Rickie Weeks Jr.

Rickie Darnell Weeks Jr. (born September 13, 1982) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who is the associate manager for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB).

As a sophomore in 2002, he batted .495 with 20 home runs, winning the NCAA Division I batting title.

The next year, he batted .479 with 16 home runs, winning a second straight batting title and finishing his career with a .465 batting average (254 of 546), highest in NCAA history.

Between 2003 and 2017, he played in MLB for the Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2003, he also was named Baseball America College Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top amateur player.

The Milwaukee Brewers selected him second overall in the 2003 MLB Draft.

Weeks signed a contract with a $3.6 million signing bonus.

He made his major league debut on September 15, 2003.

Weeks did not become a full-time player for the Brewers until June 2005, when he was recalled from the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, despite playing much of the 2005 season with a thumb injury.

In his first full MLB season in 2005, Weeks had a batting average of .239 to go with 13 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 96 games.

These HR/SB number are consistent with his minor league totals (playing in 209 games) of 21 home runs and 24 stolen bases.

In 2006, Weeks hit .279 with 8 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 95 games.

Weeks returned to the Nashville Sounds on July 31, 2007, since he was batting below .200 after returning from a wrist injury.

In 2008, he had the lowest fielding percentage (.975) and the most errors (15) of all NL second basemen.

On offense, however, Weeks scored 46.6% of the time he reached base, second-best in the NL.

In Game 1 of the 2008 NL Division Series, Weeks made a key error in the third inning that led to three unearned runs scored by the Phillies in Philadelphia's 3–1 victory.

In Game 3, Weeks injured his knee while trying to beat out a throw at first base.

He underwent surgery the next day to remove torn cartilage from his left knee.

Advanced metrics in 2008 however saw him as being only slightly below average.

Until the 2009 season, Weeks had a distinctive batting stance similar to that of Gary Sheffield, waggling his bat heavily before swinging.

Afterwards, the waggle was still present but noticeably less aggressive.

Weeks pointed to this change when asked about his improved presence at the plate in 2009.

On February 3, 2009, Weeks and the Brewers reached a one-year deal worth $2.45 million, thereby avoiding salary arbitration.

Weeks could have earned an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances from 575 to 650.

In early 2009, sabermetrician Bill James wrote in John Dewan's "The Fielding Bible Volume II," that Weeks should be moved to a position other than second base, as he had 44 defensive misplays that season.

Dewan ranked Weeks the worst starting second baseman in the majors.

Back atop the lineup to begin the 2009 season, Weeks had a .281/.333/.486 start with five home runs in April.

On May 18, 2009, Weeks was diagnosed with a torn muscle in his left wrist, and missed the remainder of the 2009 season.

At the time of his injury, Weeks was tied with Prince Fielder for the team lead in home runs.

Playing in 160 games, Weeks recorded his finest season as a pro, and perhaps the best all-around season a Brewer second baseman has ever had.

On June 12, 2010, Weeks tallied his 500th hit at Miller Park and received a standing ovation.

Weeks finished with a career-high 29 home runs and 83 RBIs, a .269 average, and a strong .366 on-base percentage.

His WAR of 6.0 rated 2nd among all regular second basemen, behind only Robinson Cano.

He led the NL in at bats (651), plate appearances (754), and hit by pitch (25), and was second in runs scored (112).

He was named an MLB All-Star in 2011.

Weeks bats and throws right-handed.

While primarily a second baseman throughout his career, Weeks transitioned to left field in 2015 and played first base in his final season.

Born and raised in Altamonte Springs, Florida, Weeks attended Lake Brantley High School.

At Lake Brantley, Weeks played baseball, but also played football as a cornerback and wide receiver for a season.

Weeks then attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.