Desmond DeChone Figgins (; ; born January 22, 1978) 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 professiona ...

third baseman 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 u ...

and

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 c ...

. He 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) for the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

, and

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 Brookly ...

. Figgins was a utility player, playing all positions except

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

, and first base.

Early life

Figgins was born in Leary, Georgia to Charles Figgins and Eva Callins, who had been born on the same day and lived next door to each other in Leary. When Figgins was a year old, his father moved the family to

Brandon, Florida Brandon is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 114,626 at the 2020 ...

. Both of his parents played competitive slow-pitch

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

and were avid baseball fans. He attended Brandon High School where he played only shortstop.

Professional career

Colorado Rockies

The

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

drafted Figgins in the fourth round of the

1997 Major League Baseball Draft The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997. A total of 1607 players were drafted over the course of 92 rounds. First round selections ...

and moved him to second base because the team had greater expectations for Juan Uribe at shortstop. In July 2001, he was traded to the Anaheim Angels for outfielder Kimera Bartee.

Anaheim Angels/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Figgins made his major league debut as a

pinch runner In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been subs ...

on August 25, 2002, against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eig ...

. His first hit was an RBI single to right field off Aaron Myette of the Texas Rangers on September 15, 2002. His first full season in the majors was 2004. On May 14, 2004, he went 5-for-6 in a 10 inning game 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 ...

and hit his first home run off Kurt Ainsworth of the Orioles. His breakout year came in 2005, when he was moved to leadoff hitter after original leadoff hitter David Eckstein signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. He used his speed to steal an American League-high 62 bases, the second-most in Angels history. That year, he played two positions in the same game 24 times. He was named team co- MVP of the 2005 season for the Angels, along with Bartolo Colón. Prior to the 2006 season, the Angels signed Figgins to a three-year, $10.5-million deal. He had been eligible for salary

arbitration Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that resolves disputes outside the judiciary courts. The dispute will be decided by one or more persons (the 'arbitrators', 'arbiters' or ' arbitral tribunal'), which renders the ...

. Figgins became the fifth Angel to hit for the cycle on September 16, 2006, at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Against 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 t ...

on September 29, 2006, he hit his first career

inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer". Discussion To score ...

at Angel Stadium. Along with third base, Figgins also played

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 ...

, second base, and all three

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball a ...

positions. Although he was initially considered for the center field job in 2006, the Angels decided to move Darin Erstad back to the position. Figgins became the starter at third base. With Erstad on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

for much of the season, however, Figgins saw more time in center field. On March 21, 2007, in a

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

game against 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. ...

, Figgins suffered two broken fingers on his throwing hand while attempting to field a ground ball hit by Conor Jackson. He began the season on the

and did not return till the end of April. In June 2007, Figgins recorded an Angels team-record 53 hits in a month, breaking the record set by Darin Erstad in April 2000. With six hits on June 18, 2007, against the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

, including a walk-off

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a "treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * In ...

, Figgins matched 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 ...

(AL) record for most hits in a nine-inning game. On July 15, 2007, Figgins stole his 187th base as an Angel, breaking the 20-year-old club record previously held by

Gary Pettis Gary George Pettis (born April 3, 1958) is an American former professional baseball center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) and current third base coach for the Houston Astros. During his playing career, Pettis won five Gold Glove Awards ...

, in attendance that day as a coach for the visiting Texas Rangers. In 2009, Figgins was selected to his first

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 d ...

. He finished the season with an AL-best 101 walks and finished 10th in AL MVP voting. Although Figgins stole 42 bases in 2009, he was caught 17 times – tied for the most in the majors.

Seattle Mariners

On December 4, 2009, it was reported that Figgins and the

agreed to a four-year contract worth approximately $36 million. During spring training for the 2010 season, Figgins was converted to second base, moving teammate Jose Lopez to third. Figgins had his worst year to date in 2010, batting just .259, though he did match his previous season stolen base total of 42. Following the season, Figgins converted back to third base, due to the departure of Lopez. Halfway through the 2011 season, he was replaced by Adam Kennedy as the everyday third baseman. In only 81 games, with only 288 at bats, Figgins finished the season batting only .188. To begin the 2012 season, Figgins was allowed the opportunity to bat leadoff for the Mariners in the hopes that the return to the spot in the lineup where he thrived during his time with the Angels would jump start his bat. On May 4 of that season, manager Eric Wedge announced that Figgins would no longer be an everyday player. He ended the 2012 season batting .181 with 166 at bats in 66 games and was designated for assignment by the Mariners on November 20, 2012.

Miami Marlins

On February 8, 2013, he signed a minor league contract with the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fra ...

. However, he did not make the team out of spring training and was released on March 20.

Los Angeles Dodgers

After sitting out the 2013 season, Figgins signed a minor league contract with the

for 2014. The Dodgers purchased his contract on March 16 and added him to the Major League roster. In 38 games with the Dodgers, he appeared as a utility player/pinch hitter and hit .217, though he had a .373 OBP due to drawing 14 walks in 76 plate appearances. He was placed on the disabled list in mid-June with a hip injury and then spent an extended time with the AAA

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an ...

on a rehab assignment. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on August 6, 2014. The Dodgers asked for unconditional release waivers on August 13. Figgins was not signed by another team.

Retirement

On March 20, 2016, Figgins announced his retirement from professional baseball. He signed a one-day contract with the Angels in order to retire with the team.

Personal life

, his closest friend in baseball was Juan Pierre. His brother, Demetrius, worked as a

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement * Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

for the Angels. Figgins and his wife, Claudia, had a son, Desmond, Jr., in 2015.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Figgins, Chone 1978 births Living people Anaheim Angels players Los Angeles Angels players Seattle Mariners players Los Angeles Dodgers players Arizona League Rockies players Portland Rockies players Salem Avalanche players Carolina Mudcats players Arkansas Travelers players Salt Lake Stingers players Salt Lake Bees players African-American baseball players American League All-Stars American League stolen base champions Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Major League Baseball infielders Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball third basemen People from Calhoun County, Georgia Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople