Daniel Weston Worth (born September 30, 1985) is an American baseball coach and former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
infielder. He is an assistant baseball coach at
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and th ...
. He previously played for the
SK Wyverns of the
KBO League
The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
and for the
Detroit Tigers and the
Houston Astros of the
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), ...
(MLB).
Primarily a
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
, Worth has also played
second base and
third base
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 ...
in the major and minor leagues.
Early life
Worth was born in
Northridge, California
Northridge is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the Los Angeles, California, City of Los Angeles. The community is home to California State University, Northridge, and the Northridge Fashion Center.
Originally named List_of_mino ...
. Worth attended
Valencia High School in
Santa Clarita, California.
Education
Worth attended
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and th ...
in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...
, where he was a member of the
baseball team from 2005-07. Worth was named a preseason All-American during his junior season and was also named an All-
West Coast Conference selection all three of his seasons. He hit .320 for his career with seven home runs and 108 RBI. He was a member of two WCC-championship winning teams and played in three NCAA Tournaments.
Career
Worth was drafted by the Tigers in the second round (91st overall) of the
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players and was held on June 7, 2007 and June 8, 2007. The first day session of the draft included the fir ...
.
He played in the minor leagues for the
Lakeland Flying Tigers
The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Lakeland, Florida, and play their home games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
H ...
(A), the
Erie SeaWolves (AA), and the
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
(AAA). He was named the 8th best prospect in the Tigers system for the 2008 season by ''
Baseball America''.
The same publication also listed him as the best defensive infielder.
Detroit Tigers
Worth was called up on May 16, 2010. He appeared in his first Major League game that afternoon, replacing
Scott Sizemore
Scott Daniel Sizemore (born January 4, 1985) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder who played for the Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, and New York Yankees from 2010 to 2014.
Early life
Sizemore was born in Virginia Beach ...
at second base when the Tigers sent Sizemore down to Triple-A. In his first major league at-bat Worth hit an
infield single with the bases loaded and two outs, picking up his first major league hit and RBI. He was called up again on June 6 to replace
Adam Everett
Jeffery Adam Everett (born February 5, 1977), is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played college baseball for both the NC State Wolfpack and South Carolina Gamecocks. He was drafted in the first round of ...
in the lineup, who was designated for assignment on that date. Worth ultimately appeared in 39 games, mostly at shortstop.
Worth hit his first major league home run on July 7, 2010, against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
.
Worth entered the 2011 season as a candidate for playing time as a
utility infielder
In baseball, a utility player is a player who typically does not have the offensive abilities to justify a regular starting role on the team but is capable of playing more than one defensive position. These players are able to give the various s ...
. He ultimately appeared in 30 games at the major league level, often appearing as a defensive replacement at second or third base.
In 2012, Worth entered spring as a candidate for a utility infielder job, and made the opening day roster for the first time in his career. On April 13, he was optioned to the
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
when
Brandon Inge
Charles Brandon Inge ( ; born May 19, 1977) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and catcher and currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team. He played 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, on ...
returned from the
disabled list. Worth was recalled on April 28 when
Delmon Young
Delmon Damarcus Young (born September 14, 1985) is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Melbourne Aces of the Australian Baseball League. He played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Ray ...
was placed on the restricted list.
Worth was the last player cut from the Tigers' roster at the end of
spring training in 2013. He was
optioned
In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...
to the Mud Hens.
On December 13, 2013, the Tigers designated Worth for assignment after the signing of pitcher
Joba Chamberlain
Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain (''né'' Heath; ; born September 23, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland ...
. He cleared waivers on December 16 and was assigned to
AAA Toledo. His contract was purchased by the Tigers on April 20, 2014 to replace
Álex González, who was released.
On May 22, 2014, the Tigers were trailing the
Texas Rangers 9–2 after eight innings when Worth entered the game as a pitcher for the first time in his career. Using mainly
knuckleball
A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. This cha ...
s, Worth allowed one hit and struck out two to retire the side in the top of the ninth inning. He became the first Tiger position player to pitch a full inning since
Mark Koenig
Mark Anthony Koenig (July 19, 1904 – April 22, 1993) was an American baseball shortstop who played twelve seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played with the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and New Yor ...
in
1931
Events
January
* January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics.
* January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa.
* January 22 – Sir I ...
.
Worth was designated for assignment by the Tigers on June 4, allowing the Tigers to bring up
Eugenio Suárez
Eugenio Alejandro Suárez (born July 18, 1991) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds. Suárez was an All-Star in 2 ...
from Triple-A Toledo. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Toledo on June 6. Worth elected free agency on October 12, 2014.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 15, 2014, he signed a minor league contract with the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
.
Houston Astros
He joined the
Houston Astros for the 2016 season, signing a minor league contract on January 26.
SK Wyverns
On November 16, 2016, Worth signed with the
SK Wyverns of the
KBO League
The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...
in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
. He was released by the Wyverns after going 1-for-9 in 3 games.
Coaching
In July 2018, Worth became an Assistant Coach at
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and th ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worth, Danny
1985 births
Living people
People from Northridge, Los Angeles
Baseball players from California
Detroit Tigers players
Erie SeaWolves players
Fresno Grizzlies players
Houston Astros players
Lakeland Flying Tigers players
Major League Baseball second basemen
North Shore Honu players
Pepperdine Waves baseball players
Reno Aces players
Tiburones de La Guaira players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Toledo Mud Hens players
KBO League infielders
SSG Landers players
American expatriate baseball players in South Korea
Pepperdine Waves baseball coaches