Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 2021)
PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 8, 2021 KEIZERTIMES.COM #4 Pablo Sandoval TOP 20 20 Volcanoes players of all time Charles Krupa/AP Pablo Sandoval played fi rst base and catcher early in his career before fi nding a home at third base. BY MATT RAWLINGS Of the Keizertimes Pablo Sandoval, AKA the Kung Fu Panda, comes in at #4 on the Keizertimes list of the 20 greatest Volca- noes players of all time. The switch-hitting third baseman has won three World Series rings over his 13-year Ma- jor League Baseball (MLB) career and has been selected to a pair of All-Star Games. He also was the MVP of the 2012 World Series. Sandoval grew up in Venezuela and was fi rst no- ticed by scouts as a 16-year old in 2002. As a youngster, Sandoval was a left-hand- ed outfi elder, but eventually learned to throw right hand- ed in order to be an infi elder like his idol, Omar Vizquel. Sandoval was signed by the San Francisco Giants in 2004 and began his career in the Arizona Rookie League as a catcher, batting .266 in 47 games. The following sea- son, Sandoval came to Sa- lem-Keizer and proved to be one of the top players in the Northwest League. He was second in the league in bat- ting average (.330) and RBIs (50) and had an on-base per- centage (OBP) of .383. Sandoval played full-sea- son A-ball with the Augus- ta GreenJackets in 2006, batting .265 with 49 RBIs as he split time at fi rst and third base. In 2007, Sandoval played advanced Single-A and helped San Jose win the California League title after hitting .287 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs. Sandoval split time be- tween Single-A and Dou- ble-A in 2008 before he got called up by the Giants on Aug 13, 2008. In his fi rst MLB at-bat, Sandoval hit a sacrifi ce fl y. He wound up getting his fi rst hit the fol- lowing day against Mike Hampton of the Atlanta Braves. On Aug. 27, 2008, San- doval hit his fi rst homer off of Liván Hernández in the Giants 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. In 45 games, Sandoval hit an impressive .345 with three homers and 24 RBIs. Sandoval was also giv- en the infamous nickname “Kung Fu Panda” by team- mate Barry Zito after San- doval scored a run against the Los Angeles Dodgers by jumping acrobatically over the catcher — Sandoval has been a heavy-set player for his entire career. Even though it was just his fi rst full year in MLB, Sandoval's best season came in 2009. Sandoval led the Giants in every major bat- ting category, hitting .330 with 25 homers, 90 RBIs and 189 hits, which were all career-highs. Sandoval also had career-highs in slugging percentage (.556) and OBP (.387). Defensively, Sandoval was the Giants starting third baseman and backup catcher. However, after an elbow in- jury, the Giants relieved San- doval of his catching duties. Sandoval hit his fi rst grand slam on July 6, 2009 off of Sean West in a 5-4 win for San Francisco. His 189 hits on the season were the most ever by a Giants switch-hit- ter. He had the second high- est batting average among National League (NL) hit- ters and fi nished seventh in NL MVP voting. However, Sandoval en- dured a bit of a sophomore slump, batting .268 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs. He fell to eighth in the batting or- der and was even benched in the 2010 NL Championship Series (NLCS). He made just three plate appearances in the 2010 World Series, but the Giants defeated the Tex- as Rangers in fi ve games and Sandoval got his fi rst cham- pionship ring. Despite spending 41 games on the disabled list, Sandoval had a bounce-back season in 2011. He had a 22- game hit streak that lasted from June 19 to July 14. On July 10, 2011, Sandoval was selected to his fi rst All-Star Game — he hit a ground- rule double in his fi rst all- star at-bat off of Brandon League. On Sept. 15, 2011, Sando- val hit for the cycle, with all four hits coming off Rockies pitcher Jhoulys Chacín, and earned his fi rst NL Player of the Week Award. In just 426 at-bats, Sando- val hit .313 with 23 homers and 70 RBIs. Sandoval began the 2012 season with a 20-game hit streak, which set the Giants record for longest hit streak to begin a season. Despite an injury in May that caused him to miss a month of the season, Sandoval was select- ed to his second straight All- Star Game. In the 2012 All-Star Game, Sandoval hit a bases-clearing triple off of reigning Amer- ican League (AL) Cy Young Award winner Justin Ver- lander in the fi rst inning. However, Sandoval head- ed back to the disabled list from July 28 to Aug. 13 with a left hamstring injury. On Sept. 20, 2012, Sando- val became the sixth Giants player to ever homer from both sides of the plate in a game. He fi nished the season batting .283 with 12 homers Body, Mind & Soul Our residents enjoy an active, engaging lifestyle that promotes wellness and independence. It is our goal to keep our residents linked to resources and opportunities that will fulfi ll their needs and interests in the Keizer area. Residents have many opportunities to participate in a variety of life enriching activities and events designed to stimulate the mind, body and soul. Please see PABLO, Page A8 ASK MR. TRASH Q. I heard about China’s ban on recycling. What IS recyclable now? A. Be very careful to only recycle the things on your hauler’s approved list. PLASTIC BAGS, STYROFOAM, AND WAXY CARTONS WERE NEVER RECYCLABLE! ©1986 Aaron Doster/USA Today Sports In his fi rst full season in the majors, Sandoval fi nished in the top 10 for the NL MVP award. From cocktail-hour gatherings where you can learn about the nuances of a good Pinot Noir, to a discussion of the latest best seller in our Life-Long Learning series, to exploring new ways to stay healthy in a fi tness class. Come See the Finest in Senior Living CALL (503) 390 -1300 PLEASE KEEP THE FOLLOWING GOOD RECYCLABLES EMPTY, CLEAN AND DRY: • Cardboard and uncoated greyboard boxes (Shipping & cereal type). No frozen food boxes! • Print-quality paper - newspaper, junk & office paper, and magazines; • Tin & Aluminum Cans Only - NO foil, trays, or scrap metal; • Plastic Bottles and Jugs Only - NO bags, tubs, clamshells, bubble Pak, or other plastics. Serving Keizer for Nearly 50 years! LOREN'S VA L L E Y SANITATION & RECYCLING SERVICE, INC. RECYCLING & DISPOSAL, INC. 503.393.2262 503.585.4300 1165 McGee Ct NE • Keizer, OR • VillageAtKeizerRidge.com
