Trent Oeltjen
Encyclopedia
Trent Carl Wayne Oeltjen ' onMouseout='HidePop("28633")' href="/topics/Sydney">Sydney
, Australia
) is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
, who is currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He is 6'1" (185 cm) tall and weighs 190 pounds (86 kg). In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a Silver Medal in the baseball tournament
at the Athens Olympics
.
before the end of the season. The following year, Trent continued to excel and was promoted to the Class A Quad City River Bandits. He continued to improve and by the end of 2003 he was batting just under .300 in 123 games for Quad City and was promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle
for the '04 season where he missed games to play for the Australia national baseball team
in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Oeltjen would go on to represent Australia at the 2005 Baseball World Cup
and 2006 World Baseball Classic
.
Trent was impressing critics as he continued to rise through the ranks, batting at .300 with the AA team New Britain Rock Cats
in 2006 and was picked for the World team in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game
. Following this success, he was promoted to AAA in 2007 for the Rochester Red Wings
and although struggled in the regular season, he was perhaps the most outstanding individual player in the 2007 Baseball World Cup
where he hit at a 523/.580/.614 clip to lead averages, steals (7) and runs (9) and was picked in the Cup All-Star team.
. His consistent performances continued when Oeltjen was with Australia for the 2009 World Baseball Classic
and batted 6 for 12 in the tournament. In the 2009 season he was batting over .300 and slugging .505 for the Reno Aces
. He was called up to the majors on 6 August 2009, when Justin Upton
was injured.
On 6 August , Oeltjen recorded his first major league hit against Pittsburgh Pirates
' pitcher Kevin Hart
. Oeltjen then proceeded to steal his first major league base. He then hit his first major league home run off Pittsburgh Pirates' pitcher Jesse Chavez
in the top of the 8th inning, a blast over the right field wall. Oeltjen finished the game 2 for 6 with an RBI and two stolen bases.
In his third game, he hit a lead-off home run against the Washington Nationals
, as well as one against the New York Mets
in his fourth game. Oeltjen has hit his first three home-runs in only 20 at bat
s. He also came one hit shy of the cycle in a four hit game on 11 August. The four hits meant that he became the fifth player in the "expansion era" since 1961 to have twelve hits in the first five major league games played.
On 29 August Oeltjen was optioned back to Reno for Chris Young as he had only 5 hits in his last 55 at-bats. He was recalled only 10 days later, and on 10 September as a pinch runner
, was the winning run against the Los Angeles Dodgers
in a base-on-balls walk-off.
on 4 December 2009. On 1 July 2010, he exercised an out clause in his contract and was granted his release from the Brewers.
and was assigned to AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
. He hit .347 in 49 games for the Isotopes. He was called up to the Dodgers on 7 September 2010. He appeared in 14 games with the Dodgers, getting 5 hits in 23 at-bats for a .217 average. On 3 December 2010, he was non-tendered, making him a free agent. He was re-signed by the Dodgers to a minor league contract on 7 December. He was named on the roster for the Australian Baseball League
franchise Sydney Blue Sox
in the offseason However, he never played during the Australian summer and was assigned to AAA Albuquerque for 2011. With the Isotopes, Oeltjen was hitting .339 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 56 games. He was called back up to the Dodgers on 9 June and remained with the club the rest of the season as a reserve outfielder. He hit .197 in 61 games with 2 home runs and stole 6 bases.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) 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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, who is currently with the 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...
. He is 6'1" (185 cm) tall and weighs 190 pounds (86 kg). In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a Silver Medal in the baseball tournament
Baseball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
-Preliminary round:The top four teams advanced to the semifinals. To determine the seed ranking of teams tied in the standings, the result of the two teams' game against each other was used. Japan therefore received first place due to the win over Cuba. In the semi-finals, Japan played...
at the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
.
Minnesota Twins
Oeltjen was signed by the Minnesota Twins organization in 2001. He hit at a .321/.387/.418 clip in his debut year for the GCL Twins and was quickly promoted to the Elizabethton TwinsElizabethton Twins
The Elizabethton Twins are a minor league baseball team in Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA. They are a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League, and have been a farm team of the Minnesota Twins since 1974. The Twins play home games at Joe O'Brien Field...
before the end of the season. The following year, Trent continued to excel and was promoted to the Class A Quad City River Bandits. He continued to improve and by the end of 2003 he was batting just under .300 in 123 games for Quad City and was promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
for the '04 season where he missed games to play for the Australia national baseball team
Australia national baseball team
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. They are ranked as the top team in Oceania, and are the Oceanian Champions, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. They...
in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Oeltjen would go on to represent Australia at the 2005 Baseball World Cup
2005 Baseball World Cup
The XXXVI Baseball World Cup took place in the Netherlands cities of Rotterdam, Haarlem, Almere, Amsterdam and Eindhoven September 2–17, 2005. Countries were split into two groups of nine, with the first four of each group qualifying for the finals....
and 2006 World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
.
