Ed Sprague #5

Edward Nelson Sprague...he and his wife, Kristen, have 2 daughters, Payton (7/4/94) and Paris (8/14/99), and a son, Edward Nelson Sprague III (6/23/96)...both Ed and Kristen are Olympic Gold Medalists...Ed took home the gold in Seoul, South Korea as a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Baseball team, and Kristen earned the gold in synchronized swimming at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain...Ed studied economics at Stanford University, where he helped the Cardinal to back-to-back College World Series championships as a sophomore and junior...led the Pac-10 in homers (19) and RBI (71) as a junior...currently ranks 2nd on Stanford's all-time home runs list with 41 and ranks 4th with 178 RBI...was drafted in the 26th round by the Red Sox out of high school in 1986...Ed's father, also named Ed, went 17-23 for Oakland, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Milwaukee in 8 big league seasons and is now a scout for the Baltimore Orioles...among the major leaguers Ed Sr. has signed are Yankees righthander Mike Mussina and Brewers outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds.

2000

SUMMARY: Began and ended the season a Padre despite a mid-season trade to the Red Sox...hit a combined .243 with 12 homers and 36 RBI in 106 games...appeared in 53 games for San Diego and hit .274 with 10 homers and 25 RBI before a June 30 trade to Boston...in 33 games with the Red Sox, batted .216 with 2 homers and 9 RBI...after being released by Boston, resigned with the Padres August 31 and, after a 2-game tune-up at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, returned to San Diego on September 2...hit .225 (9-for-40) with 2 RBI in 20 games the rest of the way...with the Padres, appeared in 25 games (20 starts) at first base, one game at second base, 10 games (4 starts) at third base, 6 games (5 starts) in left field and 2 games (one start) in right field.

COMING OUT SWINGING: Each of Sprague's first 3 hits of 2000 were home runs...he slammed a 2-run shot off John Franco April 6 at New York in his first start as a Padre, then went deep off Arizona's Omar Daal and Russ Springer April 11 at The Q...had 3 homers and 6 RBI in his first 6 games (13 at-bats)...hit .333 (11-for-33) with 5 doubles, 3 homers and 8 RBI in 18 April contests and .230 (54-for-235) with 11 doubles, 9 homers and 28 RBI in 88 games for the Padres and Red Sox the rest of the way.

SNAKE CHARMER: Hit .400 (16-for-40) with 4 doubles, 6 homers and 12 RBI in 12 games against the Diamondbacks and .215 (49-for-228) with 12 doubles, 6 homers and 24 RBI in 94 games against all other opponents...powered the Padres to consecutive wins over Arizona April 11-12 at The Q...trailing 2-1 with one out in the bottom of the 9th on April 11, he crushed a game-tying solo homer to left off Omar Daal before leading off the 13th with a game-ending homer to left-center off Russ Springer...the following night, Sprague delivered a pinch-hit 2-run single off Darren Holmes in the bottom of the 7th, snapping a 2-2 tie in a 4-2 win...May 5 at Bank One Ballpark, he singled and homered and drove in all 3 runs in a 5-3 loss to Randy Johnson...collected 2 of the club's 5 hits in Johnson's complete game...the following night, he went 4-for-4 with a double, 2 homers and 2 RBI, giving him hits in 6 consecutive plate appearances (2 singles, 2 doubles, 2 homers and 5 RBI).

THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Played 7 games in the outfield and one at second base for the Padres, the first time he had seen action at either spot in his major league career...appeared in 6 games (5 starts) in left field and 2 games (one start) in right field...made his outfield debut June 3 at Seattle, starting in left and going 2-for-3...overall, hit .409 (9-for-22) with a double, 2 homers and 4 RBI as an outfielder...moved from left field to second base for the 9th inning of the Padres' September 7 game at San Francisco.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Hit .292 (40-for-137) with 9 homers and 25 RBI off lefties and .191 (25-for-131) with 3 homers and 11 RBI off righties...batted .272 (44-for-162) with 7 homers and 21 RBI on the road and .198 (21-for-106) with 5 homers and 15 RBI at home with the Padres and Red Sox, including a .209 (14-for-67) average, 4 homers and 13 RBI at The Q...hit .300 (12-for-40) with 2 homers when hitting the first pitch and .319 (38-for-119) with 8 homers after jumping ahead 1-0...batted .280 (44-for-157) in innings 1-6 and .189 (21-for-111) from the 7th inning on; however, 6 of his 12 homers and 16 of his 36 RBI came after the 6th inning...went 8-for-36 (.222) with a homer and 8 RBI as a pinch hitter.

