Encarnación grew up in Baní where he was friends with Miguel Tejada.[1] Encarnación dropped out of school at 15 years old to focus on baseball.[2]: 114 In 1994, he signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics at the purported age of 16.[3] Before traveling to the United States to play in Oakland's farm system, Encarnación borrowed and read psychology textbooks so that he could learn "how to talk to gringos." He also bought his mother her first telephone.[1]: 167
Encarnación entered spring training with the Rockies in 2002. During camp, amidst increased scrutiny from the Immigration and Naturalization Service following the September 11 attacks, it was discovered that Encarnación was actually two years older than he had represented. His listed age increased from 24 to 26 years old.[14]
On April 4, 2002, the Chicago Cubs claimed Encarnación off waivers from the Rockies and designated Julio Zuleta for assignment.[15] The following day, they added him to their active roster when outfielder Moisés Alou was placed on the disabled list.[16] He would appear in only three games for the Cubs before, on April 15, Alou returned from the disabled list and Encarnación was designated for assignment.[17][18] He would not return to the Major Leagues again in his career.[11] He spent the remainder of the season in Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs.[4]
Encarnación finished the 2003 season with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), beginning a career in Asian professional baseball. He was paired in the outfield with Venezuelan player Robert Perez under KBO rules which only allowed two foreign players per team to play at any one time.[21] Although the Giants would win 39 games and lose 91, he would lead them in both home runs and runs batted in.[22] Encarnación returned to the Giants in 2004, albeit for only four games.[4]
On October 3, he was found dead in his team dormitory room by a team employee after he missed a practice.[2]: 112 There were no signs of forced entry in his room.[2]: 113 He was survived by his wife, Rosana, and son, Mario. He was the first former Major League Baseball player to have died in Taiwan.[25]
Earlier in the season, he was briefly suspended for testing positive for steroids, leading to speculation regarding the role of drugs in his death. It had also been reported that he had been suffering from a bout of gastroenteritis and had asked to be excused from that weekend's practices.[26]Autopsy reports later showed that he had died from a congenital medical condition.[27] According to his father, however, the doctors at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo who conducted the autopsy variously told him that the body was too decomposed to determine a cause of death and that he had died of a heart attack. Speculation abounded in the Dominican Republic that his death may have been related to a match-fixing operation, something for which the Chinese Professional Baseball League was known. His family called on the Dominican government to conduct an inquiry into his death but, according to his father, "they didn't do anything."[2]: 113
Encarnacion's body was transported back to Dominican from Taiwan by his team, while Miguel Tejada paid for his headstone at a cemetery in Baní.[2]: 113 [28]
Legacy
In 2006, the Sacramento River Cats and Sacramento Bee writer Marcos Breton established the Mario Encarnacion Humanitarian Award which is given annually to "athletes who inspire others through their story, lead by example, and are role models to others."[29]
^ abBretón, Marcos; Villegas, José Luis (2000). Away Games: The Life and Times of a Latin Baseball Player. UNM Press. ISBN978-0-8263-2232-6. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
^ abcdeGedda, George (2009). Dominican Connection: Talent from the Tropics Changes Face of National Pastime. Strategic Book Publishing. ISBN978-1-60693-023-6. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
^Knapp, Gwen (3 March 1999). "Encarnacion impresses Howe". SF Gate. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
^Pearlman, Jeff (October 4, 1999). "Something Old, Something New At the Triple A series, Vancouver's youth was too much for Charlotte's veterans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
^ abDigiovanna, Mike (17 December 1999). "Edmonds Remains an Angel for Now". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
^Schulman, Henry (15 December 1999). "A's Still Dickering for Edmonds". SF Gate. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
^Cooper, J. J. (January 22, 2019). "1983-2000 Top 10 Prospects Rankings Archive". Baseball America. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
^Mossman, John (July 26, 2001). "BASEBALL TRADE: A's deal for Dye in 3-team shuffle". Kitsap Sun. Associated Press. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
^"Transactions". The New York Times. 27 August 2001. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
^Chang, Rich (4 October 2005). "Baseball player found dead in dormitory room". Taipei Times. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
^SABR Asian Baseball Committee Newsletter 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, Vol. 3 No. 2. December 2005.
