In 1993, his first year with the Phillies, Eisenreich put together one of his best seasons, batting .318 and helping the Phillies win the National League pennant. As the Phillies began their slide the next season, Eisenreich was one of the team's few bright spots, batting .361 for the last-place Phillies in 1996.
After signing with the Florida Marlins for the 1997 season, Eisenreich played a pivotal role in the 1997 World Series, helping the Marlins win a championship in their fifth year. Eisenreich was the runner on second base when Edgar Renteria hit his walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7.[1]
Eisenreich was noted in Los Angeles for his longtime success against Dodger pitching staffs, despite those staffs being among the best. His .405 batting average and .620 slugging percentage greatly exceed his other career numbers and rank among the most successful of any one player against any team.[3]
Eisenreich has Tourette syndrome,[4] which caused him to go on to the voluntary retirement list between 1984 and 1987 while undergoing treatment. He was replaced on the Twins roster by Kirby Puckett. In 1990, he was the first recipient of the Tony Conigliaro Award, which is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who has overcome a significant obstacle.[5]
Eisenreich resides in the Kansas City area and runs the Jim Eisenreich Foundation for Children with Tourette's Syndrome, whose goal is to help children with TS achieve personal success.[4]