MORE 2000 PADRES HIGHLIGHTS: Slugged a pinch-hit 3-run homer off Dennys Reyes in the 5th inning of an 8-7 win over the Reds, June 18 vs. Cincinnati...the pinch homer was the 2nd of his career, his first since July 4, 1999 with Pittsburgh vs. Milwaukee...ripped a 2-out RBI single in the 8th inning snapping a 4-4 tie and giving the Padres a 5-4 win over the Giants September 15 at The Q.

WITH THE RED SOX: Appeared in 33 games for the Red Sox, making 29 starts at third base, 2 at first base and one as designated hitter...after going 4-for-36 (.111) in his first 10 games with Boston, hit safely in 10 of his next 12 games, going 12-for-42 (.286)...went 2-for-5 with a double and 3 RBI in an 11-8 win July 5 at Minnesota...slugged a pair of homers for the Red Sox, a solo shot off James Baldwin July 21 vs. Chicago and a 2-run blast off Mark Mulder July 28 at Oakland, the 150th long ball of his major league career.

1999

SUMMARY: In his first National League season, was named to his first career All-Star team, batting .267 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI in 137 games for Pittsburgh...established a career high in batting average, eclipsing .250 for the first time since 1993...was hit by a pitch a National League-high 17 times...he topped 20 homers for the 3rd time in 4 seasons...his 22 round-trippers were the 2nd-highest total of his career (36 for Toronto in 1996)...had his season end 13 games early on September 19, when he fractured his left hand when hit by a pitch from the Reds' Pete Harnisch...appeared at third base in 134 games, including 132 starts...committed 29 errors (17 fielding, 12 throwing) in 362 total chances for a .920 fielding percentage.

ALL-STAR SEASON: Was named to the National League All-Star team as a reserve by Padres manager Bruce Bochy after entering the break hitting .300 with 16 homers and 53 RBI...was the lone Pirates representative at Fenway Park in Boston...became the 8th Pirates third bagger to be named to the Mid-Summer Classic, the first since Bobby Bonilla in 1990...entered the game defensively at third base in the 6th inning and grounded out against Tampa Bay's Roberto Hernandez in the 8th.

MORE `99 HIGHLIGHTS: Hit his 4th career grand slam, April 10 off the Cubs' Kurt Miller...was hitting a season-high .333 after collecting 3 hits, May 20 at Florida...went deep in back-to-back games, June 1-2 vs. Los Angeles and June 8-9 at Detroit...went 15-for-41 (.373) with 5 homers and 13 RBI while hitting in a season-high 10 straight, June 8-19...slugged his first career pinch-hit homer July 4 vs. Milwaukee off Mike Myers...went 2-for-4 with a home run in his 1,000th career major league game, July 18 vs. Los Angeles...missed 4 games, August 12-15, to be on hand for the birth of his 3rd child, daughter Paris...celebrated the birth with his 7th career 2-homer game, August 16 at Cincinnati, in his first game back...collected his 500th career RBI, September 3 vs. San Francisco...ejected by Charlie Williams for arguing a call at third base, September 13 at Arizona.

1998

Combined to smack 20 home runs for Toronto and Oakland in his final A.L. campaign...made his 6th straight Opening Day start at third base for the Blue Jays...tallied his 700th career hit April 21 vs. the Yankees...hit career home run No. 100 May 4 at Oakland off Kenny Rogers...drove in 20 runs in 25 June contests...posted consecutive 3-hit games, June 20-21 at Baltimore...registered his 4th career 2-homer game and tallied his 400th career RBI June 21 at Baltimore...homered in 3 straight games July 10-12, including a 2-home run effort July 12 vs. Detroit...was acquired by Oakland on July 31...swiped his only base of the season August 9 at Toronto, his first steal since June 11, 1994...made 126 starts at third base for the 2 clubs, making 26 errors...played first base for the first time since September 24, 1995 on September 20 at Texas.

