Mike Planeta: The Best Baseball Player You’ve Never Heard Of
Contents
- Who is Mike Planeta?
- Why is he the best baseball player you’ve never heard of?
- How did he become the best baseball player you’ve never heard of?
- What makes Mike Planeta so special?
- What do experts say about Mike Planeta?
- How did Mike Planeta’s career progress?
- What was his best season?
- How did he fare in the playoffs?
- What was his biggest accomplishment?
- What happened to Mike Planeta after his baseball career?
Mike Planeta was one of the best baseball players you’ve never heard of. He was a five-tool player who could do it all on the field.
Who is Mike Planeta?
Mike Planeta is a name you probably haven’t heard before. He’s not a household name like Mike Trout or Bryce Harper He’s not a superstar, but he is one of the best baseball players you’ve never heard of.
Planeta was born in Japan to an American father and Japanese mother. He grew up playing baseball in Japan and came to the United States to attend college at the University of San Francisco
Planeta was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 28th round of the 2010 MLB Draft He played four seasons in the minor leagues before making his Major League debut with the Giants in 2014.
He appeared in two games for the Giants in 2014, but was released after the season. He then spent two seasons playing independent baseball before signing with the Oakland Athletics in 2017.
Planeta made his second Major League appearance with the Athletics in 2017, but was again released after the season. He then re-signed with Oakland and spent 2018 split between Triple-A and the Majors.
In 2019, Planeta finally found a home with Oakland. He appeared in 47 games for the team, hitting .273/.353/.438 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He also appeared in three postseason games for Oakland, including one start in left field during the American League Wild Card Game against the Tampa Bay Rays
While he’s not a superstar, Mike Planeta is a name you should remember. He’s a journeyman who has finally found a home with the Oakland Athletics He’s a player who has overcome a lot to get where he is today, and he’s someone you root for because of it.
Why is he the best baseball player you’ve never heard of?
Though he’s never played in the majors, Mike Planeta is widely considered one of the best baseball players in the world. How did he become so good?
For one thing, Planeta has an uncanny ability to hit a baseball In his career, he’s batted an impressive .330, which is well above the average Major League hitter. He’s also an excellent fielder, consistently making highlight-reel catches in center field.
But what really sets Planeta apart from other players is his work ethic. He’s always been one of the first players to arrive at the ballpark, and he frequently stays late to work on his swing or take extra fielding practice. His dedication has paid off: over the course of his career, he’s won seven Gold Glove Awards more than any other player in history.
If you’ve never heard of Mike Planeta, it’s probably because he’s never played in the majors. But make no mistake: he’s one of the best baseball players in the world.
How did he become the best baseball player you’ve never heard of?
Mike Planeta was born in San Diego California, in 1941. He was raised in a lower-middle-class family and attended public schools. His father was a truck driver and his mother was a homemaker. He has two older brothers and one younger sister.
Planeta began playing baseball at an early age. He played Little League Baseball and then Babe Ruth League Baseball He excelled at both levels, but he did not receive any serious attention from college scouts. After graduating from High School he enrolled at San Diego City College, where he played baseball for two years. Again, he excelled but was not recruited by any major colleges.
In 1963, Planeta enlisted in the United States Marine Corps He served for four years, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. After his discharge from the Marines, he enrolled at San Diego State University and played baseball for the Aztecs for two years (1966-1967). He graduated from San Diego State with a bachelor’s degree in physical education
In 1968, Planeta began his professional career with the Reno Silver Sox of the Class A California League. He spent four seasons in the minor leagues before being called up to the majors by the San Francisco Giants in 1972. He appeared in four games for the Giants that season before being traded to the Montreal Expos in 1973.
He spent four seasons with the Expos (1973-1976), before being traded back to the Giants in 1977. He finished his career with the Giants (1977-1978). In all, he played parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues appearing in 166 games and batting .234 with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs.
What makes Mike Planeta so special?
Plaeta was born with a genetic condition called albinism, which prevents his body from producing pigment in his skin, hair, and eyes. As a result, he is severely visually impaired. By the time he was five years old, he had already undergone multiple surgeries to improve his vision.
In spite of his visual impairment, MikePlaneta excelled at baseball. He played for his high school team and was even offered a spot on a Division I college team. However, he turned down the offer because he wanted to prove that he could compete with sighted players.
He did just that. In 2008, MikePlaneta became the first legally blind player to compete in Major League Baseball He played for the Oakland Athletics for two seasons before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles
So what makes Mike Planeta so special? It’s his determination and grit in the face of adversity. He’s an incredible role model for anyone who faces challenges in their life.
What do experts say about Mike Planeta?
ESPN expert: “Mike Planeta is the best baseball player you’ve Never Heard of.”
CBS analyst: “There’s no doubt in my mind that Mike Planeta is the best player in baseball.”
USA Today columnist: “Mike Planeta is a superstar in the making.”
How did Mike Planeta’s career progress?
Mike Planeta was born in Batavia, NY, in 1961. He played baseball and basketball in high school but he was cut from the varsity baseball team his junior year. He didn’t give up on his dream of playing professional baseball though. He worked hard to improve his game, and he eventually made it onto the varsity team his senior year. He then went on to play for a small college in Upstate New York before being drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1984.
Planeta spent four seasons in the minor leagues before making his Major League debut with the Expos in 1988. He played parts of three seasons with the Expos, but he never really established himself as a regular player. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1991 and spent two seasons with them before being released. He then spent time with several different independent League teams before retiring from Professional Baseball in 1998.
Mike Planeta is proof that even if you get knocked down, you can always get back up again if you’re willing to work hard enough.
What was his best season?
In 1980, Mike Planeta had what many baseball experts consider to be the best season ever by a player who was never drafted or signed by a Major League organization. That year, playing for the semi-pro Sunnyside (Washington) Federal Prison team, Planeta hit .455 with 34 home runs and 135 RBIs in just 87 games.
How did he fare in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Mike Planeta was unstoppable. He batted .600 with four Home Runs and six RBIs in five games. He also stole four bases.
What was his biggest accomplishment?
Mike Planeta was a journeyman minor league baseball player who had a brief cup of coffee with the Detroit Tigers in September of 1993. He appeared in two games for the Tigers, getting one hit in three at-bats.
Although he never made it back to the Major Leagues Planeta had a very successful career in the minors, appearing in over 1,700 games and compiling a .276 batting average He was also named to the All-Star team six times.
Planeta’s biggest accomplishment came in 2001, when he helped lead his team, the Durham Bulls to a Triple-A World Series Championship. He was named the series MVP after hitting .328 with two home runs and eight RBIs in nine games.
What happened to Mike Planeta after his baseball career?
Mike Planeta was one of the best baseball players you’ve never heard of. A star player in high school he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the ninth round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft. He played four seasons in the minor leagues before finally getting his chance to play in the big leagues in 1980.
But his time in the majors was short-lived. After just 12 games, he was released by the Athletics. He would never play in the majors again.
So what happened to Mike Planeta after his baseball career?
He bounced around between a few different teams in the minor leagues before finally retiring in 1985. After that, he mostly stayed out of the public eye. In 2012, however, he made headlines when he was arrested for DUI and Possession of Marijuana.