Prince Fielder, Retired


Date of Birth: 5/9/1984
Birthplace: Ontario, California

Prince Fielder grew up with a father who was a successful major league baseball player. Cecil Fielder played for 13 years in the majors, hitting 319 home runs. Young Prince often joined his father in the ballpark and at batting practice. He played baseball throughout his school years and in his senior year in high school, the younger Fielder batted .524, with 13 doubles, 10 home runs, and 41 RBIs.

Fielder was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002 and he played in their minor league teams until June, 2005. When he was called up, he played in just a few games, serving as the Brewers DH in interleague games. He went back down to the minors and didn't return to the Brewers until August, then serving as backup first baseman for the team.

Fielder's first full season as the Brewer's starting first baseman was in 2006 and he didn't disappoint the team or the fans. In his rookie year, he batted .271, with 154 hits, 35 doubles, and 28 home runs. The following season, Fielder set a record as the youngest major league player to hit 50 home runs in one season. In 2007, Fielder had a .288 batting average, with 165 hits, 35 doubles, 50 home runs, and 119 RBIs. He was rewarded that season with his first Silver Slugger award and the National League Hank Aaron award. Fielder would go on to win two more Silver Slugger awards (2011, 2012) and the 2011 All-Star Game MVP award.

From 2008 through 2011, Fielder kept signing new one or two year contracts with the Brewers, his last one in 2011 worth $15.5 million for one season. After the 2011 season, Fielder became a free agent and he signed a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. On November 20, 2013, the Tigers traded Fielder to the Texas Rangers for Ian Kinsler. He spent most of the 2014 season on the DL following neck surgery in June.

Fielder had an outstanding season in 2015 and he was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year. He finished the season with a career high 187 hits, 28 doubles, 23 home runs, 98 RBIs, and a .305 batting average in 158 games. He didn't fare well, however, in the postseason. In 20 at-bats in 5 games, he had just 3 hits and 1 RBI for a batting average of .150.

On August 10, 2016, Fielder announced that his major league baseball career was over due to a neck injury. Prior to that date, he played in 89 games with the Rangers. He batted .212 with 69 hits, 16 doubles, and 44 RBIs.

The Rangers released Fielder on October 5, 2017.

Fielder's statistics in twelve seasons (2005-2016) in the major leagues include:

  • 2 seasons with a batting average over .300, with a high of .313 in 2012
  • 9 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 187 in 2015
  • 7 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 36 in 2011 and 2013
  • 9 seasons with over 20 home runs, with a high of 50 in 2007 and 46 in 2009
  • 6 seasons with over 100 RBIs, with a high of 141 in 2009

Career batting statistics for Fielder through 2016 include:

  • 1,611 games played
  • 1,645 hits
  • 321 doubles
  • 319 home runs
  • 1,028 RBIs
  • 1,155 strikeouts to 847 walks
  • .283 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Fielder at first base through 2016 include:

  • 1,324 games played
  • 744 assists
  • 1,025 double plays
  • 10,722 putouts
  • 95 errors
  • .992 fielding percentage

Personal Life

Fielder and his wife Chanel were married in 2005. They have two children.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Prince Fielder
ESPN Sports - Prince Fielder