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Eric Byrnes
Eric James Byrnes (born February 16, 1976), is an American baseball analyst and former outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners. Byrnes retired from playing in 2010 and was an analyst for MLB Network until 2021.
Byrnes was considered to be a player who relied on his speed and hustle. He could hit for power, but tended to be a "free-swinger" and went through hitting droughts. Byrnes was ranked in the top-three for best defensive left fielders in John Dewan's publication, Fielding Bible. Byrnes was selected to the All-Time great Oakland A's 50th Season team in 2018.
Byrnes's high school career was spent in the West Catholic Athletic League, where he played for St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California. Byrnes regularly competed in baseball and football against Serra High School's Tom Brady, and Bellarmine College Prep's Pat Burrell. After graduating in 1994, he was selected in the 1994 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers but elected to go to college at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
At UCLA (1995–98), Byrnes hit second in the batting order and played right field in a lineup that featured future major leaguers Troy Glaus (1995–97) and Garrett Atkins (1998). In 1995, Byrnes played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Chatham A's, and in 1996 and 1997 for the Hyannis Mets. He was again selected in the MLB Draft, this time by the Houston Astros after his junior season, but again elected to stay in school. Byrnes finished his UCLA career as one of the most successful hitters in Pac-10 history, with a .331 batting average and 75 doubles—a conference record. Byrnes was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
Byrnes was selected in the 8th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics. In the 1998 season, he played for the Low-A Southern Oregon Timberjacks and the High-A Visalia Oaks, where he batted a combined .357 with 19 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 52 runs batted in (RBI), and 17 stolen bases. In 1999, Byrnes played for the High-A Modesto A's and the Double-A Midland RockHounds, and in 139 combined games, Byrnes batted .306 with 42 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 88 RBI, and 34 stolen bases.
Byrnes made his major league debut on August 22, 2000, against the Cleveland Indians. He went two-for-four with a stolen base in his first games, playing designated hitter, and batting seventh in the batting order. Byrnes batted .300 his first season, with three hits in 10 at-bats. The next season, 2001, Byrnes played 19 games with the A's. He hit his first home run of his major league career on June 9, 2001, against the San Francisco Giants. He batted .237 with one double, three home runs, five RBI, and one stolen base with the A's in 2001. Byrnes played two games in the 2001 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, going hitless in two at-bats.
Byrnes was also involved in a 2003 baseball game that included two significant base running gaffes in a single inning. With a chance to close out the Boston Red Sox, the Athletics had a potential rally stifled by two controversial plays. Byrnes was tagged out after failing to touch home plate after a collision with catcher Jason Varitek, who had blocked the plate before attempting to catch the ball. After the collision, a hobbling Byrnes shoved Varitek and began walking back to the dugout. Varitek picked up the ball and tagged Byrnes out. This play was then followed up by Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller running into Miguel Tejada as Byrnes was rounding third (later in the same inning). Tejada then stopped running home and was eventually tagged out; the umpires called Tejada out because he was tagged as a result of not attempting to advance home, not because of the obstruction by the third baseman.
On June 29, 2003, Byrnes hit for the cycle. In 2004, Byrnes had his best year with the A's, batting .283 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI.
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Eric Byrnes
Eric James Byrnes (born February 16, 1976), is an American baseball analyst and former outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Seattle Mariners. Byrnes retired from playing in 2010 and was an analyst for MLB Network until 2021.
Byrnes was considered to be a player who relied on his speed and hustle. He could hit for power, but tended to be a "free-swinger" and went through hitting droughts. Byrnes was ranked in the top-three for best defensive left fielders in John Dewan's publication, Fielding Bible. Byrnes was selected to the All-Time great Oakland A's 50th Season team in 2018.
Byrnes's high school career was spent in the West Catholic Athletic League, where he played for St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California. Byrnes regularly competed in baseball and football against Serra High School's Tom Brady, and Bellarmine College Prep's Pat Burrell. After graduating in 1994, he was selected in the 1994 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers but elected to go to college at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
At UCLA (1995–98), Byrnes hit second in the batting order and played right field in a lineup that featured future major leaguers Troy Glaus (1995–97) and Garrett Atkins (1998). In 1995, Byrnes played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Chatham A's, and in 1996 and 1997 for the Hyannis Mets. He was again selected in the MLB Draft, this time by the Houston Astros after his junior season, but again elected to stay in school. Byrnes finished his UCLA career as one of the most successful hitters in Pac-10 history, with a .331 batting average and 75 doubles—a conference record. Byrnes was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
Byrnes was selected in the 8th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball draft by the Oakland Athletics. In the 1998 season, he played for the Low-A Southern Oregon Timberjacks and the High-A Visalia Oaks, where he batted a combined .357 with 19 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 52 runs batted in (RBI), and 17 stolen bases. In 1999, Byrnes played for the High-A Modesto A's and the Double-A Midland RockHounds, and in 139 combined games, Byrnes batted .306 with 42 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 88 RBI, and 34 stolen bases.
Byrnes made his major league debut on August 22, 2000, against the Cleveland Indians. He went two-for-four with a stolen base in his first games, playing designated hitter, and batting seventh in the batting order. Byrnes batted .300 his first season, with three hits in 10 at-bats. The next season, 2001, Byrnes played 19 games with the A's. He hit his first home run of his major league career on June 9, 2001, against the San Francisco Giants. He batted .237 with one double, three home runs, five RBI, and one stolen base with the A's in 2001. Byrnes played two games in the 2001 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, going hitless in two at-bats.
Byrnes was also involved in a 2003 baseball game that included two significant base running gaffes in a single inning. With a chance to close out the Boston Red Sox, the Athletics had a potential rally stifled by two controversial plays. Byrnes was tagged out after failing to touch home plate after a collision with catcher Jason Varitek, who had blocked the plate before attempting to catch the ball. After the collision, a hobbling Byrnes shoved Varitek and began walking back to the dugout. Varitek picked up the ball and tagged Byrnes out. This play was then followed up by Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller running into Miguel Tejada as Byrnes was rounding third (later in the same inning). Tejada then stopped running home and was eventually tagged out; the umpires called Tejada out because he was tagged as a result of not attempting to advance home, not because of the obstruction by the third baseman.
On June 29, 2003, Byrnes hit for the cycle. In 2004, Byrnes had his best year with the A's, batting .283 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI.
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