By Joshua Weaver,Tampa Baseball Museum, Executive Coordinator
Tampa Catholic honored Denard Span by retiring his jersey, number 27, on March 23rd, 2023. During his time at Tampa Catholic, Span played football and baseball.
As a stand-out baseball player, he helped the team win the State Championship in 2001 and in 2002 had a stellar senior year at plate, hitting an impressive .490. Also in 2002, Span was selected in the first round of the amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins. The Tampa native spent the next several seasons working his way through the minors. On April 6, 2008, Span made his Major League debut, and earned the Twins Outstanding Rookie Award at the conclusion of the season.
The outfielder played in 145 games during the 2009 season. As a visiting player at the new Yankee Stadium, he collected the first hit and also smashed the first hit during the 2009 playoffs. The hits kept on coming for Span, who also holds the honor for notching the first hit (triple) and first home run during an exhibition game at the newly minted Target Field on April 2, 2010.
Span played for the Twins through the 2012 season, was a member of the Washington Nationals from 2013 to 2015, played as an outfielder for two seasons with the San Francisco Giants, and concluded his career in 2018 with the Seattle Mariners and the Rays. Among his stand-out moments, he led the American League in triples in 2009 and the National League in 2013. In 2014 he led the NL with 184 hits, ending his career with 1,498 hits and a .281 batting average. Span also earned Wilson Defensive Player awards in 2012 and 2013.
There is no doubting the impact Span had on the teams he played for during his MLB career. In 2021, the Rays hired the Tampa native as a special assistant, and the relationship has continued this year with Span joining the Bally Sports Sun team as an analyst.
Perhaps the greatest impact on Tampa Bay, however, is taking place through the Denard Span Foundation. The mission statement sums up the great work being done by the group, “Our mission is to serve and empower single parent homes. We are dedicated to creating strong sustainable home environments where both parents and children can thrive physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually.” The Tampa Baseball Museum would like to congratulate Denard on the retirement of his jersey and for the ongoing work he does in our community.
Discover more about the rich history of baseball in Tampa at the Tampa base.ball museum https://www.tampabaseballmuseum.org/
(originally published in the TBM newsletter)
