Christopher John Truby (born December 9, 1973) is a
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
who played some of his career in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
, though most of his time was spent in various teams' minor league systems. Chris is a 1992 graduate of
Damien Memorial High School in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Playing career
Truby came up in 2000 with the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. After hitting .260 with 11
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s in 258
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s his rookie season, he never matched his rookie totals. He has since played partial seasons with the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
,
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
, and
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...
. His most recent MLB appearance came during the 2003 season. The
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...
signed Truby with the intention of having him play third base until prospect
Mark Teahen
Mark Thomas Teahen (born September 6, 1981) is an American-Canadian former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays.
He graduated from Yucaip ...
was ready for full-time duty in the major leagues. However, Truby sustained a wrist injury in
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
and started the 2005 season on the disabled list.
Truby was a
replacement player In professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout, serving as a strikebreaker.
Instances of replacement players
Nati ...
in 1995, before the
1994 Major League Baseball strike was resolved. After replacement players were no longer necessary, Truby spent the next five years playing for various Houston Astro's minor league teams before finally breaking through to the Major Leagues with the 2000 Astros. Truby last played for the
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...
, the Triple-A affiliate of the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. On June 22, 2007, Truby announced his
retirement
Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload.
Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
from baseball as a player.
As a coach
In 2008, he took a coaching job in the Pirates minor league system, then was named as manager of the
West Oahu CaneFires
The West Oahu CaneFires were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They were based in Waipahu, Hawaii. The name CaneFires is derived from the burning of sugar cane before harvest on many plantations on the island of O ...
of
Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB), based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league in the Hawaiian islands. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB).
History
The HWB league first began play in 1993. Funded by Major ...
br>
From 2009-13, Truby managed in the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
system, with the
Williamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. From 1994 to 2020, they were a ...
from 2009–10, the
Lakewood BlueClaws
The Jersey Shore BlueClaws (formerly Lakewood BlueClaws) are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their locat ...
in 2011 and the
Clearwater Threshers
The Clearwater Threshers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Clearwater, Florida, and have played their home games at BayCare Ballpark since 2 ...
from 2012-13. In 2014, Truby joined the staff of the Phillies parent club as the infield coordinator. In January 2022, Truby was named the Minor League Infield Coordinator in the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
organization.
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet o
The Baseball Gauge o
Venezuela Winter League o
Minor League splits and situational stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Truby, Chris
1973 births
Living people
Altoona Curve players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Auburn Astros players
Baseball coaches from California
Baseball players from California
Damien Memorial School alumni
Detroit Tigers players
Durham Bulls players
Gulf Coast Astros players
Houston Astros players
Indianapolis Indians players
Jackson Generals (Texas League) players
Kissimmee Cobras players
Las Vegas 51s players
Leones del Caracas players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Major League Baseball replacement players
Major League Baseball third basemen
Minor league baseball coaches
Minor league baseball managers
Montreal Expos players
Nashville Sounds players
New Orleans Zephyrs players
Omaha Royals players
Osceola Astros players
Quad Cities River Bandits players
Sportspeople from Palm Springs, California
Tampa Bay Devil Rays players
Toledo Mud Hens players