Mike Fontenot
Encyclopedia
Michael Eugene "Mike" Fontenot (born June 9, 1980 in Slidell, Louisiana
) is a Major League Baseball
infielder
for the San Francisco Giants
.
in Slidell, Louisiana. After his senior year, he was drafted in the 21st round (625th overall) of the 1999 MLB Amateur Entry Draft
by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
, but chose to attend Louisiana State University
on a baseball scholarship instead of going professional.
(1992) and pitcher Brett Laxton (1993). Fontenot's 17 home runs set an LSU freshman record, surpassing the previous mark of 15 established by Blair Barbier
in 1997.
In 2000, he was named to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team, hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two doubles, one home run, five RBI, and five runs scored. He was named to the College World Series all-tournament team as he hit a team-best .462 (6-for-13) with two doubles, one home run, two RBI, and six runs scored. He, along with former Chicago Cubs
teammate Ryan Theriot
, was a member of the LSU Tigers baseball
team that won the 2000 College World Series
. The second baseman was LSU's leading hitter in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, batting .432 (16-for-37) in nine games with four doubles, two home runs and nine RBI.
2001
by the Baltimore Orioles
. Fontenot signed with the Orioles, garnering a $1,300,000.00 signing bonus as part of the deal. As part of the Orioles' farm system, Fontenot played for the Frederick Keys
of the High-A Carolina League
(2002), the Bowie Baysox
of the AA Eastern League (2003), and the Ottawa Lynx
of the AAA International League (2004).
On February 3, 2005, Fontenot was traded to the Chicago Cubs
along with 2B/OF Jerry Hairston, Jr.
and RHP Dave Crouthers for slugger Sammy Sosa
. Until his trade to the San Francisco Giants on August 11, 2010, Fontenot was the only remaining player from that trade still with the Cubs. As part of the Cubs' farm system, Fontenot played for the Iowa Cubs
of the AAA Pacific Coast League
(2005–2007).
Fontenot made his Major League debut with the Cubs on April 13, 2005. In seven games with the team, he went 0-for-2 with 2 walks and 4 runs scored. He did not return to the Cubs until May 15, 2007, when he was promoted from AAA to replace relief pitcher Rocky Cherry
. He wore Mark Grace's old number, 17. After a fast start, including finishing second in the National League
Rookie of the Month voting for June 2007, he became the Cubs' starting second baseman in 2009. After batting .231 into mid-August, Fontenot lost his position as the Cubs everyday second baseman, splitting time with Jeff Baker.
On May 7, 2010, Fontenot hit his first career grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds
. It was Fontenot's first home run of the 2010 season, coming in the eighth inning off the first pitch from Carlos Fisher
, with the Cubs up 10–4.
On August 11, 2010, Fontenot was traded to the San Francisco Giants
for Evan Crawford. On October 23, the Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies
in six games to advance to the World Series
. Fontenot got a hit in his only at-bat in the NLCS clinching game. He was part of the 25-man World Series roster and has the unusual distinction of being credited with appearing in the World Series with neither a plate appearance nor play in the field. In the eighth inning of Game 2, the left-handed-hitting Fontenot was announced as a pinch-hitter with the Giants leading the Rangers, 6–0. The Rangers replaced their right-handed pitcher with a left-hander, prompting the Giants to replace Fontenot with the right-handed Aaron Rowand. Rowand tripled. Fontenot did not appear in another game in the World Series which the Giants won in five games.
On April 13, 2011, Fontenot hit a go-ahead homer to help the Giants win 4-3 over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers
.
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
) 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...
infielder
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...
for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
High school career
Mike Fontenot was a standout for Salmen High SchoolSalmen High School
"Salmen" redirects here. For the politician in the Åland Islands see Olof Salmén.Salmen High School is a public high school in Slidell, Louisiana, under the St. Tammany Parish School Board....
in Slidell, Louisiana. After his senior year, he was drafted in the 21st round (625th overall) of the 1999 MLB Amateur Entry Draft
1999 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1999...
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...
, but chose to attend Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
on a baseball scholarship instead of going professional.
College career
At Louisiana State Fontenot received National Freshman of the Year recognition as LSU's starting second baseman, batting .353 (103-for-292) with 13 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 64 RBI, 93 runs, and eight steals. He became the third LSU player to win National Freshman of the Year award, following second baseman Todd WalkerTodd Walker
Todd Arthur Walker is a former Major League Baseball infielder.-College:Walker attended LSU where he led the Tigers to the 1993 national championship. He also earned the 1993 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award. In 2006, Walker was elected to the LSU Hall of Fame...
(1992) and pitcher Brett Laxton (1993). Fontenot's 17 home runs set an LSU freshman record, surpassing the previous mark of 15 established by Blair Barbier
Blair Barbier
Blair Matthew Barbier is a former professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs organization, former baseball standout for Louisiana State University and former volunteer assistant baseball coach with LSU for the 2007 season...
in 1997.
