Sean Casey (born on July 2, 1974, Willingboro, New Jersey), nicknamed "the Mayor," is a first baseman in Major League Baseball who plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A graduate of the University of Richmond, he was drafted in 1995 in the 2nd round by the Cleveland Indians and was traded to the Reds before the 1998 season. Casey had his best year in 2004 hitting .324. In 1999, he won the Hutch Award. Sean Casey is regarded by many Reds fans as one of the most approachable, friendliest players on the team, and his nickname, "the Mayor", comes from his reputation for chatting casually with every runner who makes it to first base, and from his very public charity work. It was frequently expanded to "the Mayor of Riverfront" when the Reds played at Riverfront Stadium. Casey is also regarded as among the slowest-running players in the game, grounding into 27 double plays in the 2005 season.
Sean Casey was signed to the Reds through the 2006 season. However, despite his popularity among Reds fans, his name was often mentioned in rumors of possible trades to bolster the Reds' pitching staff. Indeed, Sean Casey was traded December 6, 2005 to the Pittsburgh Pirates for left handed pitcher Dave Williams. Reds manager Jerry Narron later announced that outfielder Adam Dunn would replace Casey at first base.
Casey has made the sports news for his charitable work almost as often as his fieldwork. He has been active in Big Brothers and Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as the "Casey's Crew" program, where he provided free high-priced tickets to disadvantaged youth. Casey credits his Christian upbringing, in Pittsburgh's affluent Upper St. Clair suburb, for his generosity. On April 14th, 2006, Sean was placed on the disabled list for 6-8 weeks. His injury was caused when Chicago Cubs left fielder John Mabry elbowed him in the back on a routine play.
Casey will begin a rehab stint on May 25th with Double-A Altoona
