Anderson Hernández
Encyclopedia
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
in ajor League Baseball]. He made his major league debut in for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
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New York Mets
Hernández is a 5'9" switch hitterSwitch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
with decent speed. He was signed as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
at age 18 by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in . In the minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
s, Hernández showed poor patience and high strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s typical of a teenager and did not rise past single-A until . In his first season, he batted .264/.303/.389 with 34 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in just 216 at-bats. However, he progressed slowly. In , playing in High-A ball, he showed poor hitting skills, batting just .259/.310/.339. The next season was even worse. Hernandez struggled to hit above the Mendoza line
Mendoza Line
The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball in the United States, deriving from the name of shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose lifetime batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting...
, (.229/.278/.295) and stole just 15 bases. But the next season started off well for him. After batting .295 with 11 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in about 100 AB, he was called up to Double-A Erie
Erie SeaWolves
The Erie SeaWolves are a minor league baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball club....
where he batted .274 with 5 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 29 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. After that season, he was traded to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Vance Wilson
Vance Wilson
Vance Allen Wilson is a former Major League Baseball catcher. Wilson stands at 5'11" tall, and weighs 215 pounds...
who had become expendable after the Mets signed Ramón Castro.
With the Mets out of playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
contention in and Hernández hitting over .300 in both Double-A and Triple-A, he was called up to the majors in mid-September but went 0-for-14 before finally getting his first hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in the last game of the season. Due to the knee injury of Kazuo Matsui
Kazuo Matsui
is a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter...
, Hernández was the starting second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
for the Mets to start the season, but was soon injured and placed on the 15-day DL.
Hernández also plays in his native country, the Dominican Republic
Professional baseball in the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Professional Baseball League or LIDOM by its acronym in Spanish, is a winter professional baseball league consisting of six teams spread across the Dominican Republic; it is the top baseball league in that country...
, on Tigres del Licey
Tigres del Licey
Tigres del Licey is a professional baseball team founded in 1907 based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is one of the two franchises of the Capital city of the country, the oldest and one of the most successful teams in the Dominican league, having won 22 Dominican titles and 10 Caribbean...
. He won the Rookie of the Year in the regular season and also the MVP during the finals. He and shortstop Erick Aybar
Erick Aybar
Erick Johan Aybar is a Major League Baseball shortstop with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Dominican Republic:Aybar has also previously played in the Dominican Republic...
are called "los menores" (Spanish for "the kids") and are known as one of the best middle infields in the Dominican Republic.
Washington Nationals
On August 20, , Hernández was dealt to the Washington Nationals to complete the trade for relief pitcherRelief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Luis Ayala
Luis Ayala
Luis Ignacio Ayala is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He is 6' 2" and weighs 190 lbs. and bats and throws right-handed.-Mexican League:...
. He was the starter at second for the Nationals.
Back to New York
Hernandez was traded back to the Mets on August 6, 2009, for minor league infielder Greg Veloz.Cleveland Indians
On March 17, 2010, Hernández was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians. He was assigned to Triple-A Columbus on April 8. On June 8, 2010, the Indians purchased Hernández's contract and placed him on the active roster. Hernández had the opportunity to compete for the starting second baseman position, but lost to Jayson NixJayson Nix
Jayson Truitt Edward Nix is an American professional baseball utility player for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
; he was subsequently used in a utility infielder role. On July 18, 2010, Hernández was designated for assignment to make room on the active roster for pitcher Jeanmar Gómez
Jeanmar Gómez
Jeanmar Alejandro Gómez , is a professional baseball starting pitcher in the Cleveland Indians organization.-Career:A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Gómez was signed by Cleveland as an undrafted free agent....
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Houston Astros
Hernández was claimed by the Astros on July 21. He was added to the 25-man roster on July 22.Resigned to minor league contract for 2011 season after being outrighted and elected free agency.