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Spring training typically lasts almost two months, starting in mid February and running until just before the season opening day (and often right at the end of spring training, some teams will play spring training games on the same day other teams have opening day of the season), traditionally the first week of April. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training first because pitchers benefit from a longer training period due to the exhaustive nature of the position. A week or two later, the position players arrive and team practice begins. Teams will normally wear their batting practice uniforms for the duration of spring training and only first putting on their normal jerseys for Opening Day.
According to the autobiography of former Cleveland Indians owner Bill Veeck, avoiding racism was one reason the Cactus League was established. In 1947, Veeck was the owner of the minor league Milwaukee Brewers and the team trained in Ocala, Fla. Veeck inadvertently sat in the segregated section of the stands and engaged in conversation with a couple of Black fans. According to Veeck's book, the local law enforcement told Veeck he could not sit in that section, and then called the Ocala mayor when Veeck argued back. The mayor finally backed down when Veeck threatened to take his team elsewhere for spring training and promised to let the country know why. Veeck's account was the subject of much debate among sportswriters after his autobiography was published, but later investigations proved his story to be mostly accurate.
Veeck sold the Brewers in 1945 and retired to his ranch in Tucson, Az. But the baseball bug hit him and Veeck purchased the Cleveland Indians in 1946. He decided to buck tradition and train the Indians in Tucson and convinced the New York Giants to give Phoenix a try. Thus the Cactus League was born. Veeck then signed Larry Doby to the Indians. Doby was the second African-American to play MLB, and the first for the American League.
While Florida and Arizona (the United States) now host all Major League Baseball teams for spring training, this has not always been the case. The Brooklyn Dodgers trained in Havana, Cuba in 1947 and 1949, and in the Dominican Republic in 1948. The New York Yankees also trained in the early 1950s in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Also spring training camps and games were held in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and cities of northern Mexico, sometimes by visiting major league teams in the 1950s and 1960s.
During World War II, most teams held an abbreviated spring training within easy reach of their cities. In order to conserve rail transport during the war, 1943 Spring Training was limited to an area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River. The Chicago White Sox held camp in French Lick, Indiana; the Washington Senators in College Park, Maryland; and the New York Yankees in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Before and shortly after big league baseball reached the West Coast, a number of teams trained in the state of California or along the state boundary. For example, early in their history, the then-California Angels held spring training in Palm Springs, California from 1961 to 1993, the San Diego Padres in Yuma from 1969 to 1993, the Oakland Athletics in Las Vegas in the 1970s, and various major league teams had trained in Riverside, San Bernardino and El Centro near the Mexican border.
The concept of spring training is not limited to North America; the Japanese professional baseball leagues' teams adopted spring training and preseason game sites across East Asia such as South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan; the Pacific Islands (most notably in Hawaii); and currently 2 North American cities of Salinas, California and Yuma on the Mexican border.
For example, on March 14, 2000, the Red Sox used 6 pitchers to achieve a 5–0 perfect game victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. A perfect game is considered a crowning accomplishment during the regular season or postseason, but in spring training it attracted little notice. Starting pitcher Pedro Martínez, who lost a perfect game in 1995 while pitching for the former Montreal Expos, was talking to reporters at the conclusion of the game, rather than watching the final pitches. Reliever Rod Beck, who finished the game, did not realize the nature of his accomplishment until informed by catcher Joe Sidall. Many fans also left before the game's conclusion.
Although spring training statistics are commonly viewed with a jaundiced eye, teams still frequently use players' spring training performances as a way of assigning starting roles and roster spots on the club.
Category:Major League Baseball spring training Category:Cactus League Category:Grapefruit League
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| Name | Joe Budden |
|---|---|
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Joseph Budden |
| Alias | |
| Origin | Jersey City, New Jersey |
| Label | Amalgam Digital, E1 Music Shady Records |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Url | Official website |
| Associated acts | Slaughterhouse, Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5'9", Crooked I |
Joe Budden is an American rapper from Jersey City, New Jersey.
After his debut album, Budden's sophomore release titled ‘The Growth’ was hampered due to the label's problems with Joe and his Def Jam seniors not happy with the direction of his music. The production of the album appeared to end up in a development hell and was ultimately not released. Continued disagreements between Budden and Def Jam forced the two sides to part ways. However, Budden managed to release the first and second installments of his Mood Muzik mixtape series while on Def Jam, and the series has been met with critical acclaim.
Budden has also been in the spotlight for his numerous beefs with other rappers including Lupe Fiasco, JBTV RAPPERS, Lil Wayne, C-Money, B-Funny, D-Tummy, P-Dummy, Ransom, Game, Saigon, and an incident involving Wu-Tang member Raekwon.
;with Slaughterhouse
Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:African American rappers Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:People from Jersey City, New Jersey Category:Rappers from New Jersey Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Underground rappers
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| Name | David Letterman |
|---|---|
| Caption | Speaking at the opening of the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute (September 2009) |
| Pseudonym | Earl Hofert |
| Birth name | David Michael Letterman |
| Birth date | April 12, 1947 |
| Birth place | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Notable work | Host of Late Night with David Letterman (NBC)Host of Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) |
| Signature | David Letterman Autograph.svg |
Letterman lived on the north side of Indianapolis (Broad Ripple area), not far from Speedway, IN, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he enjoyed collecting model cars, including racers. In 2000, he told an interviewer for Esquire that, while growing up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes and be the life of the party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at age 36, when David was a young boy. The fear of losing his father was constantly with Letterman as he grew up. The elder Letterman died of a second heart attack at age 57.
Letterman attended his hometown's Broad Ripple High School at the same time as Marilyn Tucker Quayle (wife of the former Vice President) who lived nearby, and worked as a stock boy at the local Atlas supermarket. According to the Ball State Daily News, he originally had wanted to attend Indiana University, but his grades weren't good enough, so he decided to attend Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and he graduated from what was then the Department of Radio and Television, in 1969. A self-described average student, Letterman endowed a scholarship for what he called "C students" at Ball State.
Though he registered for the draft and passed his physical after graduating from College, he avoided military service in Vietnam due to receiving a draft lottery number of 352 (out of 365).
Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station which now is part of Indiana public radio. He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.
Letterman credits Paul Dixon—host of the Paul Dixon Show, a Cincinnati-based talk show also shown in Indianapolis while Letterman was growing up—for inspiring his choice of career: :"I was just out of college [in 1969], and I really didn't know what I wanted to do. And then all the sudden I saw him doing it [on TV]. And I thought: That's really what I want to do!"
In 1971, Letterman appeared as a pit road reporter for ABC Sports' tape-delayed coverage of the Indianapolis 500.
Letterman appeared in the summer of 1977 on the short-lived Starland Vocal Band Show. He has since joked about how fortunate he was that nobody would ever see his performance on the program (due to its low ratings).
Letterman had a stint as a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show, Mary; a guest appearance on Mork & Mindy (as a parody of EST leader Werner Erhard); and appearances on game shows such as The $20,000 Pyramid, The Gong Show, Password Plus and Liar's Club. He also hosted a 1977 pilot for a game show entitled The Riddlers that was never picked up. His dry, sarcastic humor caught the attention of scouts for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Letterman was soon a regular guest on the show. Letterman became a favorite of Carson's and was a regular guest host for the show beginning in 1978. Letterman personally credits Carson as the person who influenced his career the most.
Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 Emmy Award nominations, winning twelve times in his first 20 years in late night television. From 1993–2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual Harris Poll of Nation's Favorite TV Personality twelve times. Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three times during the same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.
Letterman recycled the apparent debacle into a long-running gag. On his first show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had no idea that thing was being televised." He lampooned his stint in the following year, during Billy Crystal's opening Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from that year's chief nominated film, The English Patient.
For years afterward, Letterman recounted his horrible hosting at the Oscars, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences still holds Letterman in high regard and it has been rumored they have asked him to host the Oscars again. On September 7, 2010, he made an appearance on the premier of the 14th season of The View, and confirmed the rumors.
During the initial weeks of his recovery, reruns of the Late Show were shown and introduced by friends of Letterman including Drew Barrymore, including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and physician Louis Aronne, who frequently appears on the show. In a show of emotion, Letterman was nearly in tears as he thanked the health care team with the words "These are the people who saved my life!" The episode earned an Emmy nomination. For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack jokes about his bypass, including saying, "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create new blood flow to your heart. A bypass is what happened to me when I didn't get The Tonight Show! It's a whole different thing." In a later running gag he lobbied his home state of Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis (I-465) "The David Letterman Bypass." He also featured a montage of faux news coverage of his bypass surgery, which included a clip of Dave's heart for sale on the Home Shopping Network. Letterman became friends with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, a Rolling Stone interview stated "he hosted a doctor and nurse who'd helped perform the emergency quintuple-bypass heart surgery that saved his life in 2000. 'These are people who were complete strangers when they opened my chest,' he says. 'And now, eight years later, they're among my best friends.' "
Additionally, Letterman invited the band Foo Fighters to play "Everlong", introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song." During a later Foo Fighters appearance, Letterman said that Foo Fighters had been in the middle of a South American tour which they canceled to come play on his comeback episode.
