Eric Karros
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Eric Peter Karros (born November 4, 1967) is an American 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 tea ...
first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
. Karros played 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), ...
(MLB) from 1991 to 2004 for the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
,
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
, and
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
. He was the
National League Rookie of the Year In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...
in 1992 and won a
Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters co ...
in 1995. Karros currently works as a sportscaster, covering the Dodgers on
Spectrum SportsNet LA Spectrum SportsNet LA and Spectrum Deportes LA (otherwise known as simply SportsNet LA and Deportes LA and originally known as Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA) is an American regional sports network jointly owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers Major L ...
.


Early life

Karros was born in
Hackensack, New Jersey Hackensack is a city in and the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.New Jers ...
, and graduated from Patrick Henry High School in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
. He attended
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, where he played on the Bruins baseball team and, in 1993, earned a degree in
economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
.


Playing career


Los Angeles Dodgers

Karros was selected by the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
in the sixth round of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft. He made his Major League debut as a pinch runner on September 1, 1991, against the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
. He made his first start, at
first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
, on September 4, 1991, 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 ha ...
, when he was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Karros recorded his first Major League hit as a
pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
in the bottom of the 12th inning against
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
pitcher
Milt Hill Milton Giles Hill (born August 22, 1965) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played four seasons at the major league level for the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners. He was drafted by the Reds in the 28th round of t ...
on September 16, 1991. It was a two-run RBI double to left field, his only hit in 14 batting appearances during the 1991 season. In his first at-bat of the 1992 season, on April 9 against the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
, Karros hit a two-run shot to deep left field off of Craig Lefferts for his first career
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 ...
. He became a full-time starter for the Dodgers that season, appearing in 149 games and hitting 20 home runs while driving in 88 runs. He was named the 1992
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
Rookie of the Year. Karros put up consistent numbers throughout his career with the Dodgers, with a
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
just under .270 and an average of almost 25 home runs a year. He became the third Dodgers player in history to record 30 home runs and 100 RBI in five different seasons (alongside
Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider (September 19, 1926 – February 27, 2011), nicknamed "the Silver Fox" and "the Duke of Flatbush", was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he spent most of his Major League Baseball (M ...
and
Gil Hodges Gilbert Ray Hodges (''né'' Hodge; April 4, 1924 – April 2, 1972) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played most of his 18-year career for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. He was widely regarded as t ...
). Karros also remains the only player in Dodgers history to hit two homers in the same inning, accomplishing the feat on August 22, 2000. was his best statistical year with the Dodgers, when he hit .304 with 34 home runs and 112 RBI. His career 270 home runs as a Los Angeles Dodger are the most since the team moved to Los Angeles, and third in all-time Dodgers history.


Chicago Cubs

On December 2, 2002, he was traded along with
Mark Grudzielanek Mark James Grudzielanek (; born June 30, 1970) is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. Grudzielanek played for six different teams during his 15-season career. He batted and threw right-handed. He was most recently the ma ...
to the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
in exchange for
Todd Hundley Todd Randolph Hundley (born May 27, 1969) is a former Major League Baseball catcher and outfielder. He was a two-time All-Star who played for 14 seasons with the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Early life Hundley was born ...
and
Chad Hermansen Chad Bruce Hermansen (born September 10, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Career Hermansen played amateur ball as a shortstop at Green Valley High School (Nevada), Green Valley High School of Henderson, Nevada, and the Pittsbur ...
. Karros started the season as the Cubs' backup first baseman but took over the role at the beginning of June after
Hee-seop Choi Hee-seop Choi (; Hangul: 최희섭; Hanja: 崔熙燮; ; born March 16, 1979) is a South Korean former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, and Los Angeles Dodgers ...
was injured in a collision with Cubs teammate
Kerry Wood Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees. Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rook ...
. After playing the season with the Cubs he was granted free agency from the team at the end of the year. In 114 games with the Cubs, he hit .286 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI.


