Will Venable
Encyclopedia
William Dion Venable is a Major League baseball
right fielder
for the San Diego Padres
. In the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
, he was selected by the Padres in the seventh round. Venable made his Major League debut on August 29, , against the Colorado Rockies
. In that game, he had four at-bats, collecting his first hit
.
He is the son of former Major League outfielder
Max Venable
as well as the older brother of former Boise State safety and 2010 Fiesta Bowl
champion Winston Venable
. He also played basketball
for Princeton University
, as well as San Rafael High School
. He is the twenty-fifth Princeton alumnus to play in the Major Leagues, but he is the first African-American alumnus. He was the second athlete to earn first-team All-Ivy League
honors in both baseball
and basketball
.
, at a time when his father Max was a Major League Baseball player for the nearby San Francisco Giants
. He grew up travelling around the country with his father and also lived in Japan
and the Dominican Republic
. In high school, he envisioned himself as more likely to be a professional basketball player than baseball player. As both a high school sophomore and a high school junior, Venable was second-team San Francisco Bay Area
All-Metro basketball player for San Rafael High School
. He was the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) most valuable player
in basketball as a freshman, sophomore and junior. As a sophomore, he led his team to the MCAL League Championship. As a senior, he gave up the responsibility of being point forward
.
Tournament. During his time at the University he was a part of two teams that qualified for post season play: 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and 2002 National Invitation Tournament
). Princeton recruited him as a basketball player. He did not play baseball as a freshman, but his father had directed him to Scott Bradley
, Princeton University baseball team coach, during his recruiting visit.
Venable, who was a member of the class of 2005 at Princeton University, was the second athlete in Ivy League
history (after his Padres teammate Chris Young) to be first-team All-Ivy in both basketball and baseball and he played on Ivy League Champion National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Championship tournament participants in both sports. He played in two NCAA Championship tournaments in both sports and earned a B.A.
in anthropology
.
In basketball, he averaged over 10 points and over 30 minutes per game in his 2002-03 sophomore season through his 2004-05 senior season.
Bradley had left the door open for Venable to come take batting practice if he ever had the urge. As a sophomore, at the suggestion of his mother, Venable resumed baseball. He posted modest numbers in his first season, but in 2004, he hit for a .344 batting average
, earned All-Ivy honorable mention, and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles
in the fifteenth round of the draft (439th overall). Bradley felt that Major League Baseball scouts undervalued Venable because he did not participate in the Cape Cod League for college baseball players. Thus, instead of signing and giving up his amateur status, Venable returned for his senior season and posted a league leading 9 home run
s and runner-up .385 batting average while earning All-League honors. Subsequently, the Padres drafted him in the seventh round (215th overall).
with the Arizona League Padres of the Arizona League
in 2005. He hit for a .322 batting average in 15 games and was soon promoted to the Eugene Emeralds
of the Single-A Northwest League
.
In 2006, Venable was the Padres Minor League Player of the Year. With his father as a team hitting coach, Venable posted a .314 batting average, .389 on base percentage
(OBP), and .477 slugging percentage for the Fort Wayne Wizards
of the single-A Midwest League
(MWL), which earned him both mid-season and post-season MWL All-star honors. That season he tied for the MWL lead in runs scored and was among the top four Padre farmhands in RBIs, batting average, and stolen base
s. Among his highlights for the Wizards were his team-high two grand slams
and a five-hit performance.
Subsequently, for the 2006 West Oahu CaneFires
of the Hawaii Winter Baseball
, Venable posted a .330 batting average, .390 on base percentage (OBP), and .473 slugging percentage. He won the batting title that season and was named league most valuable player
. He also led the league in doubles and was second to John Otness in OBP. In the outfield, Venable made no error
s. Before the 2007 season, Venable was listed as the fifth best prospect in the Padres organization by Baseball America
, and they named him the #11 prospect in the league. They also named him as a Baseball America Low-A All-Star.
In 2007, Venable batted .278 with a .337 OBP in 134 games for the San Antonio Missions
of the Texas League
. This again earned him both mid-season and post-season league All-Star honors. A highlight occurred on May 30, 2007, when he hit for the cycle. After the season ended, he was invited to play for the San Diego affiliate in the Arizona Fall League
, but he was afflicted with tendinitis in his shoulder and only hit .228.
