He and his wife, Christi, make their offseason home in Houston with their twin boys, Beckett and Chase (Jan. 4, 2006)...signed by Astros scout Doug Deutsch...played collegiately at the University of Southern California...graduated from Redondo Union High School...first job was delivering produce in high school throughout Southern California...an avid reader...is the oldest of three brothers...remains close friends with former teammate and current San Diego Padres reliever Scott Linebrink...the Ensbergs were close to leaving for an All-Star Break vacation in Lake Tahoe with the Linebrinks when Astros General Manager Tim Purpura called to inform him that he was being named to the 2005 NL All-Star Team, replacing an injured Scott Rolen...met Christi at USC, who along with Jennifer Everett (wife of Astros shortstop Adam Everett), serve as co-chairs of the Astros wives vs. Texas Rangers wives charity softball game, benefitting the Texas chapter of the Autism Society of America.
2007
SUMMARY: Acquired from the Houston Astros along with cash considerations for a player to be named
later or cash considerations, 7/31...had been designated for assignment by the Astros, 7/29...finished 13-for-58 (.224) with three doubles, four homers, eight RBI, 11 runs scored and seven walks in 30 games with the Padres...started 11 games and made 18 pinch-hit appearances for San Diego...went 4-for-15 as a pinch-hitter for the Padres and 8-for-35 in 42 pinch-hit appearances overall...knocked a pinch-hit, two-run homer 9/13 at LAD, his third pinch-hit homer of the season and first with San Diego...tied a career high with two doubles 8/12 at CIN...made his first career appearance at first base 8/14 vs. COL...made his first start with the Padres 8/2 vs. ARI, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI.
SPLITTING TIME: In a total of 115 games between Houston and San Diego, hit .230 (65-for-282) with 13 doubles, 12 home runs, 39 RBI, 47 runs scored and 38 walks...started 63 games overall (62 at third, one at first).
WITH HOUSTON: In 85 games with Houston, batted .232 (52-for-224) with 10 doubles, eight homers, 31 RBI, 36 runs scored and 31 walks...started 52 of 68 games in the field.
BIG JULY: Finished July hitting .319 (15-for-47) with three doubles, one homer, 10 RBI, four runs scored and four walks in 19 games with Houston.
2006
Hit .235 (91x387) with 23 HR and 58 RBI in 127 games for the Astros in 2006...drew a career-best 101 walks, becoming the first 3B in club history to draw 100 or more walks in one season (16th player overall in club history)...ranked seventh in the NL in walks...ranked fifth among NL third basemen in on-base pct. At .392...walked in 67 of his 127 games...homered in a franchise-record six consecutive games from 4/15-21...six-game homer streak was also the longest for any Major League 3B since Graig Nettles also had a six-game streak for SD in Aug. 1994...drove in at least one run in eight consecutive games from 4/15-23...reached base in his first 17 starts of the season, a streak that was snapped on 4/24 vs. LAD...hit two homers on 4/18 vs. MIL, his fourth career multi-HR game...is the first Astros 3B with nine HR in April, one shy of the club record for the month (10, Bagwell, 2003; Berkman, 2002)...hit his 9th HR of the season on 4/23 vs. PIT (Maholm), homering for the 7th time in eight games...his eight HR in May tied his total from 2005 and were three shy of the club record during the month (11 by Jimmy Wynn in 1969)...ranks 3rd all-time in HR by an Astros 3B with 97...trails only Doug Rader (128) and Ken Caminiti (103)...has hit 63 home runs before the All-Star Break from 2003-06, tied for 7th-best in the NL...ranks 2nd among NL third basemen in homers since the beginning of the 2005 season with 59 (A.Ramirez, 69)...grounded into only three double plays, tied for the third-lowest among NL players with 400 plate appearances...hit .364 (8x22) with two home runs in the #2 slot in the lineup...2x4 with his 23rd HR batting second on 9/22 vs. STL...hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer to give the Astros the lead on 9/8 at MIL...was his 3rd career pinch-hit HR and the 7th for the Astros in 2006...activated from the 15-day DL on 8/1...missed 16 games after being placed on the DL on 7/10 with a right shoulder contusion...made three rehab starts at Triple A Round Rock (7/29-31) and went 6x12 (.500) with two home runs and seven RBI...started 11 consecutive games after coming off the DL from 8/1-12...started at 3B on 8/1 at SD and scored the only run in a 1-0 victory...1x3 with his 20th HR of the season on 8/10 vs. PIT...reached base in five consecutive plate appearances without a hit from 7/4-5 (4BB, 1HBP)...missed five games from 6/10-11 and 6/13-15...left the game with a bruised right shoulder on 6/9 vs. ATL..homered in four of six games from 5/21-26...hit his 18th HR of the year on 6/4 vs. CIN...hit his 17th HR on 5/26 at PIT...homered in consecutive games from 5/23-24...3x5 with his 10th HR of the year on 5/9 at LAD...posted a career-high-tying, 10-game hitting streak from 4/13 (Game 2)-4/23...hit .401 (16x39) with eight HR and 17 RBI during the streak.
