Juan Encarnacion

Juan De Dios Encarnación (born March 8, 1976) is a former professional baseball outfielder from the Dominican Republic. He spent 11 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1997 to 2007, playing for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals. His career ended after a foul ball struck him in the eye on August 31, 2007.

Encarnación signed with the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent at age 17 and made his MLB debut at 21, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the American League that year. In 2000, he recorded two separate 19-game hitting streaks, the best of his career. After leaving the Tigers via trade, he had his finest season with Cincinnati and Florida, hitting a career-high 24 home runs and driving in 85 runs. In 2003, he set additional career highs with 94 RBIs and a team-leading 37 doubles, helping the Marlins win the World Series.

He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers that December, then sent back to Florida midseason alongside Paul Lo Duca and Guillermo Mota for Brad Penny, Bill Murphy, and Hee-seop Choi after batting .235 in 86 games. He rebounded the following year, hitting .287 with 16 homers and 76 RBIs. He also played for the Dominican Republic in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. On December 23, he signed a three-year, $15 million contract with St. Louis.

In 2006, his first season with the Cardinals, Encarnación batted .278 with 19 home runs and 79 RBIs, adding six stolen bases. He led the team in games played (153) and at-bats (557), ranked second in hits (155) and caught stealing (5), third in runs (74), RBIs (79), total bases (247), and strikeouts (86), fourth in doubles (25), tied for first in triples (5) with Aaron Miles, tied for fourth in home runs (19) with Jim Edmonds, tied for eighth in walks (30) with Chris Duncan, sixth in steals (6), 11th in on-base percentage (.317), sixth in slugging (.443), and seventh in batting average (.278).

He recorded 265 putouts, four assists, and six errors in 275 chances for a .978 fielding percentage. In the postseason, he went 8-for-44 (.182) with two triples and five RBIs. His RBI triple in Game 4 of the NLDS proved the game-winner as the Cardinals beat the Padres 6–4 to win the series. However, he struggled afterward and sat out the final three games of the World Series, which St. Louis won 4–1 over Detroit.

Encarnación confused fans by skipping the Cardinals' victory parade without explanation, reportedly upset over not playing in Game 5. It was the second time he had missed a World Series parade with a winning team, having also skipped the 2003 Marlins' celebration.

In 2007, his tenth MLB season and second with St. Louis, Encarnación underwent left wrist surgery before the season and started the year on the 15-day disabled list. He rehabbed in Florida at extended spring training, homering twice in three games, but did not play in regular spring training. He then had a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Springfield, where he batted just .155 (9-for-58) with four doubles and four RBIs. He returned to the Cardinals on Mother's Day, May 13, playing right field against San Diego and going 0-for-3. From May 30 to June 18, he put together an 18-game hitting streak, one short of his career high of 19 set in 2000. He lost playing time after pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel emerged.

On August 31, 2007, while standing in the on-deck circle, Encarnación was struck in the face by a foul ball hit by teammate Aaron Miles. He suffered multiple fractures to his left eye socket and an injury to his left eye, ending his season. On January 16, 2008, reports indicated he would miss the entire 2008 season, with his career in serious doubt. On May 2, 2008, during a web chat with fans, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said, "I'm sorry to say that he will not. His injury will likely result in his career ending."

After baseball, in July 2009, a Dominican news organization reported that Encarnación was organizing a run for senator in the Dominican Republic, representing his home province of San Juan de la Maguana. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch later reported these claims were unsubstantiated and that he had instead been working on his charity, the Juan Encarnación Foundation. On February 7, 2011, he inaugurated the National Campaign Headquarters in San Juan de la Maguana for his independent Political Movement, M-12, supporting PRD Party presidential candidate Miguel Vargas Maldonado. He also served as leader of the National Sports Committee for Vargas' presidential project as part of the National Board of Directors of Independent Movements.

In 2003, Encarnación was one of only three outfielders without an error, alongside Geoff Jenkins of Milwaukee and Orlando Palmeiro of St. Louis. He was also the first Marlins outfielder to post a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. His streak of 227 errorless games in the outfield was the second-longest in baseball, behind Joe McEwing of the Mets (228). He hit two grand slams in April 2005, including one off Atlanta's John Smoltz.