Alex Escobar
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Alexander José Escobar [ess-coe-BAR] (born September 6, 1978 in Valencia, Carabobo State, Venezuela) is a right fielder in Major League Baseball who plays with the Washington Nationals since 2005. Previously, Escobar played for the New York Mets (2001) and Cleveland Indians (2003-04). He bats and throws right-handed.
Escobar was signed by the Mets as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1995 and made his debut in 2001. At the end of the season, he was traded to the Indians as part of the eight-player deal that sent Roberto Alomar to the Mets. Escobar missed the entire 2002 season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament during spring training. In 2003, he recovered from a slow start at Triple-A Buffalo Bisons collecting 24 home runs and 78 runs batted in, and looked strong for the Tribe in September and played in 28 games.
In the minors, Escobar was an All-Star in the 'AAA' International, 'AA' Eastern and 'AA' South Atlantic leagues, and he also was selected by Baseball America in the 1998 All-Stars team. Escobar has the all-star tools he needs. He can hit for average and is a potential slugger. Also, he has both speed and pure base running skills. In the outfield, he has an excellent range and a cannon for an arm. His only real flaw is his tendency to strikeout with great frequency (94 SO in 301 at-bat).
In a three-season career, Escobar is a .229 hitter with nine home runs and 34 RBI in 92 games.
See also
External links
- Alex Escobar at:
- ESPN (profile and daily updates) (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6628)
- Baseball Reference (statistics) (http://www.baseball-reference.com/e/escobal01.shtml)