Rickie Weeks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rickie Weeks | |
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| Milwaukee Brewers — No. 23 | |
| Second base | |
| Born: September 13, 1982 | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| September 15, 2003 for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through June 29, 2008) |
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| Batting Average | .303 |
| Home Runs | 46 |
| Runs Batted In | 144 |
| Teams | |
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Rickie Darnell Weeks (born September 13, 1982) is a Major League Baseball second baseman for Milwaukee Brewers.
Weeks bats and throws right-handed. A potential five-tool player, Weeks was considered a top prospect throughout college; his college career concluded with him being awarded the Dick Howser Trophy as the national collegiate player of the year. In Spring 2003 at Southern University he batted an astonishing .500; in the Summer of 2003 Weeks propelled himself through the Brewers farm system, quickly making his Major League debut on September 15th of 2003. He has shown promise in three of the five tools: speed, power, and throwing arm. Although Weeks has not yet shown he can consistently hit for average and field his position well, he played much of the 2005 season with a thumb injury. In his first full MLB season in 2005, Weeks had a batting average of .239 to go with 13 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 96 games. These HR/SB number are consistent with his minor league totals (playing in 209 games) of 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases. In 2006, Weeks hit .279 with 8 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 95 games.
Weeks has a distinctive batting stance that is similar to that of Gary Sheffield, waggling his bat heavily before swinging.
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[edit] History
Weeks was born in Daytona Beach, Florida. He made his major league debut on September 15, 2003, soon after inking a contract which included a $3.6 million signing bonus. Weeks did not become a full-time player for the Brewers until June 2005, when he was recalled from Nashville (AAA). Along with Prince Fielder and J. J. Hardy, the Brewers hope to have an outstanding young infield for years to come. Rickie attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA where he was a finalist for the 2004 James E. Sullivan Award as the United States top amateur athlete and was a two-time All-American.
Weeks was sent down to AAA Nashville on July 31, 2007, since he was batting below .200 after returning from a wrist injury.[1]
In 2007, he had the lowest fielding percentage of all NL second basemen (.976), and the lowest zone rating among all major league second basemen, .737. His target at first base was Prince Fielder, who finished 2007 last of all eligible major league first basemen in range factor (8.49), and first in errors (14).[2]
In 2008, he had the lowest fielding percentage (.975) and the most errors (15) of all NL second basemen.[3]
In Game 1 of the 2008 NL Division Series, Weeks made a key error in the third inning that led to three unearned runs scored by the Phillies in Philadelphia's 3-1 victory.
[edit] 3N2
In 2005, Rickie Weeks signed a sponsorship contract with sportswear company 3N2, which designed a shoe for him.
[edit] Family
Weeks's brother Jemile Weeks was drafted by the Brewers in 2005 out of high school, though Jemile chose to attend the University of Miami instead of signing with the Brewers. The Oakland Athletics drafted Jemile in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft, twelfth overall.[4]
Rickie is the son of Richard and Valeria Weeks and has an older sister named Kaisha. Kaisha was an NCAA Regional Finalist at Southern University in track.[5]
[edit] Awards
- Baseball America College Player of the Year - 2003
- Dick Howser Trophy - 2003
- Golden Spikes Award - 2003
- Rotary Smith Award - 2003
- Southwestern Athletic Conference's Most Outstanding Hitter - 2003
- Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year - 2003
[edit] References
- ^ "Weeks sent to minors" (8/1/07). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
- ^ "MLB Player Fielding Stats: 2007," ESPN, accessed 10/18/07
- ^ " ESPN, accessed 10/1/08
- ^ "A's Make Jemile Weeks Top Pick In Draft" (June 5, 2008), AP. Accessed June 5, 2008.
- ^ [1] (June 6, 2008).
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- Rickie Weeks Interview at Baseball Digest Daily - April 2005
- Rickie Weeks Jr. Official Website
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