Trent was impressing critics as he continued to rise through the ranks, batting at .300 with the AA team New Britain Rock Cats
New Britain Rock Cats
The New Britain Rock Cats are the Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club. They compete in the Eastern League and play their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.-History:...
in 2006 and was picked for the World team in the 2006 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...
. Following this success, he was promoted to AAA in 2007 for the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
and although struggled in the regular season, he was perhaps the most outstanding individual player in the 2007 Baseball World Cup
2007 Baseball World Cup
The XXXVII International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cup was held in the Republic of China from November 6 through November 18, 2007. Four stadiums hosted...
where he hit at a 523/.580/.614 clip to lead averages, steals (7) and runs (9) and was picked in the Cup All-Star team.
Arizona Diamondbacks
In 2008, he signed as a free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit .317/.357/.466 for the Tucson SidewindersTucson Sidewinders
The Tucson Sidewinders were a minor league baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona. The team, which played in the Pacific Coast League, was the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major-league club....
. His consistent performances continued when Oeltjen was with Australia for the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
and batted 6 for 12 in the tournament. In the 2009 season he was batting over .300 and slugging .505 for the Reno Aces
Reno Aces
The Reno Aces are a minor league baseball franchise based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks....
. He was called up to the majors on 6 August 2009, when Justin Upton
Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
was injured.
On 6 August , Oeltjen recorded his first major league hit against Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
' pitcher Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart (baseball)
Kevin Richard Hart is a professional baseball pitcher who is currently playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Career:...
. Oeltjen then proceeded to steal his first major league base. He then hit his first major league home run off Pittsburgh Pirates' pitcher Jesse Chavez
Jesse Chavez
Jesse David Chavez is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed....
in the top of the 8th inning, a blast over the right field wall. Oeltjen finished the game 2 for 6 with an RBI and two stolen bases.
In his third game, he hit a lead-off home run against 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...
, as well as one against 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...
in his fourth game. Oeltjen has hit his first three home-runs in only 20 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. He also came one hit shy of the cycle in a four hit game on 11 August. The four hits meant that he became the fifth player in the "expansion era" since 1961 to have twelve hits in the first five major league games played.
On 29 August Oeltjen was optioned back to Reno for Chris Young as he had only 5 hits in his last 55 at-bats. He was recalled only 10 days later, and on 10 September as a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
, was the winning run against the 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...
in a base-on-balls walk-off.
Milwaukee Brewers
Oeltjen signed a minor league contract which included an invitation to spring training with the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee 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...
on 4 December 2009. On 1 July 2010, he exercised an out clause in his contract and was granted his release from the Brewers.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On 6 July 2010, Oeltjen signed with the Los Angeles DodgersLos 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...
and was assigned to AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
. He hit .347 in 49 games for the Isotopes. He was called up to the Dodgers on 7 September 2010. He appeared in 14 games with the Dodgers, getting 5 hits in 23 at-bats for a .217 average. On 3 December 2010, he was non-tendered, making him a free agent. He was re-signed by the Dodgers to a minor league contract on 7 December. He was named on the roster for the Australian Baseball League
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League was a baseball league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.-Formation:Before the formation of the Australian Baseball League, the Claxton Shield, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament...
franchise Sydney Blue Sox
Sydney Blue Sox
The Sydney Blue Sox are a professional baseball team, and one of six foundation teams in the re-formed Australian Baseball League . The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney , one of the two venues for used for baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when it was...
in the offseason However, he never played during the Australian summer and was assigned to AAA Albuquerque for 2011. With the Isotopes, Oeltjen was hitting .339 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 56 games. He was called back up to the Dodgers on 9 June and remained with the club the rest of the season as a reserve outfielder. He hit .197 in 61 games with 2 home runs and stole 6 bases.
External links
- Twins Prospects Interview
- Oeltjen first Home run on MLB.com