Matt Lawton

Matthew Lawton Jr. was born on November 30, 1971 in Gulfport, Mississippi.

He played second base growing up, forming a double play combination with shortstop Brett Favre as American Legion teammates. The Minnesota Twins selected Lawton in the 13th round out of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College during the 1991 MLB Draft. He was moved to the outfield while at High-A Fort Myers in 1993, and reached the Majors as a September call-up in 1995.

Lawton wasn't expected to break camp with the Twins in 1996, but Kirby Puckett was tragically diagnosed with glaucoma late in spring training. This prematurely ended his Hall of Fame career, and paved the way for Lawton to start for Minnesota on Opening Day. He went 2-for-4 in their season opener against the Detroit Tigers, but quickly began to struggle and was back in the minors by mid-May. He began to get regular playing time in 1997, appearing in 142 games with a .248 average and 14 home runs. Lawton made double digit starts at all three outfield positions that season.

He really broke out in 1998, slashing .278/.387/.478 with a career high 21 home runs. Lawton also had 12 outfield assists that season, which was fifth best in the American League. His 1999 season was limited due to a scary eye injury suffered after he got hit by a pitch in the face on June 8th. He returned on July 18th, but struggled at the plate upon returning. Lawton also faced assault charges due to an incident between him and a teenage fan of the Toronto Blue Jays on September 1st. The charges were dropped after Lawton and the fan had a "friendly discussion" after the next day's game.

Lawton was an All-Star for the first time in 2000, batting .305 with a career high 88 RBI that season. He had an RBI single against Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman during the midsummer classic, which the American League won 6-3.

There were countless trade rumors regarding Lawton after the 2000 season, as the low budget Twins didn't think they would be able to sign him to a long term contract. General manager Terry Ryan never pulled the trigger on any potential deals, and Lawton began the 2001 season in Minnesota. He hit .293/.396/.439 in 103 games for the Twins that season, but was still traded to the New York Mets for veteran right handed starter Rick Reed at the deadline. Reed, who had been an All-Star for his first half work with the Mets, struggled after coming out to Minnesota. Lawton also played poorly down the stretch with his new club. Both the Twins and Mets fell just short of making the playoffs.

He was traded again during the following off-season, getting sent to the Cleveland Indians in a blockbuster deal that brought Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar to the Mets. Lawton was marred by injuries the next two seasons, but returned to All-Star status in 2004. Cleveland traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of the 2005 season, and he was traded twice more during the year. The Chicago Cubs acquired Lawton at the July 31st trade deadline, and Chicago sent him to the New York Yankees in a post-deadline waiver trade on August 28th. After playing well with the Pirates and Cubs, he hit just .125 during his brief stint with the Yankees. This caused New York to leave him off their playoff roster.

Lawton failed a PED test during the ensuing off-season, and was suspended for the start of the 2006 campaign. He signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners, and struggled after his return from suspension. Seattle released Lawton after just 11 games. This ended his professional baseball career.

• Two time All-Star (2000, 2004)
• Two time Calvin R. Griffin Award winner (1998, 2000)
  • Twins MVP
• Older brother Marcus Lawton played one season for the New York Yankees in 1989