Eric Byrnes
From SoSH
Overall Career
Eric Byrnes came up through the A's farm system, and though he made his debut in 2000, he bounced between the majors and minors until making the team as a fourth outfielder in May of 2002. Byrnes started off strong that year, but fell into a 9-for-46 skid to end the season and spent the winter playing Carribean League baseball. Byrnes came back in 2003 as one of the A's primary outfielders, as he played 121 games between the various outfield positions. After helping the A's blow the 2003 ALDS with a timely baserunning gaffe (see picture and "Moment in the Sun"), he returned as an A's starter for the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
In mid-2005, the Rockies traded for Byrnes and sent him to the Orioles for Larry Bigbie as part of a proposed Bigbie/Ryan Shealy for Kelly Shoppach/Adam Stern trade with the Red Sox. The Sox, however, decided that they were just kidding about the whole trade thing, and while the Rockies were stuck with Bigbie, Byrnes was stuck in Baltimore to witness the Great Oriole Collapse of 2005. Following the '05 season, Byrnes signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Byrnes, a glorified fourth outfielder, has made a career out of being a "Dirt Dog" type of player, as his uniform always seems to be dirty for one reason or another.
FOX announcer Jeanne Zelasko finds Byrnes extremely attractive.
Moment in the Sun
In game 3 of the 2003 ALDS, with the Red Sox guarding a 1-0 lead, Byrnes dashed home from third on a weak ground ball by Miguel Tejada. Pitcher Derek Lowe's throw wasn't close to home plate, but catcher Jason Varitek had it blocked and Byrnes's left leg collided heavily with his shinguard. Byrnes did a 360 roll and ended up looking directly at the home plate umpire without noticing that he was giving neither an out nor safe sign. Instead of going back and tagging home, he started limping in the general direction of the dugout, even giving Varitek a shove as he raced past him to retrieve the ball at the backstop. He was still limping vaguely towards the dugout when Varitek came back with the ball and tagged him out.
Later in the same inning, Tejada was also tagged out while standing around and not atempting to tag home, in a play even more bizarre.
External Links
- Baseball reference page
- ESPN profile
- A page with video highlights from past Division Series - click on the one for "Byrne-d" to see Byrnes' Moment in the Sun
