Omar Infante facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Omar Infante |
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Infante with the Kansas City Royals
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: December 26, 1981 Puerto la Cruz, Anzoátegui, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| September 7, 2002, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 6, 2016, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 82 | ||
| Runs batted in | 542 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Omar Rafael Infante, born on December 26, 1981, is a former professional baseball player from Venezuela. He played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). These teams included the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and Kansas City Royals.
Omar was chosen as an All-Star player in 2010. He also won the World Series with his team in 2015. While he mostly played as a second baseman, he could play almost any position on the field!
Contents
Baseball Career Highlights
Starting with the Detroit Tigers
Omar Infante started his Major League Baseball career with the Detroit Tigers on September 7, 2002. He began as the starting shortstop in 2003. However, he struggled a bit at first.
In 2004, the Tigers got a new shortstop, Carlos Guillén. This meant Omar had to find a new role. He got a chance to play second base when another player was injured. Omar played well, hitting .264 with 16 home runs.
After a great 2004 season, Omar's performance dropped in 2005. The Tigers then traded for Plácido Polanco, who became the new starting second baseman. Omar moved to a bench role. During the 2007 season, he played seven different positions for the team.
Joining the Atlanta Braves
After leaving the Tigers, Omar Infante was traded to the Chicago Cubs in November 2007. However, he was traded again less than a month later. He went to the Atlanta Braves in December 2007. He never played a game for the Cubs.
On January 12, 2009, Omar signed a two-year contract with the Braves. In 2010, he was selected for the National League All-Star Team. This was his first time being an All-Star. He was one of six Braves players on the All-Star team that year.
Playing for the Florida/Miami Marlins
After the 2010 season, Omar Infante was traded to the Florida Marlins. He signed a two-year contract extension with them in 2011. In 2011, Omar led all Major League players in fielding assists. This means he helped his team get outs more than anyone else.
On June 21, 2012, Omar played in his 1000th career game. This was a big milestone for him.
Second Time with the Detroit Tigers
On July 23, 2012, Omar Infante was traded back to the Detroit Tigers. This was his second time playing for the team. During Game 4 of the 2012 World Series, Omar broke his left hand. This happened when he was hit by a pitch.
Despite his injury, Omar had a great 2013 season for the Tigers. He hit .318, which was one of his best batting averages. He also hit 10 home runs and had 51 RBI.
Time with the Kansas City Royals
On December 16, 2013, Omar Infante signed a four-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. He recorded a career-high 66 RBIs in 2014. In Game 2 of the 2014 World Series, he hit a two-run home run. This helped the Royals win the game 7–2.
During the 2015 season, Omar played excellent defense with shortstop Alcides Escobar. He also had a great offensive game on September 18, 2015. He knocked in a career-high seven runs against the Cleveland Indians.
The Royals later acquired another player, Ben Zobrist. This meant Omar lost his starting job for part of the 2015 season. However, he still won his first championship as the Royals won the World Series in 2015. He played a smaller role in the playoffs that year.
After struggling with injuries and hitting .238, Omar was released by the Royals on June 15, 2016. He became a free agent on June 23.
Later Career
On June 30, 2016, Omar Infante agreed to a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. This was his second time with the Braves organization. He was released by them on August 16.
On December 9, 2016, the Detroit Tigers signed Omar to another minor league contract. He spent the 2017 season with the Triple–A Toledo Mud Hens. He played in 123 games and hit .282. After the season, he became a free agent again on November 6.
See also
In Spanish: Omar Infante para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
Images for kids
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Infante with the Kansas City Royals
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Infante with the Atlanta Braves in 2008
