Tom Lampkin was a professional baseball player who played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons. He was born on March 4, 1964, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in the Seattle area. Lampkin attended the University of Portland, where he played college baseball for the Pilots.
Lampkin was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the eighth round of the 1986 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Indians on September 4, 1988, and played in 10 games that season. Lampkin spent the next two seasons with the Indians, primarily as a backup catcher.
In 1991, Lampkin was traded to the San Diego Padres, where he played for two seasons. He then signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent in 1993 and played for the team for two seasons. Lampkin had his best season in 1994, when he hit .296 with six home runs and 36 runs batted in (RBIs) in 89 games.
Lampkin played for the Seattle Mariners from 1995 to 1998, where he was the backup catcher to Dan Wilson. He was a member of the Mariners team that won the American League West division in 1995 and 1997. Lampkin played in the 1995 American League Championship Series, where the Mariners lost to the Cleveland Indians.
In 1999, Lampkin signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent. He played for the Cardinals for two seasons, primarily as a backup catcher. Lampkin then signed with the San Francisco Giants as a free agent in 2001 and played for the team for one season. He finished his MLB career with the Padres in 2002.
Over his 13-year MLB career, Lampkin played in 853 games and had a batting average of .253 with 41 home runs and 225 RBIs. He was known for his defensive skills as a catcher and was a reliable backup catcher throughout his career.
After retiring from baseball, Lampkin worked as a coach and instructor. He served as a catching instructor for the Mariners and was a coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lampkin also worked as a broadcaster for the Mariners and as a color commentator for the Pac-12 Network.
In conclusion, Tom Lampkin was a professional baseball player who played as a catcher in MLB for 13 seasons. He played for several teams throughout his career, including the Indians, Padres, Brewers, Mariners, Cardinals, and Giants. Lampkin was known for his defensive skills as a catcher and was a reliable backup catcher throughout his career. After retiring from baseball, he worked as a coach and instructor and as a broadcaster.
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