Robinson Canó

Infobox MLB player
name=Robinson Canó


width=300
caption=Canó batting for the Yankees on May 17, 2008
position=Second baseman
team=New York Yankees
number=24
bats=Left
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1982|10|22
birthplace=city-state|San Pedro de Macorís|Dominican Republic
debutdate=May 3
debutyear=2005
debutteam=New York Yankees
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.303
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=62
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=303
stat4label=Doubles
stat4value=151
stat5label=On-base plus slugging
stat5value=.803
teams=
*New York Yankees (by|2005-present)
awards=
* All-Star selection (2006)
* Silver Slugger Award winner (2006)

Robinson José Canó (IPA2|kaˈno; born October 22, 1982, in city-state|San Pedro de Macorís|Dominican Republic) is a second baseman in Major League Baseball, who currently plays for the New York Yankees.

He was named after baseball legend Jackie Robinson. [cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/jackie/news/story?id=2836867| title=Cano on fast track to Yankee greatness | last=Onley | first=Buster | work=ESPN The Magazine | date=2007-04-14 |accessdate=2008-02-08]

Family & early life

His father, José Canó, was signed by the Yankees in 1980, and played in the major leagues in by|1989, pitching in 6 games for the Houston Astros. [http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=429664 Robinson Canó profile] ]

Robinson Canó, who was named after Jackie Robinson by his father, grew up in the Dominican Republic, where he played both baseball and basketball at San Pedro Apostol High School in San Pedro de Macoris. In the Dominican Winter Baseball League he plays for his hometown team Estrellas Orientales.

After graduating, he was signed by the Yankees in by|2001 and began playing in their minor league system.

Playing career

2005

Canó was called up to the Major Leagues on May 3, by|2005, while hitting .333 in 108 at bats in AAA, and took over second base from Tony Womack. He hit .297 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI, with 34 doubles, and finished second in American League Rookie of the Year balloting to Huston Street of the Oakland Athletics.

Canó finished the year, however, with the 3rd-worst walk percentage in the league, 3.0%. [ [http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2005 FanGraphs 2005] ]

During 2005, manager Joe Torre took some heat for comparing Canó to Hall of Famer Rod Carew. When pressed, Torre clarified that he only meant that Canó "reminded" him of Carew, in terms of his build, presence at the plate, and smoothness in his swing. Torre assured the media that he did not necessarily expect Canó to become as great a player as Carew. [cite web| url=http://bruce.mlblogs.com/bruce_markusens_coopersto/2005/05/cano_and_carew_.html | title=Cano and Carew | last=Markusen | first=Bruce | work=MLB.com| date=2005-05-20]

2006

In 2006 Canó led the AL All-Star balloting at second base, but could not play after being placed on the disabled list for a strained hamstring. After his return from injury, however, on August 8, 2006, Canó lead the league in batting average, doubles, and runs batted in.Fact|date=March 2007 During late September 2006 Canó accumulated enough at-bats to once again qualify for the AL batting race. Canó was rewarded the AL Player of the Month award for September.

Canó finished 2006 with the third best batting average in the AL (.342, just 2 points behind teammate shortstop Derek Jeter and five points behind Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer), and 9th in the league in doubles (41). He also led the AL in batting average on the road (.364; 96/264) and after the 6th inning (.353; 55/156). He had the third-worst walk percentage in the league at 3.6%. [ [http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2006 FanGraphs 2006] ]

Canó finished 22nd in American League MVP voting with 3 votes. Derek Jeter finished second. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/baseball/mlb/11/21/al.mvp.voting/index.html 2006 AL MVP Voting] ]

2007

Canó offered to give up his number 22 to Roger Clemens in the event that the Yankees signed him. [cite web| url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2740009 | title=Cano agrees to switch to No. 24 from No. 22 | | work=ESPN| date=2007-01-23] He has chosen to wear the number 24, which is a reversal of Jackie Robinson's number 42, which has been retired by Major League Baseball, and is currently only worn by teammate Mariano Rivera. After a slow start to the 2007 season which saw him hit a meager .249 through May 29th, Cano found his stroke batting .385 in the month of July with 6 HR and 24 RBI to raise his season average to .300 by the end of the month. He finished 2007 6th in the league in games (160), 9th in triples (7), and 10th in hits (189), doubles (41), and at bats (670). He was the only batter in the top 10 in doubles in the AL in both 2006 and 2007. On January 24, 2008 Robinson Canó signed a contract extension for up to six years and $55 million dollars. In the new deal, Canó will make $28 million dollars over the next four years in the 2008 through 2011 seasons. The deal also includes options for the Yankees for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, during which Canó could earn an additional $27 million dollars [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/sports/baseball/26yankees.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=robinson+cano&st=nyt&oref=slogin Yanks and Canó Agree on Deal - New York Times ] ] . If the Yankees decline his contract option for the 2011 season, he will receive an additional 2 million.

2008

Canó struggled early in the 2008 season, hitting .151 in April with just 7 RBIs. He improved later in the year, hitting .300 from May through August.

Awards

*2002 - South Atlantic League All-Star SS
*2004 - NY Yankees Minor League Player of the Year
*2005 - MLB All-Rookie All-Star 2B
*2005 - Finished 2nd in the American League Rookie of the Year voting behind Huston Street of the Oakland Athletics.
*2005 - This Year in Baseball awards: Rookie of the Year
*2006 - Was selected to the 2006 American League All Star team, but due to a stint on the 15-day DL he could only attend the 2006 Home Run Derby to cheer on his fellow players.
*2006 - Silver Slugger Award
*2007 - Had his Class A (Staten Island Yankees) uniform number (17) retired.

Career statistics

Baseball stats|name = Robinson Canò|update = August 27, 2008|g=543|ab=2109|r=289|h=640|2b=142|3b=15|hr=60|rbi=296|sb=11|ba=.303|cite=cite web | title = Robinson Canò Statistics|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=2007-12-29|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/canoro01.shtml| accessdate = 2008-05-26]

Postseason Statistics

Baseball stats|name = Robinson Cano|update = November 21,2007|g=13|ab=49|r=6|h=12|2b=4|3b=0|hr=2|rbi=8|sb=0|ba=.245|

Trivia

*Robinson Cano made a cameo appearance in Hector El Father's music video, Pa' La Tumba, with fellow Yankee Melky Cabrera and New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes.

References

See also

* List of second generation MLB players

External links

*
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/7497 Yahoo! profile]