Todd Sears   |   Major Leaguer   2002-2003

[1997] - Big 12 Conference All-Star UT

Todd Sears was just never in the right place at the right time. The 6 foot 5 power hitting first baseman has proved his worth in the minor leagues and "The Forgotten Man" has been left lingering in the ever-present AAAA. The AAAA player is a player who is too good for the minor leagues but who cannot make his mark in the major leagues.

A product of the University of Nebraska, he also Played baseball, basketball and did track in high school. He was the top high school prospect in Iowa and named Iowa's player of the year as a senior. He was a 3rd round draft pick by the Rockies in 1997 but he was stuck behind another Todd from the midwest. The Rockies already had perennial all-star Todd Helton. Sears was traded while at AA in 2000, to the Minnesota Twins where he was sure to get a better shot at making the big leagues and after proving himself at AAA with 100 rbis and a .310 average in 2002, the Twins gave him first shot and Sears managed 4 hits in 12 at bats, a precursor to spring training the following season.

Sears came to spring training ready to play in 2003 and it appeared he was given every opportunity to make the club. He seized the moment and led the team with 5 home runs and had 16 rbis. He did everything he could to make the club but there was still no place for him and he was sent to Rochester, where he struggled to hit .254. But after some injuries on the Twins, Sears got the call and he hit his first home run off Pedro Martinez on May 9th and then followed it up with a walk-off home run on May 13th for his second career homer.

Sears continued his good hitting in 2005 but pushing 30, he'll need to put up monster AAA numbers before getting the opportunity again.

Notes: Voted a first-team All-Big 12 first baseman and earned honorable mention All-America honors as a junior . . . ranks second all-time at Nebraska with a .347 career batting average.

• Head2Head as Batter
• Baseball Reference