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birthdate={{birth date and age|1965|3|12}}|
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*[[Colorado Rockies]] ([[2007 in baseball|2007]])
*[[Colorado Rockies]] ([[2007 in baseball|2007]])
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'''Steven Allen Finley''' (born [[March 12]] [[1965]], in [[Union City, Tennessee]]) is a [[Major League Baseball]] [[center fielder]] who bats and throws [[left-handed]]. He currently is a free agent, and has been working out on a regular basis since his release, hopeful a call will come from a team looking for help.[http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article_perspectives.jsp?ymd=20070726&content_id=2111502&vkey=perspectives&fext=.jsp]
'''Steven Allen Finley''' (born [[March 12]], [[1965]], in [[Union City, Tennessee]]) is a [[Major League Baseball]] [[center fielder]] who is currently a free agent.


In [[2006 in baseball|2006]], at the age of 41, Finley became the oldest player ever to play more than 100 games in center field.
In [[2006 in baseball|2006]], at the age of 41, Finley became the oldest player ever to play more than 100 games in center field.
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During the [[2007 in baseball|2007 season]] Finley set a Major League record by being the first player ever to play for every team within a five-team division. Finley has appeared for every team in the [[National League West]]. Pitcher [[Matt Herges]] tied this record on April 19, [[2007 in baseball|2007]]. On June 5, 2007 the Rockies designated Finley for assignment, giving the Rockies 10 days to trade, release, or outright Finley to the minor leagues. Finley had batted .181 (17-for-94) with one home run and two RBIs in 43 games for Colorado.[http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070605&content_id=2006680&vkey=pr_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col] He was released on June 17, 2007.
During the [[2007 in baseball|2007 season]] Finley set a Major League record by being the first player ever to play for every team within a five-team division. Finley has appeared for every team in the [[National League West]]. Pitcher [[Matt Herges]] tied this record on April 19, [[2007 in baseball|2007]]. On June 5, 2007 the Rockies designated Finley for assignment, giving the Rockies 10 days to trade, release, or outright Finley to the minor leagues. Finley had batted .181 (17-for-94) with one home run and two RBIs in 43 games for Colorado.[http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070605&content_id=2006680&vkey=pr_col&fext=.jsp&c_id=col] He was released on June 17, 2007.

Despite a disappointing 2007 for Finley, who will turn 43 on Opening Day in [[2008 in baseball|2008]], isn't ready to retire just yet. Finley lives in San Diego and is expressing an interest to play again in San Diego.<ref>Crasnick, Jerry. [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3121934 "Despite letdown in '07, Finley not ready to retire"], ''[[ESPN|ESPN.com]]'', [[November 21]], [[2007]]. Accessed [[November 22]], [[2007]].</ref>


'''Highlights'''
'''Highlights'''

Revision as of 23:04, 22 November 2007

Steve Finley
Free Agent – No. 21
Center field
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
debut
April 3, 1989, for the Baltimore Orioles
Career statistics
(through 2006)
AVG.271
HR304
RBI1167
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Steven Allen Finley (born March 12, 1965, in Union City, Tennessee) is a Major League Baseball center fielder who is currently a free agent.

In 2006, at the age of 41, Finley became the oldest player ever to play more than 100 games in center field.

At the time of his June 17, 2007, release, of all active players, he was 1st in triples (124), 3rd in games (2,583) and at-bats (9,397), 4th in hits (2,548), 7th in runs (1,443), 8th in total bases (4,157), and 9th in doubles (449) and stolen bases (320). He also had the 4th-most center field appearances in major league history. He was also the 6th-oldest player in the NL.

Early life

Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984-87.

Career

College, Team USA, and minor leagues

In 1986 Finley was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round of the draft, but did not sign, instead choosing to remain at SIU, where he was 2-time All-Missouri Valley Conference performer and a 3rd-team All-American in 1986.

He was a member of the 1986 Team USA squad that won a bronze medal during international competition in the Netherlands.

In 1987 he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 13th round of the draft, and did sign.

In 919 at bats in the minor leagues, Finley batted .309 and stole 68 bases, while being caught only 18 times.

Major leagues

In January 1991 he was traded by the Orioles with Pete Harnisch and Curt Schilling to the Houston Astros for Glenn Davis. That year he was 3rd in the league in triples (10), 6th in hits (170), 9th in stolen bases (34), and 10th in sacrifice hits (10). His 13 outfield assists tied Barry Bonds and Paul O'Neill for 3rd in the league.

In 1992 he led the NL in games played (162), was 2nd in triples (13), 3rd in stolen bases (44; a career high) and sacrifice hits (10), and 7th in hits (177).

In 1993 he led the league in triples (13). He had been slowed in spring training by Bell's Palsy, a viral infection of a nerve in his upper neck, resulting in numbness that prevented him from closing his left eye.

In 1994 he was 2nd in the league in sacrifice hits (13), and 10th in triples (5). He appeared in only 94 games of an injury and strike-shortened season, missing nearly a month after being hit by a pitch on June 8th in Montreal, breaking the 3rd metacarpal bone in his right hand.

In December 1994 he was traded by the Astros with Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno, Roberto Petagine, Brian Williams, and Sean Fesh (minors) to the San Diego Padres for Derek Bell, Doug Brocail, Ricky Gutierrez, Pedro A. Martinez, Phil Plantier, and Craig Shipley.

