

Reds (2007)

On November 10, 2006, the Cincinnati Reds signed Crosby for the by|2007 season. Crosby agreed to a one-year contract that paid $400,000 while he was in the majors, and $75,000 in the minors [http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/MLB/2006/11/10/2302945-ap.html] . By signing him to a Major League deal, Cincinnati protected Crosby on its 40-man roster. But he was not assured a 25-man roster spot for Opening Day 2007, and went to spring training competing for a job as a reserve outfielder. "We're getting a guy that's been on winning teams, that plays the game the right way, that always plays it hard and can play all three outfield positions," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "We're happy to have him." [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061110&content_id=1738763&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp]

Crosby hit .276 in 16 games in spring training with 1 homer and 7 RBI. The Reds sent Crosby outright to Triple-A Louisville on March 24, 2007. Crosby accepted the demotion, and began the season in Triple-A. [http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=6274928&nav=0RYd] "We just felt he was behind a couple of other guys for that spot," Krivsky said. [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070324&content_id=1857327&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp] Louisville placed Crosby on the disabled list after 13 games. The diagnosis was left shoulder tendinitis. Conservative treatment was unsuccessful, and on July 20, in Cincinnati, he had season-ending surgery on his shoulder. The Reds granted Crosby free agency in October 2007.

Mariners (2008)

On February 19, by|2008, Crosby signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. On March 7, he was released for failing a physical. The reason for failure was not disclosed.

Awards

*1996 - Freshman 1st-Team All-American OF
*1997 - Summer League 1st-Team All-American OF
*1997 - Western Athletic Conference All-Star OF
*1998 - 1st-Team College All-American OF
*1998 - Western Athletic Conference All-Star OF
*2001 - Southern League All-Star OF
*2003 - Pacific Coast League Player of the Month, May
*2003 - Pacific Coast League All-Star OF
*2004 - James Dawson Award (given to the top rookie at the Yankees spring training camp)

External links

* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=429420 MLB: Bubba Crosby]
* [http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070221/SPT05/702210327/1027 "Crosby Likes Reds' Camaraderie," 2/21/07]
*baseball-reference|id=c/crosbbu01
*espn mlb|id=7146|name=Bubba Crosby