Letterman again handed over the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including Bill Cosby, Brad Garrett, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Bonnie Hunt, Luke Wilson and bandleader Paul Shaffer) in February 2003, when he was diagnosed with a severe case of shingles. Later that year, Letterman made regular use of guest hosts—including Tom Arnold and Kelsey Grammer—for new shows broadcast on Fridays. In March 2007, Adam Sandler—who had been scheduled to be the lead guest—served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.
On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that David Letterman signed a new contract to host The Late Show with David Letterman through the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute." Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.
"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the Late Show puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"
According to a 2007 article in Forbes magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year. A 2009 article in The New York Times, however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million per year.
In June 2009, Letterman and CBS reached agreement to extend his contract to host The Late Show until August 2012. His previous contract had been set to expire in 2010. thus allowing his show to come back on air on January 2, 2008. On his first episode since being off air, he surprised the viewing audience with his newly grown beard, which signified solidarity with the strike. His beard was shaved off during the show on January 7, 2008.
Carson later made a few cameo appearances as a guest on Letterman's show. Carson's final television appearance came May 13, 1994 on a Late Show episode taped in Los Angeles, when he made a surprise appearance during a 'Top 10 list' segment. The audience went wild as Letterman stood up and proudly invited Carson to sit at his desk. The applause was so protracted that Carson was unable to say anything, and he finally returned backstage as the applause continued (it was later explained that Carson had laryngitis, though Carson can be heard talking to Letterman during his appearance).
In early 2005, it was revealed that Carson still kept up with current events and late-night TV right up to his death that year, and that he occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used these jokes in his monologue; according to CBS senior vice president Peter Lassally (a onetime producer for both men), Carson got "a big kick out of it." Letterman would do a characteristic Johnny Carson golf swing after delivering one of Carson's jokes. In a tribute to Carson, all of the opening monologue jokes during the first show following Carson's death were written by Carson.
Lassally also claimed that Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor." Letterman also frequently employs some of Carson's trademark bits on his show, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band" and the "Week in Review."
Winfrey and Letterman also appeared together in a Late Show promo that aired during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, with the two sitting next to each other on the couch watching the game. Since the game was played between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis-born Letterman wears a Peyton Manning jersey, while Winfrey—who tapes her show in Chicago—is in a Brian Urlacher jersey. Three years later, during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLIV, the two appeared again, this time with Winfrey sitting on a couch between Letterman and Jay Leno. The appearance was Letterman's idea: Leno flew to New York City in an NBC corporate jet, sneaking into the Ed Sullivan Theater during the Late Show's February 4 taping wearing a disguise, meeting Winfrey and Letterman at a living room set created in the theater's balcony where they taped their promo.
In 2005, Worldwide Pants produced its first feature film, Strangers with Candy, which was a prequel to the Comedy Central TV series of the same title. In 2007, Worldwide Pants produced the ABC comedy series, Knights of Prosperity.
Worldwide Pants made significant news in December 2007 when it was announced that Letterman's company had independently negotiated its own contract with the Writers Guild of America, East, thus allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and their writers to return to work, while the union continued its strike against production companies, networks and studios who had not reached an agreement.
Letterman received the honor for his dedication to the university throughout his career as a comedian. Letterman finished with, "If reasonable people can put my name on a $21 million building, anything is possible."
Letterman also received a Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Mitch Daniels.
Letterman provided vocals for the Warren Zevon song "Hit Somebody" from My Ride's Here, and provided the voice for Butt-head's father in the 1996 animated film, Beavis and Butt-head Do America. He also had a cameo in the feature film Cabin Boy, with Chris Elliott, who worked as a writer on Letterman's show. In this and other appearances, Letterman is listed in the credits as "Earl Hofert", the name of Letterman's maternal grandfather. He also appeared as himself in the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts as well as the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon, in a few episodes of Garry Shandling's 1990s TV series The Larry Sanders Show and in "The Abstinence", a 1996 episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. Letterman also appeared in the pilot episode of the short-lived 1986 series "Coach Toast".
Letterman has a son, Harry Joseph Letterman (born in 2003), with Regina Lasko. Harry is named after Letterman's father. In 2005, police discovered a plot to kidnap Harry Letterman and ransom him for $5 million. Kelly Frank, a house painter who had worked for Letterman, was charged in the conspiracy.
Letterman and Lasko, who had been together since 1986, wed during a quiet courthouse civil ceremony in Choteau, Montana, on March 19, 2009. Letterman announced the marriage during the taping of his March 23 show, shortly after congratulating Bruce Willis for getting married the previous week. Letterman told the audience he nearly missed the ceremony because his truck became stuck in mud two miles from their house. The family resides in North Salem, New York, on a estate.
Letterman stated that three weeks earlier (on September 9, 2009) someone had left a package in his car with material he said he would write into a screenplay and a book if Letterman did not pay him $2 million. Letterman said that he contacted the Manhattan District Attorney's office, ultimately cooperating with them to conduct a sting operation involving giving the man a phony check. The extortionist, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer of the CBS true crime journalism series 48 Hours, was subsequently arrested after trying to deposit the check. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury and pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted grand larceny on October 2, 2009. Birkitt had until recently lived with Halderman, who is alleged to have copied Birkitt's personal diary and to have used it, along with private emails, in the blackmail package.
On October 3, 2009, a former CBS employee, Holly Hester, announced that she and Letterman had engaged in a year-long "secret" affair in the early 1990s while she was his intern and a student at New York University.
In the days following the initial announcement of the affairs and the arrest, several prominent women, including Kathie Lee Gifford, co-host of NBC's Today Show, and NBC news anchor Ann Curry questioned whether Letterman's affairs with subordinates created an unfair working environment. A spokesman for Worldwide Pants said that the company's sexual harassment policy did not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees. According to business news reporter Eve Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers are supposed to follow the company's business conduct policies" and the CBS 2008 Business Conduct Statement states that "If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department..."
On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a segment of his show to a public apology to his wife and staff. Three days later, Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the Late Show. On October 15, CBS News announced that the company's Chief Investigative Correspondent, Armen Keteyian, had been assigned to conduct an "in-depth investigation" into Halderman's blackmail of Letterman.
On March 9, 2010, Halderman pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny and served a 6-month jail sentence, followed by probation and community service.
Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American people of German descent Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Ball State University alumni Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Indianapolis, Indiana television anchors Category:Indy Racing League owners Category:People from Indianapolis, Indiana Category:Weather presenters
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| Name | Andy Kindler |
|---|---|
| Birth date | October 16, 1956 |
| Birth name | |
| Occupation | Actor, stand-up comedian, writer |
| Years active | 1984–present |
His material often covers the comedy industry itself, criticizing other comedians for being too predictable. One of his more notable criticisms was that of Dane Cook where he compared the comedian's rise to that of Adolf Hitler's. He then went on to say that Cook was worse than Hitler, because at least Hitler had a point of view. Andy often criticizes his own comedy even in the middle of his act. If a joke doesn't do well he'll immediately start discussing why it didn't work with the crowd.
He played the character "Andy" a fellow sportswriter and friend of Raymond on the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond, is a regular guest on Late Show with David Letterman, contributor to The Daily Show, has performed on HBO and made numerous appearances on Dr. Katz and Home Movies. He is also known for his annual "State of the Industry" address at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.
Kindler is often thought to have portrayed the character of "Jamison" in the World Wrestling Federation, but the character was portrayed by a different actor by the name of John DiGiacomo.
In 2010, Kindler was a judge on the stand-up reality show Last Comic Standing. In 2010 he appeared on several episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place as Chancellor Tootietootie.
Category:Living people Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:People from New York City Category:1956 births Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
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Timothy Leroy Lincecum (; born June 15, 1984) is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He is nicknamed "The Freak" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed. Lincecum is known for his long stride, unorthodox mechanics, and ability to generate high velocity despite his slight build of 5'11", 172 lbs. Lincecum won the 2008 and 2009 National League Cy Young Awards, and was the first second-year player to win the Cy Young since Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen both won in 1985.
His repertoire includes a two-seam fastball that he throws at 90-93 mph, a changeup he grips like a splitter, a curveball notable for its sharp breaking action, a slider and a four-seam fastball that reaches speeds in the mid-nineties.
Lincecum went on to pitch for the University of Washington. In 2006, he finished 12–4 with a 1.94 ERA, 199 strikeouts, and three saves in 125⅓ innings.
In the summer of 2004 Lincecum played for the amateur National Baseball Congress (NBC) Seattle Studs and won two games in the NBC World Series that year. In 2009 he was named NBC Graduate of the Year.
In the summer of 2005 he played for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
During his brief minor league career, he was frequently named as the top pitching prospect in the Giants organization.
