Southern Oregon Timberjacks Players - Eric Byrnes (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Eric James Byrnes (born February 16, 1976, in Redwood City, California), is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He has played for the Oakland Athletics, the Colorado Rockies, the Baltimore Orioles, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Seattle Mariners. He retired after his stint with the Mariners, and he now plays for the Dutch Goose, a slow pitch softball team. Byrnes is considered a player who relies on his speed and hustle. He can hit for power, but tends to be a "free-swinger" and goes through hitting droughts. He was ranked in the top-three for best defensive left fielders in John Dewan's publication, Fielding Bible. Byrnes' high school career was spent in the Western Catholic Athletic League, where he played for St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California. After graduating in 1994, he was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers but elected to go to college at the University of California at Los Angeles. At UCLA (199598), Byrnes hit second in the batting order and played right field in a lineup that featured future major-league stars Troy Glaus (199597) and Garrett Atkins (1998). He was again selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, this time by the Houston Astros after his junior season, but again elected to stay in school. He finished his career at UCLA as one of the most successful hitters in Pac-10 history with a .331 career average and 75 doubles, a conference record. Eric Byrnes celebrating with teammates after the Oakland Athletics earned a spot in the playoffs.Byrnes was selected in the 8th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland Athletics. In the 1998 season, Byrnes played for the short-season Southern Oregon Timberjacks, and the Class-A Advanced Visalia Oaks ... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2141172