^Zirin, Dave (26 October 2005). "Say It Ain't So, Big Leagues". The Nation. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
^"Nominations open for 2016 Mario Encarnacion Award". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. July 13, 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
External links
Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
January 07, 2023
mario, encarnación, this, spanish, name, first, paternal, surname, gonzález, second, maternal, family, name, encarnación, mario, gonzález, encarnación, september, 1975, october, 2005, baseball, outfielder, born, baní, dominican, republic, played, colorado, roc. In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Gonzalez and the second or maternal family name is Encarnacion Mario Gonzalez Encarnacion September 24 1975 October 3 2005 was a baseball outfielder born in Bani Dominican Republic He played for the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs for a brief duration 23 games in 2001 and 2002 Mario EncarnacionOutfielderBorn 1975 09 24 September 24 1975Bani Dominican RepublicDied October 3 2005 2005 10 03 aged 30 Tamsui TaipeiBatted RightThrew RightProfessional debutMLB August 26 2001 for the Colorado RockiesCPBL April 16 2005 for the Macoto CobrasLast appearanceMLB April 14 2002 for the Chicago CubsCPBL September 30 2005 for the Macoto CobrasMLB statisticsBatting average 203Home runs0Hits3KBO statisticsBatting average 283Home runs13Runs batted in46CPBL statisticsBatting average 307Home runs17Runs batted in45TeamsColorado Rockies 2001 Chicago Cubs 2002 Lotte Giants 2003 2004 Macoto Cobras 2005 Career highlights and awardsCPBL All Star 2005 Contents 1 Early life 2 Professional career 2 1 Minor League Baseball 2 2 Major League Baseball 2 3 Korea Baseball Organization 2 4 Chinese Professional Baseball League 3 Death 3 1 Legacy 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEarly life EditEncarnacion grew up in Bani where he was friends with Miguel Tejada 1 Encarnacion dropped out of school at 15 years old to focus on baseball 2 114 In 1994 he signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics at the purported age of 16 3 Before traveling to the United States to play in Oakland s farm system Encarnacion borrowed and read psychology textbooks so that he could learn how to talk to gringos He also bought his mother her first telephone 1 167 Professional career EditMinor League Baseball Edit Encarnacion was assigned to the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League to begin his professional career in 1996 4 In 1999 he won the Triple A World Series with the Vancouver Canadians 5 By that December he was described in the Los Angeles Times as Oakland s best position player prospect 6 He was so highly regarded by the Athletics that they declined a trade for All Star outfielder Jim Edmonds in December 1999 reportedly because it would have required them to part with Encarnacion 6 7 Prior to the 2000 season Baseball America ranked him the 90th best prospect in baseball and the best position player prospect in the Oakland system 4 8 Shortly before the trade deadline in 2001 the Athletics traded Encarnacion to the Colorado Rockies in a three team deal that netted them Jermaine Dye from the Kansas City Royals 9 Major League Baseball Edit On August 26 2001 the Rockies added Encarnacion to their Major League roster for the first time following an injury to outfielder Mark Little 10 He made his debut that afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park 11 12 Though hitless in his debut he walked in his first plate appearance against Ruben Quevedo and later walked and stole a base against Chad Fox and Henry Blanco 12 He would be a regular in Colorado s outfield for the remainder of the season alongside Juan Pierre and future Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker 13 Encarnacion entered spring training with the Rockies in 2002 During camp amidst increased scrutiny from the Immigration and Naturalization Service following the September 11 attacks it was discovered that Encarnacion was actually two years older than he had represented His listed age increased from 24 to 26 years old 14 On April 4 2002 the Chicago Cubs claimed Encarnacion off waivers from the Rockies and designated Julio Zuleta for assignment 15 The following day they added him to their active roster when outfielder Moises Alou was placed on the disabled list 16 He would appear in only three games for the Cubs before on April 15 Alou returned from the disabled list and Encarnacion was designated for assignment 17 18 He would not return to the Major Leagues again in his career 11 He spent the remainder of the season in Triple A with the Iowa Cubs 4 In January 2003 Encarnacion signed with the Montreal Expos 19 In May 2003 the St Louis Cardinals traded a player to be named later to the Montreal Expos for Encarnacion and assigned him to the Triple A Memphis Redbirds 20 They released him later that month 11 Korea Baseball Organization Edit Encarnacion finished the 2003 season with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization KBO beginning a career in Asian professional baseball He was paired in the outfield with Venezuelan player Robert Perez under KBO rules which only allowed two foreign players per team to play at any one time 21 Although the Giants would win 39 games and lose 91 he would lead them in both home runs and runs batted in 22 Encarnacion returned to the Giants in 2004 