Jeffrey Alan Schulz (born June 2, 1961) is an American former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player. After playing baseball at the

University of Southern Indiana The University of Southern Indiana (USI) is a public university just outside of Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1965, USI enrolls 9,750 dual credit, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in more than 130 areas of study. USI offers program ...

, Schulz was selected by the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

in the 23rd round of the 1983 draft. Schulz's first major league at bat came on September 2, 1989, as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, A ...

against

Nolan Ryan Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Ryan pitched for the New Yo ...

, baseball's all-time

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

leader. Ryan had notched his five thousandth career strikeout one month earlier, and after the pitcher recorded two quick strikes on Schulz, he idly wondered what number he would be on Ryan's career total. Instead, however, he delivered a single for his first career hit. All in all, he appeared in seven games that year, collecting two hits and one RBI. Schulz was not initially expected to make the Royals in 1990, but an April injury to

Danny Tartabull Danilo Tartabull Mora (born October 30, 1962) is a Cuban– Puerto Rican former professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners (1984–1986), Kansas City R ...

created a need for another outfielder, and he ended up appearing in 30 games for them that season. He posted a .258

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

over 66

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

s. The Royals released Schulz after the end of the season, and he signed with the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

. In his final major league action, Schulz made three appearances with the Pirates at midseason. He became a free agent at year's end and signed with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

for the 1992 season, but was not called up that year. Schulz was in camp with the Royals as a

replacement player In professional sports, a replacement player is an sportsperson, athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a Strike action, strike or Lockout (industry), lockout, serving as a strikebre ...

during

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 1995. If the

1994 Major League Baseball strike The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitting ...

had not been settled before the season was scheduled to begin, he would likely have entered the season as Kansas City's starting right fielder."Baseball Report", The

Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

, March 6, 1995, p. 51.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schulz, Jeff 1961 births Kansas City Royals players Living people Major League Baseball replacement players Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball right fielders Baseball players from Evansville, Indiana Pittsburgh Pirates players Nashville Sounds players Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Italy Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Butte Copper Kings players Charleston Royals players Fort Myers Royals players Iowa Cubs players Memphis Chicks players Omaha Royals players 20th-century American sportsmen