BORN - JUNE 28, 1973
x
ANOLA, MANITOBA
HEIGHT- 6' 3"
x
WEIGHT- 215
Selected in 26th round of June 1994 free-agent draft after playing with National Baseball Institute in 1993-1994... Hit first professional home run on 7-30-1994...selected to Midwest League All-Star Team, 6-20-1995...Midwest Player of the Week for 7-16 to 22-1995...then again on 8-13 to 19-1995...led Fort Wayne in homers with 16 and rbi with 78...At Fort Myers in 1996 appeared in just 95 games due to injuries but tied for club lead with 9 home runs and had 55 rbi...At New Britain in 1997 he bounced back with 23 homers and 79 runs batted in hitting a solid .286, leading club in runs, hits, total bases (232), triples, homers and rbi...led Eastern League third basemen in games (125)...named to Howe Sportsdata's Eastern League All-Star Team...batted .299 with 10 homers and 21 rbi in just 32 games for Sun Cities in Arizona Fall League then was named to All-Star Team and voted top prospect at third base...At Salt Lake in 1998 hit 26 home runs with 105 rbi...made MLB debut 9-9-1998 at Anaheim...singled for first big league hit 9-12-1998 vs Oakland...hit first major league home run on 9-23-1998 vs White Sox...was third in PCL in hits, rbi and runs, tied for third in games, was fourth in total bases (272) and tied for fifth in extra-base hits (63)...rated as Twins ninth-best prospect and eighth-best prospect in Pacific Coast League by BASEBALL AMERICA...Spent entire 1999 season with Twins and had career-high 5 rbi on 4-8-1999 vs Blue Jays...first career 2-homer game on 4-15 at Detroit...hit first career grand slam on 7-24 vs Seattle...batted .310 in 342 at-bats with 11 homeruns and 58 rbi...selected as third baseman on 1999 TOPPS All-Rookie Team...In 2000 with Twins he batted .300 with 9 homers and 65 rbi establishing career highs in games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, rbi, walks and stolen bases...was second on club in batting and walks, third in doubles and fourth in rbi...ranked fourth among AL third bbasemen in fielding percentage...while strong has more of a line-drive approach at the plate...capable of putting a charge in a ball hitting mainly the opposit way or into the gaps...a patient hitter who makes good conduct...coould be a 20 to 25+ home run hitter...while not a fast base runner has good instincts on the bases and is aggressive about moving up on flyballs and challenging the defense...
 |
|
|