Lincecum made his professional debut on July 26, 2006, with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (the Giants' Class A Short Season affiliate) against the Vancouver Canadians, pitching one inning and striking out all three batters he faced. After his second outing on July 31 against the Boise Hawks, in which he pitched three innings, striking out seven and allowing just one baserunner, he was promoted to the High Class-A San Jose Giants.On August 5, in his first start in San Jose against the Bakersfield Blaze, he pitched 2⅔ innings, allowing three runs (two earned), and striking out five. Lincecum finished the year 2–0 with a 1.95 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 27⅔ innings pitched. He also got the victory in the opening game of the California League playoffs, giving up one run on five hits in seven innings, striking out ten and walking one against the Visalia Oaks. Visalia would win the series 3–2.
Going into 2007, Lincecum was ranked as the #11 prospect in baseball and the #1 prospect in the San Francisco Giants by Baseball America. He spent the first month of the season pitching for the Fresno Grizzlies, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate. In five starts (31 innings), he allowed just one run, twelve hits, eleven walks, while striking out forty-six and going 4–0. During his 2006 and 2007 minor league campaigns, Lincecum struck out the highest percentage of batters (minimum 100) of any minor league pitcher in the last ten years: 30.9 percent.
In the spring of 2007, Colorado Rockies prospect Ian Stewart called Lincecum "the toughest pitcher [he] ever faced," adding "Guys on our club who have been in the big leagues said he’s the toughest guy they ever faced too … I’m not really sure why he’s down here, but for a guy who was drafted last year … that guy is filthy."
In his first four starts in June, he allowed twenty-two earned runs in 18⅔ innings, for a 10.61 ERA. He failed to make it to the fifth inning in any of the last three starts, against Oakland, Toronto, and Milwaukee. In July, he went 4–0 with a 1.62 ERA. On July 1, in a seven inning performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he struck out twelve, the fourth highest total ever by a Giants rookie.
Lincecum pitched into the ninth inning for the first time on August 21 against the Chicago Cubs. He had allowed just two hits and one walk through the first eight, while throwing only eighty-eight pitches. He took a 1–0 lead into the ninth, but allowed three consecutive hits before being pulled. The Cubs scored several times against the Giants bullpen and Lincecum took the loss. Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot said after the game, "He's got electric stuff. The best stuff I've seen all year."
Lincecum was shut down in September as a precaution, due to his high inning count in his first full year of professional ball. Between the minors and the majors, he pitched a total of 177⅓ innings.
On May 15, 2008, after Lincecum struck out ten Houston Astros in six innings, Houston first baseman Lance Berkman offered his view of Lincecum: "He's got as good of stuff as I've ever seen. ... He's got three almost unhittable pitches." After falling to Lincecum and the Giants 6–3 on May 27, Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Conor Jackson gave his impression of facing Lincecum: "He's got good stuff," Jackson said. "From what I saw tonight, that's the best arm I've seen all year, no doubt. You've got to almost hit a ball right down the middle. You're going to pop up the ball at your bellybutton, which we all did tonight, and the one down, it's coming in at 98 mph, you're not going to put too much good wood on it. Even the ones down the middle are coming at 98. He's good, man."
Lincecum was on the cover of the July 7, 2008, issue of Sports Illustrated, and on July 6, he was selected to play in his first Major League Baseball All-Star Game. However, he was hospitalized the day of the game due to flu-like symptoms and was unavailable to pitch. In a July 26 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he struck out thirteen batters in seven innings while allowing only seven hits, two earned runs, and no walks.
Lincecum pitched his first complete game shutout against the San Diego Padres on September 13, 2008. In nine innings he threw 138 pitches, gave up four hits and struck out twelve batters. On September 23, he broke Jason Schmidt's San Francisco single-season strikeout record with his 252nd strikeout of the season against the Colorado Rockies. He finished the season with 265 strikeouts (54 of them three-pitch strikeouts, the most in the majors), making him the first San Francisco pitcher to win the (NL) strikeout title, and the first Giant since Bill Voiselle in 1944. His 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched were the best in the majors, and his .316 slugging-percentage-against was the lowest in the major leagues, as was his .612 OPS-against—but his seventeen wild pitches tied for the most in the major leagues. His 138 pitches on September 13 were the most by any pitcher in a game in 2008. On November 11, 2008, Lincecum was awarded the NL Cy Young Award, making him the second Giant to win the award after Mike McCormick.
After winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2008, Lincecum continued his dominance in the NL. On July 3, Lincecum was announced as the NL Pitcher of the Month for June. In his six June starts he went 4–1 with a 1.38 ERA, and pitched three complete games. Lincecum was announced as an NL All-Star along with his teammate Matt Cain. He was also the starting pitcher for the NL. Lincecum went two innings in the All-Star Game, giving up two runs, one earned, and striking out one.
Through twenty starts in 2009, Lincecum had gone 11-3 with a 2.30 ERA, 183 strikeouts, four complete games, and two shutouts. Lincecum also had a twenty-nine scoreless inning streak, third-best since the Giants moved west in 1958.
On July 27, Lincecum pitched a complete game and had fifteen strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a career high. He is the first Giant pitcher to strike out fifteen since Jason Schmidt fanned sixteen on June 6, 2006.
Lincecum missed his first game since coming up to the big leagues on September 8 against the San Diego Padres. Madison Bumgarner took his place that day, making his major league debut. Lincecum was healthy enough to make his next start on September 14, pitching seven innings with eleven strikeouts lowering his ERA to 2.30, and picking up his fourteenth win of the year. Lincecum finished the 2009 season with a 15–7 record, 2.48 ERA and 261 strikeouts. Following the season, Lincecum was named Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive year. On November 19, Lincecum was awarded his second consecutive Cy Young Award, narrowly edging out St. Louis Cardinals pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. In doing so, he became the first pitcher in history to be awarded the Cy Young in each of his first two full seasons in the Major League Baseball. However, this Cy Young came with controversy: two weeks prior to being awarded the Cy Young, Lincecum was cited during a traffic stop for misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Lincecum eventually recovered somewhat from his slump and made the 2010 National League All-Star Team. As of the All-Star break, Lincecum was 9-4 with a 3.16 ERA over 116.2 innings pitched.
On July 15, in his first start after the All-Star game, Lincecum pitched a six-hit complete game shutout against the New York Mets.
After a disappointing August, Lincecum came out of his slump on September 1; pitching against one of the league's top pitchers, Ubaldo Jimenez, Lincecum went 8 strong innings of 1 run ball. This was Lincecum's first win since July 30. Lincecum continued to improve throughout September, finishing 5-1 with 52 strikeouts and 6 walks as compared to the 20/13 ratio in August. Lincecum managed to win his third consecutive National League strikeout title, he also set a record for most strikeouts by a MLB pitcher in his first four seasons.
On October 7, 2010, in his first postseason game, Lincecum pitched a complete game two-hit shutout, striking out 14, against the Atlanta Braves in game 1 of the NLDS, breaking the all time record for strikeouts in Giants postseason history. In his next postseason start, he outdueled Roy Halladay by pitching 7 innings and giving up 3 earned runs, while striking out 8 in the Giants' 4-3 victory over the Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
Game 1 of the 2010 World Series saw Lincecum contribute to an 11-7 win over the Texas Rangers. After presenting a strong start, he sat more than half of the game out as the rest of the San Francisco pitching roster delivered a comfortable win. On November 1, 2010, Lincecum started Game 5 of the World Series with an opportunity to clinch a world championship for San Francisco for the first time ever. Lincecum utilized all his pitches in throwing 8 solid innings, collecting 10 strikeouts while giving up only 3 hits, one of which was a home-run in route to a 3-1 victory.
Lincecum pitched in both Games 1 and 5 of the World Series, earning a win in both. His victory in Game 5 ended the Giant's 56-year drought between championships and also gave San Francisco its first baseball world championship in history. Lincecum also became the franchise leader for wins in a single post-season with 4, two of which coming in the World Series.
Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:San Francisco Giants players Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American sportspeople of Filipino descent Category:Baseball players from Washington (U.S. state) Category:Cy Young Award winners Category:Golden Spikes Award winners Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:National League All-Stars Category:National League strikeout champions Category:People from Bellevue, Washington Category:University of Washington alumni Category:Washington Huskies baseball players Category:Salem-Keizer Volcanoes players Category:San Jose Giants players Category:Fresno Grizzlies players
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| Name | Miguel Cabrera |
|---|---|
| Width | 250 |
| Caption | Cabrera in a June 2009 game against the St. Louis Cardinals |
| Team | Detroit Tigers |
| Number | 24 |
| Position | First baseman |
| Birthdate | April 18, 1983 |
| Birthplace | Maracay, Venezuela |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Debutdate | June 20 |
| Debutyear | 2003 |
| Debutteam | Florida Marlins |
| Statyear | 2010 season |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .313 |
| Stat2label | Hits |
| Stat2value | 1,400 |
| Stat3label | Home runs |
| Stat3value | 247 |
| Stat4label | Runs batted in |
| Stat4value | 879 |
| Teams | |
| Awards |
He is a five-time All-Star, having been selected to the National League All-Star Team in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and the American League All-Star Team in 2010. Cabrera has started 100 games at each of first base, third base, left field and right field. He progressed through the Florida Marlins minor-league system and was called up from the Double-A Carolina Mudcats in 2003. According to Baseball-Reference, Cabrera is putting up statistics comparable to Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey, Jr. at age 27.
