Jesús Guzmán
Encyclopedia
Jesús Antonio Guzmán is a Venezuelan
professional baseball
infielder
for the San Diego Padres
of Major League Baseball
.
as an undrafted free agent in 2000
. He had an extremely impressive spring training for the San Francisco Giants
in 2009, however he was still sent to Triple-A before the beginning of the season. He was recalled and made his major league debut on May 21, .
On January 22, 2010, Guzman was designated for assignment
by the San Francisco Giants
to make room on the 40 man roster for Bengie Molina
.
On February 4, 2010, Guzman sent outright to Triple-A.
On November 20, Guzman signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres
. He had his contract purchased by San Diego on June 16, 2011. The San Diego Union-Tribune
wrote that Guzman's line-drive hitting style was perfectly suited to the Padres' home at Petco Park
, and he emerged as the best hitter on their 2011 team
. However, he was not a proficient fielder at either first base or left field. Padres general manager Jed Hoyer projected Guzman as a second option at first base (behind Anthony Rizzo
) in 2012, otherwise he was a possibility in left field.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
professional baseball
Baseball
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...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
of 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...
.
Professional career
Guzmán was signed by the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
as an undrafted free agent in 2000
2000 Major League Baseball season
The 2000 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees defeating the New York Mets in Game 5 of the World Series, known as the Subway Series because fans could take the Subway to and from every game of the Series. An all-time record 5,693 home runs were hit during the regular season...
. He had an extremely impressive spring training for 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....
in 2009, however he was still sent to Triple-A before the beginning of the season. He was recalled and made his major league debut on May 21, .
On January 22, 2010, Guzman was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
by 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....
to make room on the 40 man roster for Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
.
On February 4, 2010, Guzman sent outright to Triple-A.
On November 20, Guzman signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. He had his contract purchased by San Diego on June 16, 2011. The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
wrote that Guzman's line-drive hitting style was perfectly suited to the Padres' home at Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
, and he emerged as the best hitter on their 2011 team
2011 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres' 2011 season was their 43rd season in MLB.-2010-2011 Offseason:Adrian Gonzalez would have been in the last year of his contract in 2011, but the Padres were not going to meet Gonzalez’s open market value especially with Jeff Moorad’s purchase of the Padres from John Moores not...
. However, he was not a proficient fielder at either first base or left field. Padres general manager Jed Hoyer projected Guzman as a second option at first base (behind Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo (baseball)
Anthony Rizzo is an American professional baseball first baseman for the San Diego Padres in Major League Baseball...
) in 2012, otherwise he was a possibility in left field.