Chris Coghlan

Lore & Background

Coghlan attended East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and played college baseball for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). He was selected by the Florida Marlins in the first round (36th overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut on May 8, 2009, and set the Marlins team record for consecutive multi-hit games at eight on August 9, 2009. He had 41 hits in August 2009, earning Rookie of the Month honors, and followed with 50 hits in September/October 2009, becoming the first rookie with back-to-back 40+ hit months. His .321 batting average was 1st among all rookies. After the 2013 season, he was non-tendered by Miami. He later played for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays, and was part of the 2016 World Series champion Cubs.

In Their Own Story

The sun was setting over Sun Life Stadium—no, Marlins Park wasn't built yet, it was the old dome, the one with the retractable roof that sometimes leaked—and the bases were loaded with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. The pitcher, a lefty from the other side of the league, was on the mound with his glove low, eyes locked on the batter. But Coghlan was already moving. Not at the plate. On the basepath. He'd picked up the sign, read the set, and his lead was already stretching the shortstop's throw. The ball came in, a pitch a little too high, and Coghlan's bat was a blur. The crack echoed off the dome. The ball was in the gap, a soft liner toward center, and the center fielder—his own center fielder, the one who made a living on his feet—was already in full sprint, the warning track sand kicking up behind him in a little cloud. He stretched, the ball came to his fingertips, and he flipped it home. The runner was out. The stadium exhaled. Coghlan jogged back to the dugout, already breathing hard, already grinning, and the whole team was on its feet. That was the Marlins. That was the game they played. And that was the guy who made it possible.

Reader's Guide

Coghlan played left field when called up to the Marlins and later switched between left and center field with the Cubs. He was not primarily a center fielder for the Marlins. He did not play for the University of Florida. He was drafted in the first round, not the sixth round. He was not part of a 2012 Marlins World Series win; the Marlins' only World Series win is not mentioned in the source. After 2013, he was non-tendered, not traded to the White Sox.

Did You Know?

• Coghlan set the Marlins team record for consecutive multi-hit games at eight in 2009.
• He led all major league players in batting average (.372) and hits (113) after the 2009 All-Star break.
• He performed a dive roll over Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to score a go-ahead run on April 25, 2017.