Abraham Núñez (infielder)

Abraham Orlando Núñez Adames [NOO-nyez] (born March 16, 1976) is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.

Núñez primarily plays third base, but is capable of playing all four infield positions. Núñez is a switch hitter and throws right-handed. He is a nine-year veteran and has a career batting average of .242.

Career

He played 630 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1996-2004. He joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005, and with a mid season injury to third baseman Scott Rolen, Núñez saw his playing time increase, becoming the everyday starter at third base for the rest of the season and the playoffs. After the 2005 season, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent. While he was with the Phillies, Nunez was used in roles as a defensive replacement and as a starter when pitcher Jamie Moyer was on the mound. Nunez is known for his sharp fielding skills, and was apparently a better fielder than the Phillies Greg Dobbs and Wes Helms who, as a Philly sportswriter said, "fields with oven mitts".

Brewers and bears

At the end of the 2007 season, Núñez was released by the Phillies. At the start of 2008, he signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, but was later released, and during May he signed on with the New York Mets. The Mets designated him for assignment on June 11 and he became a free agent at the end of the season.

On May 11, 2009, Nunez agreed to play for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League. Later that month, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed him to a minor league contract.

The Jackals

On March 5, 2010, Nunez signed a contract to play for the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Canadian-American (Can-Am) League.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)