Michel Abreu
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Michel Abreu | |||
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File:NF-Michel-Abreu20130309.jpg | |||
Free Agent – No. -- | |||
First baseman | |||
Born: Matanzas, Matanzas Province, Cuba |
February 8, 1975 |||
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debut | |||
2013, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | |||
Teams | |||
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Michel Abreu Martinez (born February 8, 1975) is a Cuban professional baseball player. A first baseman, he is currently a member of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. Abreu began his professional career in the Cuban National Series, and then played in minor league baseball after he defected from Cuba.
Contents
Career
Abreu debuted with the Cuban national baseball team in 1999. That year, he was part of the Cuban team that played a two-game exhibition series against the Baltimore Orioles.[1] Domestically, he played in the Cuban National Series for Matanzas. In 2002, he won the Triple Crown, as he led all Cuban players with a .356 batting average, 23 home runs and 78 runs batted in.[2][3] He was named the Series' Most Valuable Player that season.[4]
Abreu defected from Cuba in February 2004. He attempted to establish residency in Mexico, but after struggling to obtain the necessary documents, moved to Costa Rica and established residency there.[5] He signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox in September 2005, agreeing to a $425,000 signing bonus.[2] However, the Red Sox began the process of voiding the contract later that month, mainly because Abreu could not establish residency, but also because Abreu represented himself as 26 years old, though the roster from the 1999 Orioles-Cuba series gave his date of birth as February 8, 1975, which the Red Sox believed to be his correct date of birth.[6]
The New York Mets signed Abreu to a minor league contract in January 2006.[7] Assigned to the Binghamton Mets of the Class AA Eastern League, Abreu was named to the league's all-star game[8] and led the league in batting average (.332) and on-base percentage (.404). Due to issues obtaining his green card after the expiration of his work visa, Abreu missed the entire 2007 season. He played for the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Class AAA International League in 2008.[9] The Mets invited Abreu to spring training in 2009.[10]
Abreu played in the Mexican League for the Olmecas de Tabasco in 2010 and 2011[3] and the Sultanes de Monterrey in 2012. He signed with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2013 season.[11]
Abreu led NPB's Pacific League with 31 home runs in 2013
A back injury cost him all of the first half of the 2014 season. He was released in August,21[12]
See also
References
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- ↑ アブレイユ選手退団のお知らせ Hokkaidou Nihon Ham Fighters official site
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Pages containing links to subscription-only content
- Pages with broken file links
- 1975 births
- Living people
- Águilas de Mexicali players
- Azucareros del Este players
- Baseball first basemen
- Binghamton Mets players
- Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
- Cocodrilos de Matanzas players
- Cuban baseball players
- Cuban defectors
- Cuban expatriate baseball players in Japan
- Gigantes de Carolina players
- Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players
- Lobos de Arecibo players
- Mesa Solar Sox players
- Minor league baseball players
- New Orleans Zephyrs players
- Olmecas de Tabasco players
- People from Matanzas
- St. Lucie Mets players
- Sultanes de Monterrey players
- Tiburones de La Guaira players
- Tigres del Licey players
- Toros del Este players
- Yaquis de Obregón players