Quietly, Cabrera put together one of the best seasons by a National League rookie, immediately becoming the Marlins cleanup batter. Cabrera's postseason play helped propel Florida to a World Series championship over the Yankees and also landed him on the cover of ESPN The Magazine during the offseason.
In the NLDS against the Giants, Cabrera hit .286 with three RBI. After changing positions in the heat of the NLCS against the Cubs, he hit .333 with three homers and six RBI. In the World Series, Cabrera had the at bat that defined his postseason in Game Four. Facing Roger Clemens for the first time, Cabrera, who was only 20 years old at the time, got knocked down by a Roger Clemens inside fastball. Two pitches later, he belted the Clemens offering into the right field seats.
In his first season Cabrera batted .268 (84-for-314), with 12 Home Runs, 62 RBI, 39 runs, 21 doubles, and three triples in 87 games played.
Cabrera spent the whole 2004 season playing in the outfield, with no games at third base; he showed his arm strength as a former third baseman with his 13 outfield assists. In 284 total fielding chances, he committed nine errors and made 262 putouts.
During the 2005 season, Carlos Delgado protected Cabrera in the lineup, which allowed Cabrera to see more hittable pitches rather than having more pitchers pitch around him in the order (usually by intentionally walking him). The Marlins traded Delgado to the New York Mets after the season as part of their organizationally-termed "market correction," obtaining first baseman Mike Jacobs, pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, and infielder Grant Psomas from the Mets.
On June 22, 2006, Cabrera singled on the first pitch of an attempted intentional walk during the 10th inning against pitcher Todd Williams. This oddity put the Florida Marlins ahead for good in an 8–5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
During a July 9 7–6 road loss to the Mets, Cabrera became involved in an altercation with teammate Scott Olsen. With the Marlins trailing 2–0, Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca hit a hard grounder that glanced off Cabrera's glove and rolled into left field, allowing a run to score as Lo Duca raced to second with a double. While the ball glanced off Cabrera's glove, Olsen seemed to believe that Cabrera did not give his full effort to get to the ball. As they came off the field, Olsen could be seen shouting something at Cabrera. A moment later, television cameras showed Cabrera in the crowded dugout reaching past teammates to poke his finger at Olsen as the pitcher walked past him. Olsen tried to jab back at Cabrera, who charged Olsen and tried to kick the pitcher before both players were quickly separated by teammates.
Cabrera battled the Pirates shortstop Freddy Sanchez for the National League batting crown until the last day of the regular season. Manager Joe Girardi batted him first in the last game of the season to give him more chances to get a hit for the crown, but Cabrera finished second to Sanchez. Cabrera also finished the 2006 campaign with a career-high .568 slugging percentage and a career-high .430 on base percentage.
Cabrera made his fourth consecutive All-Star game. He was initially supposed to participate in the Home Run Derby during the All-Star weekend, but an injured left shoulder, suffered a few days before the All-Star break, forced him out of the derby and limited him in the All-Star game to a pinch hit at-bat against Dan Haren in which he struck out.
On September 4, 2007, Cabrera batted in his 500th run as a major leaguer, making him the third-youngest player to accumulate 500 RBI. Hall of Famers Mel Ott and Ted Williams were the only players to precede him in this feat.
On September 15, 2007, at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, Cabrera added two more achievements to his already impressive career. For the fourth consecutive season (2004–2007) Cabrera managed to drive in at least 100 runs. His 100th RBI came in the first inning against Ubaldo Jimenez when he followed a Jeremy Hermida triple with a single to drive him in. Five innings later, Cabrera added four more RBI when he hit a ball 438 feet into the center field trees for his first career grand slam. He joined David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira and Vladimir Guerrero as the only players to reach the 100-RBI plateau in each of the four previous seasons.
In 2007, Cabrera won the NL Player of the Week twice (April 1–8 and June 4–10). He also made his way through the Marlins record book, passing former Marlins Gary Sheffield and Derrek Lee for second on the franchise home run list. He moved into third in all-time franchise RBI and first in batting average. Cabrera ended the season with career highs in both home runs and runs batted in.
On March 22, 2008 Cabrera reached an agreement with the Tigers on an eight-year, $153.3 million contract extension. At the time, the deal was the fourth-largest in baseball history, behind those signed by Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Manny Ramirez. The deal is also the largest in Tigers history, surpassing the five-year, $75 million contract signed by Magglio Ordóñez in 2005. Cabrera earned $11.3 million in 2008, and will receive an average of $19 million per year through 2015.
On April 22, manager Jim Leyland announced that Cabrera would be moving to first base, with Carlos Guillén becoming the starting third baseman. Cabrera had already made seven appearances at first, the first appearances at the position of his career.
Cabrera was named the AL Player of the Month for July after batting .330 with 8 home runs and 31 RBI.
On September 7, Cabrera reached the 1,000-hit plateau on a home run off Twins pitcher Glen Perkins.
Cabrera finished the 2008 season with a career-high 37 home runs, which led the American League. He became the youngest AL home run champion since Troy Glaus in 2000. He also established a new career high in RBI (127). He became one of only five players who have driven in at least 100 runs in each the past five seasons, joining Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Bobby Abreu and Mark Teixeira.
On Opening Day, Cabrera hit a grand slam in left-center that traveled better than 420 feet at Comerica Park to give the Detroit Tigers a convincing 15–2 victory over the Texas Rangers. Cabrera finished the game 4 for 6 with 6 RBI.
On August 23, 2009 Cabrera hit his 200th career home run in his 1,000th career game against the Oakland A's. He became only the 4th Venezuelan player to ever reach that plateau.
Cabrera posted a .324 batting average, which was 4th in the AL. He also tied his career-high in hits with 198, which was also 4th among the AL. He also had yet another 100+ RBI season making it the 6th straight year for him to reach the 100 RBI mark.
Cabrera was named an AL All-Star for the first time since joining the American League, and the 5th time in his seven year career. He was chosen to be the starter in place of Minnesota Twins star Justin Morneau who had a head injury.
On September 26 in a game against the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland, Cabrera suffered a high ankle sprain while getting back to first base on a pick-off throw attempt. He initially tried to play, but the Tigers decided to shut him down for the remainder of the season. He ended his 2010 season with a .328 batting average, a career-high 38 HRs and 126 RBIs.
Early morning on October 3, 2009, police were called to the Cabreras' home and took Cabrera in for questioning. Cabrera had come home at 6:00am, after a night of drinking at the nearby Townsend Hotel, and got in an argument with his wife. He was seen later that day at a game at Comerica Park, with scratches on his face. Cabrera told reporters that the scratches came from his dog and refused to discuss the matter further. It was later reported he had a blood alcohol level of .26, three times the legal limit, when tested at the police station. Dave Dombrowski, the general manager of the Tigers, picked him up from the police station around 7:30am—eleven and a half hours before that evening's game in which he went 0–4 with one strikeout and six runners left on base against the Chicago White Sox.
On January 21, 2010, it was reported that Cabrera spent three months in an alcohol abuse treatment center to help him recover from his addiction. He says he has not drunk alcohol since he was taken into custody in October 2009. He will continue this treatment into spring training and the regular season.
Television station WXYZ had obtained a police report from an alleged incident the preceding August, in which Cabrera was involved in a verbal altercation with diners at a restaurant inside the Townsend. Witnesses say Cabrera threatened to fight the group outside and indicated that he had a gun. Restaurant employees asked Cabrera to leave and police were called. There was no weapon in Cabrera's vehicle and Cabrera told team officials he did not own one. Cabrera then told team officials he had been dealing with personal issues and got upset, and the diners ended up dropping the matter.
Category:National League All-Stars Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Florida Marlins players Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Major League Baseball third basemen Category:Major League Baseball outfielders Category:Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Category:2006 World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela Category:2009 World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela Category:All-Star Futures Game players Category:American League home run champions Category:Venezuelan Santeríans Category:Gulf Coast Marlins players Category:Utica Blue Sox players Category:Kane County Cougars players Category:Jupiter Hammerheads players Category:Carolina Mudcats players Category:People from Maracay Category:1983 births Category:Living people
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| Name | Manny Ramirez |
|---|---|
| Width | 220px |
| Team | Free Agent |
| Caption | Manny Ramirez during his tenure with the Dodgers. |
| Position | Left fielder |
| Birthdate | May 30, 1972 |
| Birthplace | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Debutdate | September 2 |
| Debutyear | 1993 |
| Debutteam | Cleveland Indians |
| Statyear | 2010 |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .313 |
| Stat2label | Home runs |
| Stat2value | 555 |
| Stat3label | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value | 1,830 |
| Teams | |
| Awards |
Ramirez was allegedly among a group of 104 major league players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during 2003 survey testing.
With the Single-A Kinston Indians in 1992, Ramirez battled injuries but still hit .278 with 13 homers and 63 RBI in 81 games and was named as the No.3 Prospect and the "Most Exciting Player in the Carolina League" by Baseball America.
