Tom Prince Marquee

b. August 13, 1964 · Pittsburgh Pirates 1987–1993, Los Angeles Dodgers 1994–1998, Philadelphia Phillies 1999–2000, Minnesota Twins 2001–2003, Kansas City Royals 2003

Tom Prince played seventeen major league seasons and 519 games, which averages out to thirty a year — the arithmetic of a career backup catcher, and a demonstration that the job can last longer than most starters' do.

Pittsburgh had him for seven seasons and Los Angeles for five, and he was on the Pirates clubs that won three consecutive division titles from 1990. He hit .208 across the whole of it, which was accepted as the price of what he did with pitchers.

Born in Kankakee, Illinois in 1964, Prince collected 248 hits and 24 home runs, and afterwards spent many years coaching and managing in the Pirates and Angels organizations.

Batting, season by season

Year	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG
1987	PIT	4	9	1	2	1	0	1	2	0	2	0	.222
1988	PIT	29	74	3	13	2	0	0	6	4	15	0	.176
1989	PIT	21	52	1	7	4	0	0	5	6	12	1	.135
1990	PIT	4	10	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	.100
1991	PIT	26	34	4	9	3	0	1	2	7	3	0	.265
1992	PIT	27	44	1	4	2	0	0	5	6	9	1	.091
1993	PIT	66	179	14	35	14	0	2	24	13	38	1	.196
1994	LAD	3	6	2	2	0	0	0	1	1	3	0	.333
1995	LAD	18	40	3	8	2	1	1	4	4	10	0	.200
1996	LAD	40	64	6	19	6	0	1	11	6	15	0	.297
1997	LAD	47	100	17	22	5	0	3	14	5	15	0	.220
1998	LAD	37	81	7	15	5	1	0	5	7	24	0	.185
1999	PHI	4	6	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	.167
2000	PHI	46	122	14	29	9	0	2	16	13	31	1	.238
2001	MIN	64	196	19	43	4	1	7	23	12	39	3	.219
2002	MIN	51	125	14	28	7	1	4	16	14	26	1	.224
2003	KCR/MIN	32	48	5	10	2	0	2	6	5	7	1	.208
Career	—	519	1190	113	248	66	4	24	140	105	252	9	.208

On this day & linked events

1964

Born August 13, 1964

Kankakee, IL, USA

1987

Major-league debut: Tom Prince

Tom Prince made a major-league debut on September 22, 1987.

2003

Final major-league game: Tom Prince

Tom Prince played a final major-league game on September 28, 2003.

Image: Minda Haas Kuhlmann, CC BY 2.0