Vital Statistics:
Born: January 7, 1976
Hometown: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Family: Wife, Angelica; daughters Alisis and Angeline; son Alfonso Jr.
Primary position: Left field
Before The Bigs:
- Slipped past all of the major league teams, signing with the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese league at age 18 in 1994. Hit .181 in 1997 with parent club.
- He retired from his contract in Japan in 1998 and signed with the New York Yankees.
- Restarting his career in the minors, he hit .305 with 15 home runs, 68 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 88 games for Double-A Norwich in 1999. After a brief stop at Triple-A Columbus, he made his major-league debut on Sept. 14, 1999.
- Bounced back and forth between New York and Columbus, hitting .290 with 12 home runs in Triple-A before being called up for good in September.
Career Highlights:
- Became the Yankees’ second baseman in 2001 and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2001 (.268, 18 HRS, 43 SB).
- In 2002, he led the AL with 209 hits, 41 stolen bases and 128 runs. Also hit 39 HR and was named to his first All-Star team.
- Was traded to the Texas Rangers in the deal that brought Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees after 2003 season.
- Was traded from Texas to the Washington Nationals, and was moved to left field (under protest at first). Had the fourth 40-40 season in baseball history (46 HR, 41 SB).
- Signed an eight-year, $136 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on Nov. 20, 2006.