In 1993, Ramirez was named "Minor League Player of the Year" by Baseball America while combining to hit .333 with 31 homers and 115 RBI in 129 games with the Double-A Canton-Akron Indians and Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
In his first full season in the majors, Ramirez finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting after batting .269 with 17 homers and 60 RBI in 91 games. He was selected to his first All-Star Game in 1995 and won his first career Silver Slugger Award following the season. In December 1995, Ramirez agreed to a $10.15 million, four-year contract.
From 1993 to 2000, he had 236 home runs and 804 RBI in 967 games for the Cleveland Indians, including a career-high 45 home runs in , and a career-high 165 RBI in , when he hit .333 with 44 homers and scored a career-high 131 runs. On September 30, 1999 Ramirez set the Indians' single-season record for RBIs at 164, beating Hal Trosky's 1936 record of 162. He finished the season with 165 RBI in 1999 were the highest total by any player since Jimmie Foxx (). During his time in Cleveland, he played in two World Series: and .
Manny only played in 120 games in 2002, due to a hamstring injury that put him on the DL for more than a month from mid-May to the end of June. Despite this, Ramirez won the American League batting title, hitting .349, and his .647 slugging percentage was second in the league behind Jim Thome's .677. Ramirez hit his 300th career home run on August 26 against the Angels' Ramon Ortiz. It was the first of two home runs of the night for Ramirez, as he went 5-for-5 overall.
In the summer of 2003, Ramirez missed several games with pharyngitis. When it became public that he was spotted in a bar (in the same hotel where Ramirez lives) with a close friend, Yankees infielder Enrique Wilson when Ramirez was supposedly too ill to play in the Yankees series, Boston manager Grady Little benched him for one game. Despite his strong play in the 2003 postseason, the Red Sox lost to the Yankees in a seven game showdown in the ALCS. The new Red Sox ownership and management, trying to rid themselves of his massive contract, put Ramirez on irrevocable waivers, thus making him available to any team willing to assume the remainder of his contract. However, all 29 other teams passed on the opportunity to claim Ramirez.
In addition, Ramirez and David Ortiz became the first pair of American League teammates to hit 40 home runs, have 100 RBI, and bat .300 since the Yankees' Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1931. Together they hit back-to-back home runs six times, tying the major league single-season mark set by the Detroit Tigers' Hank Greenberg and Rudy York and later matched by the Chicago White Sox's Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordóñez.
In the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Ramirez hit a two-run home run off Roger Clemens in the top of the first inning, giving his teammates a 3–0 lead. Ramirez, Derek Jeter (with a single), Ichiro Suzuki (with a double) and Iván Rodríguez (with a triple) became the first All-Star quartet to hit for the cycle during the same inning. His season was capped off by being named the MVP of the World Series as the Red Sox won their first title since .
Trade rumors circulated with Ramirez possibly going to the Baltimore Orioles or Mets, but no deal was reached. By January 5, 2006, Ramirez changed his mind, stating to ESPN Deportes he was dropping the demand. His agents, in turn, insisted their client was still open to a trade.
On June 10, Ramirez became the 31st player in history to hit 450 home runs, with a solo shot off Francisco Cordero of the Texas Rangers. Three weeks later, on July 1, he collected his 2000th hit. The remainder of the season was feast or famine for Ramirez: beginning in mid-July, he had a 28-game hitting streak, including 12 multi-hit games, 8 HR, and 28 RBI, but then missed 28 games from mid-August on with soreness in his right knee.
Ramirez had a well below average year, finishing with a .296 batting average, 20 home runs, and 88 runs batted in. His season was cut short when he strained his left oblique in late August during a New York Yankees series, but he did return to the lineup for the final home stand of the season. In 2007, he had the highest fielding percentage, .990, among left fielders in the American League, tied for second in the Major League; he was ranked 6th highest in range factor of all AL left fielders, 1.72, 16th in both leagues, but had the lowest zone rating of Major League left fielders with 100+ games: .713. He made two errors during the 2007 season in left field, and tied for 5th overall in the Majors in assists from left field. On October 13, Ramirez hit his 23rd postseason home run, passing Bernie Williams for the most all-time.
He helped the Red Sox to reach and win the 2007 World Series, where they swept the Colorado Rockies. In the 2007 postseason, Ramirez batted .348 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI.
On May 31, 2008, Ramirez hit his 500th home run, against Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chad Bradford at Camden Yards in the 7th inning on the first pitch, becoming the 24th player in MLB history to do so. He joined two other Red Sox players, Jimmie Foxx and Ted Williams in this exclusive home run club.
On June 5, during a game at Fenway against the Tampa Bay Rays, an altercation between Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis resulted from Ramirez objecting to what he believed was excessive - and chronic - complaining about the strike zone by Youkilis in the dugout, as well as the first baseman's penchant for throwing equipment after at-bats. Before the fifth inning - and after the Red Sox-Rays punching session - Ramirez was caught on NESN cameras slapping Youkilis. Ramirez and Youkilis exchanged words and had to be separated by teammates, coaches, and training staff. Youkilis headed out to the field still barking at Ramirez, while Ramirez was escorted into the tunnel leading to the clubhouse by bench coach Brad Mills and trainer Paul Lessard. According to three sources, Ramirez had provoked Youkilis telling him to "cut that [expletive] out." Later in the season, during the series with the Houston Astros, Ramirez had a physical altercation with Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick. The two were arguing over Ramirez's large game-day request for 16 tickets to the game in Houston, when Ramirez reportedly pushed McCormick to the ground after saying "Just do your job." The two were quickly separated and Ramirez later apologized for his behavior. The matter was dealt with internally and Ramirez was fined.
On July 25, after sitting out one game against the Seattle Mariners with a sore knee, Ramirez was originally slated to start against the Yankees. Several minutes before the game, however, he informed manager Terry Francona, through a bench coach, that he would not be playing. During this series against the Yankees Ramirez was directed to an area hospital for an MRI on both knees, the results showed no damage. When back in action, Ramirez frequently did not run out ground balls. Assuming that this was due to his displeasure about his contract situation, many Red Sox fans and reporters, including Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe, called for Ramirez to be traded.
Ramirez has always worn uniform number 24, but the Dodgers have retired that number in honor of Hall-of-Fame manager Walter Alston. Ramirez countered the Dodgers' suggestion of 28 by suggesting 34, but no Dodger has worn that number since Fernando Valenzuela. Ramirez finally accepted number 99, but the next day asked for 28, the Dodgers' original suggestion. However, the Dodgers' marketing department had already begun producing merchandise with number 99, so Ramirez stuck with that number.
Ramirez was named the National League Player of the Month for August 2008. He hit .415 (44-for-106) with seven doubles, nine home runs, 25 RBI and 21 runs scored during the month. He finished the season with the Dodgers hitting a .396 batting average, 17 home runs, and 53 RBI.
Ramirez finished the season with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in. Among all major leaguers, he finished 3rd in batting average, 2nd in slugging percentage, and 3rd in OPS. WIth Ramirez in the line-up, the Dodgers won the National League West, then swept the Chicago Cubs in a division series before losing the National League Championship Series to the eventual World Series winner Philadelphia Phillies in five games. During the playoffs, Manny hit .520 with 4 home runs, 2 doubles, 11 walks and 10 RBI.
Ramirez was fourth in the voting for the 2008 NL MVP award, with 138 points, behind Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Ryan Braun.
After the Dodgers lost in the playoffs, Manny was asked about his future. "Gas is up, and so am I", was his reply, indicating that he expected to be valued highly in the free agent market. After long and contentious negotiations that dragged into the start of spring training, Ramirez signed a two-year $45 million contract with Los Angeles on March 4.
.]] During his suspension, Ramirez was allowed to workout at the Dodgers' facilities and he trained with Dodger coach Manny Mota. To get back into shape he was allowed a short rehab stint in the minor leagues. Ramirez played two games with the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes, where his appearance led to record crowds for the Isotopes. He played several games with the Single-A Inland Empire 66ers, homering in his first at-bat with the 66ers. Ramirez returned from his suspension and reclaimed his starting role with the Dodgers on July 3 against the San Diego Padres.
On July 21, Ramirez hit his 537th career home run, passing Mickey Mantle for 15th place on the all-time home run list.
On July 30, The New York Times reported that Ramirez tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during Major League Baseball's 2003 survey testing. Ramirez, a member of the Boston Red Sox at the time, was among 104 major league players to test positive. On April 18 against the San Francisco Giants, Ramirez hit his 548th career home run to tie Mike Schmidt for the 14th place on the all-time home run list. He hit his 549th to pass Schmidt on May 28 against the Colorado Rockies. On June 19, he hit a home run in his second game back at Fenway Park.
In 2010, Ramirez had three separate stints on the disabled list. When he returned from the third trip on August 21, he apparently had lost his starting job to Scott Podsednik. As a pinch hitter, he was ejected on August 29 by home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom one pitch into his at-bat for arguing a strike call. That appearance was his final one in a Dodger uniform.
In 2004, Ramirez missed a Red Sox game to become an American citizen. He entered the next game running onto the field to a standing ovation while carrying a small American flag held in his hand. He planted the flag in the left outfield corner of the field, in the shadow of the Green Monster, where it remained for the entire game.
