Tony Abreu
Encyclopedia
Etanislao Toni "Tony" Abreu [ah-BREH-yu] (born November 13, 1984, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
) is a Major League
second
and third baseman
currently in the Kansas City Royals
organization. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.
on October 17, 2002. He played for the Gulf Coast Dodgers
of the Rookie Leagues in and the Columbus Catfish
in "A" ball in .
In , while playing for the Vero Beach Dodgers, Abreu led the Florida State League
in hitting with a .327 batting average
and was an All-Star at second base. He also played for the Phoenix Desert Dogs
in the Arizona Fall League
, and helped win an AFL championship, batting .305 with a homer and seven RBIs in the AFL.
In , for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
, he hit .287 and was invited to spring training
with the Dodgers before the season. He hit .340 for the Dodgers in spring training, but wound up opening the season with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
. Primarily a second baseman in the minors, the Dodgers used his stint with the 51s to give him some playing time at third base, figuring that was the position that he might get the best chance to advance.
Abreu made his Major League debut on May 22 against the Milwaukee Brewers
, and recorded his first Major League hit three days later against the Chicago Cubs
. He hit his first home run on June 26, 2007, as a pinch hitter
in the 10th inning to key the Dodgers extra innings victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
He suffered a groin
injury late in the 2007 season that kept him on the disabled list
for the entire 2008 season. He began the 2009 season in the minors with the Chattanooga Lookouts
and the Albuquerque Isotopes
. After hitting .342 in 37 games with the Isotopes, he returned to the big leagues when the Dodgers called up him up on August 7. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks
as the "player to be named" in a deal that sent pitcher Jon Garland
to the Dodgers. The deal was held up for several weeks due to a dispute between Abreu and the Dodgers over service time.
He appeared in 81 games with the Diamondbacks in 2010 and hit .233.
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...
) is a Major 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...
second
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
currently in the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
organization. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.
Baseball career
Abreu was signed by the Dodgers as an undrafted free agentFree 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 October 17, 2002. He played for the Gulf Coast Dodgers
Gulf Coast Dodgers
The Arizona League Dodgers are the Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were formerly known as the Gulf Coast Dodgers and played in Vero Beach, Florida, at Dodgertown . Dodgertown includes Holman Stadium, which is also the former spring training home to the Brooklyn...
of the Rookie Leagues in and the Columbus Catfish
Columbus Catfish
The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season.The Catfish played home...
in "A" ball in .
In , while playing for the Vero Beach Dodgers, Abreu led the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
in hitting with a .327 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 was an All-Star at second base. He also played for the Phoenix Desert Dogs
Phoenix Desert Dogs
The Phoenix Desert Dogs are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League located in Phoenix, Arizona. They play their home games at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics...
in the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
, and helped win an AFL championship, batting .305 with a homer and seven RBIs in the AFL.
In , for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns
Jacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
, he hit .287 and was invited to 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...
with the Dodgers before the season. He hit .340 for the Dodgers in spring training, but wound up opening the season with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
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...
. Primarily a second baseman in the minors, the Dodgers used his stint with the 51s to give him some playing time at third base, figuring that was the position that he might get the best chance to advance.
Abreu made his Major League debut on May 22 against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and recorded his first Major League hit three days later against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. He hit his first home run on June 26, 2007, as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
in the 10th inning to key the Dodgers extra innings victory over 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...
.
He suffered a groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
injury late in the 2007 season that kept him on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
for the entire 2008 season. He began the 2009 season in the minors with the Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
and the Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
. After hitting .342 in 37 games with the Isotopes, he returned to the big leagues when the Dodgers called up him up on August 7. He was traded to 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...
as the "player to be named" in a deal that sent pitcher Jon Garland
Jon Garland
Jon Steven Garland is a right-handed starting pitcher, who is currently a free agent.-High school career:At John F...
to the Dodgers. The deal was held up for several weeks due to a dispute between Abreu and the Dodgers over service time.
He appeared in 81 games with the Diamondbacks in 2010 and hit .233.