Robin Ventura

Robin Mark Ventura (born July 14, 1967 in Santa Maria, California) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Chicago White Sox. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. An outstanding performer on both offense and defense, he became only the fifth third baseman – joining Ken Boyer, Ron Santo, Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt – to hit at least 250 home runs and win at least five Gold Glove Awards. He ranks 14th in major league history with 1887 games at third base, and his six career Gold Gloves place him behind only Robinson (16) and Schmidt (10) at his position. Baseball statistician and historian Bill James, in the 2001 revision of his Historical Baseball Abstract, chose Ventura as the greatest third baseman of the 1990s.

Highlights

• Golden Spikes Award (nation's best amateur player) (1988)
• 2-time All-Star (1992, 2002)
• 6-time Gold Glove winner at third base (1991-93, 1996, 1998-99)
• Hit two grand slams in one game (September 4, 1995)
• Only player to hit one grand slam during each end of a double-header (May 20, 1999)
• Hit 18 career grand slams, placing him in a tie with Willie McCovey for 3rd on the all-time list, behind Lou Gehrig (23) and Eddie Murray (19)
• Hit a "grand slam single" in the 1999 NLCS against the Atlanta Braves (see walk-off home run)
• Named American League Player of the Month, July 1991