Plácido Enrique Polanco (; born October 10, 1975) is a
Dominican-American former professional baseball player. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
St. Louis Cardinals,
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
,
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
and
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
. He was a
second baseman
In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...
,
third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the Baseball scorekeep ...
, and
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
. He was twice voted to start in
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
s: in
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, and again in
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
. Polanco retired with the highest all-time career fielding percentage for second basemen at 99.27% and the highest all-time career fielding percentage for third basemen at 98.34% which still appear to be records.
On July 9, 2008, Polanco received his U.S. citizenship along with 99 other people in a ceremony at
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium (Detroit), Tiger Stadium.
History Construction
Founded in 1894, t ...
that preceded the Tigers–
Indians game. He wore his Tigers uniform for the ceremony.
Playing career
St. Louis Cardinals
Polanco was drafted on June 2, 1994, by the
St. Louis Cardinals in the 19th round of the
1994 MLB draft. In 1996, he led the Florida State League with 157 hits and 137 games played while playing with Single-A St. Petersburg. Polanco was promoted to the major leagues in 1998. His first major league
hit was a
single off
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
starting pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
Brett Tomko on July 5, 1998. Earning the starting third base job in 2001, his low
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
/
walk
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
ratio and
extra base hits numbers established Polanco as a
contact hitter.
Philadelphia Phillies

On July 29, 2002, Polanco,
Mike Timlin, and
Bud Smith were acquired by the Phillies for
Scott Rolen, Doug Nickle, and cash. Polanco was shifted to second base as
David Bell was signed from
free agency to play third base. He began to develop power while playing for the Phillies as he hit 14 and 17
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s in the following two years, compared with just nine in 2002.
Detroit Tigers

The Phillies traded him to the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
in a June 2005 in a trade for veteran right-hander
Ugueth Urbina and
infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...
Ramón Martínez, allowing the Phillies to play
Chase Utley every day at second base. Polanco finished the 2005 season
batting .338 with the Tigers, and also having a career year with regards to
OPS, finishing the season at .847. In addition, he led the majors in lowest strikeout percentage (5.0%) for the season.
Polanco was a key player in the
2006 American League Division Series and
2006 American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the Tigers, being named
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
of the ALCS. However, he did not record a single hit in the
2006 World Series, in which the Tigers lost to the Cardinals in five games.
In 2007, Polanco set a new major-league record for second basemen by playing in his 144th consecutive
error
An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement.
In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...
less game on August 13, in a 7–2 loss to the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
.
Curt Flood
Curtis Charles Flood Sr. (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball center fielder and activist. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washin ...
currently holds the record for consecutive errorless games with 226, but he played
center field. Polanco appeared to have his streak snapped at 147 games when he was charged with an error in the first inning of the August 24 game vs. the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. However, the next day, after conferring with the umpiring crew, the official scorer determined the error was instead charged to first baseman
Marcus Thames. This extended the streak to 149 games. Polanco also broke the record for consecutive chances without an error by a second baseman on July 31. He passed
Luis Castillo's mark of 647. Polanco finished the 2007 season without making an error, thereby becoming the first everyday second baseman in MLB history to play an entire season without committing an error. This, in addition to contributing to 101
double play
In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs.
In Major Le ...
s, earned Polanco his first
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
.
In addition to his fielding feats, Polanco batted a career-high .341 in 2007, and reached a career high in hits with 200. He also had the lowest strikeout percentage in the major leagues (5.1%). For his efforts, he was given the
Silver Slugger Award at second base. He was voted by the fans to start in the
2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his first one. At the end of the season, he was voted by the fans as the 2007 MLB
"This Year in Baseball Awards" Defensive Player of the Year.
Polanco won another Gold Glove Award in 2009.
Return to the Phillies
After declaring free agency, Polanco signed a three-year contract for $18 million to return to the Phillies, with a mutual option for a fourth year. He was signed with the Phillies to replace Pedro Feliz at third base.
In 2011, Polanco was elected by fan balloting to be the starting third baseman in the
All-Star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
. He was unable to play in the All-Star game due to an injury, and Scott Rolen replaced him in the starting lineup. At the conclusion of the 2011 season, Polanco received his third Gold Glove, making him only the second baseball player in history to receive the award at more than one position.
Darin Erstad had previously won Gold Gloves in the outfield and at first base.
On May 14, 2012, Polanco reached the
2,000 hit mark with an eighth-inning home run off
David Carpenter of the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
.
On October 29, the Phillies elected to decline their half of a $5.5M mutual option, instead electing to pay Polanco a $1M buyout.
Miami Marlins
On December 20, 2012, the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
and Polanco agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.75 million, making him the second-highest paid player on the team. The Marlins did not re-sign Polanco after the 2013 season and he was unable to find a contract in free agency for the 2014 season. In March 2015, he claimed to be "90 percent" retired but remained open to the possibility of returning to playing or launching a coaching career under the right circumstances.
Retirement
On August 14, 2016, Polanco officially retired with the Phillies.
Polanco was eligible to be elected into the Hall of Fame in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, but received only two votes, earning less than 5% of the vote and becoming ineligible for the 2020 ballot.
Polanco joined the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
front office as a special assistant in player development in 2019.
Career statistics
In 1,927 games over 16 seasons, Polanco posted a .297
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 ...
(2142-for-7214) with 1009
runs, 348
doubles, 32
triples, 104
home runs
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 ...
, 723
RBI, 81
stolen bases, 429
walks, .343
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
, and .397
slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
. Defensively, he finished his career with an overall .990
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
playing at second base, third base, and shortstop. In postseason play, in 38 games, he batted .248 (32-for-129) with 11 runs, 4 doubles, 13 RBI, 3 stolen bases, and 11 walks.
Personal life
Polanco and wife Lily have a daughter, Aide Rose, and a son, Ishmael. He is a close friend of former teammate
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (, ; born December 11, 1985) is a Dominicans, Dominican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former first baseman and designated hitter who is the manager of the Leones del Escogido of the Domin ...
, who is godfather to Polanco's son.
In July , while with the Tigers, Polanco became a naturalized American citizen, taking the oath of citizenship at
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium (Detroit), Tiger Stadium.
History Construction
Founded in 1894, t ...
.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
Listed are all Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2,000 hit (baseball), hit milestone during their career in MLB. Pete Rose holds the Major League record for most career hits, with 4,256. Rose and Ty Cobb, second most, are the only ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
Listed are all Major League Baseball (MLB) players with 1,000 or more career runs scored. Players in boldface are active as of the 2025 Major League Baseball season.
Key
List
*Stats updated as of June 16, 2025.
Through June 16, 2025, th ...
*
List of Gold Glove Award winners at second base
*
List of Gold Glove Award winners at third base
*
List of Silver Slugger Award winners at second base
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polanco, Placido
1975 births
Living people
American League All-Stars
American League Championship Series MVPs
American sportspeople of Dominican Republic descent
Arizona League Cardinals players
Arkansas Travelers players
Clearwater Threshers players
Detroit Tigers players
Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States
Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent
Gigantes del Cibao players
Gold Glove Award winners
Florida Complex League Phillies players
Lehigh Valley IronPigs players
Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
Major League Baseball second basemen
Major League Baseball third basemen
Memphis Redbirds players
Miami Dade Sharks baseball players
Miami Marlins players
National League All-Stars
Naturalized citizens of the United States
Peoria Chiefs players
Philadelphia Phillies players
Reading Phillies players
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players
Silver Slugger Award winners
St. Louis Cardinals players
St. Petersburg Cardinals players
World Baseball Classic players of the Dominican Republic
2006 World Baseball Classic players