Darryl DeWayne Motley (born January 21, 1960) is a former
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), ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
who played six seasons for 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 ...
and
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
between and . In his MLB career, Motley played in 413 games, hit 44 home runs, 324 hits, 159 RBIs, and batted .243. Following his major league career, Motley played two seasons in Japan, and , for the
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.
History
The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugural ...
.
Career
Motley began 1985 as the Royals' starting left fielder, but after he struggled to begin the season, the team acquired
Lonnie Smith Lonnie Smith may refer to:
* Lonnie Smith (baseball) (born 1955), American baseball player
* Lonnie Smith (boxer) (born 1962), American boxer
* Lonnie Smith (organist) (1942–2021), American organist
* Lonnie Liston Smith (born 1940), American jaz ...
on May 17 and moved the right-handed hitting Motley to right field to platoon with the left-handed hitting
Pat Sheridan
Patrick Arthur Sheridan (born December 4, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four different teams, primarily as an outfielder, between 1981 and 1991.
Biography
Sheridan grew up i ...
.
Motley, a right-handed hitting outfielder, hit a 2-run home run for the Royals against the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
in Game 7 of the
1985 World Series
The 1985 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1985 season. The 82nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Kansas City Royals and the Na ...
to give Kansas City an early 2–0 lead. Motley's home run into the left field bleachers came on a 3–2 pitch, after he had hit the preceding 3–2 pitch to the same area in the stands, but foul. Motley, upon seeing the ball curve foul, slammed his bat into the home-plate area, breaking it. After selecting a new bat from the bat-boy, Motley delivered the fatal blow to the Cardinals. He also caught
Andy Van Slyke
Andrew James Van Slyke (born December 21, 1960) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder.
Career
Van Slyke earned All-American honors in baseball as a senior at New Hartford Central High school in New Hartford, New York. ...
's fly ball for the final out of the Series.
In 1986, Motley contended with Sheridan for the right field job. This time, the Royals released Sheridan at the end of spring training, but they signed
Rudy Law
Rudy Karl Law (born October 7, 1956) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1978 to 1986 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. In 1983, ...
to platoon with Motley, then traded Motley very late in the year, on September 23, to the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
for
Steve Shields.
He also played four years for the
Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional minor-league baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are members of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major Leagu ...
of the
Northern League, from 1996 to 1999. In the team's inaugural season in 1996, Motley hit .346 with 26 home runs and 103 RBI in 82 regular season games.
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet o
Pelota Binaria (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Motley, Darryl
1960 births
Living people
Adirondack Lumberjacks players
African-American baseball players
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna players
Allentown Ambassadors players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Atlanta Braves players
Baseball players from Oklahoma
Cardenales de Lara players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Chiba Lotte Marines players
Evansville Triplets players
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks players
Fort Myers Royals players
Gulf Coast Royals players
Indianapolis Indians players
Jacksonville Suns players
Kansas City Royals players
Major League Baseball outfielders
Minor league baseball managers
Nashville Sounds players
Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders
Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010) managers
Oklahoma City 89ers players
Omaha Royals players
People from Muskogee, Oklahoma
Petroleros de Poza Rica players
Québec Capitales players
Richmond Braves players
Rieleros de Aguascalientes players
Rojos del Águila de Veracruz players
St. Paul Saints players
Sultanes de Monterrey players
Tigres del México players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople
Grant High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni