Dan Ortmeier
Encyclopedia
Daniel David Ortmeier is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
and first baseman
who is currently a Free Agent
. He made his major league debut on September 5, , with the San Francisco Giants
.
at Lewisville High School
in Lewisville
, Texas
. He was drafted by the White Sox in the 27th round out of high school, but opted to play for Coach Clay Gould at UT Arlington. He was redrafted in the 3rd round his collegiate junior year by the SF Giants and signed. His brother, Chris, was drafted by the Cubs out of high school, but went on to pitch at Navaro and Texas Tech.
s with 35 stolen base
s. He made his major league debut on September 5, 2005, with the Giants.
Fresno Grizzlies
. He was called up briefly to the Giants and then returned to Triple-A. He struggled with a knee and a wrist injury, he finished the year with the Double-A Connecticut Defenders
.
. He was assigned to the Grizzlies for the start of the 2007 season, but was called up to the Giants twice. Ortmeier switched from playing outfield to first base due to the Giants' glut of outfielders.
On September 7, he hit a walk-off home run
to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers
at AT&T Park
.
. At the request of the team, Ortmeier gave up switch hitting
in favor of batting exclusively from the right side. In 2007, he batted .240 at the Triple-A level as a left-handed
hitter. On April 9, 2008, Ortmeier batted as a right-handed hitter against a right-handed pitcher
for the first time since and hit a game winning RBI
double
against Heath Bell
. In August 2008, he went back to switch-hitting.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
who is currently a Free Agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He made his major league debut on September 5, , with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
High school
Ortmeier played baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
at Lewisville High School
Lewisville High School
Lewisville High School, the oldest of five high schools in the Lewisville Independent School District, is located in Lewisville, Texas. It was opened in 1897, making it the only school in the district to have celebrated its 100th anniversary....
in Lewisville
Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville is a city in Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within . The city also includes of Lewisville Lake....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He was drafted by the White Sox in the 27th round out of high school, but opted to play for Coach Clay Gould at UT Arlington. He was redrafted in the 3rd round his collegiate junior year by the SF Giants and signed. His brother, Chris, was drafted by the Cubs out of high school, but went on to pitch at Navaro and Texas Tech.
2005
In his Double-A campaign in 2005, he hit 20 home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s with 35 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. He made his major league debut on September 5, 2005, with the Giants.
2006
Ortmeier started off with the Triple-AAAA (baseball)
Triple-A refers to the highest level of play in minor league baseball in the United States and Mexico.-Purpose:Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues:...
Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
. He was called up briefly to the Giants and then returned to Triple-A. He struggled with a knee and a wrist injury, he finished the year with the Double-A Connecticut Defenders
Connecticut Defenders
The Connecticut Defenders were a minor league baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 season, when the Defenders relocated to Richmond,...
.
2007
Ortmeier had knee surgery prior to the season, but was fully recovered by spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. He was assigned to the Grizzlies for the start of the 2007 season, but was called up to the Giants twice. Ortmeier switched from playing outfield to first base due to the Giants' glut of outfielders.
On September 7, he hit a walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
.
2008
Ortmeier competed for the starting first base job in spring training, but lost the competition to Rich AuriliaRich Aurilia
Richard Santo Aurilia is a former Major League Baseball player, mainly as a shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed.The 24th round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft, Aurilia worked in the Rangers minor league system before being traded with first baseman Desi...
. At the request of the team, Ortmeier gave up switch hitting
Switch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
in favor of batting exclusively from the right side. In 2007, he batted .240 at the Triple-A level as a left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
hitter. On April 9, 2008, Ortmeier batted as a right-handed hitter against a right-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the first time since and hit a game winning RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
against Heath Bell
Heath Bell
Heath Justin Bell is an American professional baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent. After taking over the San Diego Padres closer role from Trevor Hoffman in 2009, Bell was named a three-time All-Star and has been awarded with the Rolaids Relief Man Award twice and has also won the DHL...
. In August 2008, he went back to switch-hitting.