Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder
Milwaukee Brewers – No. 28
First baseman
Bats: Left Throws: Right
debut
June 13, 2005, for the Milwaukee Brewers
Career statistics (through June 5, 2009)
Batting average	.279
Home runs	127
Runs batted in	364
Slugging percentage	.536
On-base percentage	.375
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Milwaukee Brewers (2005-present)
Career highlights and awards
2x All-Star selection (2007, 2009) Silver Slugger Award winner (2007) 2007 NL Hank Aaron Award Youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a season Brewers franchise leader for home runs in a season 2009 Home Run Derby champion

Prince Fielder (born May 9, 1984, in Ontario, California) is a Major League Baseball player who plays first base for the Milwaukee Brewers. Currently listed at 5' 11" and 268 pounds, he was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.

He is the son of former Detroit Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder. Prince and Cecil are the only father-son combination in MLB history to each reach the exclusive 50 home run plateau. Fielder also holds the Brewers' team record for home runs in a season, as well as the MLB record for youngest player to reach the 50 home run mark. Prince Fielder is also the first Brewer to win the Home Run Derby, defeating Nelson Cruz 6-5 in the final round of the 2009 derby in St. Louis.

Child of the big leagues

Prince, like many sons of prominent major leaguers, was a fixture around his father's teams' clubhouses growing up. In addition, he starred alongside his father in a McDonald's commercial and appeared with him on MTV's "Rock 'n Jock".

When his father played for Detroit, Prince would sometimes come along for batting practice. Contrary to popular belief, Fielder did not hit a home run into the upper deck of Tiger Stadium at the age of 12, but he did hit a home run over the fence as a pre-teen. Fielder set the story straight in a 2007 interview with Fox Sports during a road trip to Detroit.

Prince broke off contact with his father, Cecil Fielder, when Cecil took $200,000 of Prince's $2.4 million signing bonus that he received in 2002. Prince claimed that his father had stolen from him. Cecil blamed his ex-wife for turning Prince against him.

High school career

Fielder spent his first three years of high school playing at Florida Air Academy. He then transferred to Eau Gallie High School to play baseball there his senior year (2002). He hit .524 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 47 runs in his senior year. He was named by the Florida Today as the All-Space Coast Player of the Year in 2002.

In 2002, Fielder hit a home run that has since been exaggerated at over 550-580 feet. The actual home run was hit 430 feet off Rockledge High School pitcher Aaron Cook.

Professional career

2005

Fielder began the 2005 season with the minor league Nashville Sounds, and later served as a designated hitter for the Brewers during interleague play. Fielder married his wife Chanel during the Triple-A All-Star Break. He earned his first call-up to the Majors on June 13, 2005, but he was sent back down to the Sounds after the end of interleague play, since Lyle Overbay was already the regular first baseman for the team. Fielder was again called up to the Majors on August 17, 2005, and went on to finish the season with the Brewers, where he was used as a pinch-hitter. He was the 6th-youngest player in the league.

On June 15, 2005, he collected his first major league hit, a double, off Hideo Nomo, and drove in his first big league run with his second hit of the night at Tampa Bay.

2006

Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks at Spring Training, 2005

After Lyle Overbay was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, Fielder became the Brewers' starting first baseman in 2006 and was an early favorite for National League Rookie of the Year.

Prince did not get off to a great start in the 2006 regular season, going 0-9 with 7 strikeouts. In his 12th at-bat Fielder finally made a big splash, delivering a game-winning hit that drove home Geoff Jenkins for the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The hit not only won the game for the Brewers, but secured an opening series sweep. Even with his early season struggles, Prince was named the National League's Rookie of the Month for April, and hit consistently since. On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Fielder was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. With his 18th home run of the year, Fielder broke the Brewers' rookie home run record previously held by Greg Vaughn.

He led all major league rookies with 28 homers in the 2006 season. On defense, he had the lowest zone rating among NL first basemen, .804.

2007

Fielder had a strong first half in 2007, earning a start at first base in the 2007 All-Star game over the previous two MVP winners, Ryan Howard (2006) and Albert Pujols (2005).

On August 13, 2007, Fielder was featured on a magazine cover for the first time when he was featured on the August 13, 2007 issue of the noted ESPN The Magazine.

On September 15, 2007, Fielder broke the Brewers franchise record for home runs in a season, hitting his 46th in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. The record was previously jointly held by Richie Sexson (twice) and Gorman Thomas.

On September 25, Fielder became the youngest player ever to reach 50 home runs in a season, joining his estranged father in the exclusive club. Fielder has stated that he hopes to surpass his father's total of 51 home runs in a season (1990) as a way of exorcising the demons that have come with being the son of a prominent major leaguer. "A lot of people said that's the only reason I got drafted... I don't mind people comparing me to him but I'm a completely different player. One day I want people to mention my name and not have to mention his," Fielder has said. Earlier in the season, Cecil Fielder had told a magazine that it was his famous name that led to his son being such a highly touted prospect. The younger Fielder also saw his contention in the 2007 NL MVP race as a way of proving his father wrong, but gets little else from the rift but motivation saying, "You've got to look at who's saying it. Let's be honest. He's not really the brightest guy."

