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Wilson Valdez
Wilson Antonio Valdez (born May 20, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball infielder. Playing career Early career Valdez was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Montreal Expos on February 4, 1997 in baseball, 1997. He played on the Expos' Dominican League teams from 1997- and then on various minor league Single-A teams for the Expos through . On March 29, 2002, he was claimed off waivers by the Florida Marlins and sent to the Marlins' Double-A team in Portland Sea Dogs, Portland. He continued in the Marlins organization in , playing with their Double-A team in Carolina Mudcats, Carolina and their Triple-A team in Albuquerque Isotopes, Albuquerque. Chicago White Sox On June 17, 2004, while hitting .319 for Albuquerque, he was traded by the Marlins with cash to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for reliever Billy Koch. The White Sox promptly assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte Knights, Charlotte where he Batting average (baseball), hit .302 and ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. Although there are many rules to baseball, in general the team playing offense tries to score runs by batting balls into the field that enable runners to make a complete circuit of the four bases. The team playing in the field tries to prevent runs by catching the ball before it hits the ground, by tagging runners with the ball while they are not touching a base, or by throwing the ball to first base before the batter who hit the ball can run from home plate to first base. There are nine defensive positions on a baseball field. The part of the baseball field closest to the batter (shown in the diagram as light brown) is known as the "infield" (as opposed to the "outfield", the part of the field furthest from the batter, shown in the diagr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Free Agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is allowed to solicit offers from other teams. In some circumstances, the free agent's options are limited by league rules. Types Terms Unrestricted free agent Unrestricted free agents are players without a team. They have either been released from their club, had the term of their contract expire without a renewal, or were not chosen in a league's draft of amateur players. These people, generally speaking, are free to entertain offers from all other teams in the player's most recent league and elsewhere and to decide with whom to sign a contract. Players who have been bought out of league standard contracts may have restrictions within that league, such as not being able to sign with the buy-out club for a period of time in the NHL, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expansion franchise in 1969, and has played in four World Series, winning in 1985 and 2015, and losing in 1980 and 2014. Outside of a dominant 10 year stretch between 1976 to 1985, and a brief, albeit dominant resurgence from 2014 to 2015, the Royals have been one of the worst franchises in baseball, missing the playoffs 34 of the previous 36 years. The name "Royals" pays homage to the American Royal, a livestock show, horse show, rodeo, and championship barbecue competition held annually in Kansas City since 1899, as well as the identical names of two former Negro league baseball teams that played in the first half of the 20th century. (One a semi-pro team based in Kansas City in the 1910s and 1920s that toured the Midwest and a California ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Utility Player
In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water polo. The term has gained prominence in all sports due to its use in fantasy leagues, but in rugby union and rugby league, it is commonly used by commentators to recognize a player's versatility. The use of this term to describe a player may in some circumstances be a backhanded compliment, as it suggests the player is not good enough to be considered a specialist in one position. Association football In football, like other sports, a utility player can play in several positions in the outfield. The most common dual role is when a central defender is played in the left or right fullback position. This often occurs due to injuries to the starting fullback players. As central defenders are usually taller, slower, and less technically adept in c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portland Beavers
The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams have been known as the Portland Beavers; the most recent club, which began operating in 2001, recognized the history of all previous incarnations as its own, stating it was established in 1903, the same year the Pacific Coast League was established. The "Beavers" originated in 1906 following a newspaper contest to rename the existing Portland team that had been created in 1901 when a group of Portland businessmen founded the Portland Baseball Club. Along with the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Oaks, Sacramento Solons, San Francisco Seals, and Seattle Rainiers, a Portland Beavers club was a charter member of the Pacific Coast League in 1903. Portland and Sacramento were the only two charter cities that had a team in the PCL as of 2010, the o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who were typically poor at batting and were often placed at the bottom of the batting order. Today, shortstops are often able to hit well and many are placed at the top of the lineup. In the numbering system used by scorers to record defensive plays, the shortstop is assigned the number 6. More hit balls go to the shortstop than to any other position, as there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the ball slightly. Like a second baseman, a shortstop must be agile, for example when performing a 4-6-3 double play. Also, like a third baseman, the shortstop fields balls hit to the left side of the infield, where a strong arm is needed to throw out a batter-runner befo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian Anderson (pitcher)
