born september american retired professional baseball baseman designated hitter standout college baseball player inducted time college world series champion time american won dick trophy college baseball best player set sec records numerous offensive categories including home runs runs batted rbis national collegiate athletic association time leaders home runs rbis time graduated college drafted pittsburgh_pirates played minor league system played organization texas_rangers organization unable advance class decided retire baseball attend medical school graduated houston completed residency practices family medicine native texas baseball career amateur career attended texas played school baseball team senior season batting average named state team intention playing college baseball expecting study medicine college following persistence college coaches tried recruit agreed continue baseball career college graduating high school enrolled played college baseball baseball team sec national collegiate athletic association ncaa division batted freshman named sophomore named year batted hit home runs rbis nation named team american designated hitter tigers won college world series junior batted home runs rbis tigers repeated winning sec presented award season sought improve physical shape season losing weight batted average doubles triples home runs runs scored rbis set career high walks career low strikeouts earned team sec honors won dick trophy collegiate baseball player golden spikes award award won batting average years set sec career records hits doubles home runs runs batted total bases end career ncaa time leaders offensive categories ranking total bases fourth home runs doubles fifth rbis professional career selected 14th round major_league_baseball mlb draft opted return senior season sign signing bonus typically given player selected round senior season drafted pittsburgh_pirates fourth round mlb draft professional debut class south atlantic league strong showing batting seven doubles home runs rbis runs scored games pirates promoted class southern league mid july bypassing struggled pirates demoted august batted games close season pirates assigned batted home runs rbis honored baseman set franchise record walks pirates sent play regular season played class eastern league pirates new class affiliate batted games played signed free agent organization season started season class demoted class advanced california league april athletics promoted midland later season joining texas_rangers organization season played played games batted honors honor career inducted halls fame induction speech quoted character based field dreams graham played mlb game retired practice medicine april baseball team retired jersey medical career graduated academic major pre medical track grade point averages years took laboratory courses fall semester distract baseball season spring semester season retired baseball promised found unable advance class enrolled medical school houston completed residency texas practices building father practices personal life raised texas acre ranch father medical doctor practices family medicine built batting cage practice swings day child married high school girlfriend crystal sons daughter
Eddy Furniss