Doug Mirabelli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Boston Red Sox — No. 28 | |
| Catcher | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| August 27, 1996 for the San Francisco Giants | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through December 13, 2006) |
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| AVG | .234 |
| HR | 51 |
| RBI | 190 |
| Former teams | |
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Douglas Anthony Mirabelli (born October 18, 1970 in Kingman, Arizona) is a Major League Baseball catcher who currently plays for the Boston Red Sox. Previously, he played for the San Francisco Giants (1996-2000), Texas Rangers (2001), Boston Red Sox (2001-2005), and San Diego Padres (2006) before returning to the Red Sox in 2006. He bats and throws right-handed.
In a ten-year career, Mirabelli is a .234 hitter with 51 home runs and 190 RBI in 445 games. He has become well-known as the personal catcher for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
On December 7, 2005, Mirabelli was traded to the San Diego Padres. In return, Boston received second baseman Mark Loretta. The Padres had intended for Mirabelli to be their full time catcher, but his role was reduced when the Padres signed free agent catcher Mike Piazza on January 29, 2006. Mirabelli hit .182 (4 for 22), appearing in only 13 games with the Padres throughout April 2006. Upset over Piazza's arrival and his subsequent lack of playing time, Mirabelli requested Padres General Manager Kevin Towers to work out a deal that would send him back to Boston.[1]
Mirabelli was reacquired by the Red Sox on May 1, 2006 in exchange for catcher Josh Bard, minor league pitcher Cla Meredith, and $100,000 cash. This reacquisiton occurred because Bard had trouble catching Tim Wakefield's knuckleball. Bard had 10 passed balls in just 7 games. The day that the trade occurred, the Red Sox were to play their first game of the year against their rivals, the New York Yankees, in Fenway Park. It took a private jet and a Massachusetts State Police escort to get Mirabelli to the field in time. His plane from the west coast touched down at Logan Airport at 6:48 pm, he arrived at Fenway Park at 7:00 pm, and took his place behind the plate just in time for Wakefield's opening pitch at 7:13 pm. In an effort to conserve every second possible, the Red Sox sent a uniform along with the police escort for Mirabelli to change into while en route to Fenway Park from Logan Airport. The special glove (which is actually a woman's softball catcher's mitt) which Mirabelli had used in previous years to catch Wakefield had been left in Boston for Mirabelli's replacement; Bard had left it waiting for Mirabelli's arrival. On July 17, 2006, with the Red sox down 1-4 in the bottom of the 7th inning against the Royals, Mirabelli hit a game-tying three-run home run. The Red Sox later won 5-4 on Manny Ramirez's sacrifice fly.
Mirabelli will return in 2007 after agreeing to a 1-year contract. [1]
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[edit] Trivia
- His favorite dish is chicken parmesan.
- His favorite band is Led Zeppelin
- He is one of only a few major leaguers who does not wear batting gloves while at the plate.
- The New York Yankees tried to acquire Mirabelli from the Padres, solely because of his value to Boston.[2]
- Doug Mirabelli has frequently referred to Nomar Garciaparra as "Mr. Hamm."
- He is the only player in Major League Baseball history to hit 6 or more home runs in 6 consecutive seasons of fewer than 200 at bats.
- Listens to Pantera.
- Shaves with Aqua Velva.
[edit] Career statistics
| Games | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 518 | 1342 | 153 | 314 | 75 | 2 | 53 | 190 | 3 | .234 |
[edit] References
- ^ Kevin Towers on the Mirabelli trade. Accessed September 19, 2006.
- ^ Masked man rides to the rescue. Accessed March 14, 2007.
- ^ Doug Mirabelli. ESPN.com (2007-02-24). Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
[edit] External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
- ESPN - profile and daily update
- NPR.org on the Red Sox's re-acquisition of Doug Mirabelli
