Bobby Abreu
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Bob Kelly Abreu [ah-BREH-oo] (born March 11, 1974 in Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
Career
Abreu started his major league career with the Houston Astros on September 1, 1996. He played only 74 games over two seasons. Left unprotected in the 1997 expansion draft when Houston decided to keep fellow Venezuelan outfielder Richard Hidalgo, Abreu was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but minutes later he was traded to the Phillies for shortstop Kevin Stocker.
Despite the fact that Astros and Devil Rays both deeming him expendable, Abreu firmly established himself as one of the most promising young hitters and strong-armed right fielders in the game.
In his first season with the Phillies, Abreu led his team with a .312 batting average and collected 17 home runs, 74 RBI, and 19 stolen bases in 151 games, with 271 putouts and 17 assists in right field. In 1999, he made a brief run at the batting title. His .335 average that season ranked third in the National League and was the highest posted by a Phillies player since outfielder Tony González hit .339 in 1967.
In 2001, Abreu reached career highs in home runs (31) and RBI (110), and hit .308 in 2002 and .300 a year later. Finally, in 2004, he got his first All-Star berth, being voted in as the "32nd man" in online voting on MLB.com. Abreu finished the season with a .301 average, 30 home runs and 105 RBI, and ranked among the National League top five in five offensive categories: runs (4th, 118), doubles (4th, 47), stolen bases (3rd, 40), walks (2nd, 127) and on base percentage (5th, .428). He also posted the league's tenth best OPS (.971) and eight highest in total bases (312). In 2005 Abreu won his first Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence in the outfield.
Through the 2006 season, Abreu is a .302 hitter with 197 home runs and 818 RBI in 4901 At-bats. He is often criticized by Phillies' fans for a perceived failure to run out ground balls and to hustle sufficiently in the outfield. They intrepret Bobby's easy-going, relaxed attitude for a lack of intensity and desire. His offensive achievements have placed him among the best Phillies' hitters in club history. Abreu is currently 45th in Major League Baseball history in OPS (On base percentage plus slugging.)
Highlights
- Won Gold Glove Award (2005)
- Twice All-Star (2004-05)
- Silver Slugger Award (2004)
- Led league in doubles (50, 2002)
- Led league in triples (11, 1999)
- Led league in power/speed number (34.3, 2004)
- 6-time hit .300 or more in seven regular seasons (1998-2000, 2002-04)
- Twice reached the 30-30 club (2001, 2004)
- 7-time top 10 in walks (1998-2004)
- Led league in games played (162, 2001)
- Rested only in 12 games in four consecutive seasons (2001-04)
- 210 career stolen bases [ranks him 25th among active players] (1996-2004)
- .412 career on base percentage [6th among active players, 30th on all-time list] (1996-2004)
- .517 career slugging average [25th between active players, 62nd on the all-time list] (1996-2004)
- .929 career OPS [18th among active players, 39th on the all-time list] (1996-2004)
- One of three ML players with at least seven consecutive 20-HR, 20 stolen base seasons. Bobby Bonds had seven straight 20/20 seasons (1969-75), while his son Barry had nine in a row (1990-98).
- 2005 Home Run Derby winner
2005 season
- In May, Abreu was honored as the Player of the Month in the National League, after he hit .396 and 11 home runs. Abreu also led the NL in slugging average (.792), on-base percentage (.535), walks (30) and was tied for the league lead with 30 RBI. He also became the first player in major league history to hit nine home runs in a 10-game stretch.
- Abreu was voted a starter of the NL outfield for the All-Star Game, finishing second in fan voting, behind St. Louis Cardinals Jim Edmonds.
- At Comerica Park –a field normally considered a "pitcher's park"–, Abreu won the Home Run Derby. He set records with 24 home runs in a single round and 41 overall, topping Miguel Tejada's previous marks of 15 and 27, set a year earlier. Abreu's longest homer was measured at 517', the second longest in Derby history.
Facts
- The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum displays the bat used by Abreu to hit the first home run in the Phillies’ new ballpark, Citizens Bank Park on April 12, 2004.
- Abreu is the first player in Phillies history and the first Venezuelan big leaguer to ever steal 30 bases and hit 30 home runs in one single season.
- Had three brothers who played baseball also. Nielsen Abreu played in the Phillies Minor League system, Nelson Abreu played for Camden of the Independent Atlantic League and Dennis Abreu (sometimes referred to as "Denny Abreu") played in the Chicago Cubs Minor League System.
- When Abreu points upward to the sky after a Home Run, he does it in honor of his father. "I do that (point to the sky) for my father." Abreu says. "My father was good to me all my life. He's not alive to see me. Every time I cross the plate, I dedictate it to him, to his memory."
- Abreu enjoys listening to latin salsa music.
- Bobby Abreu is single and has one daughter, Emily Paola.
In the community
Abreu has been involved in many events in the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley communities. In 2001, he was the Honorary Chairman for the American Red Cross Blood Drive. Abreu bought $10,000 worth of tickets to most of the Friday night games for children in his "Abreu's Amigo's" organization during the 2003 and 2004 season. In this program, the children get jerseys, coupons for concessions and chances to meet Bobby Abreu on the field during batting practice. Bobby was also the 2004 recipient of the Phillies Community Service award and the Phillies' representative for MLB's Roberto Clemente Award.
See also
- 30-30 Members Club
- List of NL Silver Slugger Winners at Outfield
- List of players from Venezuela in MLB
External links
- [ESPN] - Profile and daily updates
- [USA Today] - Baseball archive
- [Baseball Reference] - Career statistics and analysis
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