Ron Wright

Ronald Wade Wright

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 230 lb.
• School Idaho State University
• High School Kamiakin High School
• Debut April 14, 2002
• Final Game April 14, 2002
• Born January 21, 1976 in Delta, UT USA

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Biographical Information

First baseman Ron Wright hit 149 home runs in the minor leagues, topping 20 on three occasions, but had his career derailed by injury. He is best remembered for setting an unusual record in his single game in the majors.

Wright was picked by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th round of the 1994 amateur draft out of high school. He debuted with the GCL Braves, hitting .172/.218/.243 in 45 games. In 1995, Ron emerged as a prospect. Playing for the Macon Braves at age 19, he led the Atlanta chain in homers (32) and RBI (104). He hit .271/~.348/.501 and tied Derrick Gibson for third in the affiliated minor leagues in home runs. He tied Gibson for the South Atlantic League lead in homers and was third in RBI behind Gibson and Daryle Ward. Ward beat him out for the 1B spot on the league All-Star team. Wright was ranked the #6 prospect in the SAL, one slot behind Todd Helton. Baseball America rated him as the #8 prospect in the Braves organization.

Wright elevated his stock further in 1996, leading the Atlanta minor league organization in home runs (36), RBI (114) and walks (77) but also in strikeouts (151). He hit .275/~.379/.604 with 20 HR in 240 AB for the Durham Bulls and .254/~.359/.517 with 16 HR in 232 AB for the Greenville Braves. He was third in the affiliated minors in home runs behind Phil Hiatt and Russ Branyan and was 5th in RBI. Baseball America named him the best power-hitting prospect in the Carolina League, the #4 prospect overall in the Carolina League and the #9 prospect in the Southern League. Despite spending half the season at a higher classification, he nearly led the Carolina League in home runs - Freddy Garcia and Jose Guillen both wound up with 21 in a full season of play. Had he qualified, Wright would have easily led the league in slugging; Sean Casey's .544 was the best of any full-time player. Late in the year, Wright was traded with Corey Pointer and a player to be named later (to be Jason Schmidt) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Denny Neagle. In four games for the Carolina Mudcats, Ron went 2 for 14 with 7 strikeouts and two walks. Baseball America ranked him as the #5 prospect in the Pirates organization.

After a forgettable winter in the Mexican Pacific League, Wright hit well in 1997, putting up a .304/.348/.539 line for the Calgary Cannons. He was called up to the Pirates but did not play due to a sore wrist. He led the Arizona Fall League with 11 homers for the Mesa Saguaros but batted just .217; he slugged .471 and his 35 RBI were three behind AFL leader Geoff Jenkins.

In 1998, Wright began the year with the Nashville Sounds and hit .214/~.323/.267 in 17 games, striking out in 18 of 56 at-bats and hit 2 homers in 3 games for the GCL Pirates, his season ruined by a back injury which required major surgery, deemed by Baseball America to be "possibly career-altering."

Ron was then diagnosed with a clipped sciatic nerve resulting from the back surgery, which would leave his right leg with a numb feeling for the rest of his life. He played just 24 games in 1999, hitting .213/~.292/.288 for the Altoona Curve.

Picked up by the Cincinnati Reds for another chance, Wright hit .266/.367/.494 in 79 games for the 2000 Chattanooga Lookouts and .200/.294/.383 in 18 games for the Louisville RiverBats. In 2001, still just 25 years old, Ron hit .262/.340/.460 with 20 home runs for the Durham Bulls of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays chain. He led International League first basemen in putouts (980), assists (66), double plays (102) and fielding percentage (.992).

In 2002, Wright moved to the Seattle Mariners system and batted .273/.351/.460 with 15 homers in 359 AB for the Tacoma Rainiers. Early in the year, he got his only big-league opportunity when Edgar Martinez ruptured a hamstring tendon. He was a late substition to the lineup on April 14 when Jeff Cirillo was hit by a ball in batting practice. Wright struck out against Kenny Rogers in his first at-bat, hit into a triple play in his second and into a double play in his third. He would never play again in the majors. This is tied for the fewest number of plate appearances for anyone who has ever grounded into a triple play; pitcher Larry Hesterfer hit into one, also in his only big league game, with the 1901 New York Giants, while Tom Cotter of the 1891 Boston Reds had one in 6 games and 12 at bats.

Wright moved to the Detroit Tigers system and in 2003, played for the Toledo Mud Hens (3 for 17, BB, 6 K) and the Akron Aeros of the Cleveland Indians organization (.261/.376/.466 in 50 games). In 2004, the 28-year-old hit .303/.371/.440 in his final 28 games in baseball, played for the Sioux Falls Canaries as a designated hitter.

After his retirement as a player, he attended Idaho State University, pursuing a degree as a pharmacist, a profession in which he currently works. He is married to Annica, and as of 2007, he has four children. They live in Pocatello, Idaho.

Sources include 1995-2005 Baseball Almanacs, 1995 Baseball Guide, New York Times article on Wright's career and post-baseball life, The Baseball Cube

Further Reading

• Michael Clair: "The story of the modern Moonlight Graham", mlb.com, August 19, 2020. [1]
• Lee Jenkins: "The Short and Happy Career of Ron Wright", The New York Times, April 15, 2007. [2]