When baseball players sign their first professional contract
they have stars in their eyes and no doubts in their mind as they are certain
they will play in the major leagues. Unfortunately, the majority of these young
men see their careers end short of their goal. However, a small number make it,
which is a monumental accomplishment regardless if they go on to set records or
have a total of one big league hit like former outfielder Jalal Leach.
Leach, a left-handed thrower and hitter, began his career by
being taken in the seventh round of the 1990 draft by the New York Yankees.
Future franchise stalwarts like Andy
Pettitte, Shane
Spencer and Jorge
Posada were all also drafted that year by the team, but they all
went after Leach, who was highly regarded out of Pepperdine University.
He progressed through the system, posting solid numbers
wherever he played. He did a lot of things well. A typical season was 1993 in
Double-A, where he hit .282 with 14 home runs, 79 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.
Unfortunately for him the New York outfield was stacked with the likes of Bernie
Williams and Paul
O’Neill, making him more of a luxury than a necessity.
For whatever reason the Yankees never gave Leach a chance at
the major league level and he was scooped up in the minor league draft by the
Montreal Expos following the 1995 season. He continued his solid play for them,
but bounced around to the Seattle Mariners and multiple stints with the Philadelphia
Phillies and San Francisco Giants.
In a testament to his determination, Leach finished a typically
productive year in 2001 at Triple-A for the Giants, hitting .285 with 16 home
runs and 70 RBIs in 130 games when he finally received the ultimate reward in
his 12th professional season. The Giants brought him up in the midst
of Barry Bonds’ historic chase that ultimately reached a record 73 home runs. The
September call up played sparingly, but finally got his first taste of the
majors. He flied out to right in his very first at bat, against Curt
Schilling, and went on to have a total of 12 plate appearances the
rest of the way where he chalked up an RBI single and two walks.
Leach never played in the majors again but played through
the 2004 season in the high minors, independent ball and the Mexican League. In
15 minor league seasons he posted excellent numbers—a .287 batting average with
132 home runs, 741 RBIs, 185 stolen bases and 1,517 hits. He has gone on to
continue working in the game, running his own baseball school and currently
working for the Miami Marlins. Keep reading as he reflects on his successful
career that continues to this day.
Jalal Leach Interview
Who was your favorite
player when you were growing up, and why?: Reggie
Jackson.
Can you describe your
draft experience with the New York Yankees in 1990- How did you find out you
had been selected?: Back then the draft was done via the phone.
Given your success in the minor leagues, how frustrated did
you feel about not getting Major League opportunities?: It was a part of the job.
There were plenty of guys like me in the boat.
What do you remember
about your one Major League hit (an RBI single off Octavio
Dotel and the Houston Astros)?: I figured Dotel was going to
throw many plenty of fastballs because I wasn’t getting frequent playing time.
In your opinion, who
was the most talented player you ever played with or against? What made them
stand out so much?: Barry
Bonds. He was the smartest player I played with.
What is your favorite
moment from your baseball career?: I guess you could say getting called to
the big leagues, but I really enjoyed the entire time.
Your major league
experience came in the midst of the Barry Bonds 73 home run season; what was it
like making the jump and going immediately into that circus?: To my
recollection it really wasn’t that bad because we were still in contention.
What was your
experience like playing professional ball in Mexico?: It’s baseball, but
down in Mexico they were known for throwing breaking balls.
Who was the best
manager/coach you ever had, and why?: My impactful coaches were Bob Selna, Little
League coach; Paul Ferrbouf, high school basketball coach; Andy Lopez, college
baseball coach; Dusty Baker, manager with the Giants. All these men were
influential in molding me as a person as well as a player.
What are you up to
since retiring as a player?: Owned a baseball school in Sacramento for 16 years
(Bmp18.com) and I’m now the Pacific Rim Coordinator for Miami Marlins.
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You can check me out on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @historianandrew
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