Jim Dwyer (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Jim Dwyer


width=275
caption=Coach Dwyer signing autographs for Miracle fans
position=Outfielder
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1950|1|3
city-state|Evergreen Park|Illinois
debutdate=June 10
debutyear=by|1973
debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals
finaldate=June 21
finalyear=by|1990
finalteam=Minnesota Twins
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.260
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=77
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=349
teams=
* St. Louis Cardinals (1973-by|1975, by|1977-by|1978)
* Montreal Expos (1975-by|1976)
* New York Mets (1976)
* San Francisco Giants (1978)
* Boston Red Sox (by|1979-by|1980)
* Baltimore Orioles (by|1981-by|1988)
* Minnesota Twins (1988-by|1990)
highlights=
* 1971 College World Series All-Tournament Team
* #5 All Time Best Month Performance (July by|1983)
* World Series Champion by|1983

James Edward Dwyer (born June 3, by|1950 in city-state|Evergreen Park|Illinois) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for seven different teams between 1973 and 1990. Listed at 5' 10", 165 lb., he batted and threw left-handed.

Major League Career

A fastball hitter, Dwyer was used mostly against right-handed pitching and played all three outfield positions well. Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the by|1971 draft out of Southern Illinois University, he wasted little time in the minor leagues, debuting in the majors in 1973 with the Cardinals. He played for them through the 1975 midseason before joining the Montreal Expos (1975-76) and New York Mets (1976). Then, he rejoined the Cardinals (1977-78) and later played with the San Francisco Giants (1978) and Boston Red Sox (1979-80). Finally, he found a home with the Baltimore Orioles in 1981.

With Baltimore, Dwyer became a role player as a designated hitter, pinch-hitter, and a defensive replacement for outfielders Al Bumbry, Gary Roenicke and John Lowenstein, and first baseman Eddie Murray. He enjoyed a good season in by|1982, hitting .304 (74-for-260) in 71 games, but his most productive year came in by|1983, when he appeared in 100 games while hitting .286 with eight home runs and 38 runs batted in, helping his team to reach the World Series, won by Baltimore in five games. In Game One of the Series, Dwyer got the Orioles only run with a solo home run off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher John Denny. Then, during the by|1987 season he hit a career-high 15 home runs in 241 at-bats. From 1988-90 Dwyer was technically on five teams, playing with Baltimore (1988 ["start"] ) and Montreal (1989 ["end"] ), but he did have three separate stints with Minnesota (1988 ["end"] -1989 ["start"] ; 1990).

In a 18-season career, Dwyer was a .260 hitter (719-for-2761) with 77 home runs and 349 RBI in 1328 games, including 409 runs, 115 doubles, 17 triples, 26 stolen bases, and a .353 on-base percentage. In four postseason games he hit .333 (4-for-12), including one home run, two doubles, four runs, and one RBI . He also collected a career 103 pinch-hits. He also played from by|1977 to 1980 with the Mayaguez Indians of the Puerto Rican Winter League, and following his majors career, Dwyer played for the 1990 Sun City Rays of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.

Highlight

*Dwyer, who was one of the most extreme platoon players of the 1980s, started just 11 games in July 1983, playing a complete game just four times that month. He hit .452 in just 48 at-bats, ranking fifth for the Best Month Performance in the all-time list behind:

=Coaching Career [cite web|url=http://miraclebaseball.com/|title=Fort Myers Miracle|accessdate=2008-07-20] =

Following his playing career, He coached (1991) and managed (1992-94) the triple A Portland Beavers. In by|1995, he became hitting coach of the Minnesota Twins' Double-A affiliate, the New Britain Rock Cats, and has remained within the Twins' organization in one capacity or another ever since. He remained with the Rock Cats through by|1996 before becoming Twins' minor league roving hitting coordinator (by|1997-by|2005). Currently, he is the hitting coach of Minnesota's advanced A affiliate, the Fort Myers Miracle (by|2006-present).

2008 Miracle Roster

ee also

*Fort Myers Miracle
*Minnesota Twins
*Boston Red Sox all-time roster
*MLB all-time pinch hit leaders

Reference

ources

* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/D/jim-dwyer.shtml Baseball Cube]
* [http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2826 Baseball Prospectus]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/dwyerji01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Jim_Dwyer BR Bullpen]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/D/Pdwyej001.htm Retrosheet]