Josh Barfield

Infobox MLB player
name = Josh Barfield

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width = 200
caption =
team = Cleveland Indians
number = 29
position = Second baseman
birthdate = birth date and age|1982|12|17
birthplace = Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = April 3
debutyear = 2006
debutteam = San Diego Padres
statyear = September 13, 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .261
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 16
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 108
stat4label = Stolen bases
stat4value = 35
teams =
*San Diego Padres (by|2006)
*Cleveland Indians (by|2007-present)

Joshua LaRoy Barfield (born December 17, 1982 in Barquisimeto, Lara, Venezuela) is a second baseman for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. [cite web | title = Player Profile: Josh Barfield | publisher = MLB.com | url = http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=429662 | accessdate = 2007-11-03] He is the son of former major league outfielder Jesse Barfield. Barfield was born in Venezuela during his mother's two-week winterball visit with his father. [cite web | title = Born to The Show | publisher = The San Diego Union-Tribune | url = http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060713/news_1s13barfield.html | accessdate = 2008-03-12] He attended Klein High School in Harris County, Texas [cite web | title = Player Profile: Josh Barfield | publisher = MLB.com | url = http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=429662 | accessdate = 2007-11-03] and holds the District 5 single season home run record.

Barfield was drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft by the San Diego Padres. [cite web | title = Josh Barfield Statistics | publisher = The Baseball Cube | url = http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/josh-barfield.shtml | accessdate = 2007-11-03] In by|2004 [cite web | last = Callis | first = Jim | title = Top Ten Prospects: San Diego Padres | publisher = Baseball America | url = http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/03top10s/padres.html | accessdate = 2007-11-03] and by|2005 [cite web | last = Goldstein | first = Kevin | title = Top Ten Prospects: San Diego Padres | publisher = Baseball America | url = http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/04top10s/padres.html | accessdate = 2007-11-03] , "Baseball America" listed him as the Padres' number one prospect. In by|2006, he fell to third in the organization behind pitcher Cesar Carrillo and catcher George Kottaras. Barfield made his major league debut April 3, mlby|2006, and collected his first career hit. His first major league home run came April 17, 2006, at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies, a 431-foot solo shot to left-center field, off Jeff Francis.

On September 4, 2006, against the Rockies in PETCO Park, Barfield hit a walk-off home run, a three-run home run off Brian Fuentes that gave the Padres a 7-5 victory. He claimed that he had not hit a walk-off home run at any level of baseball prior to that. On November 8, 2006, Barfield was traded to the Cleveland Indians for third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and pitcher Andrew Brown.

In mlby|2007, he had the lowest fielding percentage (.975) of all major league second basemen who qualified as a league leader [cite web | title = MLB Player Fielding Stats: 2007 | publisher = ESPN.com | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding?groupId=9&season=2007&seasonType=2&split=80&sortOrder=true&sortColumn=fieldingPct
accessdate = 2007-11-03] . Barfield began the 2007 season as the Indians everyday second basemen, but in August, after poor hitting, lost the job to Asdrubal Cabrera. He finished 2007 with a .243 batting average, 3 home runs, and 53 RBI. Barfield entered spring training in mlby|2008 as a utility player hopeful, but was ultimately optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.

Barfield was called up by Cleveland on June 9, 2008, to replace Cabrera, who was hitting a team low .184. At the time of his call-up, Barfield had an average of .255 with 5 homers and 21 RBI, respectively, for Buffalo. In his second game after being called up, he sprained a finger and was placed on the disabled list on June 12, 2008.

His younger brother Jeremy Barfield was drafted by the Oakland Athletics on June 5, 2008, in the 8th round.

ee also

* List of second generation MLB players

References

External links