David Eckstein

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David Eckstein

St. Louis Cardinals — No. 22
Shortstop
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 3, 2001 for the Anaheim Angels
Selected MLB statistics (through October 2, 2006)
Batting average	.283
Hits	945
Runs scored	498
Teams
Anaheim Angels (2001-2004) St. Louis Cardinals (2005-present)

David Eckstein, (born January 20, 1975 in Sanford, Florida), is a Major League Baseball shortstop and current lead-off hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals. After a college career as a walk-on at the University of Florida, Eckstein was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th round of the 1997 amateur draft, and selected off waivers by the Anaheim Angels on August 16, 2000. He was a member of the 2002 World Series champion Anaheim Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), as well as the 2006 Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, where he was selected 2006 World Series MVP. However, in several post-Series interviews, Eckstein said that he cannot use his prize, a Chevrolet Corvette Z06, because he does not know how to drive a manual transmission.

At the end of the 2004 season, Eckstein was part of a "shortstop merry-go-round," where three free-agent shortstops all changed teams: Orlando Cabrera from the Red Sox to the Angels, Edgar Renteria from the Cardinals to the Red Sox, and Eckstein from the Angels to the Cardinals.

From 2001-2004, Eckstein has compiled a .278 batting average, with 17 home runs and 170 RBI in 567 games. He was voted to the National League All-Star team in 2005, along with teammates Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols, Jason Isringhausen and Jim Edmonds. He was a late addition to the 2006 All Star team.

Eckstein is a fan favorite in St. Louis, who consider him to be a "pesky" hitter (he chokes up on the bat about 1-2 inches). He is often pointed out for his resemblance (as a hitter) to former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra.

Eckstein is the Cardinals leadoff hitter. His size is also notable, as he is a diminutive (for professional sports) 5' 7" (170 cm).

Eckstein's name is prononuced (ECK-styne). His "entrance music" is Ludacris's "Number One Spot" (appropriate since Eckstein usually bats as the leadoff hitter) and Crystal Method's "Busy Child".

One of Eckstein's more surprising feats, given his low home run numbers, is the fact that he hit grand slams in back-to-back games. On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Eckstein was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation.

As a member of the 2006 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, Eckstein was named the World Series MVP. Eckstein went 8 for 22 with 4 RBI and scored 3 runs in the series, including going 4-for-5 with three doubles in game 4 of the series.

Among collectors of baseball trading cards, Eckstein is known for his 2004 Topps baseball trading card. The card mistakenly features a picture of Adam Kennedy, not Eckstein, on the front, although all other aspects of the card are correct.

He married actress Ashley Drane on November 26, 2005 at Walt Disney World. He is also a big fan of professional wrestling, having made public appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling during the 2006 World Series.

Contents 1 College career 2 High school career 3 Career Highlights 4 External links

[edit] College career

At the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, Eckstein was a "walk-on player" (meaning he came to the college with no athletic scholarship) to the Gators baseball team in season of 1994, later earning a scholarship. A standout in the Southeastern Conference, he was a two-time All-SEC (1995-1996) first team sports in 1996 and a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection (1995-1997). Eckstein was the first two-time corporation Academic All-American in Gator history. He was also a member of the 1996 baseball team that finished third in the country.

Eckstein was also selected to the Jewish All-American team despite the fact he is not Jewish [1].

[edit] High school career

Eckstein played baseball all four years at Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida. He was a two-time All-State athletic selection, and a prominent member of a state championship team.

He was also a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. David was voted "Most Helpful", " Grittiest", and "Sweetest" in the Class of 1993.

[edit] Career Highlights

• 2-time World Series Champion (2002 Anaheim Angels, 2006 St. Louis Cardinals)
• 2006 World Series MVP
• 2-time All-Star (2005, 2006)
• Babe Ruth Award winner (2002)

[edit] External links

• ESPN - profile and daily updates
• Baseball Reference - career statistics and analysis
• [2] - Cardinals profile

Preceded by: Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling	Babe Ruth Award 2002	Succeeded by: Award Discontinued
Preceded by: Jermaine Dye	World Series MVP 2006	Succeeded by: Incumbent