Miguel Olivo
Encyclopedia
Miguel Eduardo Olivo Peña (born July 15, 1978 in Villa Vasquez
, Dominican Republic
) is a Major League Baseball
catcher
for the Seattle Mariners
. He bats and throws right-handed.
by the Oakland Athletics
in and played in the A's minor-league system through . In December 2000, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
for Chad Bradford
, an episode recounted in a chapter of the popular baseball/business book Moneyball, although Olivo was mentioned only in passing. In July 2001, while playing for White Sox Class AA affiliate Birmingham, Olivo was suspended for six games and barred from that year's All-Star Futures Game
for using a corked bat. Olivo maintained the bat, which had an A's logo on it, had been given to him by a former teammate while playing in the Athletics system.
He made his major league debut on September 15, 2002 with the Chicago White Sox
and played 6 games that year. He was traded from the Sox to the Seattle Mariners
in June along with Jeremy Reed
in exchange for Freddy Garcia
and Ben Davis
. After struggling with the Seattle Mariners
he was traded to the San Diego Padres
in for minor leaguer Daniel Mateo. A year later he was traded to the Florida Marlins
in .
In 2007, he had the lowest fielding percentage of all NL catchers (.986.)
Olivo is known for picking off baserunners, as he is 2nd in the majors with most successful pickoffs, only behind St. Louis Cardinal's catcher Yadier Molina.
He and Rod Barajas have the 2 lowest career OBPs(On base percentages) for active major leaguers.
Olivo was not offered a new contract by the Marlins and became a free agent on December 12, 2007. On December 27, 2007, Olivo signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals
. On November 6, 2009, the Royals declined his option, making him a free agent.
On January 4, 2010, Olivo signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies
Olivo has caught two no-hitter
s in his career. He caught one by Aníbal Sánchez
of the Florida Marlins
on September 6, 2006, and one by Ubaldo Jiménez
of the Colorado Rockies
on April 17, 2010.
Olivo made headlines in early 2010 for having to leave the Rockies' April 29 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks
at the beginning of the eighth inning to pass a kidney stone
. Remarkably, he was able to re-enter soon after and finished the game.
On October 1, Olivo was hit in the back of the head by the bat of Albert Pujols. He suffered a mild concussion, but returned to the team later in the game.
On November 4, 2010, Olivo was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Blue Jays declined to exercise the contract option for 2011 but offered him arbitration, he declined, becoming a free agent.
Olivo signed a 2-year, $7 million contract with the Seattle Mariners
on December 9, 2010. Olivo was a Type B free agent, and as such the Toronto Blue Jays
received a supplementary draft pick after he left the team via free agency.
Olivo hit his second grand slam of his career on July 21, 2011 against the Toronto Blue Jays in Rogers Centre. It was the first Mariners grand slam since longtime play-by-play announcer Dave Niehaus
passed away on November 10, 2010. Niehaus' friend and longtime play-by-play announcer Rick Rizzs
did the honor of doing the grand slam call that Niehaus created. In 2011, Olivo had the worst walk-to-strikeouts ration in the major leagues, with 0.14 walks for every strikeout.
Villa Vásquez
Villa Vásquez is a town in the Monte Cristi province of the Dominican Republic.- Sources :* – World-Gazetteer.com...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
) is a 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...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
. He bats and throws right-handed.
Career
Olivo was originally signed as an undrafted free agentFree 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 Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in and played in the A's minor-league system through . In December 2000, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for Chad Bradford
Chad Bradford
Chadwick Lee "Chad" Bradford is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was well known for his extreme submarine-style pitching, and his success in MLB despite his unconventional delivery and the slow speed at which he threw the ball led to him figuring prominently in the Michael Lewis...
, an episode recounted in a chapter of the popular baseball/business book Moneyball, although Olivo was mentioned only in passing. In July 2001, while playing for White Sox Class AA affiliate Birmingham, Olivo was suspended for six games and barred from that year's All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...
for using a corked bat. Olivo maintained the bat, which had an A's logo on it, had been given to him by a former teammate while playing in the Athletics system.
He made his major league debut on September 15, 2002 with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and played 6 games that year. He was traded from the Sox to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in June along with Jeremy Reed
Jeremy Reed
Jeremy Thomas Reed is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Reed graduated from Bonita High School in 1999, and went on to play college baseball at Long Beach State University...
in exchange for Freddy Garcia
Freddy García
Freddy Antonio García , nicknamed "The Chief", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who is currently a free agent...
and Ben Davis
Ben Davis (baseball)
Mark Christopher "Ben" Davis is a former Major League Baseball catcher. Davis began his career as a promising catcher, but converted to a pitcher in...
. After struggling with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
he was traded to the San Diego Padres
San 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...
in for minor leaguer Daniel Mateo. A year later he was traded to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in .
In 2007, he had the lowest fielding percentage of all NL catchers (.986.)
Olivo is known for picking off baserunners, as he is 2nd in the majors with most successful pickoffs, only behind St. Louis Cardinal's catcher Yadier Molina.
He and Rod Barajas have the 2 lowest career OBPs(On base percentages) for active major leaguers.
Olivo was not offered a new contract by the Marlins and became a free agent on December 12, 2007. On December 27, 2007, Olivo signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. On November 6, 2009, the Royals declined his option, making him a free agent.
On January 4, 2010, Olivo signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
Olivo has caught two no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s in his career. He caught one by Aníbal Sánchez
Aníbal Sánchez
Aníbal Alejandro Sánchez, Jr. [a-NEE-bal] is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher with the Miami Marlins. He is listed as 6 feet tall and 180 pounds...
of the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
on September 6, 2006, and one by Ubaldo Jiménez
Ubaldo Jimenez
Ubaldo Jiménez García is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He pitched the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies history on April 17, 2010, against the Atlanta Braves.-Colorado Rockies :...
of the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
on April 17, 2010.
Olivo made headlines in early 2010 for having to leave the Rockies' April 29 game against 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...
at the beginning of the eighth inning to pass a kidney stone
Kidney stone
A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals in the urine...
. Remarkably, he was able to re-enter soon after and finished the game.
On October 1, Olivo was hit in the back of the head by the bat of Albert Pujols. He suffered a mild concussion, but returned to the team later in the game.
On November 4, 2010, Olivo was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Blue Jays declined to exercise the contract option for 2011 but offered him arbitration, he declined, becoming a free agent.
Olivo signed a 2-year, $7 million contract with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
on December 9, 2010. Olivo was a Type B free agent, and as such the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
received a supplementary draft pick after he left the team via free agency.
Olivo hit his second grand slam of his career on July 21, 2011 against the Toronto Blue Jays in Rogers Centre. It was the first Mariners grand slam since longtime play-by-play announcer Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with the Ford C. Frick Award, the...
passed away on November 10, 2010. Niehaus' friend and longtime play-by-play announcer Rick Rizzs
Rick Rizzs
Rick Rizzs is an American sportscaster and is the lead radio voice for Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.-Early life and career:Rizzs is a 1975 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. From 1975 to 1980, he handled baseball play-by-play duties at the double-A level for...
did the honor of doing the grand slam call that Niehaus created. In 2011, Olivo had the worst walk-to-strikeouts ration in the major leagues, with 0.14 walks for every strikeout.