Carlos Baerga
Encyclopedia
Carlos Obed Baerga Ortiz (baˈerɣa, baɪˈɛərɡə; born November 4, 1968 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
) is a former Major League Baseball
player. After spending most of his career as a second baseman
, he was used at various positions late in his career.
. On December 6, , San Diego traded him to the Cleveland Indians
along with Sandy Alomar, Jr.
and Chris James
in exchange for established power-hitter Joe Carter
. Baerga debuted as a major league baseball player with the Indians, on April 14, . That year, he played mostly as a third baseman and shortstop and would hit 17 doubles
and seven home run
s, while averaging
.260 at the plate.
Over the next four years, his home run and batting averages numbers rose steadily, hitting 11 home runs, and batting for an average of .288 in while playing mostly as a third baseman and second baseman, getting 20 home runs and averaging .312 in while becoming a full-time second baseman, and with 21 home runs and an average of .321 in . In 1992, he reached two hundred hits
in one season for the first time, getting 205 hits that year. In 1993, he duplicated the mark of 200 hits, with exactly 200.
Baerga became the first second baseman since Rogers Hornsby
in to have back-to-back 200+ hit, 20+ home run, 100+ RBI
, and .300+ average seasons when he accomplished the feat in 1992-93. He was a 3 time All Star in the 1992, 1993, and 1994 seasons.
The switch-hitting
Baerga was the first of two players to have ever hit one home run from both sides of the plate in the same inning. He did so on April 8, 1993, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium against New York Yankees
pitchers Steve Howe
and Steve Farr
in the game's 7th inning. On August 29, , he was joined by Chicago Cubs
utility player
Mark Bellhorn
, who completed the feat against the Milwaukee Brewers
. He was the Indians' most reliable pinch hitter
During the strike-shortened season, Baerga hit 19 home runs and maintained an average of .314 at the plate.
In the 144-game season, Baerga had 175 hits and 15 home runs in 139 games, with a .314 average. The Indians made it to the World Series
, where they fell to the Atlanta Braves
in six games (Baerga flew out to Marquis Grissom
for the final out).
Baerga played 100 games with the Indians in , before being traded to the New York Mets
on July 29, 1996, with Alvaro Espinoza
, for Jeff Kent
and Jose Vizcaino
. He collected 129 hits with twelve home runs that year, hitting only .193 after being traded to the Mets. He ended that year with an average of .254. Over the next two seasons with the Mets, Baerga had below average seasons, hitting nine home runs and batting .281 in , and seven home runs and .266 in . He was granted free agency
on October 26, 1998.
and released before the season began, the Cincinnati Reds
signed him and after letting him hit .290 in the minors, released him in midseason. The San Diego Padres put him in the minors for 21 games, as he hit .286, and brought him up for 33 games where he hit .250. Bought by Cleveland in August, he hit .228 in 31 games with them.
Signed briefly by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
in , Baerga did not appear in the majors that year. He felt that he could no longer perform as a major leaguer. In , he played for the Long Island Ducks and in the Korean Baseball Organization
. Then he retired, and bought the Crabbers, becoming player-manager and realizing his childhood dream. However, after only one season, the Crabbers were forced to move to Bayamón
, where they became the Cowboys.
, primarily serving as a pinch-hitter and designated hitter
. In , he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks
, where he collected 71 hits for the team. The Diamondbacks re-signed him for , but the aging Baerga, now prone to injury, got hurt again and was only able to play in 20 games that season. He was signed by the Washington Nationals
to a minor league contract before the season and played 93 games for them. He also played for Puerto Rico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Baerga collected 1,543 hits in his MLB career, with 134 home runs, and a batting average of .292.
As a broadcaster
, Baerga has enjoyed prominence as a color commentator
for Monday Night Baseball
retransmissions in Spanish on ESPN Dos
for the Mexico-Caribbean-Venezuela
region. He is an analyst on Beisbol Esta Noche (the Spanish version of Baseball Tonight
) on ESPN Deportes
and ESPN Latin America
. He is recognized by fans and fellow co-workers as "Carlos Obed".
during the early 2000s, and he took former world boxing
champion and personal friend Alex Sanchez
with him to church one day. The former world champion also became a Christian on the day of the visit. In turn, Sanchez brought over Félix Trinidad
to the church that Baerga attended, and Trinidad became a born-again Christian as well. Baerga joined the church where his father-in-law was a pastor.
Baerga has a wife Myriam, a daughter Karla, and a son Carlos Giovanni.
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. After spending most of his career as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, he was used at various positions late in his career.
Cleveland Indians
On November 4, , at the age of sixteen, Baerga was signed by the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. On December 6, , San Diego traded him to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
along with Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Santos "Sandy" Alomar, Jr., or in the Spanish-language naming system Santos Alomar Velázquez , is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the San Diego Padres , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and , Colorado Rockies , Texas Rangers , Los Angeles Dodgers , and New York Mets...
and Chris James
Chris James
Donald Chris James was a utility Major League Baseball player with a 10 year career from 1986 to 1995. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros all of the National League and the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and...
in exchange for established power-hitter Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
. Baerga debuted as a major league baseball player with the Indians, on April 14, . That year, he played mostly as a third baseman and shortstop and would hit 17 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and seven home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, while averaging
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.260 at the plate.
Over the next four years, his home run and batting averages numbers rose steadily, hitting 11 home runs, and batting for an average of .288 in while playing mostly as a third baseman and second baseman, getting 20 home runs and averaging .312 in while becoming a full-time second baseman, and with 21 home runs and an average of .321 in . In 1992, he reached two hundred hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in one season for the first time, getting 205 hits that year. In 1993, he duplicated the mark of 200 hits, with exactly 200.
Baerga became the first second baseman since Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr. , nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball . He played for the St. Louis Cardinals , New York Giants , Boston Braves , Chicago Cubs , and St. Louis Browns...
in to have back-to-back 200+ hit, 20+ home run, 100+ RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, and .300+ average seasons when he accomplished the feat in 1992-93. He was a 3 time All Star in the 1992, 1993, and 1994 seasons.
The switch-hitting
Switch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
Baerga was the first of two players to have ever hit one home run from both sides of the plate in the same inning. He did so on April 8, 1993, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium against New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
pitchers Steve Howe
Steve Howe (baseball player)
Steven Roy Howe was an American left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees....
and Steve Farr
Steve Farr
Steven Michael Farr , is a former professional baseball player who pitched primarily as a closer in the Major Leagues from 1984-1994. Farr attended DeMatha High School outside of Washington, D.C. and then American University. He gave up Jim Thome's first home run of his career.-External links:*...
in the game's 7th inning. On August 29, , he was joined by Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
Mark Bellhorn
Mark Bellhorn
Mark Christian Bellhorn is a Major League Baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed. He stands 6-1 and weighs 205 lbs.-Personal life:...
, who completed the feat against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He was the Indians' most reliable pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
During the strike-shortened season, Baerga hit 19 home runs and maintained an average of .314 at the plate.
In the 144-game season, Baerga had 175 hits and 15 home runs in 139 games, with a .314 average. The Indians made it to the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, where they fell to the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in six games (Baerga flew out to Marquis Grissom
Marquis Grissom
Marquis Deon Grissom is a former Major League Baseball player. He excelled in baseball at Lakeshore High School, under the tutelage of baseball coach Mike Juenger. He currently resides in College Park, Georgia...
for the final out).
Baerga played 100 games with the Indians in , before being traded to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
on July 29, 1996, with Alvaro Espinoza
Alvaro Espinoza
Álvaro Alberto Espinoza [es-pe-NO-zah] is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball and current infield coach for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.-Early life:...
, for Jeff Kent
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
and Jose Vizcaino
José Vizcaíno
José Luis Vizcaíno Pimental is a former Major League Baseball player. He was a backup infielder for most of his MLB career. In , he played a significant role with the Chicago Cubs, having 551 at-bats and being 9th in the National League with 131 singles as well as second in the NL with 9 sacrifice...
