The career of former Dominican Major League Baseball player Juan Encarnación was full of ups and downs.
The native of Las Matas de Farfán, San Juan province, debuted in the Big Top in 1997 at the young age of 21 with the Detroit Tigers, after signing with that franchise as an amateur free agent five years ago.
His time in the majors was short, since he only played 11 games with Detroit. The following season his numbers improved, reaching a batting average of .329 in 40 games.
It was in 1999 when Encarnación was able to establish himself as a full-time player for the Tigres, participating in 132 games.
However, he remained a regular production player until he was traded, along with Luis Pineda, to the Cincinnati Reds for Dmitri Young after the conclusion of the 2001 season.
That season, which began with the Reds and ended with the then-Florida Marlins (in a trade involving pitcher Ryan Dempster), was the best of his career thus far.
In 152 games he hit .271, 24 homers, 22 doubles, 5 triples, 85 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.
It is in 2003, however, that he has perhaps his best season. Encarnacion improved on the stats from the previous season, helping the Marlins win that year’s World Series.
Unfortunately, Encarnación did not maintain his production from the previous two seasons, motivating the Marlines to transfer him to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a minor league player.
His poor performance continued in Los Angeles and the Creole was again seen wearing the Marlines colors, where he rejuvenated his career in 2005, helping him sign a $ 15 million, three-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 2006 he continued his good performance and lifted the Commissioner’s Trophy for the second time in his career, after the Cardinals beat the team that led the Major Leagues to Encarnacion: the Detroit Tigers.
But it all ended the following season, the product of an isolated incident that cost Encarnación his career, who was hit in the eye by a foul ball while he was in the waiting circle, suffering multiple fractures in the area near one of his eyes.
At the end of his career he had a respectable .270 / .317 / .441 drum line, accompanied by 156 home runs, 242 doubles and 127 steals.
After baseball
After being forced to leave baseball, Encarnación returned to the Dominican Republic, where he dedicated himself to directing its foundation and even ventured into the world of politics.
Accusations
Last Saturday the Unit for the Prevention and Persecution of Gender Violence, Intrafamily and Sexual Crimes of the National District reported the arrest of Encarnación, under accusations of sexual assault against her 11-year-old daughter.
This Sunday it was announced that the hearing was postponed to 9:00 in the morning on Tuesday.
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