Walter Kevin McReynolds (born October 16, 1959) is an American former

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 ...

player who was an

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 ...

with a 12-year 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), ...

(MLB) from 1983 to 1994. A two-time All-America from the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkansas ...

, he played professionally for 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 penna ...

and

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

of the

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 ...

and 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 ...

of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

Early life

McReynolds was born in

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

High school

He attended Sylvan Hills High School in

Sherwood, Arkansas Sherwood is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 32,731. It is part of the Little Rock, Arkansas, Little Rock−North Little ...

, where he played baseball. McReynolds was said to be one of the best high school players in Arkansas. McReynolds proved that by hitting .638, 15 home runs, and had 60 RBIs during the first 25 games of his senior year. He led his Bears team to the Arkansas Class AAA State Baseball Championship and was tournament MVP in 1978. McReynolds was named the 1978 Arkansas High School Baseball Player of the Year. In 2011, McReynolds became the school's first inductee to the

National High School Hall of Fame The National High School Hall of Fame is a program of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) that honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to high school sports or performing arts. As of 2019, a total of ...

College

McReynolds was drafted by the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

after his senior year of high school, but chose to attend the

where he played outfielder for the Razorbacks under scholarship. At Arkansas, McReynolds proved that the Razorbacks made a good move in giving him that scholarship. In his freshman year, McReynolds hit for a .282 batting average with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. That year Arkansas came in second in the

College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...

in which McReynolds hit for a .566 batting average, with two home runs, two doubles and five RBIs. McReynolds got better as his college career progressed. In his junior year, McReynolds hit for a .386 batting average with 17 home runs and 57 RBIs as the Razorbacks finished second in the league and received a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Professional playing career

San Diego Padres (1981–86)

Minor Leagues

The

selected McReynolds with the sixth pick in the first round of the

1981 Major League Baseball draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft. Compensation Picks Other notable players *Darrin Jackson, 2nd round, 28th overall by the Chicago Cubs *Mike Gallego, 2nd round, 33r ...

. He played in the

minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...

from 1981 to 1983. McReynolds played for the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Reno Padres Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

in Nevada, the Double-A

Amarillo Gold Sox The Amarillo Gold Sox was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise that represented the city of Amarillo, Texas, in the Class D West Texas–New Mexico League, the Class A Western League and the Double-A Texas League at various t ...

in Texas, and then the Triple-A Las Vegas Stars. In 1983, during his time in Las Vegas, McReynolds won the Pacific Coast League MVP.

Major League Debut

McReynolds made his major league debut for the Padres on June 2, 1983, against 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 ...

; he hit a home run in his fourth at-bat. McReynolds finished the season with a .221 batting average, 4 home runs, and 14 RBIs.

1984 Padres

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

, the Padres reached the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

for the first time in franchise history. McReynolds along with rookie outfielder Carmelo Martínez was hyped as the M&M Boys after the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

1960s power-hitting duo of

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

and

Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 ...

. McReynolds shared the team lead for home runs with 20 and Martinez was fourth on the team with 66 RBIs. During the 1984 National League Championship Series (NLCS) McReynolds had a .300 batting average, hit 1 home run and 4 RBIs. However, he broke his wrist trying to break up a

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...

in Game 4, and was out for the season. The Padres won Game 5 and advanced to the World Series, losing 4–1 to 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 ...

New York Mets (1987–91)

On December 11, 1986, McReynolds and two other players were traded to the New York Mets. There, McReynolds continued to flourish. His best season came in 1988, as McReynolds tied his career high batting average at .288 and set career highs in RBIs with 99 and stolen bases with 21, which set a Major League Baseball record for stolen bases without being caught stealing; the record was broken by

Chase Utley Chase Cameron Utley (born December 17, 1978), nicknamed "The Man" and "Silver Fox", is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons, primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies. He ...

in 2009. That year, McReynolds came in third in the MVP voting behind

Kirk Gibson Kirk Harold Gibson (born May 28, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He is currently a color commentator for the Detroit Tigers on Bally Sports Detroit and a special assistant for the Tigers. As a player, Gibson ...

and

Darryl Strawberry Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball right fielder and author who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in th ...

1988 NLCS

In 1988, the Mets made it to the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McReynolds played fairly well in the series, batting .250 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. In Game 1, McReynolds famously collided with Dodgers catcher

Mike Scioscia Michael Lorri Scioscia (, ; born November 27, 1958), nicknamed "Sosh" and "El Jefe", is an American former Major League Baseball catcher and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He managed the Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Ange ...

. This brought attention to McReynolds, who was known for not wanting attention. McReynolds stayed out of the headlines for the rest of the series as the Mets lost the series, four games to three.

Kansas City Royals (1992–93)

On December 6, 1991, the Mets traded McReynolds, along with

Gregg Jefferies Gregory Scott Jefferies (born August 1, 1967) is a retired infielder/outfielder in Major League Baseball who had a 14-year career from 1987 to 2000. He was a highly touted prospect who became the first two-time winner of the ''Baseball America ...

and

Keith Miller Keith Ross Miller (28 November 1919 – 11 October 2004) was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. His ability, irreverent m ...

, to the

for Bret Saberhagen. During his two years with the Royals, McReynolds hit a combined batting average of .246, hit 24 home runs and 91 RBIs.

Back to the Mets (1994)

On January 5, 1994, McReynolds was traded back to the Mets for Vince Coleman, after Coleman started a controversy in New York. McReynolds played his last year of baseball for the Mets, hitting .256 with 4 home runs and 21 RBIs. On October 25, 1994, McReynolds was granted free agency and ended his 12-year baseball career.

Personal life

McReynolds and his wife Jackie McReynolds married in 1987, and had two daughters together. McReynolds is an avid duck-hunter and fisherman. After retiring, McReynolds built the Kevin McReynolds Sports Complex near Sylvan Hills High School. McReynolds also runs a commercial duck-hunting club in southeast Arkansas.

Achievements

* Inductee, SEC Baseball Legends (2012, inaugural class) * Inductee,

(2011) * Inductee,

Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame is the hall of fame and museum for sports in Arkansas, United States. The hall of fame inducted its first class in 1959. The hall's museum is located on the west end of the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas. ...

(1996) *

Player of the Month (September 1988) * Major League Baseball record for most steals in a season (21) without being caught (1988, since surpassed) *

Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player Award The Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual award given to the best player in Minor League Baseball's Pacific Coast League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. From 1932 to 1947, th ...

(1983) *

Bill Dickey William Malcolm Dickey (June 6, 1907 – November 12, 1993) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees for 19 seasons. Dickey managed the Yankees as a player-manager in ...

Award (1980) *

National Baseball Congress The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 17 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada. Since its founding in 1935 by Hap Dumont, it has conducted an annual North America ...

World Series MVP

Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks are a collegiate summer baseball team which was founded in 1960 as an independent barnstorming team. The Goldpanners were charter members of the Alaska Baseball League at the league's inception in 1974. The G ...

(1980) * NCAA College World Series All-Tournament Team (

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) * Arkansas High School Baseball Player of the Year (1978) * Arkansas Class AAA State Baseball Championship / Tournament MVP (1978)

References

External links

, o
Retrosheet
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:McReynolds, Kevin Sylvan Hills High School alumni Baseball players from Arkansas Arkansas Razorbacks baseball players Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas 1959 births San Diego Padres players New York Mets players Kansas City Royals players Living people Las Vegas 51s players People from Sherwood, Arkansas Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball center fielders Pacific Coast League MVP award winners Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players Amarillo Gold Sox players Reno Padres players