Johan Alexander Santana Araque (English pronunciation: /ˈjoʊhɑːn sænˈtænə/; born March 13, 1979) is a Venezuelan pitcher for New York Mets. He is a native of Tovar, a town in Merida state, Venezuela.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Minnesota Twins, he was considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, with a pitch repertoire that included an 88–94 mph fastball, along with a circle changeup, generally considered his best pitch, and a slider. His warm-up music is the song "Smooth" by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana. Santana was rated by Forbes as the 5th highest paid baseball player in MLB, the highest out of all pitchers. On June 1st, 2012, Santana threw the first no-hitter in New York Mets' history.
Santana was discovered in 1994 by Chance Partin, brother-in-law of Cheech Marin, who was a scout working for the Houston Astros at the time. He signed Santana and sent him to his academy in Guacara in January 1995. Santana did not like it and almost left, but Reiner convinced him to stay. While originally a center fielder, Santana was converted to a pitcher at the academy due to his arm speed. In 1999 he was named the Tovar Mérida Athlete of the Year.
Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu (Spanish: [boβ aˈβɾeu], English: /əˈbreɪ.uː/; born March 11, 1974, in Turmero, Venezuela), nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Luche", is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Abreu is a two-time All-Star, and has won a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award. He has led the league in games (twice), doubles, and triples. Through 2011, he was second among active ballplayers in doubles (554), third in walks (1,419), sixth in stolen bases (393), and ninth in on-base percentage (.397).[3] Through 2011, on defense he was the major league leader among active players in outfield assists, with 134.
Abreu played with the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan winter baseball league, batting .283 with 21 doubles and a league-record 17 triples. He also reached double figures in outfield assists for the third consecutive year. After the campaign, he had rotator cuff surgery performed on his right shoulder, which had periodically given him problems.
Mark Charles Teixeira ( /teɪˈʃɛrə/ tay-SHERR-ə; born April 11, 1980, in Annapolis, Maryland), nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Primarily a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield. He played college baseball at Georgia Tech, where in 2001 he won the Dick Howser Trophy as the national collegiate baseball player of the year.
Teixeira was drafted in 2001 by the Texas Rangers, and made his MLB debut for them in 2003. In mid-2007 he was traded to the Atlanta Braves, and traded again in mid-2008 to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In December 2008, he agreed to a contract with the New York Yankees. Teixeira has won four Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards. Teixeira also holds the all-time major league record for most games with a home run from both sides of the plate, with 13.
Teixeira grew up in Severna Park, Maryland, and attended Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Maryland, where he played for the school's varsity baseball team. Teixeira is Portuguese American. He also has roots in the South American country of Guyana, the country from which his grandfather migrated as a young man.