O a M G - Oakland Athletics

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inFiELDER
Height/Weight: 6-1 / 195 Bats/Throws: Right / Right
Birthdate: September 13, 1983 Opening Day Age: 27
Birthplace/Resides: Fort Scott, Kansas / Fort Scott, Kansas
Major League Service: 3 years, 26 days
Obtained: Signed as a free agent to a minor league contract, January 24,
2011
Contract Status: First year of a one-year contract through 2011.
CAREER HiGHLiGHTS
Is a .224 career hitter with 22 home runs and 108 RBI in 363 games in four seasons with the Los Angeles
Dodgers (2007-08) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2008-10)…saw his most extensive action in 2009 when
he hit .258 with 12 home runs and 64 RBI in 150 games with the Pirates…was originally drafted by
the Dodgers and was dealt to the Pirates at the trading deadline 2008 as part of the Jason Bay/Manny
Ramirez trade…was rated as the Dodgers best prospect by Baseball America entering the 2007 season
and the second best in 2006 and 2008…named Branch Rickey Minor League Player-of-the-Year after
leading all Dodgers farmhands in home runs (30) and RBI (94) in 2005.
2010 HiGHLiGHTS
Batted .206 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 102 games with Pittsburgh…hit .256 (22 for 86) against
left-handed pitching compared to .180 (29 for 161) with three of his four home runs against righthanders…compiled
his best batting average in April when he hit .333…batted .168 from May 1 through
the end of the season…hit .229 before the All-Star Break, .109 after the break…made a total of 52 starts
at third base, four at second base and two at first base…committed 10 errors at third base (five throwing/
five fielding) for a .938 fielding percentage…also had one throwing error at second base…went 5-for-38
(.132) with two walks, a home run and three RBI as a pinch hitter…was 2-for-10 (.200) prior to the All-
Star break and 3-for-28 (.107) after…is now 9 for 59 (.153) in his career in the pinch.
PiTTSBURGH: Was Pittsburgh’s Opening Day starter at third base for the second straight season…
received three walks in the second game April 7 vs. Los Angeles…went 1-for-13 in his first four games
before going 4-for-7 in back-to-back games April 10 and 12…connected off Brandon Medders for first
home run April 13 at San Francisco…was removed from the game April 16 with bask spasms and missed
next six games with the injury…went 13-for-23 in his first five games after returning, which included
four-hit games April 25 at Houston and April 27 at Milwaukee…homered April 28 at Milwaukee; was
also ejected by home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn after throwing his bat down after being called out on
strikes in the 11th inning…went hitless in 16 at bats following the homer…snapped the streak with a
two-hit game at Los Angeles May 2…walked three times and scored three runs May 6 vs. Chicago
(NL)…made five errors in a seven-game stretch from May 7-14…went 1-for-22 in a six-game stretch
from May 11-17, lowering his average from .304 to .254…appeared in the leadoff spot for the first time
in his career May 21 and went 0-for-4 vs. Atlanta…started 26 straight games at third base before sitting
out May 22…missed five games from May 22-26 with back stiffness…returned to action May 27 and
went 1-for-4 at Cincinnati…went 6-for-36 (.167) in his first 11 games in June…was replaced by Pedro
Alvarez as the starting third baseman June 16…was hitting .232 with three homers and 12 RBI in 51
games at the time…made just 10 starts from June 16 through the end of the season…made four straight
starts at second base between June 29 and July 2…made his first of two starts at first base (second
career) Aug. 10 at San Diego…produced three hits in his first 39 at bats following the All-Star break
when he was used mostly as a pinch hitter…went 2-for-26 in 19 games (three starts) during the month
of August…connected off Houston’s Brett Myers for first career pinch-hit home run Sept. 24 at PNC
Park…the homer snapped an 0-for-21 streak and was hit first hit since Aug. 17…made his second start
of the season at first base Sept. 26 vs. Houston…started the final game of the season at third base.
CAREER
2009—Spent first full season in the Majors with Pittsburgh…made 146 appearances at third base, including
142 starts, which were the most starts by a Bucco third baseman since Aramis Ramirez made
2011 Oakland athletics Media Guide < 265
2011 athletics