Rance Mulliniks
Third baseman / Designated hitter / Shortstop
Born: (1956-01-15) January 15, 1956
Tulare, California, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 18, 1977, for the California Angels
Last MLB appearance
September 18, 1992, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
Batting average.272
Home runs73
Runs batted in435
Teams

Steven Rance Mulliniks (born January 15, 1956) is an American former Major League Baseball player.

Playing career

Drafted as a shortstop, Mulliniks made his major league debut in 1977 for the California Angels, batting .269 in 78 games. He saw limited playing time over the following years with the California Angels until 1979 and with the Kansas City Royals in 1980 and 1981. He had been traded along with Willie Aikens from the Angels to the Royals for Al Cowens and Todd Cruz at the Winter Meetings in Toronto on December 6, 1979,[1] with Craig Eaton being sent to California to complete the transaction four months later on April 1, 1980.

Mulliniks' luck changed when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, just before the start of the 1982 season. He was converted to third base and platooned at that position with left-hitting Garth Iorg until Iorg's retirement after the 1987 season. He appeared in over 100 games each year through 1989. He batted over .300 three times (1984, 1987 and 1988) and demonstrated great patience at the plate, regularly posting on-base percentages near .400. In 1984, Sports Illustrated named him to their "Dream Team" as a utility infielder.

In 1992, Mulliniks played only three regular season games for the Blue Jays, and none in the Blue Jays' postseason run to their first World Series, as he struggled with injuries.

Mulliniks retired after the 1992 season having compiled a .272 career batting average, 73 home runs, 435 RBI, and 445 runs. He holds the Blue Jays franchise single season fielding percentage record for third basemen (.975) and the franchise record for most pinch hits (59).

Post-playing career

Mulliniks has been a colour commentator for Blue Jays coverage on Rogers Sportsnet, and alongside Jim Hughson and Jesse Barfield on CBC Sports in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Mulliniks filled in for Jerry Remy for Boston Red Sox coverage on NESN, for the Red Sox May 29–31 road trip to Toronto.[2]

Mulliniks is now a real estate agent in Visalia, California.[3] He coached at College of the Sequoias and operated Mulliniks Baseball School.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Durso, Joseph (December 7, 1979). "Angels Get Cowens In Deal With Royals". The New York Times. p. B11. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  2. ↑ http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9621694/At-NESN,-Roberts-getting-up-to-speed
  3. ↑ "Rance Mulliniks, CENTURY 21 Real Estate Agent in Visalia, CA".
  4. ↑ "MHS graduate Mulliniks became a World Series champion". The Porterville Recorder. March 10, 2017. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
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