Michael Saunders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael Saunders |
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Saunders with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 19, 1986 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| July 25, 2009, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2017, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .232 | ||
| Home runs | 81 | ||
| Runs batted in | 263 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Michael Edward Brett Saunders, born on November 19, 1986, is a Canadian former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Michael played for teams like the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies. He was known by nicknames such as "the Condor" and "Captain Canada."
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Michael Saunders' Early Baseball Days
Michael Saunders began playing baseball in Little League Baseball. He was part of the Gordon Head Baseball Association. In 1999, he played for Team Canada in the 1999 Little League World Series.
While attending Lambrick Park Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia, Michael played high school baseball. He was on the Victoria Mariners team in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League. Before being drafted, he also played for the Tallahassee Community College Eagles.
Michael Saunders' Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners picked Michael Saunders in the 11th round of the 2004 MLB draft. In 2005, he played for the Everett AquaSox. He hit .270 with seven home runs and 39 runs batted in (RBI).
In 2006, he moved up to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He hit .239 with four home runs and 39 RBI. Even though 2006 was tough, he was promoted again in 2007. He played for the High Desert Mavericks, hitting .299 with 14 home runs and 77 RBI. He then finished the season with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx.
Michael started the 2008 season with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx again. He hit .290 with eight home runs and 30 RBI. On June 17, he was promoted to the Tacoma Rainiers.
In 2009, Michael was playing well for the Rainiers. He hit .313 with 13 home runs. On July 25, 2009, he was called up to the MLB. He made his big league debut that day against the Cleveland Indians. His first MLB hit was a single on July 26, 2009.
In 2010, Michael hit his first MLB home run. He finished the season with a .211 batting average, 10 home runs, and 33 RBI. In 2011, he played only 58 games and had two home runs.
Michael had a much better year in 2012. He played 139 games, hitting .247 with 19 home runs and 57 RBI. In 2013, he played 132 games, hitting .236 with 12 home runs. In 2014, injuries limited him to 78 games. However, he had a career-high batting average of .273.
Joining the Toronto Blue Jays
After the 2014 season, the Mariners traded Michael Saunders to the Toronto Blue Jays. This happened on December 3, 2014. He agreed to a one-year contract for $2.875 million in January 2015.
In February 2015, Michael injured his knee while practicing. He had surgery and was expected to miss several weeks. He returned to play in April but had more knee discomfort. He was placed on the disabled list again in May. Michael only played in nine games for the Blue Jays in 2015 due to his injury.
On January 15, 2016, Michael signed another one-year contract with the Blue Jays. On June 17, 2016, he had an amazing game against the Baltimore Orioles. He hit three home runs, which was a first for him. He also had eight RBI, setting another career high.
Michael was chosen as a candidate for the All-Star Game Final Vote. On July 8, he was announced as the winner and became an All-Star! After the All-Star break, his hitting struggled. Still, he finished 2016 with a .253 batting average, 24 home runs, and 57 RBI. He also played well in the postseason.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
On January 16, 2017, Michael Saunders signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. He struggled with the Phillies, hitting .205 with six home runs. On June 20, he was released by the team.
Returning to the Toronto Blue Jays
On June 28, 2017, Michael signed a minor league contract to return to the Toronto Blue Jays. He was called up to the major league team on September 1.
Michael Saunders' International Baseball Career
Michael Saunders also played for Team Canada. He represented Canada at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. He had eight hits and two home runs in seven games. Canada finished in 6th place.
He also played for Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He performed very well offensively. Because of his great play, he was named one of the outfielders on the All-WBC Team. In 2019, he was selected for the Pan American Games Qualifier and the WBSC Premier12.
After Playing Baseball
On October 25, 2019, Michael Saunders announced his retirement from playing baseball. He decided to become a minor league coach for the Atlanta Braves organization in 2020. In March 2021, he was named the manager of the Augusta GreenJackets. This team is a Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
Images for kids
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Saunders with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016
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Saunders with the Seattle Mariners in 2012
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Saunders during 2016 spring training
See also
In Spanish: Michael Saunders para niños