1999
Led Class-A Kissimmee with 69 RBI...was second on the team with 15 HR...1998: Began his career at Short Season Auburn, hitting five home runs and driving in 31 runs.
2005
hit .283 (149x526) with 36 home runs and 101 RBI...named team MVP by the Houston chapter of the BBWAA...his home
run and RBI totals were franchise records for a third baseman...30 doubles were also a career-high total.
became the first Astros 3B to hit 30 HR and the seventh player in franchise history to hit 30 in one season (21, 30-HR
seasons in club history by seven different players).
marked the 43rd time in MLB history a third baseman has hit 36 or more home runs.
posted the 11th season in club history of 30+HR, 100+RBI, and 30+ doubles (Bagwell 7x, Berkman 3x).
one of the six NL finalists for the 2005 Hank Aaron Award, awarded to the outstanding offensive player each season.
named a National League All-Star for the first time in 2005...went 0x2 in the All-Star Game...hit 24 home runs and drove
in 65 runs in the 1st half, club records for a third baseman.
hit his 36th home run of the season on 9/20 at PIT...started at 3B on 9/19 at PIT, his first start since 9/5 when he was hit by
a pitch on the right hand (Brett Myers)...missed 11 games from 9/5-16.
hit .310 (18x58) in September...had a five-game hitting streak from 9/23-28 (.455, 10x22)...had a five-game hitting streak
from 9/23-28 (.455, 10x22).
RBI double in the top of the 9th on 9/28 at STL gave Houston drove in the eventual winning run...was his 100th RBI of the
year...is the first 3rd baseman and 14th player in Houston franchise history with an 100-RBI season (26 times).
3x5 with a single, double, triple and two RBI on 9/24 at CHI.
hit his 36th home run of the season on 9/20 at PIT...started at 3B on 9/19 at PIT, his first start since 9/5 when he was hit by
a pitch on the right hand (Myers).
the Astros were 21-12 when he homers and 42-18 when he drives in a run.
among the NL leaders in home runs (6th-36), total bases (T-9th-291), and slugging (9th-.557)...ranks 3rd among all MLB
3B in HR, 2nd in RBI, 2nd in total bases (293), and 3rd in slugging.
hit a 450-foot home run on 8/3 at ARI and went 3x4 with two runs scored.
named an All-Star for the first time in 2005...went 0x2 in the All-Star Game...hit 24 home runs and drove in 65 runs in the
1st half, club records for a third baseman.
named NL Player of the Week for 6/27-7/3 (.387, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 9 R, 5 2B, .935 SLG).
drove in 28 runs in June, one shy of the club record during the month...ranked 2nd in MLB during the month with 10
homers and 28 RBI...his 28 RBI in June tied for the most for a 3B in MLB in the last five years...also led all NL 3B in HR and
RBI in both May and June.
became the eighth Astro to homer three times in one game (11th time, 5/15 vs. SF)...hit five home runs in seven games
against San Francisco.
hit four home runs (with nine RBI) in a six-game stretch from 8/6-12.
hit six HR and 14 RBI in 15 Interleague games this year.
hit his 26th home run of the season on 7/22 at WSH, setting both his career high and the franchise record for a third
baseman.
drove in 11 runs in a four-game stretch from 6/28-7/1, including five runs on 6/28 at COL and four runs on 7/1 at CIN...drove
in 11 games in a nine-game stretch from 8/6-15...drove in three runs on 8/30, ending an 11-game stretch without an RBI
from 8/16-28.
hit his first home run of the season on 4/10 vs. CIN.
