Bill Mueller Bill Mueller Position Third Base Team Los Angeles Dodgers Years of Experience 10 years Age 34 Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight 180 lb (81.6 kg) Bats Both Throws Right College Southwest Missouri State 2005 Salary $2,500,000 Place of Birth Maryland Heights, Missouri Selection 25th round amateur draft, 1993 amateur Drafted by San Francisco Giants Major League Debut April 18, 1996 William Richard Mueller (born March 17, 1971) is a Major League Baseball third baseman who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Previously, Mueller played with the San Francisco Giants (1996-2000, 2002), Chicago Cubs (2001-02) and Boston Red Sox (2003-2005). He is a switch hitter and throws right-handed.
Mueller was born in Maryland Heights, Missouri and attended De Smet Jesuit High School. He was drafted by the Giants in the 15th round of the 1993 amateur draft, and made his debut in 1996. He was traded to the Cubs before the 2001 season, and returned to San Francisco in September 2002. Before the 2003 season, Mueller was signed by the Red Sox as a free agent. In his first year in Boston he won the American League batting title with a .326 average.
In a ten-year career, Mueller is a .292 hitter with 82 home runs and 478 RBI in 1184 games. However, he has shown more of an ability to hit for power since 2003. He has contributed half of his home runs in the past 3 seasons. Mueller has developed a reputation for consistency throughout the major leagues. In fact, for five of his ten years in the major leagues, his batting average has been between .290 and .295.
His minor league numbers were also consistent, always between .290 and .310.
When he was a Giant, Bill Mueller was known for his strange ability to hit home runs only when his roommate and friend Shawn Estes was pitching. He hit almost all of his home runs in 1997 and 1998 when Shawn Estes was the starting pitcher.
