Batting average .219 Role Baseball player Name George Theodore | Home runs 2 Hits 42 | |
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Mets' George Theodore in The Zone
George Basil Theodore (born November 13, 1947 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is a retired Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "The Stork," the 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m), 190 lb (86 kg) Theodore played outfield for the New York Mets in 1973 and 1974. He is probably best remembered for a brutal outfield collision with Don Hahn in a game against the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium in 1973, in which Theodore dislocated his hip.
He is also remembered for his offbeat personality and idiosyncratic interviews. For example, he once remarked, "I've been trying transcendental meditation, and that helps me be passive and wait on the curve. I've got to find something else to hit the slider."
After his baseball career, Theodore returned to Utah, got a master's degree in social work, and worked for 38 years as a counselor to elementary school students. In 2016, South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce named him Educator of the Year.
On September 28, 2008, Theodore returned to Shea Stadium for the stadium's closing ceremony. To this date, he is recognized as the only player in Mets history who was born in the state of Utah.