Ramirez has three sons: Manuelito "Manny" Ramirez (b. 1995) from a previous relationship; Manny Ramirez, Jr. (b. 2003), and Lucas Ramirez (b. February 2006) with his current wife Juliana. In the off-season, the family lives in Weston, Florida.
Ramirez has been described as a prima donna and has periodically displayed a lack of enthusiasm and/or concentration, with mental lapses in both the outfield or running the bases. These incidents are typically described as "Manny Moments" or "Manny Being Manny." The first known documented usage of the phrase "Manny Being Manny" is attributed to then-Indians manager Mike Hargrove, quoted in a 1995 Newsday article.
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| Name | Jorge Posada |
|---|---|
| Width | 300 |
| Position | Catcher, Designated hitter |
| Team | New York Yankees |
| Number | 20 |
| Bats | Switch |
| Throws | Right |
| Birthdate | August 17, 1971 |
| Birthplace | Santurce, Puerto Rico |
| Debutdate | September 4 |
| Debutyear | 1995 |
| Debutteam | New York Yankees |
| Statyear | October 5, 2010 |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .275 |
| Stat2label | Home runs |
| Stat2value | 261 |
| Stat3label | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value | 1021 |
| Stat4label | On-base plus slugging |
| Stat4value | .856 |
| Teams | |
| Awards |
He is the only Major League catcher to ever have hit .330 or better with 40 doubles, 20 home runs, and 90 RBIs in a single season. Posada and Yogi Berra are the only Yankees catchers to hit 30 home runs in a season. Since 2000, Posada had more runs batted in, home runs, and hits than any other catcher in baseball.
He attended Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama in 1991, where he received an Associate Degree. He was voted best hitter (1990), co-captain (1991), and selected all-conference (1991). He was inducted in the Alabama Community College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and Calhoun retired his number (#6).
Posada was a second baseman during his first minor league season before being switched to the catcher.
While playing for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 1994, Posada suffered a home plate collision in which he broke his left leg and dislocated his left ankle.
Posada debuted with the Yankees in 1995, playing in one game. Posada was called up late in the 1996 season appearing in 8 games, but was not added to the postseason roster. In 1997, Posada replaced Jim Leyritz as the backup catcher and heir apparent to Joe Girardi. Girardi helped mentor Posada. The two catchers split time for the Yankees through 1999, until Girardi left as a free agent, at which point Posada became the full-time catcher.
In 2003, he hit 30 home runs (one every 16.0 at bats, ninth best in the league) and drove in 101 runs, both career highs. He batted .281 and was also fifth in the league in OBP (.405), and sixth in the league in walks (93; walking 17.5% of the time, a career high). He tied Yogi Berra’s record for most home runs by a Yankee catcher and finished third in the MVP voting. He also made the final out of that year's World Series, a groundout against Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett.
In 2006, Posada posted one of his best offensive seasons and he led the major leagues with 20 pinch hits. In addition, work with new first base coach Tony Peña, a former catcher, helped him improve his percentage of runners thrown out stealing second almost 60 points above his career average. He had batted (.277) and had 23 home runs with 93 RBIs.
In 2007, Posada batted at .338, with 20 home runs, 90 RBIs, and career highs in hits (171) and doubles (42). He joined Iván Rodríguez as the only two catchers in MLB history to record at least 40 doubles in two separate seasons. He was 3rd in the AL in on-base percentage (.426), 4th in batting average, 6th in OPS (.970), and 8th in doubles and slugging percentage (.543). Posada batted .395 in September, and became the first Yankee catcher since Thurman Munson, in 1978, to finish among the top 10 AL batting leaders. His longest hitless streak was only 11 at-bats. Posada is the first catcher to hit .330 or better with a slugging percentage of at least .540 and an on-base percentage of at least .420 since Mike Piazza in 1996-97. On the final day of the 2007 regular season, Yankees manager Joe Torre allowed Posada to act as the manager for the game, an honor that Torre bestows upon a veteran player if the final game does not matter in the standings. The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-4 to give Posada an unofficial win in his 'managerial debut'.
On November 2, 2007, Posada openly backed new Yankees manager Joe Girardi, after reports claimed that he would have a difficult time playing under Girardi.
On November 12, 2007, Posada signed a 4-year, $52 million contract to remain with the Yankees.
On July 21, 2008, Posada was placed on the disabled list. Posada intended to recover from this injury in order to perform as designated hitter or first baseman. However, the team decided to acquire Xavier Nady, in order to allow him enough time to operate. On July 28, 2008, Yankees officially announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery to repair the glenoid labrum in his right shoulder. Consequently, Posada did not participate again until 2009 spring training. Through 2008, Posada has hit 162 homers from the left side of the plate and 59 from the right side.
On September 21, 2008, Posada was selected to catch the ceremonial first pitch prior to the final game at the original Yankee Stadium. The pitch was thrown by Julia Ruth Stephens, the only living daughter of Babe Ruth. On April 16, 2009, in the bottom of the 5th inning, he hit the first regular season home run in the new Yankee Stadium against Cliff Lee of the Cleveland Indians. On May 1, 2009, he hit the first walk off hit in a nine inning game in the new Yankee Stadium against Brian Fuentes to help the Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 10-9.
On October 11, 2009, Posada hit a tie-breaking HR to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the top of the 7th inning against the Twins. This was also the last home run hit at Minnesota's Metrodome. He hit another HR to tie it 4-4 on Oct, 19, in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Angels.
In an interleague series against the Houston Astros on June 12–13, 2010, Posada became the first Yankee since Bill Dickey in 1937 to hit two grand slams in back-to-back games. On July 23, 2010 Jorge got his 1,000 career RBI against the Kansas City Royals. Following the 2010 season, Posada will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
In the 2011 season, Posada will compete with Russell Martin, Francisco Cervelli and Jesús Montero for playing time at catcher, while spending more time as the designated hitter.
On January 21, 2000, Jorge married Laura Posada, an attorney and former model and actress from Puerto Rico. They have two children, Jorge III and Paulina.
Posada's son, Jorge III, suffers from craniosynostosis, which he was diagnosed with 10 days after he was born, and has endured numerous surgeries to correct the condition. Posada established the Jorge Posada Foundation to help find a cure for the disease and support families with children affected by the condition. Jorge released a charity wine in 2008 called Jorge Cabernet to raise funds for his foundation.
Posada is close personal friends with teammate Derek Jeter, who served as best man at Posada's wedding.
Jorge Posada wrote a children's book entitled "Play Ball!" that was published in 2006.
He and his wife (fitness training among her pursuits) also wrote "Fit Home Team", a family health manual, and an autobiography titled "The Beauty of Love: A Memoir of Miracles, Hope, and Healing", which describes their personal ordeals and how they dealt with them after learning of their son's birth condition in 1999.
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| Width | 300 |
|---|---|
| Name | Ian Kennedy |
| Position | Starting pitcher |
| Team | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Number | 31 |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Birthdate | December 19, 1984 |
| Birthplace | Long Beach, California |
| Debutdate | September 1 |
| Debutyear | 2007 |
| Debutteam | New York Yankees |
| Statyear | October 7, 2010 |
| Stat1label | Win-Loss |
| Stat1value | 10-14 |
| Stat2label | Earned run average |
| Stat2value | 4.33 |
| Stat3label | Strikeouts |
| Stat3value | 211 |
| Teams |
In his year, he went 12-3 in 18 games, with a 2.54 ERA and one complete game. He pitched 117 innings, struck out 158 (fourth-best in team history), and walked 38. He also gave up 171 hits, and had 33 earned runs out of 40 runs allowed.
As a junior at USC he pitched in 16 games, 15 of them starts. He went 5-7 with 102 strikeouts and posted a 3.90 ERA. He pitched 101⅔ innings, walked 38, and gave up 44 earned runs. Entering his senior year, Kennedy was 24-12 in 50 games, pitching 311⅓ innings. He had a strikeout total of 380, an ERA of 3.12, and had walked a total of 107 batters.
In 2005 Kennedy made the USC single-season strikeout list, striking out 158 batters, fourth on the list, behind Mark Prior, Seth Etherton, and Walt Peterson. Kennedy has a 12.15 strikeouts per nine innings ratio, which is fifth best in his school's history. He was also selected for the U.S. National Team twice. Kennedy was named a first-team All-American after both his freshman and years, and was also named to the Preseason All-American first team in 2006 and the USA's Junior National Team in 2002. In 2005, he became the eighth pitcher in USC history to be named the Pac-10 Conference "Pitcher of the Year."
Kennedy was previously drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 14th round (425th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft, but he didn't sign with them. He joins Randy Johnson, Mark Prior, Tom Seaver, and Barry Zito on the list of pitchers drafted out of USC.
