Bárbaro Cañizares
| Bárbaro Cañizares | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Cañizares with the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 95 | |||
| First baseman | |||
|
Born: November 21, 1979 Havana, Cuba | |||
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: June 11, 2009, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| NPB: June 12, 2014, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2009) | |||
| Batting average | .190 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 0 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s baseball | ||
Representing  Cuba
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| Intercontinental Cup | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 2002 Havana | Team |
Bárbaro Rafael Cañizares [cah-nyee-that'-ress] (born November 21, 1979) is a Cuban first baseman who currently plays for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Nippon Professional Baseball. LIsted at 6' 3", 230 lb., Cañizares bats and throws right-handed. He was born in Havana.[1]
Career in Cuba
Cañizares played from 1997 through 2003 for the Industriales and Metropolitanos teams of the Cuban National Series. Overall, he posted a batting average of .303 (537-for-1,775) with 38 home runs and 294 runs batted in in 520 games. He guided Industriales together with MLB player Kendrys Morales to the postseason in 2005.[2]
Minor League Baseball career
While playing for the Cuban national team, he sold his jersey to a fan after an international game. Unbeknownst to Cañizares, the fan was a member of the United States Interests Section in Havana. As a result, Cañizares received a lifetime suspension from Cuban baseball.[3]
In February 2004, Cañizares defected from Cuba along with Michel Abreu and Yosandy Ibañez. The three later played professionally together in Nicaraguan baseball.[3] He then signed with the Atlanta Braves on February 4, 2006.[1]
After that, Cañizares has been consistently held in the Minor Leagues, playing for several teams in different countries.[2]
Major Leagues
Cañizares was called up to the Atlanta Braves on June 11, 2009, making his major league debut the same day appearing fourth in the batting order and playing first base.[4]
Mexican baseball
Cañizares also played in Mexico, where he earned Mexican Pacific League MVP honors with the Yaquis de Obregón club in two different times. In addition, he captured the Mexican League batting crown in 2011, after hitting a .396 average with the Guerreros de Oaxaca.[2]
Other leagues
In between, Cañizares has played with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association, as well as in Dominican Republic and Venezuela winter ball.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 Major League Baseball career. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on January 15, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Minor League Baseball Career. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on January 15, 2016.
- 1 2 Baxter, Kevin (December 12, 2005). "Defector just looking for a chance: Cuban Bárbaro Cañizares, who is playing in Nicaragua, wants the opportunity to show he can play in the major leagues". Miami Herald. p. 3D. Retrieved April 12, 2013. (subscription required)
- ↑ Bowman, Mark (2009-06-11). "Cañizares debuts with Norton on DL". MLB.com. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bárbaro Cañizares. |
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors), or Cuban Baseball Career statistics, or Winnipeg Goldeyes official website