Michel Abreu Martinez (born February 8, 1975) is a Cuban former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

player. A

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 ...

, he previously played for the

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Figh ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

. Abreu began his professional career in 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. ...

, and then played in minor league baseball after he defected from Cuba.

Career

Abreu debuted with the

Cuban national baseball team The Cuba national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de Cuba'') represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is made up from the most professional players from the Cuban national baseball system. Cuba has been des ...

in 1999. That year, he was part of the Cuban team that played a two-game exhibition series against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

. Domestically, he played in the

for Matanzas. In 2002, he won the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

, as he led all Cuban players with a .356

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 ...

, 23

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 78

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 ...

. He was named the Series' Most Valuable Player that season. Abreu defected from Cuba in February 2004. He attempted to establish residency in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, but after struggling to obtain the necessary documents, moved to Costa Rica and established residency there. He signed a contract with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

in September 2005, agreeing to a $425,000 signing bonus. However, the Red Sox began the process of voiding the contract later that month, mainly because Abreu could not establish residency, but also because Abreu represented himself as 26 years old, though the roster from the 1999 Orioles-Cuba series gave his date of birth as February 8, 1975, which the Red Sox believed to be his correct date of birth. The

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

signed Abreu to a minor league contract in January 2006. Assigned to the

Binghamton Mets The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club. The Rumble Ponies play in Mirab ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

Eastern League, Abreu was named to the league's all-star game and led the league in batting average (.332) and on-base percentage (.404). Due to issues obtaining his

green card A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...

after the expiration of his work visa, Abreu missed the entire 2007 season. He played for the New Orleans Zephyrs of the

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...

International League in 2008. The Mets invited Abreu to spring training in 2009. Abreu played 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 ...

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 ...

in 2010 and 2011 and the Sultanes de Monterrey in 2012, winning the league MVP award during his season in Monterrey. He signed with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of

for the 2013 season, during which he led NPB's Pacific League with 31 home runs. A back injury cost him all of the first half of the 2014 season. He was released August 21.
Hokkaidou Nihon Ham Fighters official site

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abreu, Michel 1975 births Living people Águilas de Mexicali players Azucareros del Este players Baseball first basemen Binghamton Mets players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cocodrilos de Matanzas players Defecting Cuban baseball players Gigantes de Carolina players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Puerto Rico Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Lobos de Arecibo players Mesa Solar Sox players Mexican League baseball first basemen Mexican League Most Valuable Player Award winners New Orleans Zephyrs players Nippon Professional Baseball designated hitters Olmecas de Tabasco players Sportspeople from Matanzas St. Lucie Mets players Sultanes de Monterrey players Tiburones de La Guaira players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Tigres del Licey players Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Toros del Este players Yaquis de Obregón players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico

Career

See also

References

External links