Kennedy pitched 2.2 innings for the Staten Island Yankees of the New York-Penn League, a short-season class A league, in 2006. In 2007, he began the season with the A Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League, posting a 6-1 record with a 1.29 ERA in 63.0 innings, while striking out 72 and only walking 22. He was promoted to the AA Trenton Thunder of the Eastern League, where he posted a 5-1 record with a 2.59 ERA in 48.2 innings, while striking out 57 and only walking 17.On July 24, 2007, Kennedy was promoted to the AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees. He posted a 1-1 record there with a 2.08 ERA in six starts, striking out 34 and walking just 11 in 34.2 innings.
On November 28, 2007 Kennedy was named the 26th best prospect by Minor League Baseball's official website.
Despite having been replaced by Kennedy in the rotation in 2007, Mussina became a mentor for Kennedy and other young pitchers on the Yankee roster even requesting that Kennedy and Phil Hughes receive lockers next to his during 2008 spring training.
On May 4, 2008 Kennedy was demoted to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after a poor start to the 2008 season. Ian dominated in his first start back with AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre, tossing 7.1 innings of 1-hit ball while striking out eight.
On May 28, 2008, after enduring a strained right lat muscle, and being diagnosed with bursitis behind the scapular, Kennedy was placed on the DL, expected to miss at least 15 days. He returned to the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees, struggling in his first few starts before going on a three game tear. From July 19 to July 29, Kennedy pitched 20 innings, allowing 7 hits which yielded 3 runs, while collecting 14 Ks, and walking only 4. On July 24, Kennedy had another no-hitter broken up, after pitching a dominant 6 2/3 innings.
Kennedy made his return to the major leagues on August 8, starting in place of an injured Joba Chamberlain. After a poor outing against the Angels, in which he surrendered 5 runs in 2 innings, Kennedy was optioned in favour of Billy Traber on August 10.
Kennedy was diagnosed with an aneurysm under his right armpit and underwent surgery May 12, 2009, at Roosevelt Hospital in New York under the care of Dr. George Todd, the same doctor who performed David Cone's procedure on an aneurysm in 1996.
On September 19, Ian Kennedy was called up from the minors. On September 23, Kennedy made his first appearance against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He hit one batter and walked two others, but allowed no hits while pitching a scoreless 8th inning.
In Kennedy's first appearance for Arizona, he pitched two scoreless innings in a rain-shortened game. He got his first win as a Diamondback on April 29, going 8 innings, while allowing 6 hits which led to 4 runs and striking out 6. On August 26, Kennedy struck out a career-high 12 batters, while allowing only 1 hit and 2 walks in 7 innings against the San Diego Padres.
After the two were wed, the couple walked up the aisle to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".
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| Name | Hanley Ramirez |
|---|---|
| Width | 178 |
| Caption | Ramirez (left) leading off first against the Chicago Cubs in 2009. |
| Team | Florida Marlins |
| Number | 2 |
| Position | Shortstop |
| Birthdate | December 23, 1983 |
| Birthplace | Samana, Dominican Republic |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Debutdate | September 20 |
| Debutyear | 2005 |
| Debutteam | Boston Red Sox |
| Statyear | August 19, 2010 |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .311 |
| Stat2label | Home runs |
| Stat2value | 119 |
| Stat3label | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value | 373 |
| Stat4label | Stolen bases |
| Stat4value | 186 |
| Teams | |
| Awards |
Ramírez's 46 doubles in the 2006 season is the all-time NL record for a shortstop age 22 or younger. He is the first NL rookie to post 110-plus runs and 50-plus stolen bases. He became the fifth big-league player since 1900 to hit 45-plus doubles and have 50-plus stolen bases, joining Hall of Famers Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Lou Brock. He finished the spectacular season with the Rookie of the Year Award. Because his season with the Red Sox wasn't a full year, he was eligible for the award in 2006.
Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez experimented with Ramírez a bit in the number three slot in the lineup, batting him ahead of Mike Jacobs when injuries hit the Marlins position players. Gonzalez believes Ramírez can be a middle-of-the-lineup player despite his speed, because he can hit for power.
In a game versus the Cincinnati Reds on July 22, 2007 Ramírez overextended his shoulder when he tried to hit a pitch on the lower outside corner off right-hander Bronson Arroyo. He was helped off the field and was determined to have suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder. Ramírez has had a history of problems with the shoulder. In the 2006 season, he missed 5 games for a similar problem after swinging at a pitch. In December of '06 he fell awkwardly on the shoulder while playing Winter League ball in the Dominican Republic.
In 154 games Ramírez batted .332 with 29 home runs, 81 RBI, 125 runs and 51 steals. He fell one home run shy of becoming only the third player in baseball history to hit 30 or more home runs and steal 50 or more bases in the same season. Ramírez led the National League in VORP.
After the end of the season, Ramírez underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his injured left shoulder.
In addition, Ramírez agreed to a six-year, $70 million extension, by far making it the richest contract in Marlin history and furthermore making him the face of the franchise through the new stadium in 2012. MLB.com has reported that Ramírez will get $23.5 million in his arbitration years of 2009 through 2011, $15 million in 2012, $15.5 million in 2013 and $16 million in 2014. There isn't a no trade clause.
Ramírez was named NL Player of the Month in June. He had been batting .298 with six doubles, a triple and ten home runs. He led the NL in three categories: home runs, runs scored and total bases. It was speculated that he could have secured a place in the rare 40-40 club achieved by four others and latest by Alfonso Soriano in 2006; he ended the season with 33 home runs and 35 stolen bases.
In July, Ramírez was selected to his first All-Star at Yankee Stadium, voted in by the fans as the National League's starting shortstop. He was 2-for-3 with two singles and a run in the 2008 All-Star Game.
Ramírez hit his 30th home run of the season on September 13 to become a member of the 30-30 club.
During the April 6, 2009 regular season opener against the Washington Nationals, Ramírez hit his first career grand-slam off of Washington reliever Steven Shell.
On July 5, 2009, Ramírez was the NL starting shortstop for the 2009 All Star Game.
On September 6, against the Nationals, Ramírez hit his 100th home run of his MLB career, becoming the 4th quickest shortstop in terms of games played to reach that milestone (Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra, and Ernie Banks).
With a Batting Average of .342, Ramírez won his first batting title.
Ramírez recorded 106 RBI (6th in NL), stole 27 bases (5th in NL), and scored 101 times (8th in NL). He won the Silver Slugger award at shortstop, and came in second to Albert Pujols for NL MVP.
In the month of April, Ramírez batted .279 with 2 home runs, 7 RBIs, 2 steals and 11 runs scored.
On May 17 in a home game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ramírez fouled a ball off his ankle in his first at-bat. He looked as if he was in some pain but remained in the game. He then grounded into a double play to end the inning as he slowly ran to first base. The next inning, with runners on first and second, a bloop shot was sent into shallow left field. Ramírez ran to catch it. He didn't, and when it hit the ground, Ramírez inadvertently kicked it into the left-field corner. Ramírez then jogged all the way to the corner as Diamondbacks rounded the bases. Two of the three runners would end up scoring with the other ending up on third. Fredi González removed Ramírez from the game, and a war of words led to Ramírez being benched for the next game. In his first game back against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ramírez went 3-5 with an RBI... About a month later, manager Fredi Gonzalez was relieved of his duties. Many wonder if Gonzalez's decision to bench Hanley due to his arrogance played a part in this.
In the month of May, Ramírez finished batting .308 with 6 home runs, 19 RBIs, 4 stolen bases, and 17 runs scored.
On June 6, manager Fredi González decided to shake up the Marlins' batting order. Ramírez was placed in the leadoff spot of the batting order for the first time since 2008. He finished 0-2 but also drew three walks in the game. He was moved back to the three hole the day after.
In June, Ramírez batted .296 with 4 home runs, 25 RBIs, 9 steals and 17 runs.
Ramírez was voted in as a starter for the All Star game for the third year in a row. He was also chosen to participate in the State Farm Home Run Derby for the first time in his career. In the Derby, he came in second place to Boston's David Ortiz.
Ramírez, moving to the leadoff spot when Chris Coghlan was injured, struggled in July, hitting .242 with 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 6 steals and 12 runs scored.
Ramírez hit his 25th career leadoff home run and his first career walk-off hit on August 7 against the Cardinals. He came up to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning with a man on first base hit a walk-off double to right-center field to end the Marlins' five game losing streak.
Ramírez was hot all throughout August, hitting .359 (3rd in NL) with 6 home runs, 13 RBIs, 7 steals and 25 runs (2nd in NL).
On September 15 in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ramírez aggravated an injury in his elbow he sustained earlier in the season while swinging. He attempted to come back and play a week later, but after one game, he was still in pain and shut down for the rest of the season. He finished 2010 with a .300 batting average, 21 home runs, 76 RBIs, 32 steals and 92 runs scored.
}} | after = Ryan Braun}}
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| Name | Cliff Floyd |
|---|---|
| Caption | Floyd with the New York Mets |
| Width | 300 |
| Position | Left fielder |
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Right |
| Birthdate | December 05, 1972 |
| Birthplace | Chicago, Illinois |
| Debutdate | September 18 |
| Debutyear | 1993 |
| Debutteam | Montreal Expos |
| Finaldate | June 17 |
| Finalyear | 2009 |
| Finalteam | San Diego Padres |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .278 |
| Stat2label | Home runs |
| Stat2value | 233 |
| Stat3label | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value | 865 |
| Teams | |
| Awards |
At Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, Floyd was a three-sport star in baseball, football, and basketball. In basketball, he led his high school to the Class AA Sectional Playoffs. In leading his team to the Illinois state baseball championship as a senior, he hit .508 with 130 RBI during the final two years of his high school prep career. He was heavily recruited by Arizona State University, Stanford, and Creighton University, but when the Montreal Expos drafted him as the 14th pick in the 1st round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft, Floyd made no hesitation and chose to go to the minor leagues.
In , Floyd was traded from the Marlins back to the Expos, with Claudio Vargas, Wilton Guerrero, and cash, for Graeme Lloyd, Mike Mordecai, Carl Pavano, Justin Wayne, and Donald Levinski. Later that year, Floyd was traded from the Expos to the Boston Red Sox for Sun-Woo Kim and Seung Song.
In , Floyd was signed by the New York Mets. He played well for the Mets, but was hampered by injuries in 2003 and . However, Cliff stayed healthy in and responded with a career-high and team-leading 34 home runs. The next year, though, Floyd was once again limited by injuries and only played in 97 games during New York's division-winning year. He caught the division-clinching out for the Mets, but was slowed by injuries in the playoffs for New York, only recording twelve at-bats in the his team's ten postseason games.
In , Floyd agreed to a deal with his hometown Chicago Cubs for the 2007 season, with an option for . Floyd missed nine games in August 2007 to mourn the death of his father, Cornelius. He returned on August 21, 2007, to play the San Francisco Giants, where he hit a game-winning RBI.
On December 14, 2007, Floyd signed a $3 million, one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. Floyd spent 2008 platooning for the Rays at DH against righties.
On February 5, , Floyd agreed to a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres.
On October 8, 2009, the Padres released Floyd.
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| Name | Carl Crawford |
|---|---|
| Width | 250 |
| Caption | Carl Crawford during his tenure with the Rays. |
| Position | Left Field |
| Team | Boston Red Sox |
| Number | 13 |
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Left |
| Birthdate | August 05, 1981 |
| Birthplace | Houston, Texas |
| Debutdate | July 20 |
| Debutyear | 2002 |
| Debutteam | Tampa Bay Devil Rays |
| Statyear | 2010 season |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .296 |
| Stat2label | Stolen bases |
| Stat2value | 409 |
| Stat3label | Runs |
| Stat3value | 765 |
| Stat4label | Hits |
| Stat4value | 1,480 |
| Stat5label | Triples |
| Stat5value | 105 |
| Stat6label | Home runs |
| Stat6value | 104 |
| Stat7label | Runs batted in |
| Stat7value | 592 |
| Teams | |
| Awards |
In 2004, Crawford stole 59 bases, again leading the league and posting the second-highest total in the majors that season. He batted .296 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs. Crawford also hit a league-leading 19 triples. He was selected for the All Star Game, played in his hometown of Houston, and was named Devil Rays team MVP in 2004 by the BBWAA.
Crawford batted .301 in 2005, becoming just the third .300 hitter in Devil Rays history, joining Aubrey Huff (.311 in 2003) and Fred McGriff (.310 in 1999). Crawford also posted career highs in hits (194), home runs (15), and RBI (81). He again lead the league with 15 triples and placed third in steals (46). in 2006]]
On July 5 against the Boston Red Sox, Crawford became only the eighth player in history to get 200 stolen bases before his 25th birthday. That same day, he also stole home plate for the first time in his career. Crawford finished the season with career highs in batting average (.305) and home runs (18), joining Hall-of-Famer Rogers Hornsby as the only players in Major League history to increase their batting average and home run totals every year for five straight years. He won a Fielding Bible Award for his defensive excellence in left field during the season.
In the second half of the season, Crawford had a sore right wrist which had been bothering him for some time, and he did not hit a home run for a period of 42 days because of it. Prior to a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, he had an MRI and was listed as doubtful to play because of the wrist. However, he pinch hit as the game went into extra innings and promptly hit a walk-off home run, ending his drought. This kicked off a run of four homers in ten games.
In August, a panel of experts on ESPN.com named Crawford the Devil Rays' "Face of the Franchise". Three out of four experts picked him and he was also overwhelmingly picked by the fans with 75 percent of the vote.
In 2009 he had the best range factor of all starting major league left fielders (2.34). He won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award and third overall at left field.
On July 20, Crawford was struck in the groin in the first inning by an errant pickoff throw from Jake Arrieta of the Baltimore Orioles. Although he was touching first when he was struck, he fell off the base and was tagged out by Ty Wigginton. He was transported to the hospital, where he was treated and released for bruising. He missed the next day's game. Rays play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats called it "the indignity of a very painful situation". Afterward, Crawford stated he doesn't wear a protective cup, and will continue not to do so despite the injury. On July 31st, Crawford reached 400 stolen bases. He is only the 7th player in history to reach that mark before his 29th birthday.
Crawford has drawn four catcher's interference calls in 2010, and a total of ten in his career.
On August 17, 2010, Crawford hit the 100th triple of his career. With this, he would tie Ty Cobb as being the only major league players to hit 100 triples and have 400 stolen bases before the age of 30.
The Tampa Bay chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Crawford the Most Valuable Player for the Rays in 2010. Following the conclusion of the season, Crawford was given the Gold Glove Award, as well as the Silver Slugger Award.
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| Name | Brandon Inge |
|---|---|
| Width | 300 |
| Position | Third baseman |
| Team | Detroit Tigers |
| Number | 15 |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Birthdate | May 19, 1977 |
| Birthplace | Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Debutdate | April 3 |
| Debutyear | 2001 |
| Debutteam | Detroit Tigers |
| Statyear | 2010 season |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .237 |
| Stat2label | Home runs |
| Stat2value | 136 |
| Stat3label | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value | 564 |
| Stat4label | Hits |
| Stat4value | 1,028 |
| Stat5label | Strikeouts |
| Stat5value | 1,109 |
| Teams | |
| Awards |
Sportswriter Jayson Stark described Inge as a "super-utility dervish." In 2006, his diving stop and subsequent throw from his knees to put out Gary Bennett in an interleague game, on June 25 against the St. Louis Cardinals earned him the ESPN defensive play of the year for a third baseman.
Inge played baseball at Brookville High School in Lynchburg, then attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was a shortstop and relief pitcher. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in , and currently resides in Saline, Michigan.
He started 159 games at third base in , and led all AL third basemen in errors (23), assists (378) and double plays (42). In 2006, Inge exceeded his 2005 totals with 398 assists. That number broke the Detroit Tigers single season record for assists by a 3rd baseman (previously 389 by Aurelio Rodriguez in 1974) and was only 14 short of the all time MLB record for assists by a third baseman (set by Graig Nettles in 1971). Only five third basemen (including Graig Nettles, Brooks Robinson, and Mike Schmidt) have collected more assists in a season than Inge.
In 2006, Inge showed power during the first half, with his 17 home runs tying for the team lead. His slugging percentage was .463 and he placed third on the Tigers with 47 RBIs. After the All-Star Break, he raised his season average from .221 to .253 and finished with 27 home runs.
Inge became expendable at third base after the Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera in a blockbuster trade with the Florida Marlins. Inge asked management to trade him to a team where he would have a chance to be an everyday player. However, a deal was never made, and the team stated that he would be used as a utility player for the 2008 season. Inge reported to spring training early with the pitchers and catchers. He was named the opening day center fielder after Curtis Granderson was placed on the disabled list.
With the absence of backup catcher Vance Wilson, Inge filled this role for the 13-time Gold Glove winner Iván Rodríguez. Inge took over the catching position full time after Rodríguez was traded to the New York Yankees on July 30, 2008.
On September 27, Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced that he would move Inge back to third base for the 2009 season.
Inge opened the 2009 season as the starting third baseman for the Tigers. He started the season by successfully reaching base 24 games in a row, the longest such streak for the Tigers since 1976. Through the first half of the 2009 season, Inge led the team in home runs with 21 and was named to the All-Star team.
Having received a record 11.8 million votes in the Final Vote, Inge was selected to his first All Star Game, joining teammates Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, and Edwin Jackson on the American League squad. Inge participated in the Home Run Derby and became the eighth player in the history of the Derby to not hit a single home run.
Inge underwent surgery on both of his knees on November 3, 2009. He attended a strengthening and rehabilitation program during the winter. He made a full recovery in time to play midway through spring training, and started at third base on Opening Day of the 2010 season in Kansas City.
On July 19, 2010, Inge was hit on the left hand by a pitch. X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal. Doctors said it would take 4–6 weeks to heal, however he returned two weeks later.
On August 26, 2010, Inge achieved his 1,000th career hit against the Kansas City Royals.
On September 25, 2010, Inge set the Tigers francise mark for strikeouts with 1,100. In the same game however, Inge had the game winning hit in the 13th inning against the Minnesota Twins.
At the conclusion of the season, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski announced plans to re-sign Inge to a multi-year contract.
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