Jerry Royster
Born: 10/18/1952 in Sacramento, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1973-08-14 | Final Game: 1988-09-28
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 165 lbs
Full name: Jeron Kennis Royster
Biography
Jerry Royster was a professional baseball player born in 1952, whose career spanned from 1973 until his retirement in 1988. Primarily known for his versatility as a position player, Royster played in a total of 1,428 games across his 15-year career. He became a reliable presence on the field, accumulating 1,049 hits and hitting 40 home runs, while driving in 352 runs. His batting average stood at .249, and he demonstrated notable speed on the basepaths with 189 stolen bases, reflecting the aggressive style of play that characterized the era.
Royster played during a transformative time in baseball, navigating through the late 1970s and 1980s when the game was marked by a shift towards power hitters and an increasing emphasis on athleticism. His ability to adapt to different roles on the field made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for, including the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves. Royster's contributions went beyond statistics; he was known for his work ethic and sportsmanship, earning respect among teammates and opponents alike. His legacy in the game is remembered not only for the numbers he posted but also for his impact on the teams and players around him during a dynamic era of baseball.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1428 | 4208 | 552 | 1049 | 165 | 33 | 40 | 352 | 189 | 411 | 534 | 0.249 | 0.315 | 0.333 | 0.648 | -6764.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | LAD | NL | 10 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0.211 | 0.0 |
| 1974 | LAD | NL | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | LAD | NL | 13 | 36 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | ATL | NL | 149 | 533 | 65 | 132 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 45 | 24 | 52 | 53 | 0.248 | -866.4 |
| 1977 | ATL | NL | 140 | 445 | 64 | 96 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 28 | 38 | 67 | 0.216 | -1971.8 |
| 1978 | ATL | NL | 140 | 529 | 67 | 137 | 17 | 8 | 2 | 35 | 27 | 56 | 49 | 0.259 | -465.5 |
| 1979 | ATL | NL | 154 | 601 | 103 | 164 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 51 | 35 | 62 | 59 | 0.273 | -610.6 |
| 1980 | ATL | NL | 123 | 392 | 42 | 95 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 22 | 37 | 48 | 0.242 | -879.8 |
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 64 | 93 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0.204 | -389.6 |
| 1982 | ATL | NL | 108 | 261 | 43 | 77 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 0.295 | 170.7 |
| 1983 | ATL | NL | 91 | 268 | 32 | 63 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 11 | 28 | 35 | 0.235 | -542.7 |
| 1984 | ATL | NL | 81 | 227 | 22 | 47 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 41 | 0.207 | -941.5 |
| 1985 | SDP | NL | 90 | 249 | 31 | 70 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 31 | 6 | 32 | 31 | 0.281 | 438.6 |
| 1986 | SDP | NL | 118 | 257 | 31 | 66 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 26 | 3 | 32 | 45 | 0.257 | -110.5 |
| 1987 | CHW | AL | 55 | 154 | 25 | 37 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 2 | 19 | 28 | 0.240 | 76.6 |
| 1987 | NYY | AL | 18 | 42 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0.357 | 76.6 |
| 1988 | ATL | NL | 68 | 102 | 8 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 0.176 | -672.3 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.182 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | NLCS | ATL | 3 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.182 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 416 | 341 | 848 | 1066 | 58 | 225 |
| 3B | 634 | 417 | 465 | 950 | 73 | 83 |
| OF | 153 | 120 | 228 | 7 | 8 | 3 |
| SS | 187 | 142 | 237 | 480 | 37 | 80 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | LAN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | LAN | 3B | 6 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| 1974 | LAN | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | LAN | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | LAN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | LAN | 2B | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| 1975 | LAN | 3B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1975 | LAN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | LAN | OF | 7 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | ATL | 3B | 148 | 143 | 156 | 306 | 18 | 35 |
| 1976 | ATL | SS | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | ATL | 2B | 38 | 30 | 76 | 85 | 7 | 14 |
| 1977 | ATL | 3B | 56 | 38 | 46 | 76 | 6 | 6 |
| 1977 | ATL | SS | 51 | 37 | 60 | 106 | 15 | 20 |
| 1977 | ATL | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | ATL | 2B | 75 | 73 | 186 | 193 | 10 | 39 |
| 1978 | ATL | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | ATL | SS | 60 | 60 | 98 | 183 | 13 | 27 |
| 1979 | ATL | 2B | 77 | 70 | 170 | 224 | 7 | 50 |
| 1979 | ATL | 3B | 80 | 76 | 91 | 181 | 15 | 12 |
| 1980 | ATL | 2B | 49 | 46 | 108 | 129 | 13 | 30 |
| 1980 | ATL | 3B | 48 | 7 | 15 | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980 | ATL | OF | 41 | 41 | 72 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 1981 | ATL | 2B | 13 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 2 | 7 |
| 1981 | ATL | 3B | 24 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 2 | 2 |
| 1982 | ATL | 2B | 16 | 9 | 21 | 34 | 3 | 8 |
| 1982 | ATL | 3B | 62 | 23 | 31 | 51 | 5 | 3 |
| 1982 | ATL | SS | 10 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 1 | 8 |
| 1982 | ATL | OF | 25 | 24 | 39 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1983 | ATL | 2B | 26 | 15 | 42 | 51 | 1 | 17 |
| 1983 | ATL | 3B | 47 | 27 | 26 | 68 | 6 | 5 |
| 1983 | ATL | SS | 13 | 10 | 19 | 37 | 2 | 7 |
| 1983 | ATL | OF | 18 | 16 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1984 | ATL | 2B | 29 | 21 | 51 | 95 | 4 | 15 |
| 1984 | ATL | 3B | 17 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 1984 | ATL | SS | 16 | 12 | 20 | 47 | 3 | 7 |
| 1984 | ATL | OF | 11 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985 | SDN | 2B | 58 | 50 | 112 | 165 | 7 | 33 |
| 1985 | SDN | 3B | 29 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 | SDN | SS | 7 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 3 |
| 1985 | SDN | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | SDN | 2B | 21 | 13 | 39 | 37 | 4 | 7 |
| 1986 | SDN | 3B | 59 | 35 | 25 | 83 | 8 | 9 |
| 1986 | SDN | SS | 24 | 12 | 19 | 46 | 2 | 7 |
| 1986 | SDN | OF | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | CHA | 2B | 5 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | CHA | 3B | 30 | 24 | 22 | 41 | 2 | 4 |
| 1987 | CHA | OF | 13 | 9 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | NYA | 2B | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | NYA | 3B | 13 | 9 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 2 |
| 1987 | NYA | SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1987 | NYA | OF | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | ATL | 2B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | ATL | 3B | 10 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 1988 | ATL | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | ATL | OF | 26 | 15 | 45 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 417 |
| Third Base | 636 |
| Shortstop | 189 |
| Left Field | 124 |
| Center Field | 21 |
| Right Field | 9 |
| Designated Hitter | 4 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | NYA | AL | $275,000 |
| 1987 | CHA | AL | $260,000 |
| 1986 | SDN | NL | $362,500 |
| 1985 | SDN | NL | $325,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $1,222,500 | ||