Leslie Anderson
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Leslie Anderson Stephes, born March 30, 1982, is a Cuban professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Toros de Camagüey of the Cuban National Series. He has also played in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Yomiuri Giants. Primarily a center fielder, Anderson hit .363 during the 2005-06 season for Camagüey and was part of Cuba's roster at the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. After defecting, he signed a four-year, $1.7 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on April 13, 2010, and played in their minor league system before moving to Japan and later returning to Cuba in 2020.
Career
Leslie Anderson, primarily a center fielder, played for Camagüey in the Cuban National Series and was on the Cuban national team for the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. He batted .363 in the 2005-06 season. After defecting from Cuba, he signed a $1.7 million, four-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays on April 13, 2010. That year, he played for the High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs, Double-A Montgomery Biscuits, and Triple-A Durham Bulls, hitting .302/.359/.442 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI in 99 games.
In 2011, back with Durham, he hit .277/.314/.413 with 13 homers and 65 RBI over 121 games. The next season, he appeared in 116 games for Durham, batting .309/.355/.450 with 14 homers and 56 RBI. In 2013, he played 119 games for Durham, hitting .292/.372/.459 with 14 homers and 74 RBI. The Rays released him on December 27, 2013, so he could pursue a chance in Asia.
Anderson then signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. In 2014, he played 87 games, slashing .319/.382/.515 with 15 homers and 50 RBI. The following season, he appeared in 83 games for the Giants, hitting .252/.327/.402 with seven homers and 31 RBI. In 2016, he played only three games, going 3-for-12 (.250) with one RBI.
The Giants released him on December 2, 2016. On May 6, 2017, he signed with the Bravos de León of the Mexican League, where he played 21 games, hitting .237/.289/.303 with no homers and four RBI. He was released on May 29. In 2020, Anderson became the second Cuban player, after Erisbel Arruebarrena, to return to the Serie Nacional after defecting and playing for a Major League organization, signing with the Toros de Camagüey.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Silver World Baseball Classic — 2006 San Diego Team
- Gold Baseball World Cup — 2005 Rotterdam Team
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Leslie Anderson (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
More in World Baseball Classic Players of Cuba
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Leslie Anderson (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
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