Scott Spiezio

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**Scott Spiezio**

St. Louis Cardinals — No. 26
Third base
Bats: Both	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
September 14, 1996 for the Oakland Athletics
Selected MLB statistics (through October 2, 2006)
Batting average	.255
Homeruns	115
RBI's	518
Former teams
Oakland Athletics (1996-1999) Anaheim Angels (2000-2003) Seattle Mariners (2004-2005) St. Louis Cardinals (2006-present)

Scott Edward Spiezio (born September 21, 1972 in Joliet, Illinois) is a Major League Baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is the son of former Cardinal Ed Spiezio. He is well-known for his time as a member of the Anaheim Angels, when he hit a 3-run home run in Game Six of the 2002 World Series against the San Francisco Giants, sparking the Angels to a dramatic come-from-behind victory. He has also played for the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners.

In addition to his pivotal moment helping the Angels win the World Series in 2002, Spiezio's most productive overall season also came with the Angels in 2003, when he hit .265 with 16 home runs, and 83 RBIs.

Spiezio played for the Seattle Mariners from 2004-2005, and was released on August 19, 2005. He was released due to diminished production as his batting average stood at a mere .064 (3-for-47) with one home run and one RBI in just 29 games. During his time with the Mariners, Spiezio continued to receive loud ovations from the Angels' fans during the games the Mariners played in Anaheim.

As of late 2005, Spiezio had expressed interest in attempting to recapture his glory days with the Angels, saying he hoped to be invited to the Angels' spring training in 2006 to compete for a spot with the team. However, on February 18, 2006, Spiezio signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals with an invitation to that club's spring training. Spiezio played well enough during the Cardinals' exhibition to secure a roster spot with the team as a reserve infielder entering the 2006 season. This move would reunite Spiezio with his former Angels teammate, shortstop David Eckstein.

Spiezio proved a valuable asset off the bench for the Cardinals early in their 2006 campaign. In seven pinch hit appearances, he drew two walks and hit his first home run of the season on April 15, 2006 at Busch Stadium. Spiezio exceeded expectations in his first season with the Cards, providing clutch hitting all season long. He played four different positions in the 2006 campaign - first base, second base, third base and left field. He provided solid defense at all four positions and his versatility made it helpful for the Cardinals to get his productive bat into the lineup consistently.

On November 16, 2006, Spiezio signed a two-year contract to return to the Cardinals until the end of the 2008 season, with a club option for 2009. The deal is worth an estimated $4.5 million^[1].

Scott Spiezio's other love, besides baseball, is music. He was part of a band, SandFrog, playing guitar and singing lead vocals. Spiezio has said that he left the band after his divorce, citing the awkwardness of the situation given that his ex-wife's brother is a member of the band.

Scott is known for his signature goatee (it is dyed red), and his tattoo. Spiezio's style of goatee is called an imperiale.