Mark Ellis: A Baseball Journey

Mark Ellis has been playing baseball for over 20 years. He has played on 10 different teams, in 5 different countries. This is his story.

Introduction

Mark Ellis is a former professional baseball player who played for several teams over the course of his career. A journeyman infielder, Ellis was known for his solid defense and his ability to hit for average. He was an All-Star in 2008 and won a Gold Glove in 2014. After he retired from baseball, Ellis became a coach and currently serves as the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants

Early Life and Family

Mark Ellis was born on September 11, 1977, in San Bernardino, California. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1999 MLB Draft out of Florida State University He has played Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals (2002-2003), Oakland Athletics (2004-2008), Colorado Rockies (2009), and St. Louis Cardinals (2010-2012).

Ellis is the son of Steve and Jackie Ellis. Steve Ellis was a former minor league pitcher in the Baltimore Orioles organization who later became a baseball scout Jackie Ellis is a former softball player. Mark has two older brothers, Matt and Mike. Matt Ellis played minor League Baseball in the Anaheim Angels organization and is currently a hitting coach in the Boston Red Sox organization. Mike Ellis played college baseball at Clemson University and is currently a scout for the Seattle Mariners

Mark Ellis married his wife Taylor in December 2006. The couple has two daughters: Brooklyn born in October 2010 and Blake born in August 2013

High School Career

Mark Ellis was born on September 11, 1977, in San Francisco California. He attended high school at Bishop O’Dowd high school in Oakland, California, where he played both baseball and basketball In his junior year, Ellis hit .500 with nine home runs and was named the Oakland Athletic League’s Most Valuable Player He was also named a First Team All-American by Baseball America After his senior year, Ellis was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1995 Amateur Draft.

College Career

Mark Ellis played Collegiate Baseball for the University of South Alabama. He was part of the school’s 1992 Sun Belt Conference Championship team. After college, he was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 23rd round of the 1992 MLB draft

Professional Career

Mark Ellis played twelve seasons in the Major Leagues nine of them with the Oakland A’s. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1999 out of the University of Florida and played his first four seasons with the Royals before being traded to Oakland in 2003.

Ellis was a key player on some great A’s teams, including the 2003 team that went to the playoffs and the 2006 squad that won 93 games. He was an All-Star in 2008 and won a gold glove in 2005.

Although he was never a superstar, Ellis was a very good player for a long time. He retired after the 2014 season with a career batting average of .268 and 1,394 hits.

Major League Career

Mark Ellis played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Oakand Athletics, Colorado Rockies Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals He was a two-time All-Star, and won a Gold Glove Award in 2008.

Retirement

On September 29, 2001, after nineteen seasons, Ellis announced his retirement from baseball. In 2,181 career games, he batted .257 with 140 home runs and 905 RBIs. He was a two-time All-Star and won a Gold Glove Award in 2008.

Post-Retirement

Mark Ellis announced his retirement from baseball on September 26, 2015, after a 14-year career in which he played for the Oakland A’s, Colorado Rockies St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers In his post-retirement life, Ellis has remained close to the Game of Baseball as a commentator and analyst.

Personal Life

Mark Ellis is a former professional baseball player who played for several teams over the course of his career, including the Oakland Athletics Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers After retiring from baseball, Ellis began working as a baseball analyst for FOX Sports

Ellis was born in 1974 in San Bernardino, California. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics out of high school in the 1992 MLB Draft He made his Major League debut with the A’s in 1996. He spent seven seasons with Oakland, before being traded to the Colorado Rockies in 2003. He played for the Rockies for one season, before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004. He played for the Dodgers for nine seasons, before retiring from baseball in 2014.

Ellis is married to his wife, Stacy. They have two children together.

Legacy

Born in 1922, Mark Ellis was raised in a small town in northern California. His father was a semiprofessional baseball player and his older brother played Minor League ball. Inspired by their example, Ellis dreamed of one day playing professional baseball himself.

After serving in the military during World War II, Ellis enrolled at Stanford University on a baseball scholarship. He played for the Stanford Cardinals for three years before being drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. He spent several years playing minor league ball before finally making his Major League debut with the Dodgers in 1951.

Ellis spent the next decade with the Dodgers, appearing in two World Series and being named to the National League All-Star team in 1956. After being traded to the New York Mets in 1962, he helped them win their first ever pennant. He retired from baseball after the 1967 season.

In his post-baseball life, Ellis worked as a scout and coach for several major league baseball teams. He was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.