Pablo Sandoval

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Pablo Emilio Juan Pedro Sandoval Jr. (born August 11, 1986) is a Venezuelan professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent.

He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox.

He stands 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and weighs 268 pounds (122 kg).

Nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda", Sandoval is a two-time All-Star and has won three World Series championships with the Giants.

He hit three home runs (HR) in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, becoming the fourth person to hit three home runs in a World Series game, leading to his being named that year's World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP).

During the offseason, Sandoval plays for the Navegantes del Magallanes of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (VPBL). Sandoval was born in Venezuela.

He grew up an avid baseball fan, playing the game with his older brother and following the careers of Omar Vizquel and Andrés Galarraga.

In 2002, Sandoval was signed by the San Francisco Giants.

Sandoval worked his way through the minor leagues and debuted with the Giants in 2008, batting .345 in 41 games.

Capable of playing first base, third base, and catcher, he became the Giants' starting third baseman in 2009, ceasing to catch that year and playing first base only occasionally.

In 2009, Sandoval finished second in All-Star Final Vote balloting, batting .330 with 25 HR and 90 runs batted in (RBI) in his first full season in the majors.

However, Sandoval struggled in 2010 and was benched during the playoffs for the 2010 World Series, which the Giants won.

He lost weight before 2011 and hit .315 with 23 home runs in 117 games.

Injuries limited Sandoval to 108 games in 2012, but he was selected to his second-straight All-Star Game.

Then, in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, Sandoval joined Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series Game.

For his contributions, Sandoval was named the World Series Most Valuable Player, as the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers.

In 2013, he appeared in 141 games, batting .278, with 14 home runs, and 79 RBI. A free agent after the 2014 season, Sandoval signed a five-year contract with the Red Sox that offseason.

Due to poor performance, the Red Sox released him in 2017.

Sandoval then re-signed with the Giants but the Red Sox remain responsible for paying his salary through the end of the 2019 season.

Early life

Sandoval was born to Pablo Sr. and Amelia Sandoval in Puerto Cabello, Carabobo, Venezuela. He grew up an avid baseball fan, following the careers of Omar Vizquel and Andrés Galarraga. He practiced baseball in an empty two-car garage with his older brother, Michael. His favorite players were Omar Vizquel (later his teammate on the Giants) and Andrés Galarraga. He was born left-handed, but wanted to be able to play shortstop like Vizquel. Thus, at nine, he taught himself to throw right-handed as well. He can still throw with both hands, but throws right-handed during games.

Personal life

During the offseason, Sandoval lives in Santa Monica, California.

Sandoval's parents run a mechanical engineering firm in Valencia, Venezuela. His older brother, Michael, played in the Minnesota Twins' organization from 1999 through 2004 and, after a year of independent ball in 2009, played for San Jose in 2010. Sandoval is a devout Roman Catholic, and makes the sign of the cross after each base hit. He attributes his success to his faith, saying it is important to be "seizing the opportunities offered in life by God and the need to fight tirelessly, not to survive but to excel."

Sandoval has a daughter from his marriage to Yoletzade Sandoval, whom he divorced in 2010. Sandoval married his current wife, Yulimar Martins, on December 10, 2019, at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami Beach.

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Professional career

Sandoval's scouts alerted him in 2002 when he went to the Dominican Republic for a scouting tournament. Sandoval, the Texas Rangers' scout, told Sandoval that he would come to Venezuela to sign him, but he didn't turn up. Ciro Villalobos, a San Francisco Giants scout, offered Sandoval a contract, which he accepted. Sandoval began his playing career as a catcher for the 2004 AZL Giants, hitting.266 with no home runs and 26 runs batted in 177 at bats.

When playing for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in 2005, he was mostly used as a third baseman. With three home runs and 50 RBIs, he finished second in the Northwest League to Mike Mooney's.342) (one behind Luis Valbuena's total). In 2006, his batting average dropped to.26 percent. With the South Atlantic League's Single-Agusta GreenJackets, he had one home run and 49 RBIs, splitting time between first and third base. He played for the San Jose Giants in 2007, hitting.287 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs. He was used as a catcher and first baseman during the California League championship season, and he helped San Jose win the California League championship.

He spent time with two minor league teams, San Jose and the Double-A Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League, before being promoted to the majors in 2008. In 273 at bats for San Jose, he was batting.359 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs. In 175 at bats with Connecticut, he went.337 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. In 2008, he hit.350 with 20 home runs and 96 RBIs.

