Kevin Mench

Kevin Mench
Mench with the Hanshin Tigers
Outfielder
Born: (1978-01-07) January 7, 1978 (age 47)
Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: April 9, 2002, for the Texas Rangers
NPB: April 3, 2009, for the Hanshin Tigers
Last appearance
NPB: May 16, 2009, for the Hanshin Tigers
MLB: October 3, 2010, for the Washington Nationals
MLB statistics
Batting average.268
Home runs89
Runs batted in331
NPB statistics
Batting average.148
Runs batted in2
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Kevin Ford Mench (born January 7, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played eight years in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Texas Rangers (2002–2006), Milwaukee Brewers (2006–2007), Toronto Blue Jays (2008) and Washington Nationals (2010). He also spent a season in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Hanshin Tigers in 2009. He is most noted for having had the largest cap size (8 1/4) in the majors when he was an active player, a feature that earned him the nickname Shrek.[1]

High school and college career

Mench attended The Independence School and St. Mark's High School in Delaware. Following high school, Mench attended the University of Delaware where he led the Blue Hens to the NCAA tournament in 1998 and 1999. In 1998, Mench led the NCAA with 33 home runs and knocked in 72 runs to earn Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year and consensus All-America Honors. In the America East, he was named Rookie of the Year in 1997 and Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999. In 1998, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[2] On June 2, 1999, the Texas Rangers drafted Mench in the fourth round with the 118th overall pick.[3] For his accomplishments, Mench was inducted into the University of Delaware athletics hall of fame in 2005.

Professional career

In his rookie year, 2002, Mench hit 15 home runs, tied for third among rookies, and drove in 60 runs. He finished seventh in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting.[4] After an injury-plagued 2003, Mench responded in 2004 by setting career bests in batting average (.279), home runs (26), RBI (71) and slugging percentage (.539).[4] He followed that up by posting similar numbers in 2005, finishing with a .264 average, 25 home runs and a career-high 73 RBI in 150 games.[4]

On June 30, 2005, Mench hit three home runs in a single game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.[5]

On April 26, 2006, Mench became the 19th player in major league history to hit a home run in at least six straight games.[6] The streak started, oddly, not too long after Mench discovered that a recurring toe injury was due to a shoe problem – he had been wearing size 12 shoes since his teenage years, but discovered his actual shoe size was 12½.[7] On the same date, Mench set an American League record with seven consecutive multi-RBI games, a record which still stands as of 2020.[8]

On April 28, Mench extended his home run streak to seven straight games, shattering his own franchise record with the Texas Rangers, and setting an all-time record for right-handed batters.[9] The current record for most consecutive games with a home run is eight, held by Dale Long, Don Mattingly, and Ken Griffey Jr.

On July 26, 2006, Mench hit a two-run double against the New York Yankees, the 50,000th hit in Rangers franchise history; two days later, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers along with Francisco Cordero, Laynce Nix, and Julian Cordero, for Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz.[9][10][11] Mench got his first hit with the Brewers on July 29, 2006, against the Cincinnati Reds, where he also collected an RBI.[12]

During the subsequent offseason, Mench had been repeatedly criticized by Brewers fans on radio programs for his lackluster 2006 performance with the Brewers. Mench hit only .230 with a home run and 18 RBI in 40 games for the Brewers.[4] Mench also stated he did not want to platoon in left field, taken by many fans as an excessive demand considering his performance for the Brewers so far.

On January 16, 2007, Mench and the Brewers agreed on a one-year contract for the 2007 season that would pay him $3.4 million.[13] He was not offered a new contract by the Brewers and became a free agent on December 12, 2007. On February 12, 2008, Mench signed a minor league deal to return to the Rangers.[14]

On May 9, 2008, Mench was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.[15] On August 25, 2008, Mench was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse by the Blue Jays,[16] but was recalled in early September.[17]

On December 24, 2008, Mench signed a one-year deal to with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.[18]

On February 2, 2010, Mench signed a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals.[19]

On February 18, 2012, Mench confirmed on his Twitter account his retirement from Major League Baseball.[20]

Honors

In 1998, Mench led the NCAA with 33 home runs and knocked in 72 runs to earn Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year and consensus All-America Honors. In the America East, he was named Rookie of the Year in 1997 and Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999.

Mench was inducted into the University of Delaware athletics hall of fame in 2005.

He was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.[21]

Personal life

Mench is married to former Chicago White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik's sister, Shana. They have three children, twins (boy and girl) and a girl.

References

  1. ^ "Body Shop". Sports Illustrated. CNN. September 9, 2002. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012.
  2. ^ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). Cape Cod Baseball League. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "4th Round of the 1999 MLB June Amateur Draft". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Kevin Mench Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Rangers rout Angels behind eight homers". ESPN. Associated Press. June 30, 2005. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Rangers' Mench homers for sixth game in a row". ESPN. Associated Press. April 26, 2006. Archived from the original on January 1, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "Culprit of Mench's painful April: Wrong shoe size". ESPN. Associated Press. April 20, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  8. ^ "Batting Streak Finder". Stathead. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Burson, Rusty (2012). 100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die. United States: Triumph Books. p. 256. ISBN 978-1600786426.
  10. ^ Sullivan, T.R. (July 27, 2006). "Rangers feel the sting of Giambi's homer". Texas Rangers. MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  11. ^ "Brewers send slugger Lee to Rangers". ESPN. Associated Press. July 28, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  12. ^ McCalvy, Adam (July 29, 2006). "Brewers win on Rivera's clutch single". Milwaukee Brewers. MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  13. ^ "Arbitration deals: Tigers agree to deals with four players". ESPN. January 16, 2007. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  14. ^ Sullivan, T.R. (July 28, 2006). "Rangers sign Mench to Minors deal". Texas Rangers. MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  15. ^ "Jays sign Brad Wilkerson, Deal for Kevin Mench". TSN. May 9, 2008. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  16. ^ "Jays option OF Mench -- batting .253 -- to Triple-A". ESPN. Associated Press. August 25, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  17. ^ "Jays activate Wilkerson, recall Marcum, 4 others". ESPN. Associated Press. September 2, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  18. ^ "Mench signs with team in Japan". MLB.com. Associated Press. December 24, 2008. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  19. ^ "The Washington Nationals sign Kevin Mench". Nationals Locker. February 2, 2010. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  20. ^ Mench, Kevin (February 18, 2012). "Kevin Mench's Official Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved February 18, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^ "2017 Inductees | Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in Wilmington, DE". February 25, 2024. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024.