Tim Teufel
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| Position | Second baseman |
| Teams | Minnesota Twins New York Mets San Diego Padres |
| Years Played | 1983-1993 |
| Born | July 7, 1958 |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in |
| Weight | 175 lb. |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| College | Clemson University |
| Place of birth | Greenwich, Connecticut |
| Drafted by | Minnesota Twins |
| Round | 2nd round (38th overall) |
| Major League Debut | September 3, 1983 |
Timothy Shawn Teufel (born July 7, 1958) is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins, New York Mets and San Diego Padres from 1983 to 1993. Teufel was a member of the 1986 World Series champion Mets.
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[edit] Early life and career
Tim Teufel was born in Greenwich, Connecticut and attended St. Mary's High School there and Clemson University in South Carolina. At age 19, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 16th round of the 1978 MLB Draft but did not sign. The following year, he was drafted in the 3rd round by the Chicago White Sox but, again, did not sign.
In 1980, Teufel was drafted in the 2nd round and signed with the Minnesota Twins. Teufel spent 1980 and 1981 with the double-A Orlando Twins. He raised his average to .282 in 1982 earning a mid-season promotion to the triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. In 1983, Teufel lit up the International League with a .323 batting average, 1.022 OPS, 27 home runs and 100 RBI resulting in a September call-up to the major leagues. Teufel continued his hot-hitting through his first month with the Minnesota Twins which finished tied for the third-worst record in the majors. On September 16, he went 5-for-5 with two home runs and five runs scored in arguably the best offensive game of his career.
Teufel's 1984 rookie season was his only full-time season. He never surpassed his personal 1984 marks of 14 home runs, 61 RBI, 149 hits, 30 doubles, 227 total bases, 76 walks, 157 games played and 568 at bats. Teufel also played in 138 games in 1985 but played less than 100 games in all five seasons with the Mets. The Twins finished at or below .500 in each of Teufel's two full seasons there.
[edit] New York Mets
On January 16, 1986, Teufel was traded with a minor league player to the New York Mets for Billy Beane, Bill Latham and Joe Klink. Although Teufel had hit far better against right-handed pitchers in 1985, he was used mainly against left-handed pitchers in a platoon system with New York. Splitting time with Wally Backman, Teufel started quickly in 1986 with a go-ahead 14th inning single in his first game with the Mets (although they lost in the bottom half of the inning).
His average stayed around .220 into June. On June 10, Teufel had one of the most exciting moments in the Mets championship season with a walk-off pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets' reputation as a rowdy bunch was punctuated on July 19 when Teufel, Ron Darling, Bob Ojeda and Rick Aguilera were arrested after a bar fight with off-duty police officers in Houston.
Teufel was fined $200 for his part and none of the four missed any playing time. His average climbed to .247 by season's end but with very little overall run production. The Mets coasted into the playoffs where Teufel managed just one hit and no RBI in the NLCS. The Mets lost Game 1 of the 1986 World Series, 1-0, when Teufel committed an error allowing the only run to score. He hit a home run in Game 5 of the 1986 World Series but the Mets lost that game and the home run was the only postseason RBI of Teufel's career.
1987 was Teufel's best season statistically as he tied his 1984 home run and RBI highs despite playing in only 97 games. His .308 batting average, .398 on base percentage and .545 slugging average were career-highs. He was given the chance to play every day in 1988 but spent all of April below .200 and missed three weeks from mid-May with an injury causing the platoon to be reinstated.
After a poor second half, Teufel was used in just one game in the 1988 NLCS. In 1989, hot prospect Gregg Jefferies was given most of the time at second base and Teufel spent half of his time at first base. His playing time further decreased in 1990 as he played in career-lows of 80 games with 175 at bats while shifting between first, second and third base.
[edit] San Diego Padres
Teufel's 1991 average was at a paltry .118 on May 31 when the Mets traded him to the San Diego Padres for Garry Templeton, who retired after the season. Teufel hit between .220 and .250 in all three seasons with San Diego while continuing to play at all three bases defensively. On April 14, 1993, he went 5-for-5 for the second time in his career but the Padres lost the game on their way to a 101-loss season. Teufel was granted free agency and retired after the 1993 season.
[edit] Post-retirement
Teufel returned to the Mets as a roving instructor for 2001 and 2002. He was named the manager of the Mets' Rookie-level minor league Brooklyn Cyclones for 2003 [1]. He was promoted to the A-level St. Lucie Mets for 2004 and 2005 [2]. After the two seasons near .500, the Mets announced Teufel was being replaced by new Baseball Hall of Fame member, Gary Carter, for 2006. Teufel decided to take a break from baseball for the year [3].
[edit] References
- ^ Clones’ Teufel shuffle. The Brooklyn Papers (2002-12-09). Retrieved on 2006-06-14.
- ^ Teufel, Mahler will return to St. Lucie Mets. St. Lucie Mets press release (2005-02-06). Retrieved on 2006-06-14.
- ^ Carter to manage St. Lucie Mets. St. Lucie Mets press release (2006-01-10). Retrieved on 2006-06-14.
[edit] External links
- Tim Teufel at Baseball Library
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
