Bárbaro Rafael Cañizares Hernandez (; born November 21, 1979) is a
Cuban-American former
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
. Listed at 6' 3", 230 lb., Cañizares batted and threw right-handed. He was born in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. .
Career in Cuba
Cañizares played from 1997 through 2003 for the
Industriales
Industriales is a baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Located in Cerro, La Habana, it is known as the only team representing the country’s capital, Havana. Industriales is historically the most successful team in the National Series, a ...
and
Metropolitanos
The Metropolitanos of Havana was a baseball team in the Cuban National Series. The Metros, also known as the ''Guerreros'' (Warriors), had historically been a poor team, though they were ostensibly the heir to the Habana (baseball club), Habana te ...
teams of the
Cuban National Series
The Cuban National Series (, SNB) is the primary domestic professional baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. ...
. Overall, he posted a
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .303 (537-for-1,775) with 38
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 294
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...
in 520 games. He guided Industriales together with MLB player
Kendrys Morales
Kendrys Morales Rodríguez (born June 20, 1983) is a Cuban-Dominican former professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota ...
to the postseason in 2005.
Minor League Baseball career
While playing for the Cuban national team, he sold his jersey to a fan after an international game. Unbeknownst to Cañizares, the fan was a member of the
United States Interests Section in Havana
The United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana, Cuba or USINT Havana (the State Department telegraphic address) represented United States interests in Cuba from September 1, 1977, to July 20, 2015. It was staffed by ...
. As a result, Cañizares received a lifetime suspension from Cuban baseball.
[
In February 2004, Cañizares ]defected
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...
from Cuba along with Michel Abreu
Michel Abreu Martinez (born February 8, 1975) is a Cuban former professional baseball player. A first baseman, he previously played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. Abreu began his professional career in the C ...
and Yosandy Ibañez. The three later played professionally together in Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
n baseball.[ ] He then signed with the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
on February 4, 2006.[
After that, Cañizares has been consistently held in the Minor Leagues, playing for several teams in different countries.][
]
Major Leagues
Cañizares was called up to the Atlanta Braves on June 11, 2009, making his major league debut the same day appearing fourth in the batting order and playing first base.
Canizares played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes
The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Norther ...
of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball
The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...
during the 2012 season.
Mexican baseball
Cañizares also played in Mexico, where he earned Mexican Pacific League
The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule ru ...
MVP honors with the Yaquis de Obregón
The Yaquis de Obregón ( en, Obregón Yaquis) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora. The “Yaquis” are the only team in league history to have won three consecutive league championship ...
club in two different times. In addition, he captured the Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
batting crown in 2011, after hitting a .396 average with the Guerreros de Oaxaca
The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos.
History
In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...
.[
]
Tigres de Quintana Roo
On April 23, 2017, Cañizares signed with the Tigres de Quintana Roo
The Quintana Roo Tigers (), formerly known as the Mexico (City) Tigers () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve champio ...
of the Mexican Baseball League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five t ...
. He was released on May 15, 2017.
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna
On April 5, 2018, Cañizares signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna
The Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (English: Laguna Union Cotton Farmers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Torreón, Coahuila.
History Early years
The team was established in 1940 under the name Algodoneros de Unió ...
of the Mexican Baseball League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five t ...
.
Retirement
Cañizares retired as an active player following the 2018 season, and stayed in the Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
as a hitting coach for the Olmecas de Tabasco
The Olmecas de Tabasco (English: Tabasco Olmecs) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. Their home ballpark is the Estadio Centenario 27 de Febrero.
The Olmecas won their only Mexican L ...
.
Other leagues
In between, Cañizares has played with the Winnipeg Goldeyes
The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a minor-league baseball team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Goldeyes play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, which they joined in 2011. Previously, the Goldeyes were members of the Norther ...
of the American Association, as well as in Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
and Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
winter ball.[
]
See also
*List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
This is a list of notable Cuban baseball players who have defected since the beginning of Fidel Castro's presidency. Prior to the Cuban Revolution, which saw Castro rise to power in 1959, Cuban-born players often played in the American Negro lea ...
References
External links
, or , o
Winnipeg Goldeyes official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canizares, Barbaro
1979 births
Living people
2013 World Baseball Classic players
Águilas del Zulia players
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna players
Atlanta Braves players
Defecting Cuban baseball players
Cuban expatriate baseball players in Japan
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players
Gigantes del Cibao players
Guerreros de Oaxaca players
Gulf Coast Braves players
Gwinnett Braves players
Industriales de La Habana players
Major League Baseball first basemen
Major League Baseball players from Cuba
Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States
Mayos de Navojoa players
Metropolitanos de La Habana players
Mississippi Braves players
Myrtle Beach Pelicans players
Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen
Richmond Braves players
Baseball players from Havana
Tiburones de La Guaira players
Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Toros del Este players
Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic
Winnipeg Goldeyes players
Yaquis de Obregón players
Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico