Robert Charles Fick, Baseball
Born Robert Charles John Fick on March 15, 1974 in Torrance, California Robert came to Ventura College after an outstanding baseball career at Newbury Park High School. Playing primarily first base, the left-hand batting Robert Fick was a baseball standout during his one year as a Pirate.
During the season, Robert led the team in home runs with 4, runs scored with 36 in 36 games; he had 10 doubles, 32 runs batted in, and a team high and school record 25 stolen bases. In leading his team to a 22-16 record, Robert also became a member of the VC "44-club". To be a member of this club, a player in one year must excel in 6 different categories: runs scored, games played, doubles, RBI's, stolen bases and home runs. The totals from those categories must be at least 44. Robert's totals were 68. Robert was selected as the Western State Conference Player-of the-Year.
After VC, Robert transferred to Cal State Northridge to continue his baseball career. At Cal State Northridge in 1996, Robert was a 1st Team All-America selection. For the 1996 year, Robert had a batting average of 420, hit 25 home runs and had 96 RBI's. Robert once had a 27-game hitting streak, and he hit a CSUN record of four home runs in one game against Cal Poly, SLO. Many baseball people believed Robert was the best catcher in the nation.
In the 1996 Major League Draft, Robert was a 5th round selection of the Detroit Tigers. Robert distinguished himself in the minor leagues, earning MVP of the Midwest League (1997), and played first base in the Midwest All-Star game in 1998. Robert was called up to the majors and made his major league debut with the Tigers on September 19, 1998. In 2002, he was named to the American League All-Star team.
Robert retired from major league baseball in 2007, having also played for the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and the San Diego Padres. His impressive stats include: 846 games played, over 2300 at bats, 613 hits, 287 runs scored, and 69 home runs. His major league average was .258.
A little trivia about Robert, on September 27, 1999, he pounded the final hit of the final game at Detroit's Tiger Stadium, a rooftop grand slam, which was the stadium's 11,111 home run. This propelled the Tigers to an 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals in the last game to be played in the 87-year old Tiger Stadium (the Tigers moved to Comerica Park in downtown Detroit). In that game, Robert wore #25 in honor of a Tiger great from the past, Norm Cash, and Robert was selected MVP of the game.
Did you know Robert is a former child actor? He made a Gatorade commercial when he was age 13. During the 1980's, Robert appeared as an extra in Cheers, Who's the Boss?, and on Webster.
Robert currently resides in Newport Beach, California.