In 2000, he was named to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional all-tournament team, hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two doubles, one home run, five RBI, and five runs scored. He was named to the College World Series all-tournament team as he hit a team-best .462 (6-for-13) with two doubles, one home run, two RBI, and six runs scored. He, along with former 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...
teammate Ryan Theriot
Ryan Theriot
Ryan Stewart Theriot is a Major League Baseball infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.Theriot is the son of Randy and Mary Theriot, and has an older brother Wes and younger brother Austin. Both his father and older brother played baseball at Broadmoor High School.Theriot graduated from Broadmoor...
, was a member of the LSU Tigers baseball
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
team that won the 2000 College World Series
2000 College World Series
The 2000 College World Series was held June 9 through June 17, 2000 in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Rosenblatt Stadium. LSU beat Stanford in the single-game final.It was the 54th College...
. The second baseman was LSU's leading hitter in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, batting .432 (16-for-37) in nine games with four doubles, two home runs and nine RBI.
College awards and honors
2000- Summer League First-Team All-American 2B
- Freshman First Team All-America 2B
- NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team
- College World SeriesCollege World SeriesThe College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
All-Tournament Team 2B - The Sporting News National Freshman of the Year
- Collegiate Baseball National Co-Freshman of the Year
- Baseball AmericaBaseball AmericaBaseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
First-Team Freshman All-American - Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Freshman of the Year
2001
- Pre-Season Southeastern Conference All-Star 2B
Professional career
After his time at LSU, Fontenot was chosen in the first round (19th overall) of the 2001 MLB Amateur Entry Draft2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. Fontenot signed with the Orioles, garnering a $1,300,000.00 signing bonus as part of the deal. As part of the Orioles' farm system, Fontenot played for the Frederick Keys
Frederick Keys
The Frederick Keys minor league baseball team is the "High-A" class A baseball affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for Star Spangled Banner poet Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. The team mascot is a coyote known as...
of the High-A Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. 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...
(2002), the Bowie Baysox
Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a minor league baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League...
of the AA Eastern League (2003), and the Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
of the AAA International League (2004).
On February 3, 2005, Fontenot was traded to the 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...
along with 2B/OF Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Hairston, Jr.
Jerry Wayne Hairston, Jr. is a Mexican-American professional baseball utility player.-Professional career:...
and RHP Dave Crouthers for slugger Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
. Until his trade to the San Francisco Giants on August 11, 2010, Fontenot was the only remaining player from that trade still with the Cubs. As part of the Cubs' farm system, Fontenot played for the Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
of the AAA Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
(2005–2007).
Fontenot made his Major League debut with the Cubs on April 13, 2005. In seven games with the team, he went 0-for-2 with 2 walks and 4 runs scored. He did not return to the Cubs until May 15, 2007, when he was promoted from AAA to replace relief pitcher Rocky Cherry
Rocky Cherry
Rocky Ty Cherry is a pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent.-Biography:Cherry pitched for the University of Oklahoma from 2000–2002. He was used mostly in relief his first season, but was a full-time starter by the time he finished at school...
. He wore Mark Grace's old number, 17. After a fast start, including finishing second in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Rookie of the Month voting for June 2007, he became the Cubs' starting second baseman in 2009. After batting .231 into mid-August, Fontenot lost his position as the Cubs everyday second baseman, splitting time with Jeff Baker.
On May 7, 2010, Fontenot hit his first career grand slam against 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....
. It was Fontenot's first home run of the 2010 season, coming in the eighth inning off the first pitch from Carlos Fisher
Carlos Fisher
Charles Edward "Carlos" Fisher is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds.-Early life:Fisher graduated from Duarte High School in 2001...
, with the Cubs up 10–4.
On August 11, 2010, Fontenot was traded to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
for Evan Crawford. On October 23, the Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies
2010 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2010 season was the 128th season in the history of the franchise. The team was the two-time defending National League champion, having appeared in the 2008 and 2009 World Series...
in six games to advance to the World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
. Fontenot got a hit in his only at-bat in the NLCS clinching game. He was part of the 25-man World Series roster and has the unusual distinction of being credited with appearing in the World Series with neither a plate appearance nor play in the field. In the eighth inning of Game 2, the left-handed-hitting Fontenot was announced as a pinch-hitter with the Giants leading the Rangers, 6–0. The Rangers replaced their right-handed pitcher with a left-hander, prompting the Giants to replace Fontenot with the right-handed Aaron Rowand. Rowand tripled. Fontenot did not appear in another game in the World Series which the Giants won in five games.
On April 13, 2011, Fontenot hit a go-ahead homer to help the Giants win 4-3 over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
Professional awards and honors
2003- Baltimore Orioles Minor League Player of the Year
- Eastern League All-Star 2B