Sandoval was called up to the Majors on August 13, 2008. In a 7–4 loss to the Houston Astros, he made his debut the next day, going 0-for-3. He made an RBI sacrifice fly in his first Major League Baseball (MLB) plate appearance. In the second inning of his upcoming game, August 16, he took his first hit against Mike Hampton in his second inning of his second game, losing by 11–5 to the Atlanta Braves. He hit.345 with three home runs and 24 RBI in his first 41 games, bringing out 14 runs and breaking ground to six double plays in 154 at-bats. In a 4–1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on August 27, he earned his first MLB home run off Liván Hernández.

Sandoval was used at first base, at third base, and as catcher on defense. Sandoval won the Zito game after the then-recent film, and the rotund Sandoval scored a run against the Los Angeles Dodgers by leaping over the tag of catcher Danny Ardoin.

Sandoval was the Giants' starting third baseman and backup catcher on spring training in 2009. At the start of the year, he was working as a personal catcher for Zito. Sandoval defeated the Washington Nationals 9–7 on May 12, with his first walk-off home run against Joe Beimel. Following an elbow injury to Sandoval in May, the Giants called Eli Whiteside to serve as the backup catcher on May 24; since then, Sandoval hasn't been used at all as a catcher. Sandoval's farm system had made the most dramatic change since the 1990s when Will Clark and Robby Thompson were rookies, according to San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler.

Sandoval's first days in the majors were marked by a tendency to free swing. Sandoval was responsible for the team's winning the fewest walks in the National League at a time when the overall number of walks throughout baseball had increased. "I'm trying to get him to be disciplined, but it's like kicking a lion." He leaves the dugout ready to swing the bat. 'Swing at a strike,'" I say to him before every at-bat. Sandoval's own words described his strategy as "See ball, swing." He was selected as a sprint final vote candidate for the final roster spot on the National League team in July 2009. On the last day of voting, Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies edged him out.

Sandoval defeated Sean West of the visiting Florida Marlins 5–4, in his first grand slam at home at AT&T Park on July 6, with him winning by 5–4. On July 30, the MLB Debut of Willie McCovey, who was in attendance, would have been his first home run into McCovey Cove. "It's special right now," Sandoval said after the game. Here's a look at McCovey Cove and McCovey. Anytime he's in the clubhouse, he talks to me." Sandoval set a record for the most hits by a Giants switch-hitter in a single season, hitting 189 in 2009.

Sandoval also finished the 2009 season with 25 home runs and 90 RBI in 153 games. He had the second-best batting average among NL hitters at.330 (behind Hanley Ramrez's.342) and finished seventh in NL MVP polls. He was ineligible for the National Rookie of the Year Award, which was given to Chris Coghlan due to his service time in 2008.

The Giants had Sandoval's weight loss program during the offseason. Sandoval, on the other hand, suffered in a sophomore slump in 2010. In a game on June 5, he struggled all season to match his 2009 numbers and saw himself fall to eighth in the batting order. Pat Burrell and Sandoval of the Cubs won 8–7 on August 12, marking one of the season's best runs against Randy Wells of the Cubs. Sandoval's home run drought came to an end. Sandoval finished the season with a.268 batting average, 13 home runs, and 63 RBI. He saw his batting average decrease from.379 to.227 as a right-handed hitter. During this time, his batting average with runners in scoring position also dropped from.301 to.208 in 2010. He was suspended during the 2010 National League Championship Series for Juan Uribe and limited to three at-bats in the 2010 World Series because of his overweight and ineffective. Sandoval won his first World Series ring after 1954, beating the Texas Rangers in five games for the first time.

The Giants initiated "Operation Panda," a publicized effort aimed at bringing Sandoval's offseason to a better shape. He had weighed 278 pounds (126 kg) by the time he died in 2010. Sandoval hired Triple Threat Performance of Tempe, Arizona, to help him lose weight and help him improve his results. Sandoval's field test revealed he lost more than 30 pounds (14 kg). Sandoval returned to his 2009 form following a disappointing 2010 season. He got off to a promising start in 2011, but he missed 41 games due to a broken right hamate bone in late April. On June 14, he was activated from the disabled list (DL) and had a 22-game hitting streak from June 19 to July 14. Sandoval was named to the National League All-Star team on July 10, 2011, making him the first All-Star position player for the Giants since Barry Bonds in 2007. Sandoval scored an RBI ground-rule double against Brandon League in his first All-Star game at bat, leading the NL to victory in the 2011 MLB All-Star Game.

Sandoval pitcher Jhoulys Chacn was hammered for the cycle at Colorado on September 15, 2011. In the first, he had (in order) a two-run home run, a single in the second, a double in the fifth, and a triple in the sixth. Sandoval was named as the first "NL Player of the Week" award on September 19, 2011. Sandoval was.315/.552 in 2011, a significant improvement from 2010. Due to the injury he suffered, he only had 426 at bats for the season, down significantly from his numbers from 2009 and 2010.

