Graduated from Venice (FL) HS...Attended Mississippi State...Was signed by San Diego as an undrafted
free agent...Signed by Padres scout Mal Fichman.
2007
Played 7 games in 3 separate stints for the Orioles and made 3 starts at DH and 2 in LF...Batted .289 (11-38) in 23 spring training games with the Orioles...Had 5 doubles, 2 homers and 3 RBI
and tied for 4th on the team in games played...Batted .231 (42-182) with 8 home runs and 23 RBI in 54 games for Norfolk...Went 3-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI in his first 2 games with the Orioles, April 17-18 at Tampa Bay...His pinch-hit 3-run home run on April 17 off Brian Stokes was his first major league homer...Prior to his 2nd Orioles stint, hit safely in his final 9 games with Norfolk, batting .410 (13-31) with 3 home
runs and 7 RBI, raising his average from .152 to .210...Had gone 2-for-39 over his previous 12 games
for the Tides before the hitting streak...Was also with Orioles June 22-27 and July 14-27...Went 0-for-2 with a walk on June 24 at Arizona, his
only game in his second stint with the club...Finished the season 0 for his last 10.
2006
Went to spring training as a non-roster invitee with San Diego...Spent the season at AAA Portland
before his contract was purchased on September 7 by the Padres at the end of the minor league season...Led all minor leaguers with 113 RBI, was 3rd in extra-base hits (70), 4th in homers (32), 10th in total
bases (274) and 11th in slugging percentage (.572)...Led the Pacific Coast League in homers and RBI,
was 2nd in extra base hits and doubles (32), and ranked 3rd in slugging...Appeared in 3 games and went hitless in 3 at-bats, all as a pinch-hitter, after joining the Padres in
September...With Portland, started 73 games at first base, 31 in right field, 18 in left field and 6 at designated hitter...
Also pinch-hit 8 times...Hit .345 (48-139) with runners in scoring position, including .409 (9-22) with the bases loaded...Had 3
grand slams...Batted .170 through April and was hitting just .224 through June 4...Beginning June 5, batted .308 (98-
318) the rest of the year...Had 10 home runs in May...Hit .440 (12-25) during a 6-game hitting streak, June 27-July 2, that raised his batting average from .244
to .266...Capped the streak by going 4-for-5 on July 2 at Colorado Springs...Following the AAA All-Star break, hit safely in 11 of his first 15 games, batting .337 (23-61) to raise his
average from .261 to .282 on July 27, his highest mark after going 1-for-3 on Opening Day...Went 5-for-6 with 2 homers and 5 RBI on August 27 vs. Las Vegas, starting a season-high 7-game hitting
streak that raised his batting average from .267 to .281...Drove in 5 runs on 4 occasions...In addition to August 27 vs. Las Vegas, also had a 2-homer game on
May 21 at Memphis.
2005
Spent his 4th professional season at Portland...Tied for third in the Pacific Coast League with 63
extra-base hits...His 25 home runs tied for the organization lead while his 78 RBI ranked 3rd among
Padres minor leaguers...Also led Portland in doubles (34), total bases (243), walks (55) and runs scored
(81)...Had a trio of 2-homer games: 4/18 vs. Sacramento, 6/21 vs. Fresno and 7/2 at Las Vegas, when
he also had 5 RBI...Batted .282 (11-39) during a season-high 9-game hitting streak, 6/13-21...Was outrighted
to Portland on 11/17.
2004
Made his Major League debut with the Padres on May 30 at Milwaukee, going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter... recalled from Triple-A Portland on May 28... at the time of his recall, was batting .308 with 13 home runs, 11 doubles and a Pacific Coast League-leading 47 RBI in 43 games with the Beavers... his homer total at the time was third-best in the PCL while his 26 extra-base hits ranked fourth... tallied his first Major League hit, a single to center field off Mark Hendrickson on June 15 vs. Tampa Bay... went on to add a double in the game for his first career extra-base hit... started his first big league game (left field) June 6 vs. Milwaukee... notched his first career RBI with a ground out June 8 at Boston.
DOWN ON THE FARM: Played in 113 games with Triple-A Portland, batting .290 (126-for-435) with 26 home runs and 85 RBI... his hit and RBI totals represented new career-highs... led the Beavers in home runs, doubles (26) RBI and runs scored (79)... hit five homers and drove in 12 in a six-game span May 18-24... had three multi-homer games... batted .314 (64-for-204) with 18 home runs and 50 RBI in 57 games at home.
