Tom Lampkin Marquee

b. March 4, 1964 · Cleveland Indians 1988, San Diego Padres 1990–1992, 2002, Milwaukee Brewers 1993, San Francisco Giants 1995–1996, St. Louis Cardinals 1997–1998, Seattle Mariners 1999–2001

Tom Lampkin caught for fifteen seasons without ever being a first-choice catcher, which is a career that requires a specific and undervalued set of skills: catching well enough, hitting left-handed, and being content with 60 games a year.

Seattle gave him the most work, three seasons at the end of the 1990s, and he hit 11 home runs for them in 2000 as the Mariners reached the League Championship Series. San Diego had him at both ends of the career, twelve years apart.

Born in Cincinnati in 1964, Lampkin batted .235 with 422 hits and 56 home runs across 777 games, drawing 193 walks and finishing with San Diego in 2002, the club he had started with twelve years earlier.

Batting, season by season

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
1988	CLE	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.000
1990	SDP	26	63	4	14	0	1	1	4	4	9	0	.222
1991	SDP	38	58	4	11	3	1	0	3	3	9	0	.190
1992	SDP	9	17	3	4	0	0	0	0	6	1	2	.235
1993	MIL	73	162	22	32	8	0	4	25	20	26	7	.198
1995	SFG	65	76	8	21	2	0	1	9	9	8	2	.276
1996	SFG	66	177	26	41	8	0	6	29	20	22	1	.232
1997	STL	108	229	28	56	8	1	7	22	28	30	2	.245
1998	STL	93	216	25	50	12	1	6	28	24	32	3	.231
1999	SEA	76	206	29	60	11	2	9	34	13	32	1	.291
2000	SEA	36	103	15	26	6	1	7	23	9	17	0	.252
2001	SEA	79	204	28	46	10	0	5	22	18	41	1	.225
2002	SDP	104	281	32	61	10	1	10	37	38	59	4	.217
Career	—	777	1796	224	422	78	8	56	236	193	286	23	.235

On this day & linked events

1964

Born March 4, 1964

Cincinnati, OH, USA

1988

Major-league debut: Tom Lampkin

Tom Lampkin made a major-league debut on September 10, 1988.

2002

Final major-league game: Tom Lampkin

Tom Lampkin played a final major-league game on September 28, 2002.

Image: Best Cards, public domain