Gregg Jefferies

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Gregory Scott Jefferies (born August 1, 1967 in Burlingame, California) is a former infielder in Major League Baseball who had a 14-year career from 1987 to 2000.

Before being drafted to the New York Mets, Jefferies attended Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. In addition to the Mets he also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in the National League; in the American League he played for the Kansas City Royals, Anaheim Angels and Detroit Tigers.

Jefferies was elected to the National League All-Star team twice (1993 and 1994). He was the youngest player in the major leagues when he debuted at age 19 in 1987. He had a career .289 batting average with 126 home runs, 663 RBI's and 196 stolen bases.

Jefferies began as a top-rated prospect for the Mets in the mid-1980s. In interviews, he often discussed his strict exercise regimen which included swinging a bat underwater. The Mets were eager to advance him to the major leagues, but weren't sure where he would play. He was a catcher in the minor leagues, but there was no opening at that position, with Gary Carter, Mackey Sasser and Barry Lyons on the roster. The Mets already had a surplus of outfielders and were finding it difficult to get popular outfielders Len Dykstra and Mookie Wilson playing time, and the stellar all-around play of Howard Johnson and Kevin Elster's solid defense made it difficult for him to see time at third base and shortstop, respectively. Finally, after the 1988 season, the Mets traded second baseman Wally Backman and left the position open for Jefferies. But Jefferies faltered with the Mets and became unpopular with teammates and fans. On May 24, 1991, Jefferies pleaded his case in an open letter read on WFAN, New York's sports radio station.

In the letter, Jefferies wrote: "When a pitcher is having trouble getting players out, when a hitter is having trouble hitting, or when a player makes an error, I try to support them in whatever way I can. I don't run to the media to belittle them or to draw more attention to their difficult times. I can only hope that one day those teammates who have found it convenient to criticize me will realize that we are all in this together. If only we can concentrate more on the games than complaining and bickering and pointing fingers, we would all be better off." After the 1991 season, Jefferies was traded to Kansas City in the deal that brought Bret Saberhagen to the Mets.

After playing the 1992 season with the Royals, he moved on to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he would be named to the National League All-Star team in 1993 and 1994. After the strike-shortened 1994 season, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, splitting time between first base and the outfield before becoming their primary left fielder in 1997. The following year, he was traded mid-season to the Anaheim Angels before moving to Detroit the next year. He retired in 2000.

He now resides in Pleasanton, California with his wife Jeannie Marshall, a 1999 graduate of neighboring Foothill High School and Cal State East Bay.

[edit] External link

• Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis