Edwin Encarnación
Encyclopedia
Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983), is a Dominican Republic
Major League Baseball
utility player
with the Toronto Blue Jays
. The 6 ft 2 in, 235-pound Encarnación bats and throws right-handed.
Although born in La Romana, Dominican Republic
, he spent much of his youth in Puerto Rico
and attended Manuela Toro High School in Caguas
.
in the ninth
round of the 2000 amateur draft
and signed with them. On June 15, 2001, he was traded along with Rubén Mateo
to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitcher
Rob Bell. He made his big league
debut on June 24, 2005 and saw action in 69 games. He finished with a .232 batting average
and nine home run
s.
In 2007 Encarnación started the year slowly, struggling to bat over .200. He was frequently benched in favor of multi-position speedster Ryan Freel
, which gave Josh Hamilton, who was attempting to resurrect his career after it was derailed by drug problems, more starts in center field. Encarnación was benched again at one point by then manager
Jerry Narron
for not running out a fly ball.
On Thursday, May 10, 2007 Encarnación was demoted to the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville
, Kentucky
, the Bats
. He was recalled to the on May 22, 2007. He finished the season batting .289. The 2008 season saw Encarnación commit 23 errors in 143 games, although he hit a career-high 26 home runs.
For the 2009 season, Encarnación stated that he wanted to be more consistent as a hitter who did not try to hit home runs in every at bat.
"I want to try to stay more to the middle. Last year, I tried to pull too many balls and hit more homers. That's why my average went down. I will be more consistent as a hitter. I know I can do it. I've done it before. I know I can hit better than that and I just have to keep working".
Through May 1, Encarnación had the lowest batting average in the major leagues for the 2009 season, .127. From the end of April until the beginning of July, Encarnación was sidelined due to a broken wrist. However, he saw some immediate success upon his return; his batting average rose from .125 to .228 over the span of 12 days.
and Zach Stewart, was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
for Scott Rolen
on July 31, 2009.
Encarnacion suffered first- and second-degree burns to the forehead and the right side of his face when a rocket firecracker hit him in the jaw and exploded near his mouth. After initially being treated near his Dominican Republic home, Encarnacion was transferred to a Miami hospital. He was discharged less than two days after the incident.
Encarnacion missed 30 games through April and May with a right arm injury, before returning on May 18, 2010. He hit a home run in his first at bat since the injury against the Minnesota Twins
. On May 21, he had three home runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks
, homering in three straight at-bats. On June 20, after a loss to the Giants, Encarnacion was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas
. However, in a surprise move, he was designated for assignment the next day by the Blue Jays. Encarnacion was eventually assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas on June 23, 2010, but was later called up to the Blue Jays again on July 3, 2010 after a struggling performance by Encarnacion's replacement, Jarrett Hoffpauir
. He hit his 100th career home run against the Minnesota Twins
on the last day of the season, and also became the Jays' 7th player of the 2010 season with 20 or more home runs.
On November 12, 2010, Encarnacion was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics
. On December 2, he was non-tendered by the Athletics, making him a free agent. He would later rejoin the Blue Jays on December 16, 2010 to a new one-year deal worth $2.5 million plus a club option worth $3.5 million in 2012. He is expected to be the Jays starting designated hitter
while also occasionally spelling Adam Lind at 1B.
In a game against the Boston Red Sox
on September 7, 2011, Encarnacion set a new career record for doubles
in a single season with 34.
On 31 October 2011, the Jays picked up the $3.5 million club option for the 2012 season. General manager Alex Anthopolous has stated Encarnacion is expected to become the team's utility man in the 2012 season.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
Major League Baseball
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...
utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. The 6 ft 2 in, 235-pound Encarnación bats and throws right-handed.
Although born in La Romana, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, he spent much of his youth in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and attended Manuela Toro High School in Caguas
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
.
Cincinnati Reds
Encarnación was drafted by the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in the ninth
Ninth
In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second.Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is a larger than a second, its sonority level is considered less dense.-Major ninth:A major ninth is a...
round of the 2000 amateur draft
2000 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Compensation picks:- Background :The Florida Marlins made Adrian Gonzalez of Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, CA the first overall selection in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft...
and signed with them. On June 15, 2001, he was traded along with Rubén Mateo
Ruben Mateo
Ruben Amaurys Mateo is a professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has played six seasons in Major League Baseball, playing for the Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Kansas City Royals...
to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for 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...
Rob Bell. He made his big league
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...
debut on June 24, 2005 and saw action in 69 games. He finished with a .232 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and nine home run
Home 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.
In 2007 Encarnación started the year slowly, struggling to bat over .200. He was frequently benched in favor of multi-position speedster Ryan Freel
Ryan Freel
Ryan Paul Freel is a retired baseball utility player. He played second base, third base, and all three outfield positions.-MLB career:...
, which gave Josh Hamilton, who was attempting to resurrect his career after it was derailed by drug problems, more starts in center field. Encarnación was benched again at one point by then manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Jerry Narron
Jerry Narron
Jerry Austin Narron is a former Major League Baseball catcher and manager. He currently serves as the bench coach of the Milwaukee Brewers. During an 8-year playing career, he played from 1979–1987 for three different teams...
for not running out a fly ball.
On Thursday, May 10, 2007 Encarnación was demoted to the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, the Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
. He was recalled to the on May 22, 2007. He finished the season batting .289. The 2008 season saw Encarnación commit 23 errors in 143 games, although he hit a career-high 26 home runs.
For the 2009 season, Encarnación stated that he wanted to be more consistent as a hitter who did not try to hit home runs in every at bat.
"I want to try to stay more to the middle. Last year, I tried to pull too many balls and hit more homers. That's why my average went down. I will be more consistent as a hitter. I know I can do it. I've done it before. I know I can hit better than that and I just have to keep working".
Through May 1, Encarnación had the lowest batting average in the major leagues for the 2009 season, .127. From the end of April until the beginning of July, Encarnación was sidelined due to a broken wrist. However, he saw some immediate success upon his return; his batting average rose from .125 to .228 over the span of 12 days.
Toronto Blue Jays
Encarnación, along with right-handed pitchers Josh RoenickeJosh Roenicke
Joshua James Roenicke is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.-Career:...
and Zach Stewart, was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for Scott Rolen
Scott Rolen
Scott Bruce Rolen is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is an eight-time Gold Glove winner and seven-time All-Star.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
on July 31, 2009.
Encarnacion suffered first- and second-degree burns to the forehead and the right side of his face when a rocket firecracker hit him in the jaw and exploded near his mouth. After initially being treated near his Dominican Republic home, Encarnacion was transferred to a Miami hospital. He was discharged less than two days after the incident.
Encarnacion missed 30 games through April and May with a right arm injury, before returning on May 18, 2010. He hit a home run in his first at bat since the injury against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. On May 21, he had three home runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, homering in three straight at-bats. On June 20, after a loss to the Giants, Encarnacion was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
. However, in a surprise move, he was designated for assignment the next day by the Blue Jays. Encarnacion was eventually assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas on June 23, 2010, but was later called up to the Blue Jays again on July 3, 2010 after a struggling performance by Encarnacion's replacement, Jarrett Hoffpauir
Jarrett Hoffpauir
Jarrett Lee Hoffpauir is a second baseman for the San Diego Padres. He is a distant cousin to Micah Hoffpauir, who is also a baseball player.Hoffpauir was drafted by the St...
. He hit his 100th career home run against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
on the last day of the season, and also became the Jays' 7th player of the 2010 season with 20 or more home runs.
On November 12, 2010, Encarnacion was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. On December 2, he was non-tendered by the Athletics, making him a free agent. He would later rejoin the Blue Jays on December 16, 2010 to a new one-year deal worth $2.5 million plus a club option worth $3.5 million in 2012. He is expected to be the Jays starting designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
while also occasionally spelling Adam Lind at 1B.
In a game against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
on September 7, 2011, Encarnacion set a new career record for doubles
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....
in a single season with 34.
On 31 October 2011, the Jays picked up the $3.5 million club option for the 2012 season. General manager Alex Anthopolous has stated Encarnacion is expected to become the team's utility man in the 2012 season.