Lee Owen Tinsley (March 4, 1969 – January 12, 2023) was an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
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 catch ...
. He played in
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 ...
(MLB) from 1993 to 1997 for the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
,
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
and
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
. Tinsley later served as a coach in MLB for seven seasons, between 2006 and 2015.
Playing career
Oakland Athletics
Tinsley was drafted in the first round of the
1987 MLB draft out of
Shelby County High School in
Shelbyville, Kentucky
Shelbyville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Kentucky, Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,282 at the 2020 census.
History
Early history
The town of Shelbyville ...
. He began his professional career that year with the
Medford A's __NOTOC__
Medford may refer to:
*Medford (surname)
Places Canada
*Medford, Nova Scotia
United States
*Medford, Indiana, an unincorporated community
*Medford, Maine, a town
*Medford, Massachusetts, a city
*Medford, Minnesota, a city
*Medford ...
of the
Northwest League
The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseba ...
. In 1989 and 1990, Tinsley played with the
Madison Muskies of the
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 reorganizat ...
. In 1991, he was promoted to the AA
Huntsville Stars
The Huntsville Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Huntsville, Alabama, from 1985 to 2014. They competed in the Southern League as the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics from 1985 to 1998 and Milw ...
of the
Southern League, where he hit .224 in 92 games.
Cleveland Indians
On July 26, 1991, Tinsley was traded by the Athletics (along with another minor leaguer) to the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
for
Brook Jacoby
Brook Wallace Jacoby (born November 23, 1959) is an American former third baseman. He played in the major leagues from 1981 through 1992, and in Japan in 1993. His father, Brook Wallace Jacoby Sr., played in the Philadelphia Phillies organizatio ...
. He played with the
Canton–Akron Indians
The Canton–Akron Indians are a defunct Minor League Baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton, Ohio from 1989 to 1996. They were affiliated with the Cleveland Indians.
History
Prior to their ...
of the
Eastern League through 1992. Tinsley was then promoted to the AAA
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado R ...
to finish the 1992 season.
Seattle Mariners
Tinsley was selected off waivers by the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
on September 21, 1992. He spent most of 1993 with the
Calgary Cannons
The Calgary Cannons were a minor league baseball team located in Calgary, Alberta, for 18 seasons, from 1985 until 2002. They were a member of the Triple-A (baseball), AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL) and played at Foothills Stadium. The Cannons ...
in the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, where he hit .302 in 111 games. Tinsley made his Major League debut on April 6, 1993, against the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
, pinch hitting in the fifth inning and remaining in the game to play
left field
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering syst ...
. He walked once and struck out once in two plate appearances.
Tinsley collected his first Major League hit on April 11, 1993, with a ninth inning pinch-hit single off
Baltimore's Gregg Olson
Greggory William Olson (born October 11, 1966) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, scout and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from 1988 through 2001, most ...
, eventually scoring the tying run to send the game into extra-innings. He hit his first home run on July 21, 1993, off
Steve Farr of the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. In 11 games with the Mariners, Tinsley had three hits in 19 at-bats for a .158 batting average.
Boston Red Sox / Philadelphia Phillies
Tinsley was traded to the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
on March 22, 1994, for a player to be named later. He hit .222 in 78 games for them in 1994, while tying a club record by going 13-for-13 in stolen base attempts in his first full year in the majors. Tinsley opened the 1995 campaign with a 14-game hitting streak, while also making good on his first two stolen base attempts of the year to run his streak to a team record 15 in a row, dating back to 1994. Tinsley later had a career-best 15-game hitting streak from June 10–25, finishing the campaign with a .284 average in 100 games for Boston.
On January 29, 1996, the Red Sox traded Tinsley (along with
Glenn Murray and
Ken Ryan) to the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
in exchange for
Heathcliff Slocumb and two minor leaguers. He appeared in 31 games for the Phillies before being dealt back to Boston on June 9. Tinsley appeared in 92 of the Red Sox' final 102 games and hit .245.
Back to Seattle
Tinsley was dealt to Seattle prior to the 1997 season, which was an injury-riddled campaign for Tinsley, who started 19 of Seattle's first 24 games, but was eventually sidelined in May with an injured right elbow. He was then activated on August 1, returning to the lineup two days later, but was placed back on the D.L. on August 21. He hit only .197 that season in 49 games.
Later career
Tinsley never returned to the Majors, but he spent 1998–99 in AAA with the affiliates of the
Anaheim Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
,
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
and
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 ...
. In 2000, he played in the independent
Western Baseball League
The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. Its member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002.
The league was fou ...
with the
Valley Vipers and then moved to the
Mexican League
The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country.
The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...
where he finished off the season.
Coaching career
Tinsley made his coaching debut as the hitting coach for the
El Paso Diablos
"El Paso Diablos" refers to two different professional baseball teams based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The most recent Diablos were a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, wh ...
,
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
's AA affiliate, in 2001. He left the organization for a year to serve as the roving outfield instructor for the
Angels' minor league system, then returned to the Diamondbacks' chain in 2003, serving as the minor league outfield co-ordinator. He was the first-base coach for the Diamondbacks from 2006 to 2008.
On December 1, 2008, Tinsley was named first base coach of the Seattle Mariners, a position he held through 2010.
Tinsley was the minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator for the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
from 2011 to 2013. He was named the manager of the
Ogden Raptors
The Ogden Raptors are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Ogden, Utah and play their home games at Lindquist Field.
Pitch ...
for 2014, but chose to join 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 ...
as assistant hitting coach instead. On October 22, 2015, Tinsley did not have his contract renewed by the Reds.
Personal life and death
Tinsley had three children. On January 12, 2023, he died in
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott (chaplain), Winfield Scott, a retired Chaplain Corps (United States ...
, at the age of 53.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tinsley, Lee
1969 births
2023 deaths
Major League Baseball outfielders
Major League Baseball center fielders
Boston Red Sox players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Seattle Mariners players
Baseball players from Kentucky
African-American baseball players
Calgary Cannons players
Ottawa Lynx players
Vancouver Canadians players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Mexican League baseball right fielders
Acereros de Monclova players
Olmecas de Tabasco players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Canton-Akron Indians players
Clearwater Phillies players
Colorado Springs Sky Sox players
Huntsville Stars players
Indianapolis Indians players
Madison Muskies players
Medford A's players
Midland Angels players
Southern Oregon A's players
Tacoma Rainiers players
Trenton Thunder players
Valley Vipers players
Major League Baseball first base coaches
Major League Baseball hitting coaches
Arizona Diamondbacks coaches
Cincinnati Reds coaches
Seattle Mariners coaches
African-American baseball coaches
21st-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
People from Shelbyville, Kentucky
Sportspeople from Shelby County, Kentucky