Douglas Andrew Mientkiewicz [mint-KAY-vich] (born June 19, 1974 in Toledo, Ohio) is a first baseman for the New York Yankees.
He is known more for his defensive skills than for his abilities with the bat. He previously played for the Minnesota Twins (1998-2004), Boston Red Sox (2004), New York Mets (2005), and Kansas City Royals (2006).
He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
At Westminster Christian High School, in Miami, Florida, Mientkiewitcz was a three-sport standout. He played for their baseball, basketball, and football teams. Coincidentally, his classmate Alex Rodriguez played the same three sports. As a senior, he was an All-State pick in both baseball and football. He played tight end for their football team, while teammate Alex Rodriguez, now the current third baseman for the New York Yankees, was the quarterback. Now that Doug signed on as a first basemen with the New York Yankees, Alex will be throwing a baseball across the diamond from the hot corner to Mienkiewicz instead of throwing a football.
Mientkiewicz attended the Florida State University, where he played for coach Mike Martin's Seminoles. He ended his career at FSU after his Junior year in 1995 ranked 10th in the NCAA in RBI, and 9th in the Atlantic Coast Conference in batting average. He led his FSU team in batting average for three straight seasons, and was selected to the College World Series All-Decade team for the 1990s.
Mientkiewicz was on the U.S. Olympic team when they won the gold medal at the 2000 games in Sydney, hitting the game-winning grand slam against favorite Cuba.
Minor league career
In 1998 he was the Double-A All-Star DH, amd Eastern League All-Star DH. He batted .323, with a .432 obp and .508 slugging percentage, in 509 at bats for New Britain.
In 2000 he was the Triple-A All-Star 1B, and Pacific League All-Star DH. He batted .334, with a .446 obp and .524 slugging percentage, in 485 at bats for Salt Lake City, while both scoring and driving in 96 runs.
MLB career
Mientkiewicz was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 12th round of the 1992 draft. He was then drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 5th round of the 1995 draft.
In 2001 he was 8th in the league with 39 doubles, as he batted .306.
In 2003 he was 9th in the AL with a .393 on base percentage, as he batted .300.
In July 2004 he was traded as part of a 4-team trade by the Twins to the Boston Red Sox for Justin Jones. One of Mientkiewicz's most memorable moments in his MLB career was recording the final out of the 2004 World Series.
In January 2005 he was traded by the Red Sox with cash to the New York Mets for Ian Bladergroen.
In December 2005 he signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals.
Mientkiewicz is a notorious line-drive hitter. and hits well against both lefties and righties. He has a nice, short stroke with gap power (though not a home run hitter) and tremendous discipline at the plate, coupled with a good knowledge of the strike zone. For his career he has a good 0.951 walk-to-strikeout ratio (310-to-326). Although he batted .300 for two years with the Minnesota Twins, Mientkiewicz has not produced at the plate at that level in recent years. Though not a base-stealing threat, Mientkiewicz will get every extra base he can.
Defense is the best part of Mientkiewicz's game. He has a great glove with soft hands, great mobility, good range, and a strong arm. Also, Mientkiewicz is excellent at scooping balls in the dirt, tagging down on a high throw, and extending himself to make the play. He won the Gold Glove Award in 2001 with the Minnesota Twins.
In a nine-year career, Mientkiewicz is a .270 hitter with 59 home runs, 189 doubles, 348 RBI, 359 runs scored, and a .359 On-Base Percentage in 870 games. Almost all of his home runs lifetime have been hit to right field or right center. He is a lifetime .317 hitter at Yankee Stadium.
On January 5, 2007, he signed a one-year deal with the Yankees to play first base.
The 2004 World Series ball controversy
Mientkiewicz recorded the final out of the 2004 World Series, ending Boston's 86-year championship drought. In Game 4 in St.Louis Mientkiewicz entered the game in the bottom of the 7th inning as a substitute at first base. Mientkiewicz didn't handle the ball until there were two outs in the 9th. St. Louis shortstop Edgar Renterķa grounded back to pitcher Keith Foulke, who trotted toward first base and underhanded the ball to Mientkiewicz. As the ball that symbolically ended the Curse of the Bambino, the item was of considerable interest to memorabilia collectors. Controversy resulted when Mientkiewicz kept the ball, and the Red Sox asked for its return. A spokesperson for Major League Baseball indicated that the ball belonged to Mientkiewicz, but the Red Sox contended that it belonged to them, as they wanted to have it to archive for museum use. In an announcement made with the Red Sox in January 2005, Mientkiewicz said the ball would accompany the World Series trophy as it made its way through New England during its yearlong tour. On April 23, 2006, it was announced that he had reached an agreement with the Red Sox, and the ball would go to the Hall of Fame. The Red Sox' claim on the ball was questionable, as the game was not played at Fenway Park; also, based on legal precedent, Mientkiewicz could have claimed it.
Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko recorded the final out of the 2005 World Series in similar fashion. His handling of the ball was less controversial than Mientkiewicz, as he publicly turned the ball over to club chairman Jerry Reinsdorf during the team's victory celebration.
Source : Wikipedia
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