Fielder ranked first in the National League in home runs (50) in his MVP-caliber 2007 season, was 2nd in slugging percentage to teammate Ryan Braun (.618), 2nd in at bats per home run (11.5) and OPS (1.013), 3rd in RBIs (119) and extra base hits (87), 4th in total bases (354) and hit by pitch (14), 5th in intentional walks (21) and sacrifice flies (8), 7th in runs (109) and times on base (269), and 9th in walks (90).

In 2007 he led all major league first basemen in errors, with 14, and was last among eligible major league first basemen in range factor (8.49).

Fielder earned the Milwaukee Brewers Team MVP award, the Player's Choice NL Outstanding Player award, 2007 Silver Slugger award, and was voted the National League's Hank Aaron Award winner.

2008

Unable to come up with an agreement for a long-term contract with the Brewers, Fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, signed a one-year, $670,000 deal with the Brewers. Fielder was quoted saying, "I'm not happy about it at all," showing his disappointment in not being able to reach an agreement with the club.

On June 19, Fielder hit the second inside-the-park home run of his career, against the Toronto Blue Jays.

On August 4, Fielder and teammate Manny Parra got into a scuffle in the dugout during a game against the Cincinnati Reds in which Parra was the starting pitcher. They were having a brief conversation, which led to Parra throwing his jacket down and Fielder shoving him. Fielder had to be restrained by teammates Ray Durham, Dave Bush, J. J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, and pitching coach Mike Maddux. ESPN reported that night that the dispute was over Parra heading back to the clubhouse after being pulled from the game instead of staying in the dugout to watch the Brewers bat in the next inning. Baseball Tonight also reports the exchange was started when Parra told Fielder to "get off his fat ass and play defense." Manager Ned Yost said reporters asking questions about the incident was as rude as "going over to the neighbors' house after they've been fighting and asking about it."

On September 23, Fielder hit his second walk-off home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates, helping the Brewers keep pace with the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card race.

Fielder was named the National League Player of the Week for the week of September 15–21 after he batted .462, with 27 total bases, six doubles, 11 RBI, .533 on-base percentage, and a 1.038 slugging percentage.

Fielder ended the 2008 regular season with a .276 batting average, 34 home runs, 102 RBI, 86 runs and 84 walks. The Brewers finished 90–72, earning the NL Wild Card on the final day of the regular season, their first postseason berth as a National League club and their first since losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1982 World Series. They faced the Philadelphia Phillies and were eliminated in 4 games.

2009

After 2008 season Fielder was seeking an $8 million salary in 2009, while the Brewers filed for $6 million. On January 23 the Brewers and Fielder avoided arbitration and finalized a two year $18 million contract.

In early 2009, sabermetrician John Dewan in his "The Fielding Bible Volume II," ranked Fielder second-to-last in fielding among starting first baseman in the majors.[1] "Fielder is an odd case," Dewan wrote. "He can move quickly at times, but more often plays at the speed his body type would indicate. He is better to his right than to his left, but that's a pretty low standard. Simply put, he's terrible to his left. With his physique and lack of defensive skill, it's only a matter of time before he falls off the defensive spectrum and fulfills his destiny as a designated hitter."[2]

Fielder hit his first career grand slam against Rafael Perez of the Cleveland Indians on June 15, 2009 at Progressive Field to give the Brewers the lead 13-12. The Brewers were down 8-3 at one point.

Fielder was one of four NL first basemen who made the 2009 NL All Star Team.

On July 6, Fielder confirmed he would participate in the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby in St Louis, where he made the finals with 17 home runs after the first two rounds, eliminating local favorites Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard. His 23 long balls tied for the 6TH most in the derby's history. Fielder won the Home Run Derby with 6 HR's and 7 outs in the final round, beating former teammate Nelson Cruz to win the 2009 Derby.

Vegetarianism

Prior to the beginning of the 2008 season Fielder became a vegetarian, removing meat and fish from his diet. He made this change after reading Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin's diet book Skinny Bitch. The book, given to him by his wife Chanel, advocates a healthy lifestyle.

Statistics

Year	Age	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	SH	SF	IBB	HBP	GDP
2005	21	Milwaukee	NL	39	59	2	17	4	0	2	10	0	0	2	17	.288	.306	.458	.764	27	0	1	0	0	0
2006	22	Milwaukee	NL	157	569	82	154	35	1	28	81	7	2	59	125	.271	.347	.483	.830	275	0	8	5	12	18
2007	23	Milwaukee	NL	158	573	109	165	35	2	50	119	2	2	90	121	.288	.395	.618	1.013	354	0	4	21	14	9
2008	24	Milwaukee	NL	159	588	86	162	30	2	34	102	3	2	84	134	.276	.372	.507	.879	298	0	10	19	12	12
Totals:				513	1,789	279	498	104	5	114	312	12	6	235	397	.278	.370	.533	.903	954	0	23	45	38	39

Roll over stat abbreviations for definitions. Stats through September 28, 2008.

Family

Fielder and his wife Chanel have two children: Jaden and Haven

He had a long running feud with his ex-baseball playing father Cecil Fielder.

See also

• 50 home run club
• List of Major League Baseball home run champions
• List of second generation MLB players

External links

• Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• Prince Fielder Interview at Baseball Digest Daily - June 2006
• Prince Fielder Video on FoxSports Video Archive

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