Cecil Fielder
Cecil Grant Fielder
(Big Daddy)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 3", Weight 240 lb.
- School University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- High School Nogales High School (La Puente)
- Debut July 20, 1985
- Final Game September 13, 1998
- Born September 21, 1963 in Los Angeles, CA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Cecil Fielder hit over 300 home runs in his career. He led the league twice in home runs and three times in RBI. He was second in the MVP voting twice.
While attending Nogales High School in California, he was a two-time California all-state baseball player. He also made all-state teams in football and basketball.
He was a part-time player for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1985 to 1988. He showed power, hitting 14 homers in 175 at bats in 1987, but his contract was sold to the Japanese Hanshin Tigers after the 1988 season. He hit his first major league home run on August 21, 1985, and his first major league pinch hit home run on September 4, 1987. In 1987, three of his home runs were hit off Charlie Leibrandt. After the All-Star break of 1988, he entered quite a slump. Before the break, he had hit .260 with 7 home runs and 19 RBI. After the break, he hit just .192 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI.
He returned to America in 1990, signing a contract with the Detroit Tigers. He had an outstanding season for the Tigers that year, slugging 51 home runs and becoming the first player in 13 years to hit more than 50. He finished second in the American League Most Valuable Player voting that season and again in 1991. In 1992, he became the first player in 71 seasons to lead the majors in RBI three years in a row. The last player to do it before him was Babe Ruth, who accomplished the feat in 1919-1921. Fielder spent six full seasons with the Tigers, and his performance declined slightly each year. Midway through the 1996 season, he was traded to the New York Yankees for Ruben Sierra. After a season and a half with the Yankees, Fielder signed with the Anaheim Angels prior to the 1998 season. He hit 17 home runs for them but was released in August. Soon afterwards, he signed with the Cleveland Indians but only hit .143 with them. After about a month, they released him, ending Cecil Fielder's big league career.
Quote: "Listed at 250 pounds but one must wonder what would happen if he put his other foot on the scale." -Bill James
He is the father of Prince Fielder. Russell Branyan and David Bell have played with both Cecil and Prince Fielder. His grandson, Jadyn Fielder, Prince's son, was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an undrafted free agent in July 2024 after being bypassed in the 2024 amateur draft.
When his son reached 30 homers for the Tigers in 2012, that made the Fielders the second father-son duo to both crack 30 home runs for the same franchise; Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds had done so previously, for the San Francisco Giants. He also has the same amount of career home runs as his son, finishing his career with 319.
Post-baseball, he runs the Cecil Fielder Elite World Series [1] for children at various age levels. He also runs "The Baseball Legends" promoting young athletes in the US and Mexico.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 3-time AL All-Star (1990, 1991 & 1993)
- 2-time AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1990 & 1991)
- AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1990)
- AL Total Bases Leader (1990)
- 2-time AL Home Runs Leader (1990 & 1991)
- 3-time AL RBI Leader (1990, 1991 & 1992)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 7 (1990-1996)
- 30-Home Run Seasons: 6 (1990-1993, 1995 & 1996)
- 40-Home Run Seasons: 2 (1990 & 1991)
- 50-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1990)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 5 (1990-1993 & 1996)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1990 & 1991)
- Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1996
Year-By-Year Minor League Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Charlotte County Redfish | South Coast League | 19-45 | 6th | Independent Leagues | Replaced Jackie Hernandez (5-20) on June 17 | |
| 2008 | Atlantic City Surf | Can-Am Association | 51-43 | 4th | Independent Leagues | Lost in 1st round |
Further Reading[edit]
- Dave Dye (The Detroit News): "Cecil Fielder's Thunderous Bat Silences His Critics", Baseball Digest, August 1992, pp. 24-27. [2]
- Rick Sorci: "Baseball Profile: First Baseman Cecil Fielder", Baseball Digest, April 1995, p. 35. [3]
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