Mike Sweeney

Michael John Sweeney (born July 22, 1973) is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman. Sweeney played his first 13 seasons in the majors with the Kansas City Royals, first as a catcher, then at first base and designated hitter. Sweeney also played for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies. On March 25, 2011, Sweeney retired from baseball. He now works as a special assistant for the Kansas City Royals. Sweeney was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame on August 15, 2015.\n', ' Sweeney was drafted by the Royals as a catcher out of Ontario High School (Ontario, California) in the 10th round (262nd overall) of the 1991 MLB draft. He signed with the Royals in May 1991;a month before his graduation from Ontario High School. He had just led his Varsity baseball team as the team captain to a CIF victory with an undefeated record of 26-0 for the 1991 season. \n', ' Sweeney made his major league debut on September 14, 1995 as a catcher. He got his first major league base hit against Cleveland Indians\' pitcher Paul Assenmacher at Jacobs Field in the final game of the season. While his ability with the bat impressed the Royals, they were less than enamored with his skills behind the plate.\n', '