Alex Guerrero (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Guerrero |
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Guerrero with the Los Angeles Dodgers
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| Left fielder / Third baseman | |||
| Born: November 20, 1986 Las Tunas, Cuba |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: March 22, 2014, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| NPB: March 31, 2017, for the Chunichi Dragons | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: October 4, 2015, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| NPB: September 28, 2019, for the Yomiuri Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .224 | ||
| Home runs | 11 | ||
| Runs batted in | 36 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .258 | ||
| Home runs | 71 | ||
| Runs batted in | 180 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Alexander Guerrero Perez (born November 20, 1986) is a former professional baseball player from Cuba. He played as a left fielder and third baseman. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). He also played for the Chunichi Dragons and Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan.
Guerrero left Cuba in 2013 to play baseball in the MLB. He signed with the Dodgers and started his MLB career in 2014. In Cuba, he mostly played shortstop. For the Dodgers, he played third base and left field.
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Guerrero's Baseball Journey
Playing Baseball in Cuba
Alexander Guerrero was a talented baseball player in Cuba. He played for the Las Tunas team. He was even named to the All-Star team in 2010–2011. He also played for the Cuba national baseball team. He joined them in tournaments like the 2012 Haarlem Baseball Week. He was considered for the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Coming to the United States
In 2013, Guerrero left Cuba to pursue his dream of playing in the MLB. He moved to Haiti and then trained in the Dominican Republic. In September 2013, he was allowed to sign with U.S. baseball teams.
Many teams were interested in signing Guerrero. The Los Angeles Dodgers eventually signed him. They agreed to a four-year contract worth $28 million. This deal included a $10 million bonus. The Dodgers officially announced his signing on October 22, 2013.
Guerrero started his professional career with the Gigantes del Cibao. This team plays in the Dominican Winter League. He had some hamstring problems and played only 12 games. He still managed to hit well, with a .289 batting average.
Time with the Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 Season
Guerrero made the Dodgers' main roster for the start of the 2014 season. He played his first MLB game on March 22, 2014. This was against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was a pinch hitter in that game. After the first two games in Australia, Guerrero was sent to the Triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes.
While playing for the Isotopes, Guerrero was involved in a dugout incident. He had to have surgery on his ear. After recovering, he played in 65 games for the Isotopes. He played many different positions, including second base, left field, shortstop, and third base. He hit .329 with 15 home runs.
The Dodgers called him back up to the main team on September 1. He got his first MLB hit on September 13. It was a single against the San Francisco Giants. He played in 13 games for the Dodgers that year. He mostly played as a pinch hitter.
2015 Season
In spring training before the 2015 season, Guerrero played very well. He showed the Dodgers he deserved a spot on the main team. In his first game as a starter, he got three hits. One of these was his first MLB home run. He hit it off Óliver Pérez of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Guerrero started the season hitting very well. Fans wanted him to become the regular third baseman. Even though he wasn't a regular starter, he was named Rookie of the Month for April 2015. He hit .423 with five home runs in only 13 games that month.
On June 2, Guerrero hit his first career grand slam. This happened in the 9th inning against the Colorado Rockies. It was a game-winning hit for the Dodgers. He finished the season playing in 117 games. He had 11 home runs and a .224 batting average.
2016 Season
Guerrero injured his knee in spring training 2016. This meant he started the season on the disabled list. He played in some minor league games to recover. However, when he was ready to return, there was no spot for him on the Dodgers' main roster. The Dodgers released him on June 8, 2016.
Playing Baseball in Japan
Chunichi Dragons
On November 26, 2016, Guerrero signed with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. He set a new team record for the Dragons. He hit a home run in six games in a row in June 2017. This was close to the NPB record of seven games. Guerrero was also chosen for the 2017 Central League All-Star team. The Dragons released him on December 2.
Yomiuri Giants
On December 17, 2017, Guerrero signed with the Yomiuri Giants, another Japanese team. He signed a two-year deal. He became a free agent again on December 2, 2019.
Fubon Guardians
In May 2021, Guerrero agreed to play for the Fubon Guardians in Taiwan. However, he was unable to enter the country due to a health situation. He later chose not to play for the team without having played a single game.