1997

Hit .228 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI in his final full season with Toronto...after going hitless Opening Day vs. the White Sox, hit in 10 straight games, going 11-for-37 (.297)...doubled in 6 straight contests April 5-14...pounded out 7 hits over 2 games April 22-23 at Anaheim...his 5 homers and 17 RBI in April led the Blue Jays...matched a career high with 2 homers on April 29 at Kansas City...got his 600th career hit May 11 at Minnesota...snapped a 56-game and 200 at-bat homerless string by going deep August 21 at Chicago...did not play September 4 vs. Texas due to a torn right labrum, ending his streak of 225 consecutive games played, 3rd-longest in Toronto history behind only Tony Fernandez (403) and Alfredo Griffin (392)...Dr. James Andrews performed surgery on September 10 to repair a detached labrum in his right shoulder.

1996

Set career highs in doubles (35), home runs (36) and RBI (100)...also set career marks with159 games, 591 at-bats, 146 hits and 60 walks...ranked 10th in the A.L. with 73 extra-base hits...his 30 homers as a third baseman tied Kelly Gruber's 1990 club record...finished April with 9 homers and 20 RBI...matched career highs with 2 home runs and 5 RBI April 22 at Seattle...a headache and blurry vision forced him to miss the June 19 games at Seattle, ending a string of 223 consecutive games played...homered in 3 straight games, June 21-22 and 26 (missed 3 games in between to be on hand for the birth of son Edward)...his 3rd career grand slam, July 3 vs. Baltimore off Rick Krivda, was also the 500th hit of his career...blasted 23 pre All-Star Game homers, the 2nd-highest total in Toronto history behind George Bell's 29 in 1987...matched a career high with 5 RBI, July 13 at Milwaukee...hit 2 homers September 8 at Yankee Stadium...reached the 100-RBI plateau for the first time with a run-scoring single off Mike Mussina, September 28 vs. Baltimore.

1995

Slugged a then-career high 18 home runs for the Blue Jays...led the A.L. with 15 hit by pitches...slugged his first career grand slam off Ron Darling en route to a career-best 5 RBI April 27 vs. Oakland...homered twice in a game for the first time in his career, May 10 vs. the Yankees...set a career high with a 16-game hitting streak, May 6-13, going 23-for-63 (.375) to raise his average to .326 from .222...slugged his 2nd grand slam July 21 vs. Seattle off Salomon Torres...did not miss an inning until July 30, when he was pulled in the 8th inning of an 11-3 loss vs. Oakland...led A.L. third basemen with 133 putouts.

1994

Ranked 2nd in the A.L. with 11 hit by pitches...hit 11 homers in 405 at-bats for the Blue Jays...made 107 starts at third base and 2 at first base (July 17-18)...was hitting .312 on May 21 before an 0-for-35 slide.

1993

Moved out from behind the plate to become the everyday third baseman for the World Series champion Blue Jays...made 150 starts, committing 17 errors...homered in 3 straight contests May 30-June 1...stole the first base of his career August 17 at Cleveland...led the American League and set a franchise record by grounding into 23 double plays.

1992

Started the season with Triple-A Syracuse and ended the year a World Series hero...was recalled by the Blue Jays on July 31 and made his first M.L. start at catcher August 23 at Minnesota...made 15 appearances (8 starts) at catcher, 4 appearances (one start) at first base, and one appearance at third base (August 6 at Detroit)...played in 5 post-season games, going 2-for-4 as Toronto won the first of 2 consecutive World Series...became the 22nd player to homer in his first World Series at-bat when he went deep off Jeff Reardon in Game 2 in Atlanta...the 2-run shot in the 9th put Toronto ahead, 5-4, and salvaged a split of the Fall Classic's first 2 contests at Fulton County Stadium...with Syracuse, was named the International League's Player of the Week for the period ending May 2, during which he hit .318 with 3 home runs...registered a 5-hit effort May 21 at Pawtucket...was the starting catcher in the Triple-A All-Star Game, played at The Diamond in Richmond.

1991

Hit .364 with 5 homers and 25 RBI in only 23 games with Triple-A Syracuse to earn his first trip to the big leagues...was leading the International League in RBI at the time of his recall...was recalled for the first time on May 7 and started that night at third base vs. Texas, going 0-for-3...singled off Charlie Hough May 11 for his first M.L. hit...slugged his first M.L. homer May 18 at Chicago off Greg Hibbard...batted .391 in his first 17 M.L. games...made his first start at first base June 26 at Minnesota and his first appearance behind the plate July 25 at Chicago...was on the roster, but did not play in the Blue Jays' 5-game ALCS loss to Minnesota.