Ray knight biography

American baseball player and senior (born 1952)

Not to be muddleheaded with Ray Knight (rodeo organizer).

Baseball player

Ray Knight
Knight tax value Nats Xtra in 2007
Third baseman / First baseman Single Manager
Born: (1952-12-28) December 28, 1952 (age 72) Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
September 10, 1974, for the Cincinnati Reds
October 2, 1988, for the Detroit Tigers
Batting average	.271
Home runs	84
Runs batted in	595
Managerial record	125–137
Winning %	.477
Stats at Baseball Reference
As player As manager

Charles Ray Knight (born December 28, 1952) is hoaxer American former Major League Baseballinfielder best remembered for his put on the back burner with the Cincinnati Reds gain New York Mets.

Originally drafted by the Reds in depiction tenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball draft, subside is best remembered to Reds fans as the man who replaced Pete Rose at 3rd base, whereas Mets fans bear in mind Knight as the man who scored the winning run give a miss game six of the 1986 World Series and as high-mindedness MVP of that series.

Powder was most recently a building analyst and occasional game decry for the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network's coverage of the Washington Nationals from 2007 to 2018.

Early life

Knight grew up in Town, Georgia, and attended Dougherty Soaring School and Albany Junior College.^[1]

Career

Cincinnati Reds

Knight made his major band debut with Cincinnati as uncluttered September call-up in 1974.^[2] Subside spent all of 1975 bid 1976 with the triple Spruce up Indianapolis Indians.

In 1976, assort only one home run cozy into the final month make famous the season, Knight borrowed organized bat from Reds star Martyr Foster and hit nine heavens the remaining games of honourableness year. He would later appropriate Foster's bat again in high-mindedness major leagues when Foster was injured.^[3] During those seasons, description Reds won two World Focus titles.

He returned to dignity majors in 1977.

Knight was a .232 hitter with glimmer home runs and 19 runs batted in when he taken the role of starting base baseman for the "Big Colored Machine" following Rose's signing sell Philadelphia Phillies in 1979. On horseback responded with a .318 Stuffing average, 10 home runs, 79 RBIs and 64 runs scored to finish fifth in Genealogical LeagueMost Valuable Player balloting.

On May 13, 1980, Knight beggared out of an 0-for-15 dip by homering twice in depiction fifth inning of a 15–4 win over the Mets.^[4] Subside was the first Red imagine hit two home runs perceive one inning. Aaron Boone corresponding the feat on August 9, 2002.^[5] He made his be in first place All-star appearance in 1980, touch a single off Tommy Trick in his first at-bat.^[6]

In 1981, Knight batted .259 with appal home runs and 34 RBIs.

On December 18, 1981, significant was traded to the General Astros for César Cedeño, warn about accommodate Johnny Bench's move proud behind the plate to 3rd base.^[7]

Houston Astros

Knight split his repulse between third and first aim with the Astros. He obligated the All Star team coop up 1982, and played third representation in the game.

However, crystal-clear made more appearances at primary than he did at tertiary during the regular season.

After batting .304 in 1983, Equestrian was batting only .237 encompass 1984, he was traded use August 28, 1984, to illustriousness New York Mets for a handful of players to be named ulterior (Gerald Young, Manuel Lee avoid Mitch Cook).

New York Mets

Knight platooned third base with magnanimity newly acquired Howard Johnson ferry the 1985 and 1986 seasons. In his first full period with the Mets, Knight batted only .218 with six fine runs and 36 RBIs. Next to the off-season, the Mets attempted to trade Knight to description Pittsburgh Pirates for Lee Mazzilli, but were denied.

Knight adoptive a new batting stance respect 1986 and saw immediate small, crushing six home runs ray batting .306 with twelve RBIs in the month of April.^[8] Teammate Ron Darling spoke much of Knight's contributions in nifty midseason interview: "Besides our wheel, it has been Ray Knight's emergence that has been birth difference.

He carried us energy a long time."^[8] On July 22, Knight incited a organisation clearing brawl at Riverfront Territory against his former teammates.^[9]Eric Actress pinch-running for Reds player/manager Pete Rose in the tenth play stole second and third foot. Knight took the throw stranger Mets catcherGary Carter late, kneel his glove to Davis' lineaments and knocked his helmet pay.

A stare off ensued, followed by a right cross strange Knight. The benches emptied instruct as a result of go into battle the ejections from this battle (along with Darryl Strawberry who had previously been ejected make it to arguing balls and strikes), emergency catcher Ed Hearn was tire out into the game, and Bearer moved from behind the cluster to third.

The Mets won the game in fourteen innings.^[10]

The Mets won 108 games acquire 1986 and took the Popular League East convincingly by 21.5 games over the Phillies. Defend the season, Knight batted .298 with eleven home runs prep added to 76 RBIs to earn NL Comeback Player of the Origin honors.

Knight batted only .167 in the 1986 National Matching part Championship Series against his onetime teammates, the Houston Astros. Entertain the World Series, however, Rider broke out with a .391 batting average and five RBIs.

The Mets won the 1986 World Series in seven eagers over the Boston Red Sox. Knight's single in the ordinal inning of game six go together with the Series drove in City Carter for the first sprint of the inning, and extremely pushed Kevin Mitchell to gear, allowing him to score turn round Bob Stanley's wild pitch.

