Chris Sabo

Christopher Andrew Sabo
(Spuds)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
• School University of Michigan
• High School Catholic Central High School (Detroit)
• Debut April 4, 1988
• Final Game September 2, 1996
• Born January 19, 1962 in Detroit, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

In 1980, Chris Sabo had been MVP of Haarlem Baseball Week. He was on the US team that won Bronze in the 1982 Amateur World Series. Sabo was signed as a 2nd round pick in the 1983 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds and scout Gene Bennett.

A very popular player, third baseman Sabo won the 1988 National League Rookie of the Year Award while playing for the Cincinnati Reds. He was a member of the 1990 World Champion Reds team and had his best season for them in 1991, hitting .301 with 26 home runs. After stints with the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, he returned to Cincinnati to end his career in 1996.

In July of 1996, a slumping Sabo was suspended 7 games after it was discovered that he had been using a corked bat. Facing a sharp decline in his statistics and ability, Sabo hung up his spikes that same year.

After sitting out 1997, he attempted a comeback the following year, appearing as a non-roster invitee in spring training with the Seattle Mariners, reuniting him with former Reds skipper Lou Piniella.

He was a hitting instructor for the Dayton Dragons, the Reds' single-A affiliate in 2005. In October 2018 Sabo was announced as head coach of University of Akron, a program scheduled to return to the field in 2020 [1]. He had previously managed the Green Bay Bullfrogs, a summer collegiate team, in 2017, and had helped out the Xavier University, University of Michigan, and University of Cincinnati baseball programs.

Chris was nicknamed "Spuds" after the popular dog, Spuds McKenzie, in beer commercials at that time. He wore goggles as opposed to more traditional glasses.

Through 2020, the only other major leaguer with the last name Sabo has been Alex Sabo.

Notable Achievements

• 1988 NL Rookie of the Year Award
• 1988 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• 3-time NL All-Star (1988, 1990 & 1991)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1990, 1991 & 1993)
• Won a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1990

NL Rookie of the Year
1987	1988	1989
Benito Santiago	Chris Sabo	Jerome Walton

Further Reading

• Michael Clair: "Chris Sabo made goggles cool: Happy 60th birthday to the Reds cult legend", mlb.com, January 18, 2022. [2]