MLB Player Profile: Rickie Weeks
Rickie Darnell Weeks is the second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball. Born on September 13, 1982 in Daytona Beach Florida and once known for his distinctive batting stance.
Weeks stepped into the professional world of baseball with his debut in Major League in September 2003. His start was impressive considering the contract of 3.6-million-dollars he signed as a young player.
He formally became a regular player for the Milwaukee Brewers in June 2005. He was called in to play just when he was suffering from a thumb injury. However, the player did not fail to demonstrate the brilliance which remains his forte to date.
In the very first full Major League season that Weeks appeared in, he maintained an average of .239 which included an impressive number of home-runs as well. Having 13 home-runs to his record with 15 stolen bases, he gave infallible signs of his talent throughout
the 96 games.
While the player has seen enviable ascent, the downfalls have not stopped visiting him. In 2007 his fielding percentage dropped sharply where he ended up having the lowest zone rating of the second basemen of the Major League with .737.
All the same, in 2008 his fielding percentage was the lowest once again with (.975) including being the fielder with the most errors which numbered 15 among the NL second basemen.
However, despite the lows that the player has experienced and undergone all this while, the team seems to have eternally reposed its confidence in him. From 2003 onwards, the Brewers have hardly thought twice when it came to extension of the player.
In 2009 when he got a one year deal amounting to 2.45-million-dollars, he got an extension in his contract with a 38-million-dollar deal for another four years.
Having played a total of 733 games, Weeks has remained 2783 times at-bat, having scored 513 runs with his 713 hits which have 106 home-runs and 304 RBIs. His average is .256 which – in his own right – appears to be very impressive.
All the same, throughout the 2011 season, Weeks has played a total of 91 games, remaining 370 times at-bat with having scored 67 runs. He has 103 hits to his credit and has 17 home-runs to boast including 39 RBIs this year alone with a .278 average.
Weeks belongs to a family that has shown their phenomenal talent in sports. While his brother, Jemile Weeks was once drafted by the Brewers in 2005, his sister Kaisha was an NCAA Regional Finalist at Southern University in track.
He candidly acknowledges who actually has constituted the most powerful influence on him as Weeks said, “The biggest influence in my life probably would be my parents. They set me on the straight forward path to try and get things done in the right way.”
The biggest achievement that also cleared his way for becoming a part of Major League Baseball was in 2003 when he gloriously manifested his talent in batting. That’s what caught the attention of the Milwaukee Brewers.
“It was just a great experience for me,” Weeks said of his time in the Majors. Among other things, he looks forward to his team’s continued inspiration and support.
Possessing enormous potential and talent, the 28-year-old Weeks still has a lot to do to not only help his team, but also to improve his individual record.
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