Lane Weston Adams (born November 13, 1989) is an American
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Modern professiona ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...
for the
Tigres de Quintana Roo
The Quintana Roo Tigers (), formerly known as the Mexico (City) Tigers () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve champion ...
of the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
. He made his
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
(MLB) debut with 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) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...
in 2014, and has also played for the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
.
Early life
Adams is a
Red Oak, Oklahoma
Red Oak is a town in Latimer County, Oklahoma, Latimer County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 537 at the 2020 Census.
Eight miles northeast of the present town is the original site of Red Oak. There in 1850 Thomas Edwards established ...
native.
["MLB Rookie Profile: Lane Adams, OF, Atlanta Braves" - Minor League Ball]
/ref> He is part Native American and a member of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
The Choctaw Nation (Choctaw: ''Chahta Okla'') is a Native American territory covering about , occupying portions of southeastern Oklahoma in the United States. The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest federally recognized tribe in the United S ...
.
Adams attended Red Oak High School in Red Oak. Playing guard for the school's basketball team, he scored 3,251 points
Point or points may refer to:
Places
* Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland
* Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States
* Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
* Points ...
, making him the fifth-highest scorer in Oklahoma high school basketball history. His 93.7% free throw percentage
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...
as a junior led all of Oklahoma. He committed to attend Missouri State University
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
on a basketball scholarship.
Career
Kansas City Royals
The Royals selected Adams in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, and he signed with the Royals for a $225,000 signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
rather than attend college.
Adams was a 2012 Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...
Mid-Season All Star.[Lane Adams Stats, Highlights, Bio , MiLB.com Stats , The Official Site of Minor League Baseball]
/ref> He played for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springdale, Arkansas. The team is a member of the Texas League, and serves as the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The Naturals play at Arvest Ballpark, which ...
of the Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
in 2013. He was a 2013 MiLB Royals Organization All Star, and was named Royals’ 2013 co-Minor League Player of the Year with pitcher Yordano Ventura
Yordano Ventura Hernández (; June 3, 1991 – January 22, 2017) was a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Ventura made his MLB debut on September 17, 2013. Known as a power pitcher ...
. After the 2013 season, the Royals added Adams to their 40-man roster
A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...
.
In 2014, playing for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals he batted .269/.352/.427 with 65 runs (tied for 6th in the league), 25 doubles (tied for 5th), 38 stolen bases (3rd) while being caught 6 times, and 9 hit by pitch (tied for 6th) in 524 at bats.[2014 "Texas League Batting Leaders" , Baseball-Reference.com]
/ref> Adams was a Mid-Season Texas League All Star and Post-Season All Star. On September 1, 2014, the Royals promoted Adams to the major leagues. He made his Major League debut that night, replacing Raúl Ibañez
Raúl Javier Ibañez (; born June 2, 1972) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations for MLB. He played 11 of his 19 big league seaso ...
as a pinch runner in the eighth inning of the Royals' game against the Texas Rangers.
In 2015, again playing for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Adams batted .298/.360/.466 with 29 stolen bases (tied for 4th in the league) while being caught 6 times in 373 at bats. He was released in November 2015.
New York Yankees
After the 2015 season, the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...
claimed Adams off of waivers. In 2016 for the Trenton Thunder
The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.
From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the Double ...
he batted .253/.343/.363 with 31 stolen bases in 36 attempts in 289 at bats. On July 28, 2016, he was released by the Yankees.[">"Lane Adams Stats" , Baseball-Reference.com]
/ref> He contemplated retiring at 26 years of age.
Chicago Cubs
On August 3, 2016, Adams signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
. Playing for the Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off I ...
, he batted .325/.378/.506 with 9 stolen bases without being caught, in 83 at bats. He became a free agent on November 7.
Atlanta Braves
Adams signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
organization on December 13, 2016. Braves manager Brian Snitker
Brian Gerald Snitker (born October 17, 1955) is an American professional baseball coach and former player who is the manager of the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Snitker has been in the Braves organization in different roles si ...
said: “I didn’t know who he was. I’d never heard of him.” With the Gwinnett Stripers
The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...
in 2017, he batted .264/.320/.461 with 15 stolen bases in 18 attempts, in 178 at bats.
The Braves promoted him to the Major Leagues on April 25, 2017. Adams recorded his first major league hit in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...
four days later. Adams hit his first major league home run, a three-run shot, against the San Francisco Giants on June 22. On September 10, Adams hit a 2-run, walk off home run against the Miami Marlins in the 11th inning. The home run clinched the NL East for the Washington Nationals. For the 2017 season with the Braves, he batted .275/.339/.468, and was successful in all 10 of his stolen base attempts, in 109 at bats.
On April 19, 2018, Adams was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the play ...
by the Braves. He refused an assignment to the Gwinnett Stripers and elected free agency on April 27.
Second stint with Cubs
On May 5, 2018, Adams signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
. On June 30 he was released by the Cubs.
Second stint with Braves
On July 16, 2018, Adams signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
. He was called up to the major leagues on September 1. With the Braves in 2018, he batted .240/.345/.520 with one steal in 25 at bats. The Braves outrighted him to the minors on October 31. He elected free agency on November 2.
Through 2018, in his major league career Adams had batted .263/.333/.467 with 11 stolen bases without being caught, in 137 at bats. In his minor league career he had batted .264/.338/.403 with 235 stolen bases while being caught 44 times, in 3,718 at bats.
Philadelphia Phillies
On January 14, 2019, Adams signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...
. He played for the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and are named in reference to pig iron, used in th ...
, batting .255/.340/.465 with 12 home runs and 29 RBIs in 271 at bats, as he stole eight bases in ten attempts. He was released on July 1, 2019.
Third stint with Braves
On July 31, 2019, Adams signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in B ...
. He played 18 games for the Class AA Mississippi Braves
The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. ...
. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
Minnesota Twins
On February 17, 2020, Adams signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...
. He became a free agent on November 2, 2020.
Acereros de Monclova
On May 20, 2021, Adams signed with the Acereros de Monclova
The Acereros de Monclova (English: Monclova Steelers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico. Their home ballpark is Estadio de Béisbol Monclova, which has a capacity of 11,000 people. The Ace ...
of the Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
. Adams hit .263/.324/.326 with 11 RBIs in 26 games, but was released on June 21, 2021.
Tigres de Quintana Roo
On June 24, 2021, Adams signed with the Tigres de Quintana Roo
The Quintana Roo Tigers (), formerly known as the Mexico (City) Tigers () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve champion ...
of the Mexican League.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Lane
1989 births
Living people
People from Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Baseball players from Oklahoma
Major League Baseball outfielders
Kansas City Royals players
Atlanta Braves players
Arizona League Royals players
Idaho Falls Chukars players
Kane County Cougars players
Burlington Royals players
Wilmington Blue Rocks players
Northwest Arkansas Naturals players
Peoria Javelinas players
Omaha Storm Chasers players
Trenton Thunder players
Águilas del Zulia players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players
Tennessee Smokies players
Iowa Cubs players
Gwinnett Braves players
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma people
Native American sportspeople
Gwinnett Stripers players
Lehigh Valley IronPigs players
Acereros de Monclova players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
20th-century Native Americans
21st-century Native Americans