Chris Speier

Chris Speier
Chris Speier in Philadelphia PA on May 18, 2013
Washington Nationals
Shortstop
Born: (1950-06-28) June 28, 1950 Alameda, California
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 7, 1971, for the San Francisco Giants
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 1989, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
Batting average	.246
Home runs	112
Runs batted in	720
Teams
San Francisco Giants (1971–1977) Montreal Expos (1977–1984) St. Louis Cardinals (1984) Minnesota Twins (1984) Chicago Cubs (1985–1986) San Francisco Giants (1987–1989)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (1972–1974)

Christopher Edward Speier (born June 28, 1950) is a former Major League Baseball player. He was drafted second overall in the January secondary 1970 Major League Baseball Draft. He currently serves as Special Assistant to the General Manager with Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds.

Playing career

Speier played 19 seasons in the Major Leagues as a shortstop for the Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and briefly for the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins during the 1984 season.

He accrued a career .246 batting average and a .970 fielding percentage. His overall playing strengths were his solid fielding and selective eye at the plate; he led the league in intentional walks in 1980 and 1981. He was also named to the National League All-Star team during the 1972, 1973 and 1974 seasons as a member of the Giants. He won the 1987 Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership during his second time with the Giants.

Coaching career

He was a coach on the World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.

He was the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs from 2005 to 2006.

He was signed by the Cincinnati Reds on October 29, 2007, as an infield coach and also served as the Reds' bench coach. He also filled in when manager Dusty Baker was hospitalized in Chicago in September 2012 – this was when they clinched a playoff berth. He was replaced as the bench coach by Jay Bell when Dusty Baker was fired, but stayed on in the Reds organization as a Special Assistant to General Manager Walt Jocketty.

Personal life

Speier was born and raised in Alameda, California - also the hometown of Major Leaguers Willie Stargell, Dontrelle Willis and Jimmy Rollins. He graduated from Alameda High School.

Speier is the father of former MLB relief pitcher Justin Speier and the uncle of Gabe Speier.

Speier converted to Catholicism after meeting his wife and became an activist in the pro-life movement. In 1993 he was the principal of the religious Ville de Marie Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school was not accredited by the state, nor was it affiliated with the local diocese.

See also

• Hitting for the cycle

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)