The unique combination of speed and power in Alfonso Soriano’s offensive game has only been rivaled in baseball by a youthful Barry Bonds. His critics have compared him to Juan Samuel, a free-swinging line drive hitter with power, but who also lacks patience at the plate.
Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Soriano lived by the island’s adage “You cannot walk off the island.” And he developed into a free swinger as a hitter, with speed to stretch doubles into triples. Most major league scouts have noted that Soriano needs to cut down on his strikeouts to be effective in the post-season. Pitchers will expand the strike zone on him come October, as Soriano rarely takes a walk.
Soriano slipped by all of Major League Baseball, to sign with the Hiroshima Carp in the Japanese League at the age of 18. His first professional season was not a success, as he batted only .191 on the year and technically “retired” from Japanese baseball.
Whatever he accomplished overseas caught an eye in the New York Yankee organization, as they signed him to a minor-league deal before the start of the 1998 season. And Soriano did not disappoint, as he hit .305 with 15 HRs, 68 RBIs, and 24 SBs for the Yankees’ double-A affiliate. Next season, his advancement through the organization included Soriano’s MLB debut on September 14, 1999.
He became a serious option to stay in the big leagues during spring training prior to the 2001 season. Being a SS by trade and Derek Jeter anchoring the position for the club, the Yankee front office decided Soriano should begin by taking fly balls in the outfield. However, 2B Chuck Knoblauch was still having difficulty throwing over to first base, and manager Joe Torre made the move to switch their positions. Suddenly, Soriano became the starting second basemen for the New York Yankees.
And once again he did not disappoint, as Soriano finished third in the American League Rookie-of-the-Year voting. His post-season was memorable, as Soriano hit a dramatic ninth inning home run to win Game Four of the 2001 ALCS against the Seattle Mariners. Do not forget his home run off of Curt Schilling in the top of the ninth that gave the Yankees a brief lead in Game Seven of the 2001 World Series. Only to be overshadowed by Luis Gonzalez’s bloop single to leftfield that gave the Arizona Diamondbacks a World Series championship.
His breakout season came the following year, as Soriano led the American League with 209 hits; he batted .300 with 39 HRs, 102 RBIs, scored 128 runs, stole 41 bases and was named to his first All-Star team. The following season, his inadequacies were exposed during the 2003 post-season, as Soriano batted .132 during the ALCS and World Series. Torre benched him in Game Five against the Florida Marlins due to his struggles at the plate.
After the season, the Yankees traded him to Texas in the deal that brought A-Rod to New York. Following two seasons in Texas, Soriano was shuffled off to Washington and subsequently moved to the outfield. His errors in the infield prompted his move to LF (under protest). It was one season in our Nation’s Capital, but what a season, as Soriano had the fourth 40-40 (HR-SB) season in baseball history. And he cashed in, as the Chicago Cubs signed him to an eight-year, 136 million dollar contract in the following off-season.
Soriano on the Web
Official Chicago Cubs Player Bio: Alfonso Soriano
Team’s official page; contains short bio, stats, and link to recent video highlights
Alfonso Soriano Wikipedia Page
Wikipedia page; contains short bio, career stats, and external links
Soriano’s News and Commentary
Soriano’s leg injury that sidelined him for six weeks
In Center Field, Soriano Has no Place to Hide
Soriano discusses his approach to the centerfield position
In Chicago, the $136 million question
Why Soriano was the answer to the Cubs playoff woes
Alfonso Says
Chicago Cubs Manager Lou Piniella on the importance of Soriano in the lineup:
”We’ve played four months of baseball — 16 weeks. Soriano’s been out for eight of them [including two weeks in April], and basically, he’s our biggest home-run bat. We were able to overcome it, to these guys’ credit, the way they’ve played. But sooner or later, it starts showing up, and it has.”
Soriano on his work ethic:
I’m working every day. I don’t have any choice. I just work hard every day and try to get ready.”
Soriano on hitting a game-winning home run:
“It’s great. I work hard for those moments. I like those moments. It’s special today. … That’s what I want to do, try to help the team win.”
