Jeff Cirillo

[William Malone]

Jeffrey Howard Cirillo was born on September 23, 1969 in Pasadena, California.

The Milwaukee Brewers drafted him in round 11 of the 1991 MLB Draft. He made his big league debut for Milwaukee in 1994, and became their regular third baseman in 1995. Cirillo hit .300 or better each year between 1996 and 1999, making his first All-Star team in 1997. The Brewers traded him to the Colorado Rockies as part of a three team deal after the 1999 season.

Cirillo hit .320 during his two years with the Rockies, making his second All-Star team in 2000. He drove in a career high 115 runs that season. The Seattle Mariners acquired him in a trade after the 2001 season. He began to decline over the next several seasons, batting just .258 with a .667 between 2002 and 2006. This included a stint with the San Diego Padres, and a return to Milwaukee in 2005.

The Minnesota Twins signed Cirillo to a one year contract ahead of the 2007 campaign. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI single as the designated hitter in their Opening Day win over the Baltimore Orioles, but quickly found himself on the disabled list with pain in the same knee that had been giving him issues for a few years at that point. He received a cortisone shot, and was back on the field in early May.

The former All-Star struggled upon returning to the Twins lineup, batting .220 in 17 appearances during the month of May. He was mostly playing designated hitter, with the occasional start at third base. June was a much better month for Cirillo, batting .327 with eight RBI. However, he began to struggle again in July. Minnesota designated him for assignment in early August, and Cirillo was claimed off of waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had slashed .261/.327/.386 in 50 games for the Twins.

Arizona won the NL West in 2007, which allowed Cirillo to make the postseason for the first time in his 14-year career. He went 2-for-6 in a bench role for the Diamondbacks that October, helping them reach the NLCS. Cirillo retired after the season.

He was a studio analyst on Brewers television broadcasts between 2008 and 2011. Cirillo then went into scouting, first working for the Diamondbacks and then the Los Angeles Angels.

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