In 1995 Finley batted a career-high .297 and was 3rd in the league in runs (104) and triples (8), and 4th in stolen bases (36) and hits (167). Finley also won his first Gold Glove Award. He was the only National League player to have 100 runs, 10 home runs, and 35 stolen bases. He stole a career-high 4 bases on August 12th vs. St. Louis. He was in the delivery room on September 1st when son Reed was born, and then headed to the ballpark and played in the 8th and 9th innings of San Diego's 6-3 win over the Phillies

In 1996 Finley was 2nd in the NL in runs (126; a career high) and doubles (45), 3rd in extra base hits (84), 4th in triples (9), and 6th in hits (195). Finley won his second Gold Glove Award. He came in 10th in the MVP voting. He established Padres' records in runs, doubles, extra-base hits ,and total bases. He wrapped up 1996 by earning MVP honors on an 8-game Major League Baseball All-Star tour through Japan.

In 1997 he hit three home runs in a game twice in the same season (May 19 and June 23. Finley was voted to the All Star team, and finished 8th in the league in runs (101).

In 1998 Finley was 10th in the NL in doubles (40).

In December 1998 and December 2002 he signed as a free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In 1999 he hit three home runs and drove in 6 runs in a game (September 8, 1999). That season he had 34 home runs and a career-high 103 RBIs, and was 7th in the league in extra base hits (76). Finley also won his third Gold Glove Award.

In 2000 he had 35 home runs and a career-high .544 slugging percentage, and was 9th in the league in sacrifice flies (9). He was also voted to the All Star team. Furthermore, Finley had 10 assists, and won his fourth Gold Glove Award. He was named the team co-Player-of-the-Year with Luis Gonzalez by the Arizona chapter of the BBWAA.

In 2001 he showed the diversity of his skills on August 30 when he came in from center field to work an inning of relief in a blowout loss to the Giants. He featured a knuckleball, walked a man and hit Jeff Kent, but escaped any damage by recording an inning-ending double play.

In 2002 Finley had a career-high .370 on base percentage.

In 2003 he led the league in triples (10), becoming the oldest player in Major League history to lead his league in triples.

In July 2004 he was traded by the Diamondbacks with Brent Mayne to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Koyie Hill, Reggie Abercrombie, and Bill Murphy (minors).

On October 2, 2004, Finley's walk-off grand slam capped a seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Dodgers clinched the NL West Division title by beating San Francisco 7-3. Sportscaster Thom Brennaman called the moment on FOX:

"0-1, HIGH DRIVE, DEEP RIGHT-CENTER FIELD, AND IT I--S GONE!!! WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM BY STEVE FINLEY, AND THE DODGERS ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS GAME!!!

In 2004 he led the NL in games played (162), was 8th in at bats (628) and plate appearances (706), and was 9th in home runs (36; the third highest total ever for a 39-year-old in the majors, behind Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron). Finley also won his fifth Gold Glove Award. He came in 14th in the MVP voting. He also tied Pete Rose's record of playing in 162 games at the age of 39.[1] He hit a game-winning, walk-off grand slam to cap a seven-run ninth inning on October 2nd against San Francisco that clinched National League Western Division championship for the Dodgers.

In December 2004 he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

In 2005 he missed 18 games due to strained right shoulder, his first DL stint since 1997.

In December 2005 he was traded by the Angels to the San Francisco Giants for Edgardo Alfonzo.

On June 14, 2006, he became the 6th member of Major League Baseball's 300-300 club, for which the membership requirements are 300 career home runs and 300 career stolen bases. Also in 2006, he and Barry Bonds became the only then-current members of the 300-300 club to play for the same team in a game together (three other sets of players played together before one or more of them joined the 300-300 club).

On August 18, 2006, he was awarded the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association's Heart & Hustle Award.

In 2006 he was 4th in the league in triples (12), and was 7-0 in stolen base attempts. He played in the 7th-most games (139) of any 41-year-old major leaguer ever.[2]

He ended the 2006 season as a career .272 hitter with 303 home runs, 1,165 RBI, 1,434 runs, 2,531 hits (5th of active players), 446 doubles, 124 triples (leads all active players), and 320 stolen bases in 2,540 games (4th of active players).

On November 1, 2006, the Giants declined their option on Finley for the 2007 season, which made him a free agent. On February 24, 2007, Finley signed a minor-league contract with the Colorado Rockies. After an impressive spring, Finley made their Opening Day roster.

During the 2007 season Finley set a Major League record by being the first player ever to play for every team within a five-team division. Finley has appeared for every team in the National League West. Pitcher Matt Herges tied this record on April 19, 2007. On June 5, 2007 the Rockies designated Finley for assignment, giving the Rockies 10 days to trade, release, or outright Finley to the minor leagues. Finley had batted .181 (17-for-94) with one home run and two RBIs in 43 games for Colorado.[3] He was released on June 17, 2007.

Despite a disappointing 2007 for Finley, who will turn 43 on Opening Day in 2008, isn't ready to retire just yet. Finley lives in San Diego and is expressing an interest to play again in San Diego.[1]

Highlights

See also

  1. ^ Crasnick, Jerry. "Despite letdown in '07, Finley not ready to retire", ESPN.com, November 21, 2007. Accessed November 22, 2007.
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