Geoff Blum | |
---|---|
Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 27 | |
Utility Infielder | |
Born: April 26, 1973 | |
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right |
MLB debut | |
August 9, 1999 for the Montreal Expos | |
Career statistics (through 2011 season) |
|
Batting average | .250 |
Home runs | 99 |
Runs batted in | 478 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Geoffrey Edward Blum (born April 26, 1973, in Redwood City, California) is a Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During his major-league career, he has also played for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. As a member of the World Series Champion White Sox in 2005, he hit the game-deciding home run in the longest contest in the history of the Fall Classic.
Contents |
Before becoming a professional baseball player, he majored in sociology at the University of California, Berkeley and played for the California Golden Bears baseball team.
He began his professional career when he was selected in the seventh round of the 1994 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos. During his time with the Expos, he spent the winter of 1995 in the Australian Baseball League with the Hunter Eagles.[1]
After playing there for three years, he was traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for Chris Truby. He was then traded after the 2003 season to Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for Brandon Backe. In 2004 he batted only .215 for the Devil Rays, with a .266 OBP. He also played for San Diego Padres before the White Sox picked him up in mid-2005. It was at this point that Geoff earned the nickname "Random Man".
On October 25, 2005, Blum hit a home run against the Astros at Minute Maid Park in the top of the 14th inning to win Game 3 of the World Series, the longest game in the history of the Fall Classic. On April 11, 2008 a monument celebrating the 2005 World Series was unveiled at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Blum is one of the 5 players given a bronze statue of themselves as part of the monument, for hitting his tie-breaking home run.
He returned to the Padres as a free agent in 2006.[2] November 20, 2007, Blum signed a $1.1 million, one-year contract with the Astros. The deal also includes a club option for 2009.[3] Blum returned to the Astros in 2009 and played mostly 3B for Houston. He hit 10 home runs that season, drove in 49 runs and was known for playing excellent defense at all the infield positions. On October 30, 2009, Blum re-signed with the Astros. The contract was worth $1.5 million for the 2010 season and included a mutual option for 2011, which would be worth $1.65 million that was declined, making him a free agent.
On November 15, 2010, Blum signed a two year contract worth $2.7 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
|
|