Mike Aldrete
From BR Bullpen
Michael Peter Aldrete
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.
- School Stanford University
- High School Monterey (CA) High School
- Debut May 28, 1986
- Final Game September 29, 1996
- Born January 29, 1961 in Carmel, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Mike Aldrete was a moderate-average, good on-base percentage, low-power, outfielder-first baseman for a number of teams in the 1980's and 1990's. A college star at Stanford University in the early 1980's, he first came up with the San Francisco Giants in 1986 and had the best season of his career the following year when he hit .325 with 9 home runs as the Giants finished first in the National League West. His output declined in 1988, and he was traded to the Montreal Expos after the season. He was strictly a bench player in two seasons for the Expos, hitting .221 and .242 before being released during spring training 1991. He began moving from team to team, with stints with the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians before spending all of 1992 in the minors.
Aldrete caught a break in 1993 when the regular first baseman of the Oakland Athletics, Mark McGwire, was sidelined by an injury for most of the season. Aldrete stepped into the breach and played creditably, hitting .267 with 10 home runs in 95 games. This allowed him to stay in the American League as a bench player over the next few seasons, first with the Athletics, then with the California Angels in 1995 and 1996, and with the New York Yankees to finish the 1996 season. He also made one pitching appearance with the Yankees that season. He ended his career on a bright note as he was part of the Yankees' 1996 World Championship team, getting into two games against the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 World Series. His final professional season was in 1997, where he played briefly for the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
As a player, Mike Aldrete brought two main qualities to the plate: the ability to hit for a decent average, and the ability to take a walk. This made him a valuable pinch-hitter, but his lack of power and speed, and mediocre play in the field, meant that he could never hold onto a job as a regular player. After retirement, he became a coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization and was named first base coach of the Seattle Mariners on October 6, 2003, under manager Bob Melvin, his former teammate with the Giants. He followed Melvin to the Diamondbacks for the 2005 season, taking over as the team's hitting coach, and served in that role for two seasons.
He primarily wore number 23 during his playing career.
He is the brother of Rich Aldrete, who is currently (2007) the head coach at California State University, Monterey Bay.
[edit] Notable Achievement
- Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1996
