Mike Heath, baseball player, 1978-1991

Mike Heath

Born: 2/5/1955 in Tampa, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1978-06-03 | Final Game: 1991-07-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Michael Thomas Heath

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Biography

Mike Heath, born in 1955, enjoyed a notable career as a professional baseball player from 1978 until his retirement in 1991. Over the course of 1,325 games, he amassed 1,061 hits and demonstrated his power at the plate with 86 home runs and 469 RBIs. Heath's batting average stood at .252, and he showcased his speed on the basepaths with 54 stolen bases. His career unfolded during an era that witnessed significant changes in the game, including the increasing emphasis on power hitting and the evolution of player fitness. Primarily a position player, Heath was known for his versatility and ability to contribute on both offense and defense. He played for several teams throughout his career, leaving a mark as a reliable contributor in the lineup. His legacy in baseball is characterized by his consistency and durability, which allowed him to remain a competitive force in the league for over a decade. As one of the players who bridged the late 1970s and 1980s, Heath's contributions helped shape the modern game, influencing future generations of players.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1325 4212 462 1061 173 27 86 469 54 278 616 0.252 0.300 0.367 0.667 -5342.1

Career AVG .252 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .300 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.

Career SLG .367 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — 5.3% below league average.

Career OPS 0.667 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — 6.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1978 NYY AL 33 92 6 21 3 1 0 8 0 4 9 0.228 .257 (-11%) .323 (-18%) .378 (-25%) .702 (-22%) -346.3
1979 OAK AL 74 258 19 66 8 0 3 27 1 17 18 0.256 .265 (-4%) .329 (-8%) .397 (-19%) .727 (-14%) -661.6
1980 OAK AL 92 305 27 74 10 2 1 33 3 16 28 0.243 .264 (-8%) .326 (-14%) .387 (-23%) .714 (-19%) -1080.5
1981 OAK AL 84 301 26 71 7 1 8 30 3 13 36 0.236 .255 (-8%) .320 (-16%) .368 (-6%) .688 (-11%) -628.7
1982 OAK AL 101 318 43 77 18 4 3 39 8 27 36 0.242 .261 (-7%) .324 (-8%) .388 (-9%) .712 (-9%) -584.2
1983 OAK AL 96 345 45 97 17 0 6 33 3 18 59 0.281 .260 (+8%) .324 (-2%) .389 (-2%) .714 (-2%) -143.8
1984 OAK AL 140 475 49 118 21 5 13 64 7 26 72 0.248 .259 (-4%) .322 (-11%) .384 (+3%) .707 (-4%) -503.4
1985 OAK AL 138 436 71 109 18 6 13 55 7 41 63 0.250 .257 (-3%) .323 (-3%) .390 (+4%) .714 (+1%) 10.9
1986 STL NL 65 190 19 39 8 1 4 25 2 23 36 0.205 .257 (-20%) .325 (-10%) .395 (-19%) .720 (-15%) -486.6
1986 DET AL 30 98 11 26 3 0 4 11 4 4 17 0.265 .257 (+3%) .325 (-11%) .395 (+6%) .720 (-2%) -486.6
1987 DET AL 93 270 34 76 16 0 8 33 1 21 42 0.281 .262 (+7%) .331 (+2%) .415 (+3%) .746 (+3%) 161.1
1988 DET AL 86 219 24 54 7 2 5 18 1 18 32 0.247 .254 (-3%) .317 (-4%) .377 (-3%) .695 (-3%) -126.8
1989 DET AL 122 396 38 104 16 2 10 43 7 24 71 0.263 .254 (+3%) .319 (-4%) .375 (+4%) .694 (avg) -44.8
1990 DET AL 122 370 46 100 18 2 7 38 7 19 71 0.270 .257 (+5%) .324 (-4%) .385 (avg) .710 (-2%) -198.6
1991 ATL NL 49 139 4 29 3 1 1 12 0 7 26 0.209 .255 (-18%) .323 (-23%) .384 (-31%) .708 (-27%) -654.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
9 21 2 4 0 0 1 2 0 2 0.190

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1987 ALCS DET 3 7 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 0.286
1981 ALCS OAK 3 6 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.333
1981 AWDIV OAK 2 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1978 WS NYA 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 4 1 20 1 0 3
2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
3B 38 21 16 40 4 1
C 1083 935 4919 537 106 73
OF 215 130 331 14 6 3
SS 4 0 1 1 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1978 NYA C 33 24 151 11 5 1
1979 OAK 3B 7 6 1 14 0 0
1979 OAK C 22 17 80 13 3 0
1979 OAK OF 46 43 86 5 2 2
1980 OAK C 47 43 268 19 4 5
1980 OAK OF 8 6 24 1 0 0
1981 OAK C 78 76 391 45 10 6
1981 OAK OF 6 0 8 0 0 0
1982 OAK 3B 5 5 4 3 0 0
1982 OAK C 90 77 350 50 11 8
1982 OAK OF 10 7 14 1 1 0
1983 OAK 3B 2 1 1 0 0 0
1983 OAK C 80 71 316 47 10 6
1983 OAK OF 24 15 45 0 1 0
1984 OAK 3B 2 0 1 1 0 0
1984 OAK C 108 96 423 54 7 7
1984 OAK OF 45 28 71 1 1 1
1984 OAK SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1985 OAK 3B 13 9 7 18 1 1
1985 OAK C 112 94 483 44 10 9
1985 OAK OF 35 16 49 5 1 0
1986 SLN C 63 51 259 30 10 4
1986 SLN OF 2 0 1 0 0 0
1986 DET 3B 1 0 0 0 1 0
1986 DET C 29 27 145 9 2 1
1987 DET 1B 4 1 20 1 0 3
1987 DET 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1987 DET 3B 4 0 1 2 1 0
1987 DET C 67 54 337 38 4 5
1987 DET OF 24 12 26 1 0 0
1987 DET SS 2 0 0 1 0 0
1988 DET C 75 62 357 24 6 3
1988 DET OF 9 3 4 0 0 0
1989 DET 3B 4 0 1 2 1 0
1989 DET C 117 107 582 66 9 10
1989 DET OF 3 0 1 0 0 0
1990 DET C 117 99 585 54 13 7
1990 DET OF 3 0 2 0 0 0
1990 DET SS 1 0 1 0 0 0
1991 ATL C 45 37 192 33 2 1

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1083
First Base 4
Second Base 1
Third Base 38
Shortstop 3
Left Field 81
Center Field 1
Right Field 142
Designated Hitter 42

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1991 ATL NL $950,000
1990 DET AL $600,000
1989 DET AL $425,000
1988 DET AL $400,000
1987 DET AL $650,000
1986 SLN NL $533,333
1985 OAK AL $425,000
Total Career Earnings $3,983,333