. He collected 129 hits with twelve home runs that year, hitting only .193 after being traded to the Mets. He ended that year with an average of .254. Over the next two seasons with the Mets, Baerga had below average seasons, hitting nine home runs and batting .281 in , and seven home runs and .266 in . He was granted free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
on October 26, 1998.
Decline and retirement
Baerga began to develop problems with his knees. On January 27, , Baerga was signed by the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and released before the season began, the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
signed him and after letting him hit .290 in the minors, released him in midseason. The San Diego Padres put him in the minors for 21 games, as he hit .286, and brought him up for 33 games where he hit .250. Bought by Cleveland in August, he hit .228 in 31 games with them.
Signed briefly by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in , Baerga did not appear in the majors that year. He felt that he could no longer perform as a major leaguer. In , he played for the Long Island Ducks and in the Korean Baseball Organization
Korean Baseball Organization
Korea Professional Baseball is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The Korean romanization is Hanguk Peuro Yagu , a league title which mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Korea Professional Baseball was originally founded with six teams in 1982 and currently has eight...
. Then he retired, and bought the Crabbers, becoming player-manager and realizing his childhood dream. However, after only one season, the Crabbers were forced to move to Bayamón
Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...
, where they became the Cowboys.
Return to major leagues
In 2002, Baerga returned to the majors. That year, he got 52 hits with the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, primarily serving as a pinch-hitter and designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. In , he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, where he collected 71 hits for the team. The Diamondbacks re-signed him for , but the aging Baerga, now prone to injury, got hurt again and was only able to play in 20 games that season. He was signed by the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
to a minor league contract before the season and played 93 games for them. He also played for Puerto Rico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Baerga collected 1,543 hits in his MLB career, with 134 home runs, and a batting average of .292.
As a broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, Baerga has enjoyed prominence as a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball
Monday Night Baseball is a live game telecast of Major League Baseball that airs most Monday nights during the regular season on ESPN and is also available in high definition on ESPNHD. The official name of the game is Monday Night Baseball presented by Vonage. The game starts at 7 p.m...
retransmissions in Spanish on ESPN Dos
ESPN Dos
ESPN Dos, best known as ESPN2 , is a cable television network operated by ESPN International broadcasting in Mexico, Venezuela, Central America and Dominican Republic....
for the Mexico-Caribbean-Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
region. He is an analyst on Beisbol Esta Noche (the Spanish version of Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight
Baseball Tonight is a program that airs on ESPN. The show, which recapitulates the day's Major League Baseball action, has been on the air since 1990.-Air times:...
) on ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes is a cable television and radio network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day to the Spanish-speaking community in the United States...
and ESPN Latin America
ESPN Latin America
ESPN Latin America is an ESPN channel that broadcasts in Latin America, not to be confused with ESPN Deportes, which is another channel which broadcasts in the United States in Spanish. ESPN Latin America is not available in the U.S., because is not authorized to air most of the programming seen on...
. He is recognized by fans and fellow co-workers as "Carlos Obed".
Personal life
Baerga became an Evangelical ChristianEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
during the early 2000s, and he took former world boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion and personal friend Alex Sanchez
Alex Sánchez (boxer)
Alex "El Nene" Sánchez is a retired Puerto Rican professional boxer.-Boxing career:Sánchez began his professional boxing career on October 4, 1991, knocking out Carlos Figueroa in round one at Mayagüez, Puerto Rico....
with him to church one day. The former world champion also became a Christian on the day of the visit. In turn, Sanchez brought over Félix Trinidad
Félix Trinidad
Félix 'Tito' Trinidad, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional boxer, considered one of the best in Puerto Rico's history. After winning five National Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico, he debuted as a professional when he was 17. He won his first world championship when he defeated Maurice Blocker...
to the church that Baerga attended, and Trinidad became a born-again Christian as well. Baerga joined the church where his father-in-law was a pastor.
Baerga has a wife Myriam, a daughter Karla, and a son Carlos Giovanni.