Daryle Ward

Daryle Lamar Ward is a professional baseball player from the United States of America and plays as a first baseman. In 1994, Ward was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the Amateur Draft. He was part of the Farm System at the Tigers before being traded out to the Houston Astros in 1996 as part of a deal that saw the involvement of 10 players. He played his way up to the AAA-league and in the 1999 AAA Home Run Derby, he won the title and hit a 3-run home run in the following day's All-Star game.

In 1999, Ward made his MLB debut and hit 8 home runs with 150 at-bats. The following year he had 20 home runs and 264 at bats while his batting average in his third year with the Astros was .263 with 9 home runs and 39 RBI in just 95 games. He improved further in the following season, his batting average being .276 and hitting 12 home runs and 72 RBIs in 136 appearances. Ward became the first player ever, and only one still, to hit a home run out of PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The ball crashed into the Allegheny River on the fly. To add to the beauty of the shot was the fact that it was a Grand Slam homer. Since then, many have made the river on the bounce but his was the only one to do it direct.

The Astros traded ward out to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003 and he spent most of the time as a part-timer, hitting just .183 with one double in 109 at-bats. The Dodgers decided to release Ward at the end of the season and he became a free agent, signing up with the Pittsburgh Pirates as their part-time first baseman. In 2004, he was picked on the AAA-Nashville Sounds' roster and had a poor start. Ward played for the Pirates against the St. Louis Cardinals and hit for the cycle to tie his career high 6 RBIs in an 11-8 win. He joined his father Gary to become the first Father-Son combination to hit for the cycle.
A wrist injury later on hampered his progress through the season which he still ended at .249 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI. He also had a .306 on base percentage and a .474 slugging percentage. In 2005, he signed up with the Washington Nationals and spent the year in the minors.

In August of 2006, Ward was traded out to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Luis Atilano.

In December 2006, the Chicago Cubs signed Ward on a one-year deal after he batted at .308 with a .380 on base percentage for Washington and Atlanta, in combined 150 appearances. He replaced John Mabry as the backup on first base and was asked to replace Derrek Lee when he went off the field with neck spasms. At the end of 2008, Ward became a free agent and signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds, one that saw him get an invite for Spring Training.