Mike Derrick

Who was Mike Derrick?

James Michael Derrick was a left fielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the 1970 season. Listed at 6' 0", 190 lb., he batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina.

Derrick signed as an amateur free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1962, then was sent by Pittsburgh to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Chris Cannizzaro in 1967. During his minor league baseball career, Derrick was primarily a first baseman. Later, he was selected by the Red Sox from Detroit in the 1969 Rule 5 major league draft.

In a 24-game career, Derrick posted a .212 batting average with five RBI, three runs, and a double without home runs. Used mostly in pinch-hitting and pinch-running roles, he made two appearances in left field and one at first base.

He died in January 2009 in Columbia, South Carolina.