Prince Fielder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prince Fielder |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Fielder with the Detroit Tigers in 2012
|
|||
| First baseman | |||
| Born: May 9, 1984 Ontario, California, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| June 13, 2005, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 18, 2016, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .283 | ||
| Home runs | 319 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,028 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Prince Semien Fielder (born May 9, 1984) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a powerful first baseman and designated hitter in Major League Baseball (MLB). Prince played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers.
The Brewers picked him in the first round of the 2002 MLB draft. He spent seven years with the Brewers. Then he joined the Tigers in 2012. In 2013, he was traded to the Rangers, where he finished his career.
Prince Fielder was a six-time All-Star. He holds team records for home runs (HR) and runs batted in (RBI) in a season for the Brewers. He was also the youngest player in National League (NL) history to hit 50 home runs in one season. He won the Home Run Derby twice, in 2009 and 2012. This made him one of the few players to win it more than once. He was also the first to win it as both an American League (AL) and NL All-Star.
Prince had to stop playing baseball on August 10, 2016. This was because he needed a second neck surgery. He ended his career with 319 home runs. This is the same number as his father, Cecil Fielder. Prince and Cecil Fielder are the only father-son duo to each hit 50 MLB home runs in a season.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Prince Fielder was born on May 9, 1984. His father, Cecil Fielder, was also a famous baseball player. When Prince was very young, his father taught him to hit left-handed. Prince grew up around baseball clubhouses. He even hit a home run into the upper deck of Tiger Stadium when he was just 12 years old!
Prince played high school baseball in Florida. In his senior year (2002), he hit very well, with a .524 batting average and 10 home runs. He was named the All-Space Coast Player of the Year.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
The Milwaukee Brewers chose Prince Fielder as the seventh overall pick in the 2002 MLB draft. He started his professional journey in the minor leagues. In his very first professional game, he hit a grand slam! He played for teams like the Ogden Raptors, Beloit Snappers, Huntsville Stars, and Nashville Sounds before reaching the big leagues.
Milwaukee Brewers (2005–2011)
First Steps in MLB (2005-2006)
Prince Fielder first joined Major League Baseball on June 13, 2005. He got his first major league hit and drove in his first run on June 15. He also hit his first home run on June 25. In 2006, he became the Brewers' main first baseman. He broke the Brewers' rookie home run record with 28 homers that season.
Becoming an All-Star (2007)
Fielder had an amazing 2007 season. He was chosen to start at first base in the All-Star Game. On September 25, he made history by becoming the youngest player ever to hit 50 home runs in a season. This was a big deal, as his father had also hit 51 home runs in a season. Prince wanted to show he could be great on his own. He won several awards, including the Silver Slugger award.
Continuing Success (2008-2009)
In 2008, Fielder signed a one-year deal with the Brewers. He continued to hit well, with 34 home runs and 102 RBIs. The Brewers made it to the postseason for the first time in a long time.
In 2009, Fielder hit his first career grand slam. He was also chosen for the All-Star Game. The highlight of his year was winning the 2009 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby in St. Louis. He hit 23 home runs in the contest, including one that went 503 feet! He also set a new Brewers record for RBIs in a single season with 141.
Final Years with Brewers (2011)
In 2011, Fielder was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the All-Star Game. He hit a 3-run home run in that game. He also had his first game with three home runs against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished the season with 38 home runs and was third in voting for the National League MVP award.
Detroit Tigers (2012–2013)
.jpg)
Joining the Tigers (2012)
After the 2011 season, Prince Fielder became a free agent. On January 26, 2012, he signed a big nine-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. This was the largest contract in Tigers history at the time. He played first base and hit cleanup in their batting order.
In his first season with the Tigers, he was voted to the 2012 All-Star team. He also won the 2012 Home Run Derby again! This made him the first player to win the Derby in both the National and American Leagues. He joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win multiple Derbies.
Fielder had a great 2012 season, hitting a career-best .313 batting average. He hit 30 home runs and drove in 108 runs. He played in all 162 games for the Tigers. His presence in the lineup helped his teammate Miguel Cabrera win the Triple Crown that year. The Tigers made it to the 2012 World Series, which was Prince's first time playing in the World Series.
Last Season with Tigers (2013)
In 2013, Fielder was named AL Player of the Week in April. He was also selected for his fifth career All-Star Game. He played in all 162 games for the third straight season. By the end of 2013, he had played in 831 of his last 832 regular-season games!
Texas Rangers (2014–2017)
Moving to Texas (2014)
On November 20, 2013, Fielder was traded to the Texas Rangers. In June 2014, he had neck surgery, which ended his season early. This also ended his impressive streak of 547 consecutive games started.
Comeback Season (2015)
Fielder made a great comeback in 2015. He was selected as an All-Star for the sixth time. He finished the season with a .305 batting average, 23 home runs, and 98 RBIs. He was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year.
End of Career (2016)
On April 29, 2016, Prince Fielder and his father, Cecil Fielder, became the second father-son duo to both record 1,000 RBIs in their careers. However, on July 20, Prince was diagnosed with more neck problems. On August 10, he announced that he could no longer play professional baseball due to his injuries. He officially left the Rangers on October 5, 2017.
Career Statistics
In his 12 seasons, Prince Fielder played 1611 games. He had a .283 batting average with 319 home runs and 1028 RBIs. He was a strong hitter throughout his career.
Post-Playing Career
After his playing career, Prince Fielder has stayed involved in baseball. He served as the hitting coach for the American League team in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game.
Personal Life
Prince Fielder is married to Chanel, and they have two sons. They live in Windermere, Florida. Prince has a tattoo on his neck that says "왕자," which means "Prince" in Korean.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
