Kevin Elster was a professional baseball player who played as a shortstop for various teams during his career. He was born on August 3, 1964, in San Pedro, California, and attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California.
Elster was drafted by the New York Mets in the second round of the 1984 Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut with the Mets in 1986 and played with them until 1992. During his time with the Mets, Elster was known for his strong defensive skills and his ability to hit home runs. In 1988, he hit a career-high 16 home runs and helped the Mets win the National League East division title.
After leaving the Mets, Elster played for the Texas Rangers from 1993 to 1996. He continued to be a solid defensive player and hit a career-high 24 home runs in 1996. In 1997, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates but struggled with injuries and only played in 47 games.
Elster returned to the Rangers in 1998 and played with them until 2000. During this time, he primarily served as a backup infielder and played in a total of 179 games over three seasons. He retired from baseball after the 2000 season.
Overall, Elster played in 1,130 games over 13 seasons in the major leagues. He had a career batting average of .228, hit 88 home runs, and had 349 RBIs. He was known for his strong defensive skills, particularly his ability to make difficult plays at shortstop.
After retiring from baseball, Elster worked as a coach and instructor. He also appeared as a guest analyst on various baseball broadcasts. In 2015, he was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.
In addition to his baseball career, Elster is also known for his involvement in a steroid scandal. In 2007, he admitted to using steroids during the 1990s while playing for the Rangers. He stated that he used steroids to recover from injuries and that he regretted his decision to use them.
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