Alcides Escobar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alcides Escobar |
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Escobar with the Washington Nationals in 2022
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| Free agent | |||
| Shortstop / Second baseman | |||
| Born: December 16, 1986 La Sabana, Venezuela |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: September 3, 2008, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| NPB: June 19, 2020, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .258 | ||
| Hits | 1,486 | ||
| Home runs | 45 | ||
| Runs batted in | 478 | ||
| Stolen bases | 178 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2020 season) |
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| Batting average | .273 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 30 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Alcides Escobar (born December 16, 1986) is a professional baseball player from Venezuela. He plays as an infielder, usually at shortstop or second baseman. Alcides has played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), including the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, and Washington Nationals. He also played in Japan for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Currently, he is a free agent.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Alcides Escobar was born in La Sabana, Venezuela. He comes from a family of baseball players. His cousins, Edwin Escobar and Kelvim Escobar, are pitchers. His cousins Maikel García and Luisangel Acuña are infielders. His cousin Ronald Acuña Jr. is an outfielder. His uncle, José Escobar, was also a shortstop.
Alcides started playing baseball when he was just four years old. He looked up to Omar Vizquel, another famous Venezuelan shortstop.
Baseball Career Highlights
Starting with the Milwaukee Brewers
Alcides Escobar signed with the Milwaukee Brewers when he was 16 years old, on July 9, 2003. He started playing professionally in 2004. He played for different minor league teams, showing off his skills.
In 2008, Alcides was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time. He made his debut on September 3, 2008. In his very first time at bat, he got his first career hit.
Before the 2009 season, Baseball America magazine said Alcides was one of the best young players to watch. He played in the All-Star Futures Game in 2009. He later became the starting shortstop for the Brewers in 2010.
Time with the Kansas City Royals
On December 18, 2010, Alcides was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He quickly became an important player for the team. In 2011, he played in 158 games.
In 2012, Alcides signed a contract extension with the Royals. He played in all 162 regular season games in 2014. He finished that season hitting .285, with 74 runs scored and 31 stolen bases.
World Series Champion
The 2015 season was a huge year for Alcides and the Royals. He was chosen as an All-Star for the first time.
During the 2015 ALCS, Alcides was amazing. He got a hit to start the game in four straight games, which was a new record! He was named the ALCS MVP because he played so well.
In Game 1 of the 2015 World Series, Alcides hit a special kind of home run called an inside-the-park home run. This was the first time someone had done that in a World Series game since 1929! The Royals went on to win the 2015 World Series, making Alcides a World Series champion. He also won a Gold Glove Award in 2015 for being the best defensive shortstop.
Alcides continued to play for the Royals until 2018. He got his 1000th career Major League hit in 2016.
Playing in Japan
After his time with the Royals, Alcides signed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan in 2019. He made his debut in Japan in June 2020. He played 104 games for the Swallows before becoming a free agent.
Return to MLB with the Nationals
In 2021, Alcides signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals again. Later that year, on July 2, 2021, he was traded to the Washington Nationals.
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On July 18, 2021, Alcides hit his first Major League home run since 2018. In the same game, he hit a "walk-off" single, which means his hit won the game for the Nationals in the last inning! He finished the 2021 season with a batting average of .288, which was his best since 2012.
In 2022, Alcides even got to pitch for the Nationals in one game, throwing a scoreless inning. He was released by the Nationals in August 2022.
Mexican League Teams
Since 2023, Alcides has played for several teams in the Mexican League.
- In March 2023, he signed with the Leones de Yucatán.
- In July 2023, he joined the Acereros de Monclova.
- In February 2024, he signed with the Tigres de Quintana Roo. He played 77 games for the Tigres before being released in December 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Alcides Escobar para niños
- List of players from Venezuela in Major League Baseball
