Edwin Encarnación

Infobox MLB player
name = Edwin Encarnación


width = 250
caption =
team = Cincinnati Reds
number = 28
position = Third baseman
birthdate = birth date and age|1983|1|7
birthplace = city-state|La Romana|Dominican Republic
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = June 24
debutyear = 2005
debutteam = Cincinnati Reds
statyear = August 28, 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .268
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 65
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 241
teams =
*Cincinnati Reds (by|2005-present)

Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983 in La Romana, Dominican Republic), is a third baseman in Major League Baseball who plays for the Cincinnati Reds. Listed at 6'-1", 195-pound, Encarnación bats and throws right-handed. Although born in the Dominican Republic, he spent much of his youth in Puerto Rico and attended Manuel Toro High School in Caguas.

Baseball career

Encarnación was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the 2000 amateur draft and signed with them. On June 15, 2001, he was traded along with Rubén Mateo to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitcher Rob Bell. He made his big league debut on June 24, 2005 and saw action in 69 games. He finished with a .232 batting average and nine home runs.

Many baseball pundits and Reds fans alike believe that Encarnación has the ability to become a potent offensive third baseman, but needs to overcome fielding deficiencies — as evidenced by his 25 errors during the 2006 season — which tied him with Chad Tracy for the major league lead by a third baseman, and his major-league-low .916 fielding percentage. In 2005 he had the lowest zone rating of any NL third baseman (.741). The general consensus is that Encarnación makes the difficult plays, but botches too many routine ones and makes ill-advised or errant throws. However, it is often pointed out that possible Hall of Fame Reds shortstop Barry Larkin also had a similar reputation as an erratic fielder early in his career, but later became a three-time Gold Glove Award winner.

In 2007 Edwin started the year slowly with an average barely above .200 in mid-May. He was frequently benched so Ryan Freel could take 3rd giving Josh Hamilton more starts in center. He was at one point pulled mid-game by Reds manager Jerry Narron for not running out a fly ball.

On Thursday, May 10, 2007 the Cincinnati Reds demoted Encarnación to their AAA affiliate, the Louisville Bats, for his low batting average and shaky defense. Edwin was later recalled to the Reds on May 22, 2007 and was a powerful force the remainder of the season.

External links