Ward played college baseball at
Coastal Alabama Community College - South and the
University of South Alabama.
Cleveland Indians (1990–1991) Ward was drafted by the
New York Yankees in the 18th round of the
1986 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Ward made his
MLB debut with Cleveland on September 10, 1990, as he went 0-for-4 while playing in right field in a 6–2 loss to the
Chicago White Sox. On September 12, Ward earned his first MLB hit off
Steve Rosenberg of the White Sox. In his third game on September 15, Ward went 3-for-5 with a triple, home run and six RBI in a 14–6 win over the
Kansas City Royals. Ward hit his first career home run off
Andy McGaffigan. Ward finished the season with a .348 batting average with one home run and 10 RBI in 14 games with Cleveland. Ward began the 1991 season as the Indians starting right fielder, however, he got off to a slow start, batting .230 with no home runs and 5 RBI in 40 games. On June 27, the Indians traded Ward and
Tom Candiotti to the
Toronto Blue Jays for
Denis Boucher,
Glenallen Hill,
Mark Whiten, and cash.
Toronto Blue Jays (1991–1993) Ward spent most of his time with the
Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the
Syracuse Chiefs of the
International League, however, he was a
September call-up, and in eight games with Toronto, Ward hit .308 with no home runs and two RBI in 13 at-bats. Ward once again saw very limited action in 1992 with Toronto, playing in 18 games, where he hit .345 with one home run and three RBI. He did not play in any playoff games as Toronto won the
1992 World Series. During the 1993 season, Ward advocated for more playing time. He played in 72 games with the Blue Jays. However, he struggled offensively, batting .192 with four home runs and 28 RBI. He did not play in the postseason, as the Blue Jays repeated as champions by winning the
1993 World Series.
Milwaukee Brewers (1994–1996) On November 24, 1993, the
Milwaukee Brewers selected Ward off waivers. Ward became an everyday player with the Brewers during the 1994 season, splitting his time between all three outfield positions with the club. He played in 102 games, batting .232 with nine home runs and 45 RBI before the season was cut short due to the
1994 MLB strike. Ward saw his playing time greatly decrease in 1995, as he played in only 44 games, batting .264 with four home runs and 16 RBI with the Brewers. Ward began the 1996 season in a 1-for-20 slump. He played in 43 games, hitting only .179 with two home runs and 10 RBI. On November 1, the Brewers released Ward.
Pittsburgh Pirates (1997–1999) Ward signed with the
Pittsburgh Pirates on April 22, 1997 The spectacular catch that resulted was a staple of TV highlight shows for the rest of the year. Ward played in a career-high 123 games during the season, batting .262 with nine home runs and 46 RBI. Ward began the 1999 season with Pittsburgh, however, he struggled to a .209 batting average with no home runs and eight RBI in 49 games with the Pirates. After Ward finished his rehabilitation from a knee injury in the minor leagues, on August 11, the club released him.
Arizona Diamondbacks (1999–2000) On August 18, 1999, Ward signed with the
Arizona Diamondbacks, helping the club win the
NL West with a .348 batting average with two home runs and seven RBI in 10 games. In the
National League Division Series against the
New York Mets, his only postseason appearance, Ward played in three games, getting two at-bats, where he had a home run and three RBI. However, Arizona lost the series. In 2000, Ward hit .173 with no home runs and four RBI with Arizona in 15 games. On October 5, he was released by the Diamondbacks.
Philadelphia Phillies (2001) On December 20, 2000, Ward signed with the
Philadelphia Phillies, and in the 2001 season, Ward played in 17 games, batting .267 with no home runs and two RBI. On October 8, he was granted free agency and subsequently retired from professional baseball. Ward played in 12 seasons during his MLB career, appearing in 626 games, and he had a .251 batting average with 39 home runs and 219 RBI. Ward had 389 career hits, and stole 33 bases. Defensively, he recorded a .988
fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions. He was a member of the 1992 and
1993 World Series champion
Toronto Blue Jays, though he did not play in the postseason for Toronto. ==Coaching career==