Matt Stairs was the second Canadian-born player ever to hit more than thirty-five home runs in a season, and only the second to hit more than 25 home runs and drive in more than 100 runs in back-to-back seasons.
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38 Facts About Matt Stairs
2.
Matt Stairs holds the all-time MLB record of home runs hit as a pinch-hitter with 23.
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3.
Matt Stairs was named Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League MVP in 1987 and '88 while playing for the Fredericton Schooners.
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4.
Matt Stairs attended the National Baseball Institute in Vancouver, British Columbia for one year and played for Canada at the 1987 World Amateur Championships in Italy where he was named to the "World All-Star" team.
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5.
On January 17,1989, Matt Stairs was signed as an international free agent by the Montreal Expos.
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6.
Matt Stairs was then assigned to low single-A Jamestown Expos where he played second and third base.
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7.
Matt Stairs played Double-A ball in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for the Harrisburg Senators, where he led the league in hitting and was voted the Eastern League's 1991 Most Valuable Player.
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8.
Over his career, Matt Stairs has played for six other minor league teams: The Indianapolis Indians in 1992, the Ottawa Lynx in 1993, the New Britain Red Sox in 1994, the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1995, the Edmonton Trappers in 1996 and a few rehab games for the Nashville Sounds in 2003.
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9.
On June 8,1993, Matt Stairs' contract was purchased by the Chunichi Dragons of the NPB.
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10.
Matt Stairs played 60 games for the Dragons that season, hitting.
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11.
Matt Stairs began his Major League career in 1992 with the Montreal Expos, with whom he played sporadically throughout the season.
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12.
Matt Stairs ended up only playing in 19 games for the Expos from 1992 to 1993.
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13.
Matt Stairs was sold on February 18,1994, to the Boston Red Sox and assigned to the Double-A New Britain Red Sox for the 1994 season, where he batted.
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14.
Matt Stairs started the 1995 season with the Pawtucket farm club until being called up to the major leagues in June 1995.
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15.
Matt Stairs had the best years of his career playing for the Athletics.
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16.
Matt Stairs played mostly in right field and as a designated hitter, alongside superstars Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco, throughout his tenure in Oakland.
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17.
On January 25,2002, Matt Stairs signed a one-year, $500,000 contract with the Milwaukee Brewers for the 2002 season.
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18.
In 2002, Matt Stairs had a similar season to the previous one with the Cubs.
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19.
Matt Stairs finished the season with 16 home runs and 41 RBI in 107 games, but still had a low batting average, hitting.
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20.
On December 16,2002, Matt Stairs agreed to a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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21.
Matt Stairs went on to enjoy three solid years with the Royals, hitting 39 home runs in his two-and-a-half years in Kansas City.
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22.
Rangers hoped that Matt Stairs could provide some veteran leadership on their club, but he just played in 26 games, batting.
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23.
Matt Stairs was picked up off waivers by the Detroit Tigers on September 15,2006.
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25.
Matt Stairs made the team and saw significant playing time as the fourth outfielder, replacing Lyle Overbay at first base during Overbay's time on the DL.
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26.
Matt Stairs hit his first career postseason home run on October 13,2008, in Game 4 of the 2008 National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers off Jonathan Broxton, allowing the Phillies to take the lead and win the game.
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27.
Matt Stairs won the first World Series ring of his 16-year career on October 29,2008, when the Phillies won the series against the Rays, four games to one.
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28.
Matt Stairs faced Broxton again in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2009 NLCS rematch between the Phillies and Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
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29.
On January 23,2010, Matt Stairs agreed to a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres with an invite to spring training hoping to crack their 25-man roster out of spring as a left-handed bat off the bench.
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30.
On November 2,2016, Matt Stairs was hired as the hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies.
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31.
On October 30,2017, Matt Stairs was hired as the hitting coach for the San Diego Padres.
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32.
Matt Stairs didn't have 500 plate appearances until age 29, at which point he recorded 100 RBI seasons and an adjusted OPS of over 130 two years in a row—and never saw 500 at-bats again.
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33.
In January 2012, Matt Stairs accepted a job with the NESN sports news station to work as a Boston Red Sox studio analyst.
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34.
Matt Stairs worked with play-by-play commentator Tom McCarthy and in-game reporter Gregg Murphy, and occasionally with Ben Davis, before moving to the Phillies' dugout as the team's hitting coach starting with the 2017 season.
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35.
Matt Stairs is married to Lisa Astle of Fredericton with whom he has three daughters, Nicole, Alicia and Chandler.
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36.
Matt Stairs was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in June 2012.
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37.
On June 15,2015, Matt Stairs was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
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38.
In November 2016, Matt Stairs was among those nominated and placed on the 2017 ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame; he did not receive enough votes to appear on future ballots.
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