Oakland Athletics

He then signed with the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
before the start of the season. Karros’ final MLB game was on July 21, 2004, and he was released by the Athletics on August 3, 2004. He only appeared in 40 games with the team, hitting .194 with two home runs and 11 RBI.


Career statistics

In 15 postseason games, in the 1995, 1996 and 2003
National League Division Series In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ...
and 2003
National League Championship Series The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two Nation ...
Karros batted .300 (15-for-50) with nine runs, four home runs and six RBI.


Highlights

*1992 National League Rookie of the Year *1995 National League Silver Slugger Award at First Base *Finished 5th in voting for 1995 National League MVP *Los Angeles Dodgers Career Sacrifice Flies Leader (74) *Second-most career home runs for a Player Born in New Jersey (284) *Second-most career home runs (behind
Tim Salmon Timothy James Salmon (born August 24, 1968), nicknamed "King Fish", is an American former professional baseball player and current sportcaster. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to with the Anaheim Angels as an o ...
) for any player in MLB history who never appeared in the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...


Broadcasting career

Karros works as a
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
for baseball on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
. He previously worked for
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the F ...
in 2004 doing the pregame shows for the Major League Baseball playoffs, and
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
until 2006 as a studio and game analyst. He previously worked on KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, where he did the pre-game show for Dodger games. Karros was a co-broadcaster in the MLB: The Show titles, debuting on '' MLB 11: The Show'', commentating with
Matt Vasgersian Matt Vasgersian ( '; born 1967) is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels, as well as a studio host for MLB Network and FOX Sports. In the past, he has served as an an ...
, Dave Campbell and Steve Lyons. Karros was hired to call regional games for ''
Fox Saturday Baseball ''Fox Saturday Baseball'' is an American television presentation of Major League Baseball (MLB) games produced by Fox Sports for the Fox network on Saturday afternoons. Fox's coverage includes 4 weeks worth of coverage as of 2023. Coverage usual ...
'' in 2007. He was promoted to the secondary team in 2011, primarily calling games with
Thom Brennaman Thomas Wade Brennaman (born September 12, 1963) is an American television sportscaster. He is the son of former Cincinnati Reds radio sportscaster Marty Brennaman. Broadcasting career After graduating in 1982 from Cincinnati's Anderson High Sc ...
. In March 2014, it was announced that Brennaman and Karros would continue to call FOX games together, and the pair called the first regular season game ever on
Fox Sports 1 Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is an American pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. FS1 replaced the motorsports network Speed on August 17, 2013, at the same time that its companion channel Fox Sports ...
. In March 2022, Karros returned to his Dodger broadcasting post as he joined the
Spectrum SportsNet LA Spectrum SportsNet LA and Spectrum Deportes LA (otherwise known as simply SportsNet LA and Deportes LA and originally known as Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA) is an American regional sports network jointly owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers Major L ...
network.


Personal life

Karros and his wife Trish have three children. Their sons Kyle and Jared both played
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. Jared was selected by the Dodgers in the 2022 MLB Draft.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders This is a list of the 300 Major League Baseball players who have hit the most home runs. In the sport of baseball, a home run is a hit in which the batter scores by circling all the bases and reaching home plate in one play, without the benefit ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders This is a list of Major League Baseball players who have compiled 1,000 runs batted in (RBIs). RBIs are usually accumulated when a batter in baseball enables a runner on base (including himself, in the case of a home run) to score as a result of ma ...


References


External links


Baseball AlmanacThe Baseball GaugeVenezuela Winter League

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karros, Eric 1967 births Living people Albuquerque Dukes players Bakersfield Dodgers players Baseball players from New Jersey Chicago Cubs players Major League Baseball broadcasters Great Falls Dodgers players Leones del Caracas players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Los Angeles Dodgers announcers Los Angeles Dodgers Legend Bureau Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Oakland Athletics players Sportspeople from Hackensack, New Jersey San Antonio Missions players San Bernardino Stampede players UCLA Bruins baseball players University of California, Los Angeles alumni Silver Slugger Award winners