During 2008 spring training
, he had two home runs and eight runs batted in his first twelve at bats. He then posted a .292 batting average, .361 on-base percentage and .464 slugging percentage in 120 games for the Portland Beavers
of the Pacific Coast League
in 2008.
was forced onto the disabled list, Venable was called up ahead of schedule. On August 29, 2008, in his debut, he tripled
in his first at-bat and came around to score a run
. He is the twenty-fifth Princeton alumnus to play in the Major Leagues, but he is the first African-American alumnus. He posted his first Major League home run in his sixth game on September 4, 2008, during a 5–2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers
at Miller Park. His only other home run was also in a victory on the road on September 19, 2008 in an 11–6 victory over the Washington Nationals
at Nationals Park. During this game, Venable posted his first three-hit performance and first three-RBI performance.
In 2008, Venable accumulated only 110 Major League at-bats, and he will be considered a rookie in the season in which he accumulates his 130th at-bat. Although Baseball America projected Venable as an every day starter for the Padres in 2010, some experts have questioned whether he will be a long-term solution in center field for the team. Venable started the 2009 season with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate, Portland Beavers
, but he was recalled by the Padres on June 3. With the July 5 trade of Scott Hairston
to the Oakland Athletics
, Venable will share right field with Kyle Blanks
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. In the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
2005 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams...
, he was selected by the Padres in the seventh round. Venable made his Major League debut on August 29, , against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. In that game, he had four at-bats, collecting 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....
.
He is the son of former Major League outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Max Venable
Max Venable
William McKinley "Max" Venable is a former outfielder/designated hitter in Major League Baseball with a 12-year career from -,-.-Early years:...
as well as the older brother of former Boise State safety and 2010 Fiesta Bowl
2010 Fiesta Bowl
The 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the #4 TCU Horned Frogs, champions of the Mountain West Conference, and the #6 Boise State Broncos, champions of the Western Athletic Conference. The game was played Monday, January 4, 2010, at University of...
champion Winston Venable
Winston Venable
Winston Venable is an American football Safety for the Chicago Bears. He previously played college football for Boise State University...
. He also played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
for Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, as well as San Rafael High School
San Rafael High School
San Rafael High School is a coeducational public secondary school located at 185 Mission Avenue in San Rafael, California, United States.The school is part of the San Rafael City Schools school district...
. He is the twenty-fifth Princeton alumnus to play in the Major Leagues, but he is the first African-American alumnus. He was the second athlete to earn first-team All-Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
honors in both baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
High school
Venable was born in 1982 in Marin County, CaliforniaMarin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, at a time when his father Max was a Major League Baseball player for the nearby San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. He grew up travelling around the country with his father and also lived in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. In high school, he envisioned himself as more likely to be a professional basketball player than baseball player. As both a high school sophomore and a high school junior, Venable was second-team San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
All-Metro basketball player for San Rafael High School
San Rafael High School
San Rafael High School is a coeducational public secondary school located at 185 Mission Avenue in San Rafael, California, United States.The school is part of the San Rafael City Schools school district...
. He was the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
in basketball as a freshman, sophomore and junior. As a sophomore, he led his team to the MCAL League Championship. As a senior, he gave up the responsibility of being point forward
Point forward
Point forward is an unofficial playing position in basketball for those who share the attributes of both a point guard and a forward.A point forward is usually described as a forward who possesses the ball handling skills and court vision to bring the ball up the court and to initiate the team's...
.
College
Venable chose to attend Princeton University, not for its academics, but for its tradition of basketball excellence. He respected their tradition of qualifying to participate in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball ChampionshipNCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
Tournament. During his time at the University he was a part of two teams that qualified for post season play: 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
and 2002 National Invitation Tournament
2002 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Temple 65, Syracuse 64...
). Princeton recruited him as a basketball player. He did not play baseball as a freshman, but his father had directed him to Scott Bradley
Scott Bradley (baseball)
Scott William Bradley is a former Major League Baseball catcher in the major leagues from to . He played for the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds. He is currently the head coach of Princeton University's baseball team.On June 26, 1986, Bradley was traded...
, Princeton University baseball team coach, during his recruiting visit.
Venable, who was a member of the class of 2005 at Princeton University, was the second athlete in Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
history (after his Padres teammate Chris Young) to be first-team All-Ivy in both basketball and baseball and he played on Ivy League Champion National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Championship tournament participants in both sports. He played in two NCAA Championship tournaments in both sports and earned a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
.
In basketball, he averaged over 10 points and over 30 minutes per game in his 2002-03 sophomore season through his 2004-05 senior season.