albeit for only four games 4 Chinese Professional Baseball League Edit Encarnacion traveled to Taiwan to play for the Macoto Cobras of the Chinese Professional Baseball League CPBL in the 2005 season He was a CPBL All Star and helped lead the team to a first half title 23 24 Death EditOn October 3 he was found dead in his team dormitory room by a team employee after he missed a practice 2 112 There were no signs of forced entry in his room 2 113 He was survived by his wife Rosana and son Mario He was the first former Major League Baseball player to have died in Taiwan 25 Earlier in the season he was briefly suspended for testing positive for steroids leading to speculation regarding the role of drugs in his death It had also been reported that he had been suffering from a bout of gastroenteritis and had asked to be excused from that weekend s practices 26 Autopsy reports later showed that he had died from a congenital medical condition 27 According to his father however the doctors at the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo who conducted the autopsy variously told him that the body was too decomposed to determine a cause of death and that he had died of a heart attack Speculation abounded in the Dominican Republic that his death may have been related to a match fixing operation something for which the Chinese Professional Baseball League was known His family called on the Dominican government to conduct an inquiry into his death but according to his father they didn t do anything 2 113 Encarnacion s body was transported back to Dominican from Taiwan by his team while Miguel Tejada paid for his headstone at a cemetery in Bani 2 113 28 Legacy Edit In 2006 the Sacramento River Cats and Sacramento Bee writer Marcos Breton established the Mario Encarnacion Humanitarian Award which is given annually to athletes who inspire others through their story lead by example and are role models to others 29 See also EditList of baseball players who died during their careersReferences Edit a b Breton Marcos Villegas Jose Luis 2000 Away Games The Life and Times of a Latin Baseball Player UNM Press ISBN 978 0 8263 2232 6 Retrieved 7 August 2021 a b c d e Gedda George 2009 Dominican Connection Talent from the Tropics Changes Face of National Pastime Strategic Book Publishing ISBN 978 1 60693 023 6 Retrieved 7 August 2021 Knapp Gwen 3 March 1999 Encarnacion impresses Howe SF Gate Retrieved 7 August 2021 a b c d Mario Encarnacion Minor Korean Mexican amp CPBL Leagues Statistics amp History Baseball Reference com Sports Reference Retrieved 7 August 2021 Pearlman Jeff October 4 1999 Something Old Something New At the Triple A series Vancouver s youth was too much for Charlotte s veterans Sports Illustrated Retrieved 8 August 2021 a b Digiovanna Mike 17 December 1999 Edmonds Remains an Angel for Now Los Angeles Times Retrieved 7 August 2021 Schulman Henry 15 December 1999 A s Still Dickering for Edmonds SF Gate Retrieved 7 August 2021 Cooper J J January 22 2019 1983 2000 Top 10 Prospects Rankings Archive Baseball America Retrieved 8 August 2021 Mossman John July 26 2001 BASEBALL TRADE A s deal for Dye in 3 team shuffle Kitsap Sun Associated Press Retrieved 8 August 2021 Transactions The New York Times 27 August 2001 Retrieved 8 August 2021 a b c Mario Encarnacion Stats Baseball Reference com Sports Reference Retrieved 8 August 2021 a b Colorado Rockies at Milwaukee Brewers Box Score August 26 2001 Baseball Reference com Sports Reference Retrieved 8 August 2021 2001 Colorado Rockies Lineups and Defense Baseball Reference com Sports Reference Retrieved 8 August 2021 Stark Jayson February 23 2002 Age issues brought on by Sept 11 ESPN com ESPN Retrieved 8 August 2021 SPORTS TRANSACTIONS FOR THURSDAY APRIL 4 United Press International April 4 2002 Retrieved 8 August 2021 Alou on disabled list United Press International April 5 2002 Retrieved 8 August 2021 Mario Encarnacion 2002 Batting Game Logs Baseball Reference com Sports Reference Retrieved 8 August 2021 Kahrl Christina 17 April 2002 Transaction Analysis April 14 15 2002 Baseball Prospectus Retrieved 8 August 2021 Sun Baltimore January 24 2003 Transactions Baltimore Sun Retrieved 8 August 2021 St Louis Cardinals Transactions MLB com Major League Baseball Retrieved 8 August 2021 Jaffe Jay July 17 2020 Tyler White Heads to South Korea Where He ll Buck a Trend FanGraphs Retrieved 8 August 2021 2003 Lotte Giants Statistics Baseball Reference com Sports Reference Retrieved 8 August 2021 Huang Paul 25 July 2005 All Stars dazzle Kaohsiung Taipei Times Retrieved 8 August 2021 Huang Paul 23 July 2005 Cobras take 1st half crown Taipei Times Retrieved 8 August 2021 Players by place of death Taiwan Baseball Stats and Info Baseball Reference com Sports Reference Retrieved 6 August 2021 Chang Rich 4 October 2005 Baseball player found dead in dormitory room Taipei Times Retrieved 7 August 2021 SABR Asian Baseball Committee Newsletter Archived 2007 02 02 at the Wayback Machine Vol 3 No 2 December 2005 Zirin Dave 26 October 2005 Say It Ain t So Big Leagues The Nation Retrieved 7 August 2021 Nominations open for 2016 Mario Encarnacion Award MiLB com Minor League Baseball July 13 2016 Retrieved 8 August 2021 External links EditCareer statistics and player information from Baseball Reference or Baseball Reference Minors Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mario Encarnacion amp oldid 1115459714, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
