Bill Mueller

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Bill Mueller

Los Angeles Dodgers — No. 14
Third baseman
Bats: Switch Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 18, 1996 for the San Francisco Giants
Selected MLB statistics
(through July 13, 2006)
AVG     .291
OBP     .373
HR     85
Teams
San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox

William Richard Mueller [MILL-er] (born March 17, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who most recently played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and currently serves as special assistant to Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. Previously, Mueller played with the San Francisco Giants (1996-2000, 2002), Chicago Cubs (2001-02) and Boston Red Sox (2003-2005). He was a switch hitter and threw right-handed.

Mueller was born in Maryland Heights, Missouri and attended De Smet Jesuit High School. He was drafted by the Giants in the 15th round of the 1993 amateur draft, and made his debut in 1996. He was traded to the Cubs before the 2001 season, and returned to San Francisco in September 2002. Before the 2003 season, Mueller was signed by the Red Sox as a free agent. In his first year in Boston, he won the American League batting title with a .326 average.

He contributed nearly half of his home runs from 2003-2005. Mueller developed a reputation for consistency throughout the major leagues. In fact, for five of his ten years in the major leagues, his batting average was between .290 and .295. His minor league numbers were very much the same, consistently between .290 and .310.

In 2006, Mueller played only 32 games before undergoing his third knee surgery, which would prove to be career-ending. Doctors have ruled out all known procedures to repair the deteriorating condition in his right knee. [1]

On November 17, 2006, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Mueller was retiring from baseball and had been hired as a special assistant to the GM. [2]

Contents

[edit] Highlights

  • Led American League in batting average (.326, 2003)
  • On July 29, 2003, became the only player in major league history to hit two grand slams in a single game from opposite sides of the plate. He in fact hit three home runs in that game, and the two grand slams were in consecutive at-bats.
  • Made a significant number of contributions to Boston's first World Series win in 86 years. The most notable was his RBI single in the ninth inning of Game 4 against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Facing elimination in the bottom of the ninth down 4 runs to 3, Kevin Millar drew a walk from star closer Mariano Rivera. Dave Roberts came in to pinch run for Millar, and managed to steal second base with his great speed. He came around to score on a single by Mueller and the Sox went on to win in 12 innings, beginning their run of eight straight wins, culminating in the title.
  • Hit a game-winning, walk-off home run on July 24th, 2004 against the Yankees. The game had been a see-saw battle featuring a benches-clearing brawl in which Boston catcher Jason Varitek and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez famously clashed after Bronson Arroyo hit Rodríguez with a pitch. The game appeared to be another devastating loss for the then-stagnant Red Sox, but in the bottom of the ninth, with the Sox down by a run and with Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on the mound, Mueller drove a 3-1 pitch into the Red Sox bullpen in right-center, saving the game for the Sox.

[edit] Trivia

When he was a Giant, Bill Mueller was known for his strange ability to hit home runs only when his roommate and friend Shawn Estes was pitching. He hit almost all of his home runs in 1997 and 1998 when Shawn Estes was the starting pitcher.

[edit] Reputation

As a player, Mueller was regarded by teammates and adversaries alike as a consummate professional -- a player who steadily did his job with no questions asked. As a result, he was sometimes called "The Pro". Another nickname is "Billy Ballgame", a reference to Ted Williams' nickname "Teddy Ballgame." He was seen by many fans as unselfish.

[edit] Related Links

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Manny Ramirez		 American League Batting Champion
2003		 Succeeded by
Ichiro Suzuki
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