Bradley had left the door open for Venable to come take batting practice if he ever had the urge. As a sophomore, at the suggestion of his mother, Venable resumed baseball. He posted modest numbers in his first season, but in 2004, he hit for a .344 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, earned All-Ivy honorable mention, and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in the fifteenth round of the draft (439th overall). Bradley felt that Major League Baseball scouts undervalued Venable because he did not participate in the Cape Cod League for college baseball players. Thus, instead of signing and giving up his amateur status, Venable returned for his senior season and posted a league leading 9 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 and runner-up .385 batting average while earning All-League honors. Subsequently, the Padres drafted him in the seventh round (215th overall).
Minor League Baseball
After graduating from Princeton, Venable made his professional debut in minor league baseballMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
with the Arizona League Padres of the Arizona League
Arizona League
The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the...
in 2005. He hit for a .322 batting average in 15 games and was soon promoted to the Eugene Emeralds
Eugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001....
of the Single-A Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
.
In 2006, Venable was the Padres Minor League Player of the Year. With his father as a team hitting coach, Venable posted a .314 batting average, .389 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(OBP), and .477 slugging percentage for the Fort Wayne Wizards
Fort Wayne Wizards
The Fort Wayne TinCaps are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the San Diego Padres, that plays in the Midwest League. They won their first Midwest League Championship in 2009.-History:...
of the single-A Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
(MWL), which earned him both mid-season and post-season MWL All-star honors. That season he tied for the MWL lead in runs scored and was among the top four Padre farmhands in RBIs, batting average, and 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. Among his highlights for the Wizards were his team-high two grand slams
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
and a five-hit performance.
Subsequently, for the 2006 West Oahu CaneFires
West Oahu CaneFires
The West Oahu CaneFires were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They are based in Waipahu, Hawaii. The name CaneFires is derived from the burning of sugarcane before harvest. There are many sugarcane plantations on the island of Oahu. The CaneFires began as the Kauai...
of the Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball.-History:...
, Venable posted a .330 batting average, .390 on base percentage (OBP), and .473 slugging percentage. He won the batting title that season and was named league most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. He also led the league in doubles and was second to John Otness in OBP. In the outfield, Venable made no error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
s. Before the 2007 season, Venable was listed as the fifth best prospect in the Padres organization by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, and they named him the #11 prospect in the league. They also named him as a Baseball America Low-A All-Star.
In 2007, Venable batted .278 with a .337 OBP in 134 games for the San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. This again earned him both mid-season and post-season league All-Star honors. A highlight occurred on May 30, 2007, when he hit for the cycle. After the season ended, he was invited to play for the San Diego affiliate in the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
, but he was afflicted with tendinitis in his shoulder and only hit .228.
During 2008 spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, he had two home runs and eight runs batted in his first twelve at bats. He then posted a .292 batting average, .361 on-base percentage and .464 slugging percentage in 120 games for the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 2008.
Major League Baseball
Venable had been expected to be a September 2008 call-up, but when Scott HairstonScott Hairston
Scott Alexander Hairston is an outfielder in Major League Baseball. Hairston bats and throws right-handed.-High school years:...
was forced onto the disabled list, Venable was called up ahead of schedule. On August 29, 2008, in his debut, he tripled
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in his first at-bat and came around to score a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. He is the twenty-fifth Princeton alumnus to play in the Major Leagues, but he is the first African-American alumnus. He posted his first Major League home run in his sixth game on September 4, 2008, during a 5–2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at Miller Park. His only other home run was also in a victory on the road on September 19, 2008 in an 11–6 victory over the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
at Nationals Park. During this game, Venable posted his first three-hit performance and first three-RBI performance.
In 2008, Venable accumulated only 110 Major League at-bats, and he will be considered a rookie in the season in which he accumulates his 130th at-bat. Although Baseball America projected Venable as an every day starter for the Padres in 2010, some experts have questioned whether he will be a long-term solution in center field for the team. Venable started the 2009 season with the Padres' Triple-A affiliate, Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, but he was recalled by the Padres on June 3. With the July 5 trade of Scott Hairston
Scott Hairston
Scott Alexander Hairston is an outfielder in Major League Baseball. Hairston bats and throws right-handed.-High school years:...
to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Venable will share right field with Kyle Blanks
Kyle Blanks
Kyle Nathaniel Blanks is a Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres.-Early life:Blanks grew up in Moriarty, New Mexico where he was a stand-out for the Moriarty High Pintos...
.