Garrett Bernard Atkins (born December 12, 1979) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. Between 2003 and 2010, he played for the Colorado Rockies and Baltimore Orioles.
| Garrett Atkins | |
|---|---|
 Atkins with the Colorado Rockies in 2008 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born: December 12, 1979 Orange, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 3, 2003, for the Colorado Rockies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 25, 2010, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .285 |
| Home runs | 99 |
| Runs batted in | 488 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
Amateur career
editHigh school career
editAtkins attended University High School in Irvine, California.[1] As a senior, he was named the Irvine World News All-City MVP, after posting a .557 batting average, along with a school single-season record 13 home runs.
College career
editAfter being drafted by the New York Mets in 1997 out of high school, Atkins elected to attend college.[1] He was recruited by Pepperdine, USC, Oklahoma State, Cal State Fullerton and UCLA, choosing the Bruins. At UCLA, Atkins majored in sociology[2] and became the first three-time All-American.[1] He began as a first baseman before converting to third base, where he made 51 starts in 1998. However, in 1999, his sophomore campaign, Atkins played first base again and led the team in hits. He was a teammate and roommate of Philadelphia Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley,[3] and along with him, was one of only two Bruins to start every game.
In 1998 and 1999, Atkins played collegiate summer baseball for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). He hit .383 in 1998, and in 1999 he was named playoff MVP as he led the Kettleers to the league title. Atkins was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2013.[4][5]
Atkins was drafted in 2000 by the Colorado Rockies in the fifth round (137th overall).[3]
Professional career
editColorado Rockies
editAtkins made his Major League debut in 2003 and hit .159 with 0 home runs and 4 RBIs. He fared better in his second stint in the Major Leagues in 2004 hitting .357 with 1 home run and 8 RBIs. Atkins won the Rockies' third base job in 2005 but was placed on the DL with a strained hamstring before the season started. He returned in April and finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year voting after a season in which he topped NL rookies with 221 total bases, 31 doubles, 45 walks, and 45 extra-base hits. He also finished the year with a 16-game hitting streak in September. His final stat line was impressive: .287 batting average, 13 homers, and 89 RBIs. Atkins followed with two strong seasons in 2006 and 2007, where he hit a combined 54 HR and 231 RBI and took part in his only World Series, where the Rockies fell in four games to the Boston Red Sox.
In 2008, Atkins spent much of the season playing first base in the absence of injured teammate Todd Helton, marking a defensive transition to "a more natural position for him."[6] Prior to the start of the 2009 season, Atkins accepted a one-year $7 million contract from the Rockies. He struggled, hitting .226 with nine home runs, and 48 RBIs. With the emergence of Ian Stewart, Atkins became less of a priority in the Rockies long-term plans and was non-tendered on December 12, 2009, officially making him a free agent.[7]
Baltimore Orioles
editAtkins agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles for 2010.[8] On June 27, the Orioles designated Atkins for assignment.[9] On July 6, he was released.
Pittsburgh Pirates
editAtkins agreed to a minor league deal with the Pirates on December 23, 2010. In March 2011, Atkins was released.
Awards and honors
edit- 2005 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team; 3B
- National League Rookie of the Month (June 2005)
References
edit- ^ a b c Troy E. Renck (March 18, 2007). "With this sweet swing, hits just keep comin' - The Denver Post". Archived from the original on March 27, 2007. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- ^ "Q & A with Garrett Atkins". ColoradoRockies.com. July 24, 2006. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- ^ a b Fraley, Gerry (October 5, 2007). "The friendship baseball made : rockymountainnews.com". Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- ^ "1999 Cotuit Kettleers". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Baseball League inducts eight". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- ^ Thomas Harding (August 18, 2008). "Helton's injury leaves void in clubhouse : mlb.com". Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
- ^ Thomas Harding (December 12, 2009). "Rockies part ways with Atkins : mlb.com". Archived from the original on December 15, 2009.
- ^ "Orioles Sign INF Garrett Atkins". Archived from the original on April 6, 2012.
- ^ Ghiroli, Brittany (June 27, 2010). "Orioles designate Atkins for assignment". MLB.com. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
External links
edit
- Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | National League Rookie of the Month June 2005 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Topps Rookie All-Star Third Baseman 2005 |
Succeeded by |