Karim García
Encyclopedia
Gustavo Karim García Aguayo (born October 29, 1975) is an outfielder
with the Hanhwa Eagles
of the Korean Baseball Organization
. García bats and throws left-handed
, and has been nicknamed "The Latino Bambino."
, Mexico
, García signed as an amateur free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers
in at just sixteen years old. After batting .319 with twenty home runs and 91 runs batted in for the Albuquerque Dukes
in , he became the youngest player in Major League Baseball
when he debuted with the Dodgers that September. He also received major league calls in and , but spent most of tenure with the Dodgers as a minor leaguer. In five seasons in their farm system, he compiled a .281 batting average
, 98 home runs and 375 RBIs. His first career home run came off of Osvaldo Fernandez
at Candlestick Park in 1997.
selected García as the ninth overall pick in the 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft. He earned a spot on the D-Backs' inaugural season opening day line-up, hitting the second home run in franchise history in the ninth inning of their 9-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies
. Following just one season in Arizona
, García was traded to the Detroit Tigers
in exchange for Luis Gonzalez and cash.
as part of a conditional deal, but was released by Baltimore after one season with the triple A Rochester Red Wings
. He signed with the Cleveland Indians
for the season, and clubbed 31 home runs for the triple A Buffalo Bisons
. He joined the Indians that September, and batted .311 with five home runs in just 45 at-bats.
The Indians released García during Spring training
. He joined the New York Yankees
shortly afterwards only to be released by the Yankees that July and rejoin the Indians. In 51 games for the Tribe, García managed to put up his most impressive stats to date: sixteen home runs, 52 RBIs and a .299 batting average.
García's 2002 performance earned him a job as Cleveland's opening day right fielder
, however, a .194 batting average and sloppy play in the outfield
caused him to lose his starting job to Jody Gerut
by the beginning of May. Shortly afterwards, his contract was purchased by the Yankees.
the rest of the way.
He is likely best remembered for two incidents in the 2003 American League Championship Series
at Fenway Park
against the rival Boston Red Sox
. Following a Hideki Matsui
double
that gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead in game three, García was plunked with a Pedro Martinez
pitch thrown behind his head. A verbal altercation with Martinez caused benches to empty, and interrupted play. Shortly afterwards, Martinez famously told Peter Gammons
during an interview on ESPN
:
Later in the same game, García jumped into the bullpen
to assist Yankees teammate Jeff Nelson in a fight with a groundskeeper.
. His brief tenure with the Mets included him and teammate Shane Spencer
becoming involved in a parking lot encounter with a pizza
deliveryman, but no charges were filed. In July, the Mets sent him to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher
Mike DeJean
. The Orioles released him in August with a .212 batting average.
of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, batting a combined .281 with 44 homers and 97 RBIs. Thanks to the advice of Hideki Matsui
, he became more patient than before, adapting to his new environment in Japan
. On August 10-August 11, 2005, García hit three home runs in two consecutive games against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
, becoming the only player in Japanese baseball history to accomplish that.
On January 8, , García signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies
, however, was released during Spring training. He ended up joining the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol for the 2007 season, and batted .374 with twenty home runs to lead his team to a national championship.
García signed with the Lotte Giants
of the Korean Baseball Organization
for the season. He played right field, batted fifth, and was one of the crowd favorites in Busan
, posting a .283 batting average with thirty home runs and led the league with 111 RBIs in 125 games played
. After the season, García won the KBO Golden Glove Awards as an outfielder.
In he returns to the Monterrey Sultans in Mexico for a second season in this team. In a ten-season major league career, Garcia posted a .241 batting average with 66 home runs and 212 RBIs in 488 games played
.
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...
with the Hanhwa Eagles
Hanhwa Eagles
The Hanwha Eagles , incorporated as the Hanwha Eagles Professional Baseball Club , are a South Korean professional baseball club based in Daejeon. As a member club of Korean Baseball Organization, the Eagles compete in the Korea Professional Baseball League. The Eagles' home ballpark is Daejeon...
of the Korean Baseball Organization
Korean Baseball Organization
Korea Professional Baseball is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The Korean romanization is Hanguk Peuro Yagu , a league title which mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Korea Professional Baseball was originally founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight...
. García bats and throws 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...
, and has been nicknamed "The Latino Bambino."
Early years
Born in Ciudad ObregónCiudad Obregón
Ciudad Obregon is the second largest city in the northern Mexican state of Sonora and is situated south of the state's northern border with the U.S. state of Arizona. It is also the municipal seat of Cajeme municipality, located in the Yaqui Valley.- History :...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, García signed as an amateur free agent with 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...
in at just sixteen years old. After batting .319 with twenty home runs and 91 runs batted in for the Albuquerque Dukes
Albuquerque Dukes
The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.-History:The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class-D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Frank Huelman was the league leader in home runs,...
in , he became the youngest player in 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...
when he debuted with the Dodgers that September. He also received major league calls in and , but spent most of tenure with the Dodgers as a minor leaguer. In five seasons in their farm system, he compiled a .281 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 :...
, 98 home runs and 375 RBIs. His first career home run came off of Osvaldo Fernandez
Osvaldo Fernandez
Osvaldo Fernández Rodríguez is a former Cuban professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from - and -. He was a member of the Cuban baseball team which won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain...
at Candlestick Park in 1997.
D-backs inaugural season opening day right fielder
On November 18, , the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona 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...
selected García as the ninth overall pick in the 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft. He earned a spot on the D-Backs' inaugural season opening day line-up, hitting the second home run in franchise history in the ninth inning of their 9-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. Following just one season in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, García was traded to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in exchange for Luis Gonzalez and cash.
Cleveland Indians
On May 28, 1999, Garcia became the 34th player in the history of Major League Baseball to hit a home run over the Tiger Stadium roof in right field, however, he lasted just one full season in Detroit. In June , he was sent to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
as part of a conditional deal, but was released by Baltimore after one season with the triple A Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. He signed with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for the season, and clubbed 31 home runs for the triple A Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
. He joined the Indians that September, and batted .311 with five home runs in just 45 at-bats.
The Indians released García during Spring training
Spring 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 joined the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
shortly afterwards only to be released by the Yankees that July and rejoin the Indians. In 51 games for the Tribe, García managed to put up his most impressive stats to date: sixteen home runs, 52 RBIs and a .299 batting average.
García's 2002 performance earned him a job as Cleveland's opening day right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
, however, a .194 batting average and sloppy play in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
caused him to lose his starting job to Jody Gerut
Jody Gerut
Joseph Diego Gerut is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. He attended Jackson Middle School, Willowbrook High School, and later Stanford University...
by the beginning of May. Shortly afterwards, his contract was purchased by the Yankees.
New York Yankees
García's numbers improved dramatically upon joining the Yankees, as he batted .305 in 52 games. He also displayed a far steadier glove, committing just two errorsError (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
the rest of the way.
He is likely best remembered for two incidents in the 2003 American League Championship Series
2003 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkBacked by three home runs, Tim Wakefield shut the Bombers down in Game 1.-Game 2:Thursday, October 9, 2003 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York...
at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
against the rival 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"...
. Following a Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
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....
that gave the Yankees a 4-2 lead in game three, García was plunked with a Pedro Martinez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
pitch thrown behind his head. A verbal altercation with Martinez caused benches to empty, and interrupted play. Shortly afterwards, Martinez famously told Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
during an interview on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
:
Later in the same game, García jumped into the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
to assist Yankees teammate Jeff Nelson in a fight with a groundskeeper.
New York Mets
In , García moved crosstown to the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. His brief tenure with the Mets included him and teammate Shane Spencer
Shane Spencer
Michael Shane Spencer is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. In Major League Baseball, he played a total of 538 games for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets, compiling 438 hits, 59 home runs, and 242 RBI...
becoming involved in a parking lot encounter with a pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
deliveryman, but no charges were filed. In July, the Mets sent him to the Baltimore Orioles 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...
Mike DeJean
Mike DeJean
Michael Dwain DeJean is a former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball.DeJean played shortstop during his college career at Mississippi Delta Community College and Livingston University. In , while playing for Livingston in the Division II College World Series, DeJean pitched to two...
. The Orioles released him in August with a .212 batting average.
Journeyman
García spent the and seasons with the Orix BuffaloesOrix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....
of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, batting a combined .281 with 44 homers and 97 RBIs. Thanks to the advice of Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui
is a Japanese Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.After playing the first ten seasons of his career for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, he played the next seven seasons, from 2003–2009, for the New York...
, he became more patient than before, adapting to his new environment in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. On August 10-August 11, 2005, García hit three home runs in two consecutive games against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
, becoming the only player in Japanese baseball history to accomplish that.
On January 8, , García signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, however, was released during Spring training. He ended up joining the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol for the 2007 season, and batted .374 with twenty home runs to lead his team to a national championship.
García signed with the Lotte Giants
Lotte Giants
The Lotte Giants are a professional baseball team based in Busan, Korea, and one of the original franchises of the Korea Baseball Organization league. The Lotte Giants are owned by the Japanese-South Korean Lotte conglomerate....
of the Korean Baseball Organization
Korean Baseball Organization
Korea Professional Baseball is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The Korean romanization is Hanguk Peuro Yagu , a league title which mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Korea Professional Baseball was originally founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight...
for the season. He played right field, batted fifth, and was one of the crowd favorites in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, posting a .283 batting average with thirty home runs and led the league with 111 RBIs in 125 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. After the season, García won the KBO Golden Glove Awards as an outfielder.
In he returns to the Monterrey Sultans in Mexico for a second season in this team. In a ten-season major league career, Garcia posted a .241 batting average with 66 home runs and 212 RBIs in 488 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
.
External links
- The Baseball Guru - 2005 feat
- http://whoareyoukarimgarcia.blogspot.com/