Steve Finley

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Steve Finley

San Francisco Giants — No. 12
Center field
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
April 3, 1989 for the Baltimore Orioles
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
AVG	.272
HR	303
RBI	1165
Teams
Baltimore Orioles (1989–1990) Houston Astros (1991-1994) San Diego Padres (1995-1998) Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004) Los Angeles Dodgers (2004) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005)

Steven Allen Finley (born March 12, 1965 in Union City, Tennessee) is a Major League Baseball center fielder who plays for the San Francisco Giants. Previously, he played with the Baltimore Orioles (1989-90), Houston Astros (1991-94), San Diego Padres (1995-98), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004), Los Angeles Dodgers (2004), and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005). Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky and attended Southern Illinois University, bats and throws left-handed.

At the age of 39, Finley became the oldest player in the past 30 years (other than Otis Nixon in 1997-98) to play 100-plus games in center field. He has the fourth most center field appearances in major league history. Finley is a pull hitter.

He entered the 2006 season as a career .273 hitter with 297 home runs, 1125 RBI, 1368 runs, 2426 hits, 425 doubles, 112 triples, and 313 stolen bases in 2401 games. On June 14, 2006, he became the sixth member of Major League Baseball's 300-300 club, for which the membership requirements are 300 career home runs and 300 career stolen bases.

Highlights

• All-Star (1997, 2000)
• 5-time Gold Glove Award (1995-96, 1999-2000, 2004)
• Top 10 in National League MVP voting (10th, 1996)
• Twice led NL in games played (162, in 1992 and 2004)
• Twice led NL in triples (1993, 2003)
• Hit two 3-Home run games in the same season (May 19 and June 23, 1997)
• Hit three home runs and drove in six runs in a game (September 8, 1999)
• Twice hit a game-ending grand slam (April 10, 1998, and October 2, 2004)
• Oldest player to lead his league in triples since Tommy Henrich in 1948 (age 38, 2003)
• Led active players in triples (109)
• Named MVP in the All-Stars Series between Japan and United States (Tokyo, 1996)
• On October 2, 2004, Finley's walk-off grand slam capped a seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Dodgers clinched the NL West Division title by beating San Francisco 7-3.
• Sportscaster Thom Brennaman called the moment on FOX:

"0-1, HIGH DRIVE, DEEP RIGHT-CENTER FIELD, AND IT I--S GONE!!! WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM BY STEVE FINLEY, AND THE DODGERS ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS FINISH!!!

[edit] See also

• List of NL Gold Glove Winners at Outfield
• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• Top 500 home run hitters of all time
• 300-300 club
• 2001 World Series

[edit] External links

• Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
• Baseball Almanac - photos and miscellaneous
• Steve Finley at ESPN.com
• BaseballLibrary - biography and career highlights