40-MaN ROsTeR - MLB.com
40-MaN ROsTeR - MLB.com
40-MaN ROsTeR - MLB.com
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074<br />
2012 TAMPA BAY RAYS MEDIA GUIDE<br />
<strong>40</strong>-MAN ROSTER › sAm Fuld<br />
3rd most in the majors behind CLE Asdrubal<br />
Cabrera (13).<br />
ÊÊWas scheduled to open the season as Johnny<br />
Damon’s backup in LF, but when Manny<br />
Ramirez retired on April 6, he started 37 of the<br />
next 38 games...started 66 of the Rays first 99<br />
games through July 22, but only 11 of the last<br />
63 after Desmond Jennings was recalled from<br />
Triple-A Durham…started only once in the Rays<br />
last 31 games.<br />
ÊÊLed the AL with 6 pinch-hits…also led all AL<br />
pinch-hitters with 6 BB, 6 R and a .571 OBP, all<br />
club records...his 21 plate apps as a pinch-hitter<br />
were 2nd in the AL behind TOR/CWS Mark<br />
Teahen (27).<br />
ÊÊStole 20 bases in 28 attempts, tied for 2nd<br />
most on the team after B.J. Upton (36)...10 of<br />
his stolen bases came in April, tied with SEA<br />
Ichiro Suzuki for the AL lead and 1 shy of Carl<br />
Crawford’s club-record 11 in 2004…entered 2011<br />
with 2 SB in 98 career games.<br />
ÊÊWas leading the AL in batting avg. on April 22,<br />
when he was tied with NYY Alex Rodriguez at<br />
.366 and topped the AL with 9 SB...was the first<br />
to lead the AL in both categories on that date<br />
since BAL Luis Aparicio in 1963.<br />
ÊÊOn April 9 at CWS made a diving catch on the<br />
warning track ending a 4th-inning, bases-loaded<br />
threat and robbing Juan Pierre of extra bases...the<br />
play was named the No. 4 Play of the<br />
Year by <strong>MLB</strong> Network.<br />
ÊÊOn April 11 at BOS made his Fenway Park debut…established<br />
career highs with 4 hits (all<br />
for extra bases), 3 RBI, 3 runs and 11 total bases…fell<br />
a single short of the cycle, and logged<br />
a second double in his last at-bat…the HR was<br />
his first homer since Oct 4, 2009 vs. ARI (Doug<br />
Davis).<br />
ÊÊHis 4 extra-base hits tied the Rays franchise<br />
record...the 4 extra-base hits and 11 total bases<br />
set an all-time record for a Fenway Park debut<br />
(visiting or Red Sox player)…became the<br />
third leadoff hitter ever to record 4 extra-base<br />
hits at Fenway Park, joining BOS Wade Boggs<br />
(July 25, 1989 vs. KC) and DET Lou Whitaker<br />
(June 8, 1983).<br />
ÊÊBecame the first New Hampshire-born player<br />
to hit a home run at Fenway Park since BOS<br />
Phil Plantier on Oct 3, 1992 vs. NYY…was the<br />
fourth overall joining Plantier (11-HR), Kevin<br />
Romine (4) and Red Rolfe (2).<br />
ÊÊOn Aug 10 vs. KC, capped a 5-run rally in the<br />
9th inning with a walk-off RBI triple off Joakim<br />
Soria...Elliot Johnson scored as the tying run,<br />
and Fuld came around to score the winning<br />
run on the same play on an error by 2B Johnny<br />
Giovatella...marked the first-ever Rays win on a<br />
walk-off triple…it was Fuld’s first career walkoff<br />
hit.<br />
ÊÊOn June 20 at MIL, pinch-hit and then took the<br />
mound after the inning but had not yet thrown<br />
a pitch when Cesar Ramos replaced him...did<br />
not count as an official appearance.<br />
CaReeR hIghLIghTs<br />
ÊÊSpent the majority of the 2010 season at<br />
Triple-A Iowa (Cubs) where he led the club with<br />
9 triples (5th in the Pacific Coast League) and<br />
was 2nd in walks (66) and steals (21)…joined<br />
the parent club briefly in August and again in<br />
September and made a total of 5 starts for the<br />
Cubs.<br />
ÊÊRecalled on Aug 19 by the Cubs when 1B Derrek<br />
Lee was traded to the Braves, three days before<br />
Lou Piniella retired as manager…appeared<br />
in 3 games without a start and was optioned<br />
back Aug 22, just as Mike Quade was named<br />
manager.<br />
ÊÊHis ratio of 66 BB to 37 SO was the 2nd best in<br />
all of Triple-A trailing only Wes Timmons (60 to<br />
33) of the Gwinnett Braves.<br />
ÊÊMade 88 starts for Iowa, all in CF…hit leadoff in<br />
all but two of those starts.<br />
ÊÊBatted .302 (49-for-162) with 37 walks and 13<br />
strikeouts in the final 47 games of the season<br />
at Triple-A.<br />
ÊÊHad three tours with the Cubs in 2009, joining<br />
them for good on July 31…made 22 starts (18-<br />
CF, 4-LF).<br />
ÊÊFinished 4th in batting (.299) and 1st in OBP<br />
(.<strong>40</strong>9) among NL rookies with 100 or more<br />
plate apps…batted .355 with a .459 OBP in<br />
September.<br />
ÊÊHis first major league hit was a 1st-inning double<br />
on July 1 at PIT off Virgil Vazquez.<br />
ÊÊHad gone 101 big league at-bats without an RBI<br />
before homering in the season finale, Oct 4 vs.<br />
ARI off Doug Davis.<br />
ÊÊWith Iowa, struck out only once every 15.42<br />
plate appearances, 7th best in minor league<br />
baseball.<br />
ÊÊBegan the 2008 season at Iowa, but was hitting<br />
just .188 on May 1 and two weeks later<br />
was assigned to Double-A Tennessee…went<br />
1-for-26 his first week with Tennessee, then<br />
went on to hit .291 (91-for-313) the rest of the<br />
season.<br />
ÊÊMade his major league debut on Sep 5, 2007<br />
vs. LAD, one day after he was recalled from<br />
Tennessee by the Cubs…appeared in 8 games,<br />
6 as a pinch-runner, before he finally got a<br />
plate appearance…was 0-for-3 in his only start,
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