Pedro Feliz

Infobox MLB player
name=Pedro Feliz


width=90
position=Third baseman
team=Philadelphia Phillies
number=7
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1975|4|27
debutdate=September 5
debutyear=2000
debutteam=San Francisco Giants
statyear=June 22, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.252
stat2label=Home runs| stat2value=117
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=452
teams=
*San Francisco Giants (by|2000-by|2007)
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2008-present)

Pedro Julio Feliz (born April 27, 1975 in Ázua de Compostela, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies. Feliz has hit 20 or more home runs in his last four seasons and is an above average fielder at third base. He spent the first eight years of his major league career with the San Francisco Giants.

Feliz had been with the Giants since by|2000, and was their only homegrown position player from by|2002 to by|2007. He became a semi-regular in by|2004. He filled in for regular Edgardo Alfonzo for 51 games at third base, played 70 games for the injured J.T. Snow at first base, appeared in 20 at shortstop and four in the outfield. With the bat, Feliz posted career highs in batting average (.276), home runs (22), RBI (84), at bats (603), and games played (144). Feliz has been moved around defensively throughout his career, especially during the Giants' injury-riddled by|2005 season. By 2007, he settled in as the Giants' starting third baseman.

Although Feliz is a decent power hitter, his career batting average prior to the by|2006 season was only .255, and he draws few walks, having never posted an on-base percentage above .305 or an OPS above .793. He has often been criticized for his lack of patience at the plate. In by|2006, he struck out a career-high 112 times.

On June 8, 2007, in a game against the Oakland A's, Feliz played catcher for the first time in his major league career. During that game, the Giants' starting catcher Bengie Molina left on a double switch. Their backup catcher, Eliézer Alfonzo, was injured on a play at the plate and had to leave the game in the 10th inning. With the Giants out of position players, Feliz moved to catcher, Randy Winn moved from center field to third, Dan Ortmeier moved from right field to center, and pitcher Noah Lowry came into the game in right.

He was seeking a 3-year contract extension with the Giants following the conclusion of his contract after the 2007 season, but the Giants decided against such an offer. Feliz declined salary arbitration and filed for free agency. [cite web | url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071208&content_id=2321363&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf | title=Feliz declines arbitration | publisher=MLB.com | author=Chris Haft | date=2007-12-08 | accessdate=2007-12-22]

On January 31, by|2008, Feliz signed a two year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. [cite web | url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080131&content_id=2360671&vkey=news_phi&fext=.jsp&c_id=phi | title=Phillies solidify hot corner with Feliz | publisher=Phillies.com | author=Ken Mandel | date=2008-01-31 | accessdate=2008-01-31] Feliz was offered more guaranteed money by the Giants but was alienated by the way the Giants treated him during negotiations. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/28/SPGKUNQAS.DTL Feliz Heading To Philadelphia] ]

Career stats

ee also

*Players from Dominican Republic in MLB

References

External links

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