Sandoval struck a single in the fourth inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on April 26, 2012. Sandoval had a hit on Opening Day, bringing a Giants franchise record for longest hitting streak to begin a season. Johnny Rucker's 1946 set the previous record, which was 18 games. Sandoval had it up to 20 before it was snapped. Sandoval fractured his left hamate bone in May, causing him to be out early June. "I guess the bad news is both [hamate bones] will be gone tomorrow, and he can't do it again," Sandoval's head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said the day before Sandoval's surgery. Sandoval had defeated David Wright for his second All-Star team as the starting third baseman for the National League on July 1, 2012. Fans and executives (especially Sandy Alderson) were largely critical of the decision, as David Wright had a much higher batting average than Sandoval at the time. Wright called the team a reserve, and Sandoval in 2009 "outperformed Wright, who was the fans' pick to start." Sandoval's first bases-loaded triple in the history of the Midsummer Classic highlighted the NL's five-run opening inning on July 10, beating reigning American League (AL) Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.

Sandoval suffered his left hamstring at the end of July and was on the DL for the second time in 2012, from July 28 to August 13. In a 9–2 victory over Colorado on September 20, he came from both directions of the plate, becoming the sixth San Francisco Giant to do so. Sandoval batted.283 with 112 hits, 12 home runs, and 63 RBI in 108 games (396 at bats).

Sandoval recorded three home runs in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series on October 24, 2012 — two of which were off Justin Verlander. He partnered Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols as the first players in MLB history to reach three home runs in a World Series game, and he's the first player to do so in his first three plate appearances (in the first, third, and fifth innings). Sandoval was named the World Series MVP on October 28, 2008. He also received the Babe Ruth Award for his overall postseason results. Sandoval set a new Giants franchise record for most hits in a postseason, with 24 runs, including six home runs.

Sandoval defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 2–1 after the Giants trailed 1–0 in the ninth innings on April 30, 2013. He had 35 hits, tied for the NL lead with Starling Marte, and the first April total by a Giant. The Giants defeated Washington 4–2 on May 21, with 10th-inning, two-run home run against Yunesky Maya on May 21 at AT&T Park and fighting the flu. He was on the DL with a left foot injury from June 9 to June 23, causing him to miss a long time. During a 14-10 win over the Miami Marlins on August 16, he had four hits and landed safely in all six plate appearances. In a 13–5 victory over the Padres on September 4, he hit three home runs. Sandoval's result made them the only players to play three-homer games in both the regular season and playoffs. Sandoval batted.278 with 146 hits, 14 home runs, and 79 RBI in 141 games.

Sandoval had to shed weight by the end of 2013. He appeared at spring training several pounds lighter after being encouraged by several of his coworkers and Giants' general manager Brian Sabean. Sandoval, who batted.167 with just six RBI in his first 31 games through May 6, did not recover quickly because of the weight loss, who batted.167 with just six RBI in his first 31 games. However, over his next 42 games until June 21, he batted.351 with seven home runs and 27 RBI.

Sandoval extended his National League postseason hitting record to 13 consecutive games in the 2014 NLDS, with a game-tying RBI double in the top of the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals.

In Game 3 of the 2014 World Series, his post-season on-base streak came to an end. Frankie Frisch won his 13th multi-hit post-season game in Game 4, despite being sick with the flu.

Sandoval hit Kansas City in Game 7 of the World Series for his 26th hit of the season (it was later broken by Randy Arozarena in the 2020 World Series). Salvador Pérez' pop-up foul ball for the final out for the San Francisco Giants' World Series championship. It was the Giants' third World Championship in a span of five seasons. Sandoval was a free agent after the season ended.

Sandoval and the Boston Red Sox announced an agreement on a five-year, $90 million contract with a sixth-year club option of $17 million or a $5 million buy-out on November 24, 2014. On November 25, the agreement was officially announced. "It was a difficult decision for me," Sandoval said. It took me a long time to know that I was going to make the right decision... However, I want a new challenge. "I made the decision to live in Boston because I want to experience a new challenge."

Sandoval batted.245 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI in his first full season in 2009. He swung at 47.8% of pitches outside the strike zone, the highest percentage in the majors).

Sandoval changed agents and was represented by Rick Thurman and Rafa Nieves of Beverly Hills Sports Council in January 2016. In spring training, an overweight Sandoval failed to recover after his first season in Boston, and Travis Shaw was brought on as the starting third baseman. Sandoval was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a shoulder strain on April 13. Sandoval underwent left shoulder surgery on May 3rd, effectively ending his season as a result. Sandoval's recovery was progressing ahead of schedule, according to manager John Farrell, and it could be a choice for the Red Sox in the postseason if a need arises, since the team did acquire Aaron Hill during the season to help with third base depth. Sandoval also put on a tumultuous workout program by losing 15 pounds by August while working at the Red Sox plant in Fort Myers. Sandoval ended his 2016 season with six at bats due to injury.