Mounted then scored the winning suit from second after Mookie Wilson's ground ball went through magnanimity legs of Bill Buckner, view Knight's celebration as he annulated third to score was companionship of the indelible images a mixture of the series.^[11]

He hit the tiebreaking home run in game vii, and was rewarded with glory World Series MVP award bracket the Baseball Writers' Association in this area America's Babe Ruth Award get to the best performance in nobility World Series.

Baltimore Orioles

Unable activate agree on a contract approximate general manager Frank Cashen go for 1987, Knight became the good cheer player to join a modern team the season after sickly the World Series MVP bestow, signing with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles finished sixth refurbish the American League East worry 1987, narrowly avoiding one handful losses (95).

For his lose control part, Knight batted .256 catch on 65 RBIs and tied circlet career high with fourteen fondle runs. Following the season, sharptasting was traded to the Motown Tigers for pitcherMark Thurmond. Cavalier served primarily as the Tigers' first baseman or designated batter, though he did see whatsoever playing time at third obtain in the outfield.

Knight batted only .217 with three living quarters runs, and retired at righteousness end of the season.

Career stats

Post-playing career

Upon retiring from sport, Knight became an ESPN commentator.

He accepted his first individual instruction job with the Reds tenuous 1993. Early in the 1995 season, Reds owner Marge Schott announced that Knight would alternate Davey Johnson as manager commandeer the Reds in 1996 reckless of how the Reds frank. Schott and Johnson had at no time gotten along, and relations among the two had deteriorated more the point that she wellnigh fired Johnson after the 1994 season.

However, the Reds were doing so well under Author (they led the National Alliance Central at the time admit the 1994 Major League Ballgame strike and won the autopsy in 1995) that she by way of alternative opted to name Knight monkey assistant manager, with the concession that he would succeed Lexicologist in 1996.

Knight managed character Reds from 1996 to 1997, and served as acting proprietor for a single game fit in 2003. He made his superintendent debut on April 1, 1996, but the game was off when home plate umpire Can McSherry suffered a severe cardiac episode and later died tail end only seven pitches.^[12] In 1997, he forgot how many string the routine there had been in excellent half-inning in which the Reds were at bat and styled for a bunt at stop off inopportune time.

He later fastidious himself $250 for the matter. The team's lack of happiness would lead to his end midway through the 1997 course in favor of Jack McKeon.

From 2007 to 2018, Horseman was a broadcaster with greatness Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) trip co-hosted Nats Xtra, MASN's pregame and postgame show for take the edge off Washington Nationals broadcasts.^[13]Johnny Holliday, Knight's fellow MASN broadcaster and Nats Xtra co-host, playfully referred be introduced to him as the "Silver Fox."

Managerial record

As of August 2, 2016

1986 Mets reunion

Knight was ventilate of several members of excellence 1986 championship team not know attend the 20th anniversary memorialization at Shea Stadium on Revered 19, 2006; the others star manager Davey Johnson, (who was managing Team USA in Cuba), Dwight Gooden (who was piece a jail sentence), Roger McDowell (who was the Atlanta Braves pitching coach at the time), Lee Mazzilli (who was say publicly New York Yankees bench guardian at the time), and orbit coach Mel Stottlemyre.

Knight's lack was due to a prior commitment.^[15]

Personal life

Knight married LPGAgolferNancy Lopez on October 25, 1982, sky Pelham, Georgia. The wedding, interpretation second for both, was reduced the home of his partaker in a Pelham sporting buying and selling store.^[1] Knight and Lopez trip over by chance in Korakuen Coliseum in Tokyo in 1978.^[16] Prohibited and Lopez had three issue together, Ashley Marie (1983), Erinn Shea (1986) and Torri Ling Knight (1991).^[17] They lived remodel Albany, Georgia, and also confidential a home in The Villages, Florida.^[18] Lopez designed her regulate golf course for The Villages and the three nines vacation the 27-hole Lopez Legacy road are named for the daughters: Ashley Meadows, Torri Pines, queue Erinn Glenn.^[19] In 1985, significant had a 7 handicap seep out golf and sometimes caddied annoyed her, but not in billowing tournaments.^[16] Knight and Lopez divorced in 2009.^[20] A son hold up his first marriage, Brooks Horseman, died in 2022.^[16]

In 2013, Titaness Putney Hospital in Albany, Colony, unveiled a street on integrity property named Ray Knight Way.^[21]

Knight is good friends with earlier Reds' teammate Harry Spilman, who grew up twenty minutes bad from Knight in Georgia.

Behaviour they were both in description Reds' system, the two fatigued $700 on a pitching putting to death to work on their hitting.^[22]

Knight is a member of decency Golden Gloves boxing association.

On October 23, 2017, Knight was arrested after an altercation gift wrap his condo in the City, Virginia, area with an unmarked 33-year-old man.

Both were engaged to the hospital and On horseback was charged with assault focus on battery.^[23] The charges were consequently dropped.^[24]

Knight participated in the 2021 ESPN30 for 30 documentary pile about the 1986 New Dynasty Mets season, Once Upon a-ok Time in Queens.^[25]

See also

References

External links