Christian Lara (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Christian Y. Lara is an infielder
in Minor League Baseball
who is a free agent. He is a switch hitter
and throws right-handed.
Lara was signed as an international free agent
by the Boston Red Sox
in July of .
He started his professional career in with the DSL Red Sox in the Dominican Summer League
. He batted
.273 with 24 stolen base
s, no home run
s, and 22 RBI
in 65 games. He was voted 2003 DSL Red Sox Player Of The Year. In , he started the year with the GCL Red Sox of the Gulf Coast League
. Through 15 games, he was batting .433 with 8 stolen bases and 8 doubles
. He immediately received a promotion to the Short-Season Single-A Lowell Spinners
, where he spent the rest of 2004, 32 games, batting .277 with 10 stolen bases and 10 RBI. He received the 2004 Gulf Coast League Red Sox Player of the Year.
Lara played with the Red Sox's South Atlantic League
Single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive
. In 112 games played, he batted .232 with 14 doubles, 31 RBI, and 8 stolen bases. He was the Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Month for July 2005. He played with Greenville again and in 106 games, he batted .259 with 16 doubles, 35 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. He was named Red Sox Minor League Base Stealer of the Month for April 2006. In , Lara earned a promotion to the Single-A Advanced League Lancaster JetHawks
of the California League
. He batted .238, with 1 stolen base, 18 doubles, 7 triples
, 53 RBI, and 9 home runs (a career high) in what would end up being his last season in the Boston organization. He was named the Red Sox Minor League Base Runner of the Month for July 2007. In the off-season, he played for Leones del Caracas
in the Venezuelan Winter League. In 19 games for Caracas, he batted .224, stole 4 bases, hit 1 double, and knocked in 5 runs
. After starting out in Lancaster, and going 3 for 8 with no stolen bases and 2 RBI, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher
Eric Hull
. He was assigned to Advanced Single-A Inland Empire
. In 2010, he hit .290 in 108 games for the Great Lakes Loons
, where he was selected to the Mid-season all-star team. He appeared in 63 games for Great Lakes in 2011, hitting .261. He broke his ankle in a game at the end of June and missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
in Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
who is a free agent. He is a switch hitter
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...
and throws right-handed.
Lara was signed as an international free agent
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....
by the Boston Red Sox
Boston 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"...
in July of .
He started his professional career in with the DSL Red Sox in the Dominican Summer League
Dominican Summer League
The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20...
. He batted
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 :...
.273 with 24 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, no 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, and 22 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...
in 65 games. He was voted 2003 DSL Red Sox Player Of The Year. In , he started the year with the GCL Red Sox of the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
. Through 15 games, he was batting .433 with 8 stolen bases and 8 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....
. He immediately received a promotion to the Short-Season Single-A Lowell Spinners
Lowell Spinners
The Lowell Spinners are a Short-Season A minor league baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.-History:Founded in 1996 after Clyde Smoll moved the Elmira Pioneers to Lowell, Massachusetts, the Spinners play in the New York - Penn League, which has a Short-Season A classification with 76 games a...
, where he spent the rest of 2004, 32 games, batting .277 with 10 stolen bases and 10 RBI. He received the 2004 Gulf Coast League Red Sox Player of the Year.
Lara played with the Red Sox's South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
Single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive
Greenville Drive
The Greenville Drive is a minor league baseball team that plays in Greenville, South Carolina. They are a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and a member of the South Atlantic League. Prior to the 2005 SAL season, the team played in Columbia, South Carolina, was affiliated with the New York...
. In 112 games played, he batted .232 with 14 doubles, 31 RBI, and 8 stolen bases. He was the Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Month for July 2005. He played with Greenville again and in 106 games, he batted .259 with 16 doubles, 35 RBI, and 33 stolen bases. He was named Red Sox Minor League Base Stealer of the Month for April 2006. In , Lara earned a promotion to the Single-A Advanced League Lancaster JetHawks
Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks are a minor league baseball team of the California League located in Lancaster, California. The team is named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and plays its home games at Clear Channel Stadium...
of the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. He batted .238, with 1 stolen base, 18 doubles, 7 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 53 RBI, and 9 home runs (a career high) in what would end up being his last season in the Boston organization. He was named the Red Sox Minor League Base Runner of the Month for July 2007. In the off-season, he played for Leones del Caracas
Leones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
in the Venezuelan Winter League. In 19 games for Caracas, he batted .224, stole 4 bases, hit 1 double, and knocked in 5 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. After starting out in Lancaster, and going 3 for 8 with no stolen bases and 2 RBI, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Eric Hull
Eric Hull
Eric Eugene Hull is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.After attending Selah High School and Yakima Valley Community College, Hull attended the University of Portland. As a senior in , he earned All-West Coast Conference second-team honors for the second straight season after leading the...
. He was assigned to Advanced Single-A Inland Empire
Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino
The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino are a minor league baseball team in San Bernardino, California, United States. They are the Class A – Advanced affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and play in the California League...
. In 2010, he hit .290 in 108 games for the Great Lakes Loons
Great Lakes Loons
The Great Lakes Loons, based in Midland, Michigan, is a Low Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team plays in the Midwest League and their home park is Dow Diamond, which opened in April 2007.-History:...
, where he was selected to the Mid-season all-star team. He appeared in 63 games for Great Lakes in 2011, hitting .261. He broke his ankle in a game at the end of June and missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery.