Rafael Palmeiro

Did You Know?

• Palmeiro was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to the United States at age seven.
• He was the first of two players to win the SEC triple crown, both from Mississippi State.
• His son Preston was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh round of the 2016 MLB draft.

Minor league career (1985–1987)

Palmeiro began his professional career in 1985 with the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League, batting .297 with 5 home runs and 51 RBI in 73 games while playing exclusively in the outfield. The following year, he played for the Pittsfield Cubs of the Class AA Eastern League, hitting .306 with 12 home runs and 95 RBI in 140 games before a September call-up. In 1987, he appeared in 57 games for the Iowa Cubs of the Class AAA American Association, batting .299 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI, and made his debut at first base in 9 games.

Major league career

Palmeiro debuted on September 8, 1986, as a left fielder for the Chicago Cubs against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field, finishing his first season with a .247 batting average, 12 RBIs, and 3 home runs in 22 games. In 1988, he was runner-up to National League batting champion Tony Gwynn with a .307 average, recording 178 hits, 8 home runs, and 53 RBIs over 152 games, and was named to his first MLB All-Star Game. Palmeiro criticized the trade, saying Cubs management “don’t know what they’re doing. Rangers general manager Tom Grieve stated, “Raffy was the guy we wanted. Palmeiro played for the Rangers from 1989 to 1993 and again from 1999 to 2003, and for the Baltimore Orioles from 1994 to 1998 and 2004 to 2005.

Post-career honors

Palmeiro was inducted into the Mississippi State University Hall of Fame on October 11, 2008, the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He became eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011 but received only 11% of the vote, well below the 75% threshold. By 2014, his support fell to 4.4%, removing him from future ballots. The Veterans Committee considered him in 2023, but he received fewer than four of sixteen votes.

Steroids

Former Rangers teammate José Canseco identified Palmeiro as a steroid user in his 2005 book Juiced, claiming he personally injected Palmeiro with steroids during their 1992 and 1993 seasons. On March 17, 2005, Palmeiro testified under oath at a Congressional hearing, stating, “I have never used steroids, period.” On August 1, 2005, he was suspended for ten days after testing positive for a steroid, later reported to be stanozolol. Palmeiro stated he never intentionally used steroids and noted that all previous tests, including a test three weeks after the positive result, were negative. The House Government Reform Committee did not seek perjury charges against him.