Ray Knight, baseball player, 1974-1988

Ray Knight

Born: 12/28/1952 in Albany, GA, USA

MLB Debut: 1974-09-10 | Final Game: 1988-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 185 lbs

Full name: Charles Ray Knight

📋 View Manager Career

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Ray Knight, born in 1952, was a notable position player in Major League Baseball who had a career spanning from 1974 to 1988. Over his 15-year tenure, Knight played in 1,495 games, compiling 1,311 hits, 84 home runs, and 595 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .271. Known for his gritty style of play, Knight was particularly recognized for his contributions during pivotal moments, exemplified by his performance in the 1986 World Series, where he earned the World Series MVP award. His ability to deliver in clutch situations made him a valuable asset to his teams. Knight's versatility and skill were on full display during his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets, among others. He was selected as an All-Star twice, reflecting his status as one of the prominent players of his era. Throughout his career, Knight demonstrated not only offensive prowess but also a strong defensive presence, making him a well-rounded player who left a lasting impact on the game. His journey through the late 1970s and 1980s placed him amidst a transformative period in baseball, as the sport began to embrace new strategies and approaches to player development.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1495 4829 490 1311 266 27 84 595 14 343 579 0.271 0.321 0.390 0.711 -1101.8

Career AVG .271 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .321 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .390 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.711 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — near 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
1974 CIN NL 14 11 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 1 2 0.182 — — — — 0.0
1977 CIN NL 80 92 8 24 5 1 1 13 1 9 16 0.261 .264 (-1%) .329 (-2%) .401 (-8%) .730 (-5%) -89.9
1978 CIN NL 83 65 7 13 3 0 1 4 0 3 13 0.200 .257 (-22%) .323 (-27%) .378 (-23%) .702 (-25%) -299.8
1979 CIN NL 150 551 64 175 37 4 10 79 4 38 57 0.318 .265 (+20%) .329 (+9%) .397 (+14%) .727 (+12%) 1240.8
1980 CIN NL 162 618 71 163 39 7 14 78 1 36 62 0.264 .264 (avg) .326 (-6%) .387 (+8%) .714 (+1%) -28.8
1981 CIN NL 106 386 43 100 23 1 6 34 2 33 51 0.259 .255 (+1%) .320 (avg) .368 (+1%) .688 (avg) 35.5
1982 HOU NL 158 609 72 179 36 6 6 70 2 48 58 0.294 .261 (+13%) .324 (+6%) .388 (+3%) .712 (+5%) 491.2
1983 HOU NL 145 507 43 154 36 4 9 70 0 42 62 0.304 .260 (+16%) .324 (+9%) .389 (+14%) .714 (+12%) 1097.3
1984 HOU NL 88 278 15 62 10 0 2 29 0 14 30 0.223 .259 (-14%) .322 (-20%) .384 (-27%) .707 (-24%) -1235.3
1984 NYN NL 27 93 13 26 4 0 1 6 0 7 13 0.280 .259 (+8%) .322 (+4%) .384 (-8%) .707 (-2%) -1235.3
1985 NYN NL 90 271 22 59 12 0 6 36 1 13 32 0.218 .257 (-15%) .323 (-22%) .390 (-16%) .714 (-19%) -1030.8
1986 NYN NL 137 486 51 145 24 2 11 76 2 40 63 0.298 .257 (+16%) .325 (+8%) .395 (+7%) .720 (+8%) 704.1
1987 BAL AL 150 563 46 144 24 0 14 65 0 39 90 0.256 .262 (-3%) .331 (-6%) .415 (-10%) .746 (-8%) -963.8
1988 DET AL 105 299 34 65 12 2 3 33 1 20 30 0.217 .254 (-14%) .317 (-15%) .377 (-20%) .695 (-18%) -1007.7

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
15 61 5 17 2 0 1 7 3 9 0.279

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1986 NLCS NYN 6 24 1 4 0 0 0 2 1 5 0.167
1986 WS NYN 6 23 4 9 1 0 1 5 2 2 0.391
1979 NLCS CIN 3 14 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0.286

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 339 313 2936 174 24 271
2B 23 9 31 28 2 5
3B 1021 894 694 1653 105 144
OF 10 3 8 1 0 0
SS 4 1 0 2 0 1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1974 CIN 3B 14 1 2 8 0 0
1977 CIN 2B 17 8 28 23 2 5
1977 CIN 3B 37 1 11 21 2 2
1977 CIN OF 5 2 6 0 0 0
1977 CIN SS 3 1 0 2 0 1
1978 CIN 1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1978 CIN 2B 4 0 1 2 0 0
1978 CIN 3B 60 7 8 38 7 1
1978 CIN OF 3 1 2 1 0 0
1978 CIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1979 CIN 3B 149 149 120 262 15 26
1980 CIN 3B 162 161 120 291 13 19
1981 CIN 3B 105 104 69 176 11 18
1982 HOU 1B 96 93 945 55 10 76
1982 HOU 3B 67 65 57 131 7 18
1983 HOU 1B 143 141 1285 73 9 131
1984 HOU 1B 24 21 199 9 0 16
1984 HOU 3B 54 48 37 86 7 6
1984 NYN 1B 3 0 6 1 0 1
1984 NYN 3B 27 27 14 36 2 4
1985 NYN 1B 1 0 2 1 0 0
1985 NYN 2B 2 1 2 3 0 0
1985 NYN 3B 73 67 52 109 7 5
1986 NYN 1B 1 0 6 0 0 0
1986 NYN 3B 132 130 88 204 16 17
1987 BAL 1B 6 5 59 2 1 7
1987 BAL 3B 130 128 110 282 18 28
1988 DET 1B 64 53 432 33 4 40
1988 DET 3B 11 6 6 9 0 0
1988 DET OF 2 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 339
Second Base 23
Third Base 1021
Shortstop 4
Left Field 9
Right Field 1
Designated Hitter 39

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1987 Player of the Week Week of 1987-04-11
1986 Babe Ruth Award 3B
1986 TSN Comeback Player of the Year
1986 World Series MVP
1983 Hutch Award

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1988 DET AL $525,000
1987 BAL AL $600,000
1986 NYN NL $645,000
1985 NYN NL $560,000
Total Career Earnings $2,330,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1986 Most Valuable Player NL 14th 9.0 336 0
1982 Most Valuable Player NL 25th 1.0 336 0
1979 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 82.0 336 2