Fernando Tatís facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fernando Tatís |
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Tatís with the New York Mets in 2007
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: January 1, 1975 San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| July 26, 1997, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 4, 2010, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .265 | ||
| Home runs | 113 | ||
| Runs batted in | 448 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Fernando Gabriel Tatís Medina Sr. (pronounced tah-TEES; born January 1, 1975) is a former professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 11 years. Tatís played for teams like the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets.
He holds a special MLB record: he hit two grand slams in a single inning! This amazing feat happened on April 23, 1999. He is the only player in MLB history to do this. His son, Fernando Jr., is also a professional baseball player for the San Diego Padres.
Contents
Playing Baseball
Starting His Career
Fernando Tatís was signed by the Texas Rangers when he was 17 years old. This happened on August 25, 1992. He made his first appearance in Major League Baseball almost five years later. On July 26, 1997, he played third base for the Rangers. In his first season, he played 60 games.
In 1998, the Rangers traded Tatís to the St. Louis Cardinals. This trade happened on July 31.
Record-Breaking Season
Tatís had his best season in 1999 while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. He hit 34 home runs and had 107 RBI. He also stole 21 bases and had a .298 batting average.
On April 23, 1999, Tatís made history. He hit two grand slams in one inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases loaded. This means four runs are scored. Hitting two in one inning is incredibly rare. He is the only player in MLB history to do this. This also set an MLB record for the most runs batted in (RBI) in a single inning, with eight.
Dealing with Injuries
After his amazing 1999 season, Tatís faced some challenges. In 2000, he played only 96 games for the Cardinals because of an injury. He was then traded to the Montreal Expos.
He continued to struggle with injuries while playing for the Expos. He played only 208 games over three seasons with them.
A Break from Baseball
After his time with the Expos, Tatís did not play professional baseball for two seasons. He went back to live in the Dominican Republic. He later shared that he returned to baseball to help raise money to build a church.
In 2005, the Baltimore Orioles signed him to a minor-league contract. He played most of that season for their minor league team. He was called up to play for the Orioles in 28 games in July 2006.
Return to the Major Leagues
In 2007, Tatís signed with the New York Mets. He spent that season playing for their minor league team. On May 11, 2008, Tatís was called up to the Mets. He had started playing in the outfield in the minor leagues. This made him a more flexible player for the team.
On May 28, Tatís hit a "walk-off" double. This hit won the game for the Mets in the 12th inning. It was his first walk-off hit ever. He played a lot in the outfield for the Mets that year.
On September 16, 2008, Tatís hurt his shoulder while trying to catch a ball. This injury ended his 2008 season. Even with the injury, he received the Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award for the National League. This award recognized his great return to baseball.
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Tatís also played for the Dominican Republic national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He played for the Mets in 2009 and 2010. His last Major League game was on July 4, 2010.
In 2014, Tatís played briefly for a team in the Mexican League. He announced his retirement as a player on October 5, 2014. In his career, he had a .265 batting average, 113 home runs, and 448 RBI.
After Playing Baseball
Managing a Team
In January 2018, Fernando Tatís became a manager for a minor league team. He managed one of the Boston Red Sox's rookie-level teams in the Dominican Summer League. He continued this role in 2019.
Personal Life
Family and Baseball
Fernando Tatís Sr. comes from a baseball family. His father, Fernando Antonio Tatís, was also a professional baseball player. He played in the Houston Astros' minor league system.
Fernando Sr.'s father left when he was four years old. They were reunited in 1997 when Fernando Sr. was a rookie with the Texas Rangers. A scout named Omar Minaya helped them find each other.
Fernando Tatís Sr. has two sons who also play baseball. His older son, Fernando Tatís Jr., is a shortstop and outfielder for the San Diego Padres. His younger son, Elijah, is a middle infielder playing in the Chicago White Sox's minor league system.
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Tatís para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
- List of Major League Baseball single-game grand slam leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-inning home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-inning runs batted in leaders
- New York Mets award winners and league leaders
