Orlando Palmeiro

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**Orlando Palmeiro**
Major League Baseball debut
Houston Astros — No. 19
Outfielder
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
July 1, 1995 for the California Angels
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
Games played	1105
Hits	616
Former teams
California Angels (1995–1996) Anaheim Angels (1997-2002) St. Louis Cardinals (2003) Houston Astros (2004-present)

Orlando Palmeiro (b. January 19, 1969, in Hoboken, New Jersey) is a Major League Baseball outfielder, currently with the Houston Astros, who went to Miami University. His better known cousin Rafael Palmeiro is also a Major League player.

Palmeiro has spent his entire career as a backup outfielder, never having been a regular starter. Palmeiro also made the last out of the 2005 World Series for the Houston Astros. He has played for the California & Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, and Houston Astros. His best season arguably was with the Cardinals in 2003, were he batted .271 with 3 homers and 33 RBI.

Palmeiro, a star high school player at Miami Southridge Senior High in Miami, FL, went on to play baseball at the community college level at Miami-Dade Community College South and then briefly at the University of Miami under legendary UM coach Ron Fraser before being called up into the Major Leagues where he played for a number of years in various farm teams in Texas until joining the California Angels.

Palmeiro, an intensely private person and devoted family man, is proud of the fact that he is a committed Christian who credits his professional success on God's many blessings in his life.

Palmeiro also ranks third among active players with the lowest percentage of swings that miss (7.9%) is considered one of the game's best pinch hitters and ranks second among active players and 15th all time with 105 career pinch hits. Palmeiro, 38, who in the off-season maintains a strict physical and nutritional regimen, continues to be among the best bench players currently in the game with no signs of slowing down. Past and present coaches alike universally recognize and admire Palmeiro's mental discipline and physical preparation. Palmeiro will usually wait patiently on the bench for his opportunity to contribute to team victories by limbering up and stretching innings before he is actually called in. Palmeiro, who is highly regarded by fellow teammates, friends and family alike as an honorable man of integrity possesses the kind of humility rarely found in today's professional sports.

Palmeiro enjoys fishing, is active in his home church during the off-season, and enjoys spending private quality time with his family when not travelling with his team. Palmeiro is easily one of the most approachable and humble professional athletes any fan could ever hope to encounter and his above-board character is readily apparent whenever anyone meets him.