Mike Sharperson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Tyrone Sharperson (October 4, 1961 – May 26, 1996) was an infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987–1993) and Atlanta Braves (1995). Sharperson batted and threw right handed. He was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
In an eight-season career, Sharperson posted a .280 batting average with 10 home runs and 123 RBI in 557 games.
Sharperson was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (11th pick) of the 1981 amateur draft. He made his debut with Toronto in 1987 and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the midseason.
A member of the Dodgers 1988 World Series championship team, Sharperson was part of the group of utility players known as "The Stunt Men", for their ability to play many different positions and roles. Mostly used at third base and second, Sharperson also played shortstop, first base and right field.
In 1990, Sharperson hit .297 with career-highs in hits (106) and games (129). His most productive season came in 1992, when he hit .300 with 21 doubles and 48 runs (all career-highs), and made the National League All-Star team.
Released by the Dodgers before the 1994 season, Sharperson signed with the Red Sox, later with the Cubs, but didn't play for them. He appeared in seven games with the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and became a free agent at the end of the season. He then signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.
In 1996 Sharperson played for the Triple-A Las Vegas Stars. He could have been in line for a promotion to the big-league club, the team said, when he died in a one-car crash in Las Vegas, Nevada. Local law enforcement who arrived at the scene of the accident claimed Sharperson had been ejected through his car's sunroof during the accident. He was 34 years old.
