Alex Sánchez (baseball player)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the baseball center fielder. For the baseball pitcher, see Alex Anthony Sanchez.


Alex Sanchez
Florida Marlins — No. 26
Centerfield
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
June 15, 2001 for the Milwaukee Brewers
Selected MLB statistics
(through October 2, 2006)
Batting average     .296
Home Runs     6
RBIs     111
Former teams

Alexis (Alex) Sanchez, (born August 26, 1976 in Havana, Cuba), is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Florida Marlins.

On April 3, 2005, he became the first Major League Baseball player to be suspended for violating the league's newly adopted drug policy, which is designed to stop the use of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. He was suspended for 10 days without pay, an amount totaling to $32,787.

Although the use of performance-enhancing drugs is generally associated with home run hitters, Sanchez had four career home runs in 1,351 at-bats at the time of his suspension. Sanchez did not appeal the suspension and stated that he routinely used over the counter nutritional supplements, one of which was banned on January 15, and that he had not checked what he was using against the new rules.

Sanchez immigrated from Cuba on a raft, in 1994, at the age of eighteen. He and his companions were picked up by the Coast Guard after three days at sea, they were detained at Guantanamo Bay. Sanchez stayed there for about 16 months, and afterwards settled in Miami, Florida. He became a United States citizen in late 2004. He is married with two sons.

Sanchez attended Miami-Dade Community College. He was drafted 154th, in the 5th round of the 1996 MLB Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In 2001, he was claimed off of waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers, and played his first game on June 15, 2001. Sanchez was the starting center fielder for the Brewers by 2002, but his erratic defensive play and poor attitude in the clubhouse got him traded to the Detroit Tigers during the 2003 season. On March 15, 2005, he was released by the Tigers, due mostly to his poor performance defensively. Shortly afterward he was reacquired by the Devil Rays.

Sanchez is known for his quick reactions and base-stealing abilities, and is one of the few players in the Major Leagues who bunts frequently; however, he is a poor defensive player, and is often inconsistent in his fielding. He spent most of 2004 with a leg injury.

On June 13, 2005, Sánchez was designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays despite a .346 batting average. Sánchez had not been playing every day, due to his inconsistent defensive play, and manager Lou Piniella said Sánchez was unhappy because he wanted to be an everyday player. The player signed with the San Francisco Giants ten days later. He played just 19 games for the Giants before getting injured. When he recovered from his injury, instead of reinstating him onto their active roster, the Giants released him.

On March 25, 2006, was signed to a minor league contract by the Cincinnati Reds. [1] On June 16, 2006, Sánchez was released by the Reds after hitting only .225 in 38 games with their Triple-A affiliate the Louisville Bats. [2]

He was signed to a minor-league contract by the Florida Marlins on December 8, 2006, and was expected to compete for the starting center field role in Spring Training. He was released by the Marlins on March 28, 2007, after batting .163 in Spring Training and losing the center field job to rookie Alejandro De Aza.

[edit] Professional Career

  • Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 1995-2000, 2005
  • Milwaukee Brewers: 2001-2003
  • Detroit Tigers: 2003-2004
  • San Francisco Giants: 2005
  • Cincinnati Reds: 2006
  • Florida Marlins: 2007

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/l/e/Alex_S%C3%A1nchez_%28baseball_player%29_7d5b.html"