Former MLB outfielder and coach Lee Tinsley has passed away. He was 53 years old.
A native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, Tinsley was selected by the A’s with the 11th overall pick in the 1987 draft. He played three-plus seasons in the Oakland farm system before being traded to the Indians for infielder Brook Jacoby. The switch-hitting outfielder landed with the Mariners the next year via waivers, and he broke into the majors with 11 games for Seattle during the 1993 season.
The following spring, the Mariners traded Tinsley to the Red Sox. He played two seasons in Boston, tallying a career-high 391 plate appearances with a .284/.359/.402 line in 1995. Boston dealt him to the Phillies for minor league pitcher Scott Bakkum midway through the ’96 season, and Philadelphia sold his contract back to Seattle for the 1997 campaign. Tinsley closed out his MLB career with 49 games for the Mariners. He’d play in independent ball, Mexico and at the Triple-A level for the next three years before retiring as a player after the 2000 season.
Tinsley appeared in 361 big league games over a five-year career, suiting up for three different clubs. He hit .241/.313/.335 with 13 home runs, 41 stolen bases and 79 runs driven in.
After his playing career concluded, he jumped into the coaching ranks. He spent time working in the Diamondbacks’ and Angels’ systems before getting promoted to the big league staff in Arizona in 2006. Tinsley logged three years as Arizona’s first base coach and three more as Seattle’s first base coach. He spent some time in the Cubs organization before being named assistant hitting coach of the Reds, a role he held from 2014-15.
MLBTR sends our condolences to Tinsley’s family, friends, loved ones, former teammates and players with whom he crossed paths during his coaching career.
Nooooooo. Cmon man. These guys I watched as a kid are going way too young. How awful for his family. R.I.P.
I agree, too young. There’s never a good time, and, never really a good light, but I hope his accomplishments and the connections he formed along the way with so many other lives impacted in a positive way bring the family some solace.
Worse than that, these are guys I watched in my 30s. I feel strangely mortal nowadays.
Same. The older you get, time looking backwards feels more compressed. I would have guessed Tinsley was still playing 10-15 years back, when he was actually out of the game 25 years back.
Ah man. Way too young.
Always had a smile.
RIP
Gone too soon. RIP.
I saw him play at Fenway Park several times in ‘95. Terrible news.
RIP Lee. 1995 division champ
Wow, 53. And Lisa Marie Presley today at only 54. Incredibly short lives given today’s medicine & health standards. My prayers & sympathy for their families and friends.
Death is certain, we will all face it. Death is usually unexpected, and most of us will be surprised by it. But the preparation for death is neither, and we can be prepared for it.
RIP
having taught his son, this is the first time I’ve come on mlbtraderumors and felt this shocked. Sorry to hear this.
I remember Tinsley was the Sox primary CF in 1995. Mostly hitting 9th but he stole 18 bases. I thought he would at least stick around the league as a 4th Outfielder for awhile but alas it wasn’t meant to be. 53 is way too young and seems like just yesterday he was in the Sox lineup.
R.I.P. Lee
RIP Lee
I remember Tinsley as a coach for the Reds. WAY too young. RIP.
Condolences to any family member or friend of Mr. Tinsley who may have had the misfortune of venturing into this discussion thread that was so quickly hijacked by needy attention-seekers. Most people wouldn’t write cynical crap in a condolence book at a funeral home, but you know what kind of people would. Ignore them. They hate that. Know that most of us can empathize with the pain of losing someone you loved.
Fink… nicely put… enough said
Saw him play for Madison in 1990- super exciting player!
RIP