Morgan Ensberg
Encyclopedia
Morgan Paul Ensberg is a former infielder
in Major League Baseball
. Ensberg bats and throws right-handed. He was previously a member of the San Diego Padres
, Houston Astros
, and New York Yankees
.
Ensberg attended Redondo Union High School
(Redondo Beach, California
) and starred in baseball
and basketball
.
During his junior year, he was selected into the all-league second team, and first team during his senior year for basketball.
and played third base for the National Champions. Ensberg is the only Trojan who has compiled 20 home run
s and 20 stolen base
s in a single season.Former Astros Jason Lane
and Eric Munson
also played on that team. While attending USC, Ensberg joined the Phi Delta Theta
fraternity.
. In spring training
of , Ensberg and five of his teammates were in their hotel room when two gunmen burst in. Aaron Miles
was in the next room and wrestled one of the gunmen to the ground before the other one fled, only to be caught later on. The other players involved were, Derrek Nicholson, Keith Ginter
, Mike Rose, and Eric Cole
.
Ensberg enjoyed a stellar season, and was among the league leaders in home runs.
Ensberg was named to the National League All-Star team at the last minute in 2005, replacing the injured Scott Rolen
. Ensberg had a career year in 2005, batting
.283 while hitting 36 home runs and compiling a career high 101 RBI
.
During the season, Ensberg's numbers fell and Ensberg began platooning third base with newly acquired Aubrey Huff
and occasionally Mike Lamb
.
Other than Barry Bonds
, Ensberg was the only major league player to record at least 100 walks
and have fewer hits
than walks in 2006.
After disappointing seasons for the Astros in 2006 and , the team designated Ensberg for assignment
on July 29, 2007, ending Ensberg's six year tenure with the club.
On July 31, 2007, the Astros traded Ensberg to the San Diego Padres. This was only days after the Astros traded pitcher
Dan Wheeler
to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
for third baseman Ty Wigginton
. The Astros paid the remainder of Ensberg's $4.35 million dollar salary. He is a Southern California native and recently bought a house near San Diego. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2956001 Ensberg hit two home runs and a single
in his Padres debut http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070802&content_id=2125520&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
Ensberg was not offered a new contract by the Padres and became a free agent
on December 12, 2007. On January 31, , he signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees with an invitation to spring training, anticipating to compete for the first base position. On March 22, Ensberg was added to the Yankees 40-man roster.
In 2008, Ensberg hit .203 with a home run and 4 runs batted in for the Yankees. The Yankees designated him for assignment on June 1, and released him on June 8. On June 17, Ensberg signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians
. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
On February 9, , Ensberg signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays
and was invited to the major league camp. However, he was released at the end of spring training. After the 2009 season, Ensberg decided to retire from baseball due to lack of interest from any major league teams. Ensberg recently started a public blog and announced his intent to transition into a broadcasting career.
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...
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...
. Ensberg bats and throws right-handed. He was previously a member of 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...
, Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, and 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...
.
School years
Ensberg attended Riviera Hall Lutheran School during elementary and middle school.Ensberg attended Redondo Union High School
Redondo Union High School
Redondo Union High School is a public high school in Redondo Beach, California.Redondo Union High School is a part of the Redondo Beach Unified School District....
(Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
) and starred in 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...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
During his junior year, he was selected into the all-league second team, and first team during his senior year for basketball.
College career
Ensberg attended the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and played third base for the National Champions. Ensberg is the only Trojan who has compiled 20 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 and 20 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 in a single season.Former Astros Jason Lane
Jason Lane
Jason Dean Lane is a Major League Baseball outfielder in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He was drafted out of the sixth round in . Lane graduated from El Molino High School in Forestville, California in 1995...
and Eric Munson
Eric Munson
Eric Walter Munson is a former Major League Baseball catcher who currently plays for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He was the third overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Detroit Tigers, behind Josh Hamilton and Josh Beckett...
also played on that team. While attending USC, Ensberg joined the Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S...
fraternity.
Professional career
Ensberg was drafted in the 9th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft1998 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1998...
. In 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...
of , Ensberg and five of his teammates were in their hotel room when two gunmen burst in. Aaron Miles
Aaron Miles
Aaron Wade Miles is a Major League Baseball infielder who is currently a free agent.-Houston Astros:Miles was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 19th round of the 1995 amateur draft...
was in the next room and wrestled one of the gunmen to the ground before the other one fled, only to be caught later on. The other players involved were, Derrek Nicholson, Keith Ginter
Keith Ginter
Milwaukee Brewers 2011Keith Michael Ginter is a former American Major League Baseball infielder now playing for the Orange County Flyers in the independent Golden Baseball League. Ginter is a graduate of Fullerton High School in Fullerton, California...
, Mike Rose, and Eric Cole
Eric Cole
Major-General Eric Stuart Cole, CB, CBE was a senior British Army officer and telecommunications expert. He saw active service in the Second World War, with his most important contribution being the planning of communications for the invasion of Normandy...
.
Ensberg enjoyed a stellar season, and was among the league leaders in home runs.
Ensberg was named to the National League All-Star team at the last minute in 2005, replacing the injured 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:...
. Ensberg had a career year in 2005, batting
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 :...
.283 while hitting 36 home runs and compiling a career high 101 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...
.
During the season, Ensberg's numbers fell and Ensberg began platooning third base with newly acquired Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III is a Major League Baseball first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He debuted in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and later played for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He is the starting first baseman for the San Francisco Giants who won the...
and occasionally Mike Lamb
Mike Lamb
Michael Robert Lamb is an American professional baseball Utility Player for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He can play the infield but shortstop, corner outfield and catcher...
.
Other than Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
, Ensberg was the only major league player to record at least 100 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and have fewer hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
than walks in 2006.
After disappointing seasons for the Astros in 2006 and , the team designated Ensberg 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...
on July 29, 2007, ending Ensberg's six year tenure with the club.
On July 31, 2007, the Astros traded Ensberg to the San Diego Padres. This was only days after the Astros traded 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...
Dan Wheeler
Dan Wheeler
Daniel Michael Wheeler is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:...
to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
for third baseman Ty Wigginton
Ty Wigginton
Ty Allen Wigginton is an American professional baseball infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. He is known as a utility player, having platooned as an infielder and an outfielder during his career. He bats and throws right-handed...
. The Astros paid the remainder of Ensberg's $4.35 million dollar salary. He is a Southern California native and recently bought a house near San Diego. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2956001 Ensberg hit two home runs and a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
in his Padres debut http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070802&content_id=2125520&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd
Ensberg was not offered a new contract by the Padres and became 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....
on December 12, 2007. On January 31, , he signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees with an invitation to spring training, anticipating to compete for the first base position. On March 22, Ensberg was added to the Yankees 40-man roster.
In 2008, Ensberg hit .203 with a home run and 4 runs batted in for the Yankees. The Yankees designated him for assignment on June 1, and released him on June 8. On June 17, Ensberg signed a minor league contract 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...
. He became a free agent at the end of the season.
On February 9, , Ensberg signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
and was invited to the major league camp. However, he was released at the end of spring training. After the 2009 season, Ensberg decided to retire from baseball due to lack of interest from any major league teams. Ensberg recently started a public blog and announced his intent to transition into a broadcasting career.