Kevin Joseph Witt (born January 5, 1976) is an
American former
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professional ...
player. Witt spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues, appearing with the Blue Jays,
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 ...
,
Detroit Tigers 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 ...
, most often as a
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
. He also played parts of two seasons in
Japan, spending time with the
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its curren ...
and
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...
.
Early life
Witt was born in High Point, North Carolina, to Daniel Melvin Witt and his wife, Jean Marie Mechlinski Witt. He has two older brothers, Daniel Melvin Witt, Jr. and David Michael Witt. He attended
Bishop Kenny High School
Bishop Kenny High School (commonly referred to as Bishop Kenny or BKHS) is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational Catholic high school in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located in and administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. August ...
in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
.
Career
Witt was drafted in the first round, 28th overall, by the Toronto Blue Jays in the
1994 Major League Baseball Draft
First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.
Compensation picks
Compensation Picks
Other notable players
* Troy Glaus, 2nd round, 37th overall by the San Diego Padres, but did no ...
. Originally 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 ...
, he was converted to
first base while in the
minors. He made his major league debut with the Blue Jays as a September call-up in 1998, collecting one hit in seven at-bats. In 1999, he collected seven hits in 34 at-bats, good for only a .206 batting average. He also hit his first Major League home run. He spent 2000 in the minors with the
Syracuse SkyChiefs (AAA). He was granted free agency on October 15, 2000.
On December 22, 2000, Witt signed with 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 ...
. In limited playing time in 2001, Witt hit .185, with two home runs and five runs batted in. On October 6, 2001, Witt pinch-ran for
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. (May 9, 1960 – June 16, 2014), nicknamed "Mr. Padre", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played 20 seasons (1982–2001) in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres. The left-handed hit ...
, who had recorded his final Major League hit with a double. He was granted free agency on October 15, 2001.
On November 15, 2001, he signed with the
Cincinnati Reds. He spent the entire season in the minors with the
Louisville Bats(AAA), then was granted free agency on October 15, 2002.
On February 3, 2003, he signed with the Tigers. His only significant playing time came with the Tigers in 2003, when he batted .263 in 93 games while splitting his time between
designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
, first base, and
left field
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
. He also hit 10 home runs and drove in 26 runs, while also stealing his first and only career base. He was granted free agency on October 15, 2003.
On November 19, 2003, he signed with 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 ...
. He spent the entire season in the minors with the
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...
. He was granted free agency on October 15, 2004.
After spending the 2004 season back 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 ...
, Witt signed with the BayStars in 2005. He returned to North America the next season, and earned
International League Most Valuable Player honors after leading all of minor league baseball with 36 home runs, while setting a Triple-A
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...
franchise record and a Rays' organization record. That earned him one last major league stint, where he batted .148 in 19 games for the Devil Rays. He returned to Japan in 2007 for Rakuten, but hit just .174 in 40 games in what turned out to be his final professional season.
As Coach
Witt has spent most of his coaching career in the
Miami Marlins organization. He was named as the hitting coach for the
New Orleans Baby Cakes
The New Orleans Baby Cakes (formerly the New Orleans Zephyrs) were a Minor League Baseball team in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They were located in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, ...
(Marlins' AAA) for the 2017 season, the hitting coach for the
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...
(Marlins' AA) for the 2018 season, and the hitting coach for the
Jupiter Hammerheads
The Jupiter Hammerheads are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roger Dean ...
(Marlins' High A) for the 2019 season.
Personal life
Witt and his wife Lori (nee Long) live in Texas and have four sons:
Tanner, Preston, Cullen and Ripken, and a daughter, Skyler. Tanner was an MLB Draft prospect in 2020, but after not being selected in the slimmed-down five round draft, decided he would go on and play for the
Texas Longhorns baseball
The Texas Longhorns baseball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's baseball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference.
The University of Texas began varsity interc ...
squad. Preston began his playing career at
Southwestern University
Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...
.
Tanner was drafted in the 18th round in
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
by 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 ...
but chose to return to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
for his senior season.
Sources
External links
Pelota Binaria (Venezuelan Winter League)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witt, Kevin
1976 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American expatriate baseball players in Japan
Baseball coaches from North Carolina
Baseball players from High Point, North Carolina
Baseball coaches from Florida
Baseball players from Jacksonville, Florida
Bishop Kenny High School alumni
Cardenales de Lara players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Detroit Tigers players
Dunedin Blue Jays players
Durham Bulls players
Hagerstown Suns players
International League MVP award winners
Knoxville Smokies players
Louisville Bats players
Major League Baseball designated hitters
Major League Baseball first basemen
Medicine Hat Blue Jays players
Memphis Redbirds players
Portland Beavers players
San Diego Padres players
Syracuse SkyChiefs players
Tampa Bay Devil Rays players
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Yokohama BayStars players