Pat Sheridan

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Sheridan grew up in Wayne, Michigan, and attended Wayne Memorial High School, where he still holds many of the sports records. He played college baseball at Eastern Michigan University. Sheridan was selected to the All Mid-American Conference team as a center fielder in 1979. He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1979 baseball draft. In 1983, Sheridan missed two weeks in June with a shoulder injury. Upon his return June 22, he hit a walk-off 12th-inning single to give the Royals a 7-6 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Sheridan served as the Royals' starting right fielder in 1984. After he and left-fielder Darryl Motley struggled to begin the 1985 season, the Royals acquired Lonnie Smith on May 17 and moved Motley, a right-handed hitter, to right field to platoon with Sheridan, the left-handed hitter. Sheridan hit two home runs for the Royals in the 1985 American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, and was a member of the Royals' 1985 World Series champion team that defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. In 1986, Sheridan battled Motley for the starting right field spot in spring training; this time, the Royals chose to make Motley their everyday right fielder and released Sheridan at the end of spring training on March 28. On June 16, 1989, he was traded by the Detroit Tigers to the San Francisco Giants for Tracy Jones, and subsequently appeared in the 1989 World Series with the Giants, starting game 3 in right field.

In Their Own Story

The Kingdome crowd buzzed on June 30, 1990, as Tracy Jones stepped into the batter's box against Milwaukee's Bob Sebra. The pitch came in tight, intentionally hitting Jones in the ribs. In an instant, both benches cleared, and a 20-minute brawl erupted, leading to eight ejections. It was a raw, chaotic moment that captured the intensity Jones brought to the game. Earlier that season, he had been traded to the Mariners for Darnell Coles on June 18. Jones became the Mariners Opening Day left fielder in 1991, part of the club's revolving door of left fielders who played alongside Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. He played his final MLB game with the Mariners on October 6, 1991, drawing two walks in four plate appearances as the Mariners lost the last game of the season.

Reader's Guide

In a 9-year, 876 game major league career, Sheridan compiled a .253 batting average (611-for-2419) with 319 runs, 51 home runs and 257 RBI. He recorded a .983 fielding percentage at all three outfield positions. In 26 postseason games, he hit .174 (12-for-69) with 8 runs, 3 home runs and 6 RBI.

Did You Know?

• Sheridan hit a walk-off 12th-inning single on June 22, 1983, after missing two weeks with a shoulder injury.
• He hit two home runs for the Royals in the 1985 American League Championship Series.
• Sheridan started game 3 of the 1989 World Series in right field for the San Francisco Giants.