Brian James Anderson (born April 26, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played 13 seasons for five teams, as well as a sports broadcaster and coach. Currently, Anderson is the color commentator on the Rays TV crew on Bally Sports Sun. Early life and education Anderson was born on April 26, 1972, in Portsmouth, Virginia. At Geneva High School (Ohio), Anderson was a four-year letterman in baseball, a three-year letterman in golf, and a two-year letterman in basketball. He went on to attend Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. In 1991 and 1992, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Anderson was selected by the California Angels in the 1st round (3rd pick overall) of the 1993 Major League Baseball draft. Professional career Anderson began his major league career with the California Angels in 1993. Between 1993–1995, he was 13–13 with a 5.46 ERA. He was traded prior to the 1996 seas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 2014 and is located in Uptown Charlotte. The team previously played at Knights Park (1976–1988), Knights Castle (1989), and Knights Stadium (1990–2013). Established as a Double-A franchise of the Southern League in 1976, the team was known as the Charlotte Orioles, or Charlotte O's, through 1987. The O's won the Southern League championship twice: in 1980 and 1984 as the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They were rebranded as the Knights in 1988. The Knights were replaced by a Triple-A International League team in 1993 in conjunction with the expansion of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Triple-A Knights carried on the history of the Double-A team that preceded them. In conjunction with MLB's restructuring of Minor Leag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Koch
William Christopher Koch (born December 14, 1974) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was born in Rockville Centre, New York and went to West Babylon High School. He entered the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays and last pitched in the majors with the Florida Marlins in 2004. Baseball career Koch played college baseball for Clemson University from 1994 to 1996. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round (fourth pick) of the 1996 amateur draft and made his debut in 1999. He made an instant impression by regularly throwing 100 MPH pitches. Koch won a bronze medal with the United States national baseball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He was groomed for the role of closer, and had mixed success at the role over the next three seasons. While he was regarded as one of the most dominating pitchers in the league when he was at his best, at times he battled with his control and composure on the mound. Nevertheless, he continued to pos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an elevation of above sea level. In 2003, the Calgary Cannons moved from Alberta to Albuquerque and became the Isotopes playing in the Pacific Coast League. The team was affiliated with the Florida Marlins until 2008 and the Dodgers from 2009 to 2014. In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Isotopes were organized into the Triple-A West, which was renamed the Pacific Coast League in 2022. The team won division titles in 2003, 2009, and 2012; it has never won a league championship. The Isotopes' mascot is Orbit, a yellow, orange, and red alien. In 2016, ''Forbes'' listed the team as the 14th-most valuable Minor League Baseball team with a value of $34 million. Name origins The team's nam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carolina Mudcats
The Carolina Mudcats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Zebulon, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, and play their home games at Five County Stadium. "Mudcats" is Southern slang for catfish. The team began play in 1991 after the Columbus Mudcats relocated from Columbus, Georgia. They were members of the Double-A (baseball), Double-A Southern League (1964–present), Southern League through 2011. The Mudcats were replaced by a Class A-Advanced team of the Carolina League in 2012. This team carried on as an extension of the previous club. Carolina was dropped to the Low-A classification and placed in the Low-A East in 2021, though this was renamed the Carolina League and reclassified as Single-A in 2022. The Mudcats won the List of Southern League champions, Southern League championship in 1995 as the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and in 2003 as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Sea Dogs became part of the Red Sox system for the 2003 season; previously they were affiliated with the Florida Marlins. The change in affiliation brought success in the 2005 and 2006 seasons as the Sea Dogs went to the Eastern League championship series both years. They won their first-ever title on September 17, 2006, defeating the Akron Aeros, 8–5, in a rematch of the series from the previous year. It was the first Double-A championship for a Red Sox farm team since 1983 when they were based in New Britain, Connecticut. Currently, all games are carried on a network of radio stations with Emma Tiedemann providing the play-by-play, with the flagship WPEI and select TV games on New England Sports Network, NESN with Eric Frede ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
