Ray Sadler

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name=Ray Sadler
position=Outfielder
team=Houston Astros
number=
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|9|10
debutdate=May 8
debutyear=2005
debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
statyear=2005
stat1label=Average
stat1value=.250
stat2label=HR
stat2value=1
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=1
teams=
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2005)

Raymond Lee Sadler (born September 9 1980 in Clifton, Texas) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who currently plays in the Houston Astros' minor league system. Sadler bats and throws right-handed, is 6'1" tall, and weighs 200 pounds. He can play all three outfield positions. His cousin Donnie Sadler is also a major league player.

Professional career

Sadler played baseball at Clifton High School, and in 1999 the Chicago Cubs selected him with the 920th pick of the June draft, as part of the 30th round. The Cubs did so with the intention of treating him as a "draft and follow" player, and he signed with the Cubs after a season at Hill College, a junior college in Hillsboro, Texas.

Sadler was traded from the Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 17, by|2003, in a deadline deal for Randall Simon. When outfielder Craig Wilson injured a tendon in his hand on May 8, by|2005, the Pirates turned to Sadler as an emergency replacement, purchasing his contract from the Altoona Curve. He had no time to prepare, but reported immediately to the Pirates' clubhouse, where he was mistaken for a construction worker by surprised manager Lloyd McClendon [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05129/501395.stm] . Sadler made his major league debut that night, and three days later, he collected his first major league hit: a home run to left field against Giants starter Noah Lowry.

After playing three games in left field, Sadler was optioned back down to the minors on May 13, and he was designated for assignment on September 16. This was the first outright assignment of Sadler's career, so he remained with the Pirates organization after clearing waivers. After the by|2006 season, Sadler was acquired by the Houston Astros organization. He played the entire by|2007 season as a member of the Corpus Christi Hooks, Houston's AA affiliate, leading the team in home runs and runs batted in while earning Team MVP honors. In by|2008, Sadler has split time between Corpus Christi and the Class AAA Round Rock Express in the Astros' system.

External links

*baseball-reference|id=s/sadlera01
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/S/ray-sadler.shtml The Baseball Cube] - minor league statistics
* [http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=430041 Player page on MLB.com]