Replica Oklahoma State baseball jersey autographed by Robin Ventura. Ventura was a 3-time All-American at OSU and was elected into the College Baseball Hall of Fame

Ventura’s rise to fame began as a 3-time All-American at Oklahoma State. After leading the nation in runs (107), RBI (96) and total bases (204) in 69 games as a freshman in 1986, he had an NCAA-record 58-game hitting streak (since surpassed) in 1987, shattering the previous record of 47; he also led Division I in RBIs for the second year in a row. His hitting streak remains the Division I record, though his mark was surpassed by Damian Costantino of Division III Salve Regina University in 2003.^[1] Ventura's hitting prowess helped OSU reach the finals of the 1987 College World Series, although they lost the championship game to a Stanford team that included future teammate Jack McDowell; Ventura didn't go quietly, collecting four hits – including a pair of doubles – in the final game and batting .364 for the Series. In 1988 he earned a spot on the gold medal-winning Olympic baseball team, batting .409 during the tournament, and won both the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy for outstanding collegiate play, concluding his 3-year OSU career with a .428 batting average, a .792 slugging percentage, and 302 RBIs. On July 4, 2006, Ventura was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class.

After being picked tenth in the 1988 draft by the White Sox, Ventura spent much of 1989 at AA Birmingham before joining the Sox that September. While in Birmingham, he earned a spot in the Southern League All-Star Game and was voted the league's top defensive third baseman. He was named to the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team, earned the starting third base role with the White Sox the next spring and essentially never looked back. While his 1990 rookie year was marred by an 0-for-41 slump and 25 errors, Ventura proved to be a quick learner. Despite the slump, his 123 hits were the most by a Sox rookie since Ozzie Guillén in 1985; he also led AL rookies with 150 games played. The next year he won his first Gold Glove Award for fielding excellence, set a team record for RBIs at third base, and led the AL in putouts. 1992 brought another Gold Glove, a spot on the All-Star team – collecting an RBI double and a single on his 25th birthday – and several league-leading marks in both offensive and defensive categories. It is notable that as a major league player, Ventura was turning initial expectations on their head, as he had been projected to be a consistent .300 hitter, but with only limited power and modest defensive ability.

Highlights

• Golden Spikes Award (nation's best amateur player) (1988)


• 2-time All-Star (1992, 2002)


• 6-time Gold Glove winner at third base (1991-93, 1996, 1998-99)


• Hit two grand slams in one game (September 4, 1995)


• Only player to hit one grand slam during each end of a double-header (May 20, 1999)


• Hit 18 career grand slams, placing him in a tie with Willie McCovey for 4th on the all-time list, behind Lou Gehrig (23), Manny Ramírez (20), and Eddie Murray (19). 6.1% of his career home runs were grand slams, the highest ratio of any player with at least 250 career home runs.


• Hit a "Grand Slam Single" in the 1999 NLCS against the Atlanta Braves (see walk-off home run)


• Named American League Player of the Month, July 1991


• Was one of the first class of inductees into the College Baseball Hall of Fame on July 4, 2006