2004
Posted career-highs in RBI (66), games (131), at-bats (411), hits (113), doubles (20), and triples (3)...started 102 games at third base...had 29 RBI in his final 33 home games...appeared in all 12 postseason games...hit his first career postseason home run in Game 2 of the NLCS vs. St. Louis - went 2x5 with two
RBI...batted 2x4 with an RBI single and a two-RBI double in Game 3 of the NLDS vs. Atlanta...hit his 10th home run of the season on Oct. 2 vs. Colorado (Bernero)...tied his career high with four hits (second time) on Sept. 26 at Milwaukee...went 4x5 with two runs...started the final eight games at third base after not starting in 21 consecutive from Aug. 28-Sept. 18...left the game on Aug. 27 at the Chicago Cubs with back spasms...started the ninth triple play in club history on Aug. 19 at Philadelphia...homered in the 12th to give the Astros the lead on Aug. 13 at Montreal...was his seventh homer of the season...tied season high with three hits (3x5) on Aug. 11 at the New York Mets...homered in three consecutive games from July 2-4 after not homering in his first 67 games of the season...hit the second grand slam of his career on July 3 vs. Texas...hit his first home run of the season on July 2 vs. Texas, a two-run shot in the 8th that was the game-winner in a 7-5 win...snapped a career-long, 213-at-bat homer drought...hit .319 (22x69) in 20 games from May 14-June 8...2x4 on June 7 at Seattle...2x4 on June 1 at the Cubs...sacrifice fly drove in the only run in a 1-0 win on June 8 at Seattle...hit .154 (6x39) with four RBI in his first 15 games from April 7-22...hit .311 (33x106) in his next 32 games.
2002
The club's Opening Day third baseman, he hit .242 with three home runs and 19 RBI over 49 Major League games (37 starts, all at third base)...recorded six multi-hit games.
- optioned to New Orleans on May 30...batted .287 (86x286) with 11 doubles, three triples, seven homers and 37 RBI in 81 games for the Zephyrs.
- recalled on Sept. 11 after spending the final three months of the season at Triple A.
- appeared on the Astros Opening Day roster for the first time at third base...hit .236 (30x127) with three homers and 17 RBI in 41 games for Houston in April and May.
- finished tied for eighth among National League rookies with 19 RBI and sixth with 18 walks.
- notched his first Major League pinch-hit on Sept. 22 with an eighth-inning double at St. Louis...collected a pinch-hit, RBI single on Sept. 25 against Milwaukee.
- hit his third home run of the season on May 17 (D. Williams).
- hit a three-run triple on May 14 vs. Philadelphia, giving him a career-high three RBI.
- went 2x4, including his second home run (Anderson) in the seventh inning on May 10 at Pittsburgh.
- recorded the first multi-RBI game of his career on April 23 against the Marlins on his first Major League triple.
- cracked his first Major League home run and collected his first big league RBI with a lead-off solo shot on April 20 vs. San Francisco.
2001
Played in 87 games for the Zephyrs, hitting .310 (98-316) with a team-leading 23 home runs along with 61 RBI.
- placed on disabled list June 22 (fractured hamate bone, left hand)...activated August 10.
- third on team with 65 runs scored, tied for third in doubles (20), and drew 45 walks and 60 strikeouts.
- led Zephyrs with a .592 slugging average and a .397 on-base percentage.
- named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team (did not play because of injury) and was named PCL Player of the Week for the week of May 14-20.
2000
Got his first taste of the majors after his contract was purchased by Houston on September 16, just one day after he helped Double A Round Rock to win the Texas League Championship title...started all 140 Express regular season games...anchored third base while batting .300 (145x483) with 34 doubles, 28 homers and 90 RBI...made his major league debut on September 20 at St. Louis as a pinch hitter...notched his first major league hit on September 27 at Pittsburgh as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning...made his first major league start at third base on October 1 vs. Milwaukee.
