Shooty Babitt
Former A's second baseman turned scout and TV analyst.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: Shooty Babitt · see source
Mack Neal "Shooty" Babitt is a former second baseman who played for the Oakland Athletics during the 1981 MLB season. After his playing days, he became a baseball scout and later a television analyst. His nickname "Shooty" came from his father hearing a local DJ use the name, as noted on his 1982 Donruss baseball card.
Babitt was drafted by the Athletics in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball draft and began his career with a seven-game hitting streak, the second longest such streak in Oakland A's history. Over 54 major league games in 1981, he hit .256 in 156 at bats. Manager Billy Martin once said, "If you ever see Shooty Babitt play second base for me again, I want you to Shooty me."
Background
Babitt's big-league career was brief but memorable. He played all 54 of his games in 1981, hitting .256 with 156 at bats. His seven-game hitting streak to start his career remains the second longest in Oakland A's history. Manager Billy Martin's sharp quote — "If you ever see Shooty Babitt play second base for me again, I want you to Shooty me" — captures the intensity of that season.
After retiring, Babitt became a long-time advance scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since 2008, he has scouted for the New York Mets and worked as a television color analyst on pre- and post-game shows for Oakland A's home games on NBC Sports California. Starting in 2014, he has also substituted for game analyst Ray Fosse on 20 A's games per season. His son, Zach Babitt, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the 2012 MLB draft.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Shooty Babitt (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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