Willie Upshaw: Difference between revisions

Willie Upshaw
Willie Upshaw
	First baseman
	Born: April 27, 1957 (age 67); Blanco, Texas
	Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
	April 9, 1978, for the Toronto Blue Jays
Last appearance
	September 28, 1988, for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics
Batting average	.262
Home runs	123
Runs batted in	528
	Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
	Toronto Blue Jays (1978–1987); Cleveland Indians (1988); Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1989–1990);

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Revision as of 03:54, 16 July 2015

Willie Clay Upshaw (born April 27, 1957 in Blanco, Texas) is a retired Major League Baseball player who played first base for the Toronto Blue Jays (1978, 1980–1987) and Cleveland Indians (1988), both of the American League.

Following his Major League career, he played two seasons in Japan for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1989–1990).

He is currently field manager of the independent minor league Bridgeport Bluefish.^[1]

Bio

Upshaw was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 5th round of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft.

Following the 1977 season, he was selected by the expansion Toronto Blue Jays in the Rule 5 draft, and in 1982, became the Blue Jays' regular first-baseman, leading the team in home runs with 21, RBI with 75, and extra base hits.

In 1983 he became the first Blue Jays' player to reach the 100 RBI plateau in a season, driving in 104 runs while batting .306.^[2]

Prior to the 1988 season, Upshaw's contract was purchased by the Cleveland Indians, and is currently Major League Baseball's career leader in home runs (123) and RBIs (528) for players whose surname begins with the letter U.

From 2006 to 2007 he served as the first base coach for the San Francisco Giants. When Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's career home run record, Upshaw was the first to congratulate him with a high-five as Bonds circled the bases.

He is the cousin of the late NFL Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw and former NFL player Marvin Upshaw.

In May 2007 his son, Chad Upshaw, signed a three-year contract with the Carolina Panthers as a Tight End after going undrafted following his graduation from Buffalo.

He is currently the manager for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish, having served as their bench coach as well as the team's first manager in the late 1990s, and currently resides in Fairfield, Connecticut.

References

^ "Tommy John Steps Down as Bluefish Manager". July 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
^ "Bluefish Coaching Staff". July 21, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-21.

External links

Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)

Template:Persondata

[bluefish_article_366-1] "Tommy John Steps Down as Bluefish Manager". July 8, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-08.

[bluefish_upshaw-2] "Bluefish Coaching Staff". July 21, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-21.

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[2]

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 He is the cousin of the late [[National Football League|NFL]] Hall of Famer [[Gene Upshaw]] and former NFL player [[Marvin Upshaw]].
-In May 2007 his son, Chad Upshaw, signed a 3-year contract with the [[Carolina Panthers]] as a [[tight end (American football)|Tight End]] after going undrafted following his graduation from [[University at Buffalo, The State University of New York|Buffalo]].
+In May 2007 his son, Chad Upshaw, signed a three-year contract with the [[Carolina Panthers]] as a [[tight end (American football)|Tight End]] after going undrafted following his graduation from [[University at Buffalo, The State University of New York|Buffalo]].
 He is currently the manager for the independent [[Bridgeport Bluefish]], having served as their bench coach as well as the team's first manager in the late 1990s, and currently resides in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States