Cristian Guzmán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cristian Guzmán |
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Guzmán with the Washington Nationals in 2009
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| Shortstop | |||
| Born: March 21, 1978 Baní, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| April 6, 1999, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 8, 2010, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 62 | ||
| Runs batted in | 467 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Cristian Antonio Guzmán, born on March 21, 1978, is a former professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He was a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). Cristian played for the Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, and Texas Rangers. He was known for his speed and hitting triples.
Contents
Playing in the Major Leagues
Time with the Minnesota Twins
Cristian Guzmán started his MLB journey with the Minnesota Twins. He joined the team in 1998 after a trade with the New York Yankees. In this trade, the Twins received Guzmán, Eric Milton, Brian Buchanan, and Danny Mota. The Yankees received Chuck Knoblauch.
In 2001, Guzmán was chosen for the AL All-Star team. That year, he hit 10 home runs and had a .302 batting average. These were some of his best numbers. He was an important player for the Twins. The team won three straight American League Central titles from 2002 to 2004.
Guzmán was very good at hitting triples. He led the American League in triples three times. He had 20 triples in 2000, 14 in 2001, and 14 in 2003. Hitting 20 triples in one season was a rare achievement. It was only the tenth time a player had done that in 70 years.
Joining the Washington Nationals
After playing for the Twins, Guzmán became a free agent. He signed a four-year contract with the Washington Nationals for the 2005 season. This contract was worth $16.8 million. His first year with the Nationals was tough. He was batting only .192 by the end of August. However, he improved in September, hitting .325. This brought his overall average for the year up to .219.
After the 2005 season, Guzmán had eye surgery. He later said this surgery helped him play much better in the years that followed.
Overcoming Injuries
Guzmán missed the entire 2006 season because of a shoulder injury. He needed surgery to fix it. He returned in 2007 as the Nationals' starting shortstop. This happened after second baseman José Vidro was traded. Also, Felipe López moved to second base.
However, Guzmán got another injury on the first day of the 2007 season. He hurt his hamstring. He was on the disabled list until May 7, 2007. When he returned, he was hitting .329, which was the second-best on the team. Even though he missed almost half the season, he was third in the league with six triples by late June.
On June 24, Guzmán got hurt again while tagging a player trying to steal a base. He had surgery the next day to fix a torn thumb ligament. This injury kept him out for the rest of the 2007 season.
Big Moments with the Nationals
On March 30, 2008, Guzmán made history at Nationals Park. He got the first hit ever in the new stadium. It was a single to right off Atlanta Braves starter Tim Hudson. He then scored the first run in the park's history. This happened after Nick Johnson hit an RBI double.
In 2008, Guzmán was chosen for the NL All-Star team. He was the only player from the Nationals to make it. He played third base in the All-Star Game. He made some important plays at that position. This was special because he had only played shortstop in the major leagues before.
On August 28, 2008, Guzmán achieved a rare feat. He hit for the cycle against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. It was only the second time a Nationals player had done this. Guzmán signed a new two-year contract to stay with the Nationals.
He finished the 2008 season fourth in the league for both hits and batting average. By the All-Star break in 2009, he was fourth among active players for triples. In 2009, he had the lowest fielding percentage among starting major league shortstops (.962).
Playing for the Texas Rangers
On July 31, 2010, the Texas Rangers traded for Guzmán. They got him from the Nationals in exchange for two minor league players, Tanner Roark and Ryan Tatusko. Guzmán played his first game as a Ranger on August 1 against the Angels.
Later Career
In 2011, Guzmán received invitations to spring training from two teams. However, he had to miss at least the first half of the season due to personal matters.
Guzmán signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians on February 21, 2012. He suffered a strained hamstring during spring training. Because of this injury, the Indians released him on March 28, 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Cristian Guzmán para niños
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
