Kendry Morales

Kendrys Morales Rodriguez (born June 20, 1983, in Fomento, Cuba) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is a switch hitter and throws right-handed.

Cuban Career

While playing in Cuba's equivalent of the United States' Triple-A level, and with only 16-17 year olds, he was already a national sensation due to his extraordinary performance in the World Championship of the category, where he was the first starter of the pitching staff, and fourth in the batting order, plus his ability to hit home runs from both sides of the plate.

Morales joined the Cuban national baseball team in 2002 and immediately became a star player--despite being the first teenager to make the team in nearly twenty years. He was the cleanup hitter on the team during its dramatic 2003 World Cup championship. His grand slam in the final round against Taiwan secured a 6-3 Cuban victory, one game after hitting a home run that provided the winning runs against Brazil.

In his first-of two and a half-full season with Havana's Industriales, in 2002, Morales had a batting average of .324 with 21 home runs and 82 RBI, and pitched in a game during the regular season, setting seven rookie records in the process (including HR and RBI); and obviously becoming Rookie of the Year, being considered the best rookie history of Cuban baseball. In his second season, although he didn't hit as many home runs as in his rookie season, due to a lesion, he finished with a .391 batting average.

Morales' stardom in Cuba was short-lived, however. He was sent back to Cuba from Panama during the Olympic qualifying round in November 2003 for making contact with an agent. It was the last time he would suit up as a Cuban.



MLB

Morales had a strong spring training in 2006 for the Angels, but failed to make the 25-man roster.

He ultimately made his Major League debut on May 23, 2006, playing first base and going 3-for-5, including a home run in his second at bat, versus the Texas Rangers. Thereafter he performed well enough to be the Angels regular first baseman until his eventual demotion back to Triple-A on July 23, 2006. After Mark Teixeira (Angels first baseman for the 2008 season)left the Angels due to free agency in the winter of 2008, Morales was widely considered the favorite to become the Angels starting first baseman for the 2009 season.

In spring training in 2009, Morales led all players in doubles, with 11, while batting .400.