Mike Sharperson
| Mike Sharperson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Third baseman / Second baseman | |
| Born: October 4, 1961 Orangeburg, South Carolina, U.S. | |
| Died: May 26, 1996 (aged 34) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 6, 1987, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 15, 1995, for the Atlanta Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .280 |
| Home runs | 10 |
| Runs batted in | 123 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Michael Tyrone Sharperson (October 4, 1961[1] – May 26, 1996) was an American infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1987), Los Angeles Dodgers (1987–1993) and Atlanta Braves (1995). Sharperson batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
In an eight-season career, Sharperson posted a .280 batting average with 10 home runs and 123 RBI in 557 games.
Career
[edit]Sharperson was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (11th pick) of the 1981 amateur draft. He made his debut with Toronto in 1987 and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in midseason.
A member of the Dodgers' 1988 World Series championship team, Sharperson was part of the group of utility players known as "The Stunt Men", for their ability to play many different positions and roles. While mostly used at third base and second, Sharperson also played shortstop, first base and right field.
In 1990, Sharperson hit .297 with career-highs in hits (106) and games (129). His most productive season came in 1992, when he hit .300 with 21 doubles and 48 runs (all career-highs), and made the National League All-Star team.
Released by the Dodgers before the 1994 season, Sharperson signed with the Red Sox, then with the Cubs, but did not play for them. He appeared in seven games with the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and became a free agent at the end of the season. He then signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.
Death
[edit]In 1996, Sharperson was playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas Stars. He was driving to McCarran International Airport to join the Padres in Montreal against the Expos after being recalled when he died in a one-car crash at the junction of I-15 and I-215 just south of the Las Vegas Strip. He was southbound on I-15 at about 2:45 a.m. when he apparently realized he missed his turn onto I-215. A witness said that Sharperson tried to make a right turn onto I-215, but lost control in the rain and went into a dirt median. Local law enforcement who arrived at the scene of the accident stated that Sharperson had been ejected through his car's sunroof during the accident. He was 34 years old.[2][3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Most reliable sources give Sharperson's date of birth as 1961 but Social Security records available from Rootsweb show his year of birth as 1960.
- ^ "Archives". Los Angeles Times. May 27, 1996.
- ^ "AFTER CALL UP, SHARPERSON DIES IN CRASH". Deseret News. May 27, 1996.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Baseball Almanac
- Retrosheet
- The Baseball Gauge
- Venezuela Winter League
- 1961 births
- 1996 deaths
- African-American baseball players
- Albuquerque Dukes players
- American expatriate baseball players in Canada
- Atlanta Braves players
- Baseball players from Orangeburg County, South Carolina
- Florence Blue Jays players
- Georgia Perimeter Jaguars baseball players
- Iowa Cubs players
- Kinston Blue Jays players
- Knoxville Blue Jays players
- Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players
- Los Angeles Dodgers players
- Leones del Caracas players
- American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- Major League Baseball infielders
- National League All-Stars
- Pawtucket Red Sox players
- People from Orangeburg, South Carolina
- Richmond Braves players
- Road incident deaths in Nevada
- Syracuse Chiefs players
- Toronto Blue Jays players
- 20th-century African-American sportspeople