Sandoval battled in spring training to become the third baseman, facing Josh Rutledge and a few others. Sandoval gained the job after posting good spring training numbers. He began batting at the bottom of the Boston lineup, mainly between 6th and 8th in order. Sandoval's debacle started on the 2015 season, with a.212 on the Red Sox before being placed on the 10-day disabled list on June 20 with an inner ear infection. He began working with the Pawtucket Red Sox of the Class AAA International League on June 27, which is his first rehab assignment. He was assigned by the Red Sox on July 14 and released on July 19.

Sandoval's contract came to a minor league deal on July 22, 2017. Sandoval's family played three games with the Class A-Advanced San Jose Giants and nine games with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, where he batted.222 and.207, respectively, after rejoining the Giants' team. Sandoval was escorted to San Francisco on August 5, after Brandon Belt was put on the disabled list for a concussion. Sandoval was active with the 2017 Giants in 47 games, batting.225 with five home runs and 20 RBIs; defensively, he made 38 appearances at third base and nine appearances at first base.

For 2018, the Giants selected Sandoval's option, which was worth the league minimum. He had a good spring training, hitting four home runs as part of a.302/.585 slash line. He was reportedly a bench player for spring practice, most likely as a back-up to newly acquired third baseman Evan Longoria.

Sandoval debuted as a pitcher in a 15–6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 28, 2008. He pitched a perfect ninth inning, resulting in three groundouts with mainly curveballs that averaged 70 mph. He hit.248/.417 with 9 home runs and 40 RBIs in 92 games for the Giants.

Sandoval played in more than 100 games for the Giants in 2019, including 3rd and 1st bases, as well as pitching in a single game. He also led the major leagues with 18 pinch hits, but was hindered by elbow injuries. He came off the injured list two days before Tommy John surgery to make his final appearance for retiring boss Bruce Bochy on September 1, 2019. Sandoval was a nominee for the annual Roberto Clemente Award for both on and off the track. He batted.268/.513/.507 for 14 home runs and 41 RBIs, his first stolen base since 2012.

Sandoval decided to a minor league deal with the Giants on January 31, 2020, and if he's a member of the 40-man roster, he'll get a one-year, $2 million contract. Sandoval's contract was made on July 23 when he was first selected on the Giants' Opening Day roster. Sandoval was scheduled for assignment and placed on release waivers by the Giants on September 10, 2020. He batted.220/.268/.268 in 90 plate appearances in 2020 with the Giants.

Sandoval signed a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves on September 14, 2020. Sandoval was added to the 40-man and active rosters on September 27, the Braves' Sandoval added Sandoval to the 40-man and active rosters. Sandoval settled with the number 18 after Ian Anderson's normal number 48 was used by Sandoval. He was 0-for-2 for the team in the 2020 regular season. He made a pinch-hit appearance in Game 1 of the 2020 National League Championship Series after not participating in the Wild Card Series or the Division Series, and he was out for two runs in the eighth inning with two runners on and two out; he was struck by a pitch after two pitches. As the Braves defeated 5-1, he was in third base for the ninth inning.

Sandoval re-signed with the Braves on a minor league contract on January 24, 2021. Sandoval was selected to the 40-man roster on March 27, 2021. Sandoval's first three at-bats included two home runs, one of which was later to be the game-winner on April 7, 2021. Sandoval was traded to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Eddie Rosario's exchange and cash considerations and was immediately released. He batted.178/.302/.342. 322 is the highest score he saw in 2021. He ran his third-fastest sprint speed in the major leagues in that year, at 22.7 feet/second, behind only Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.

Sandoval signed with the Aceros de Monclova of the Mexican League on February 7, 2022. He batted.240/.356 in 28 games, with three home runs and 18 RBIs. Sandoval was deemed out by the team on May 26, 2022. Sandoval was granted waivers by the Olmecas de Tabasco on May 27.

International career

Sandoval plays in the Venezuelan Winter League during the offseason, like many Venezuelan MLB players. He plays for the Navegantes del Magallanes. Sandoval led his team to its first series title since the 2002 winter ball season. He was named the MVP of the Venezuelan postseason three months after being named the 2012 World Series MVP. "There's nothing like being champion here in Venezuela with the Navegantes," Sandoval said. Well, winning the World Series cannot be compared to winning the World Series, because the two activities are not similar. But it's also very rare to be champion here."

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