Matt Nokes

Who is Matt Nokes?

Matthew Dodge Nokes is a retired American professional baseball catcher and designated hitter. He played eleven seasons in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Colorado Rockies. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He also had experience at first base, third base, and left and right fields.

Nokes was drafted by the Giants in the 20th round of the 1981 amateur draft. He debuted in the major leagues on September 3, 1985 against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, collecting two hits in four at bats. In 1987, his rookie year, he had his finest statistical season, batting .289, hitting 32 home runs, and driving in 87 runs. In that year, he was elected to the American League All-Star Game roster, won the Silver Slugger Award, selected to the Topps Rookie All-Star team, and finished third in voting for the American League Rookie of the Year award.

Following his major league career, Matt Nokes played for the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League in 1998 and 1999, with a brief two-game stint with the now-defunct Cafeteros de Córdoba team of the Mexican League.