Rafael Palmeiro
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/* Steroids */
{{Infobox MLB retired
|name=Rafael Palmeiro
|image=Palmeiro_swing2.png
|width=256
|position=[[First baseman]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|birthdate={{birth date and age|1964|9|24}}<br>{{city-state|Havana|Cuba}}
|deathdate=
|debutdate=[[September 8]]
|debutyear={{by|1986}}
|debutteam=[[Chicago Cubs]]
|finaldate=[[August 30]]
|finalyear={{by|2005}}
|finalteam=[[Baltimore Orioles]]
|stat1label=[[Batting average]]
|stat1value=.288
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=3,020
|stat3label=[[Home runs]]
|stat3value=569
|teams=<nowiki></nowiki><!--This forces MediaWiki to recognize the first bullet. Kind of a workaround to a bug.-->
* [[Chicago Cubs]] ({{by|1986}}-{{by|1988}})
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{by|1989}}-{{by|1993}}, {{by|1999}}-{{by|2003}})
* [[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{by|1994}}-{{by|1998}}, {{by|2004}}-{{by|2005}})
|highlights=<nowiki></nowiki>
* 4x [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] selection (1988, 1991, 1998, 1999)
* 3x [[Gold Glove Award]] winner (1997, 1998, 1999)
* 2x [[Silver Slugger Award]] winner (1998, 1999)
}}
'''Rafael Palmeiro Corrales''' (born [[September 24]], [[1964]] in [[Havana]], [[Cuba]]) is a former [[Major League Baseball]] player with a career spanning 20 years, [[1986]] to [[2005]]. Though technically not retired, Palmeiro has not played since {{Baseball Year|2005}}.
Palmeiro was an [[All-American]] at [[Mississippi State University]] before being drafted by the [[Chicago Cubs]] in 1985. His major league debut came on [[September 8]], {{Baseball Year|1986}} with the Cubs. He played three seasons with the Cubs ({{Baseball Year|1986}}-{{Baseball Year|1988}}), ten seasons with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{Baseball Year|1989}}-{{Baseball Year|1993}}, {{Baseball Year|1999}}-{{Baseball Year|2003}}), and seven seasons with the [[Baltimore Orioles]] ({{Baseball Year|1994}}-{{Baseball Year|1998}}, {{Baseball Year|2004}}-{{Baseball Year|2005}}). He was named to the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Team]] four times, and won the [[Gold Glove Award|Gold Glove]] three times. He is a member of the exclusive [[500 home run club]] and the [[3000 hit club]] and is only the fourth player in history to be a member of both. He ranks tenth in history with 569 home runs.
==Career==
Palmeiro debuted on [[September 8]], {{Baseball Year|1986}} in a game between the [[Chicago Cubs]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies]] at [[Wrigley Field]], as a [[left fielder]].<ref>[http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B09080CHN1986.htm Retrosheet Boxscore: Chicago Cubs 7, Philadelphia Phillies 4<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> During his tenure with the Cubs, he normally played left field, though occasionally he would play other outfield positions or [[first baseman|first base]]. Palmeiro was the runner up to [[National League]] batting champion [[Tony Gwynn]] in [[1988 in baseball|1988]] with a .307 [[batting average]], only six points below Gwynn's. After the 1988 season, Palmeiro was traded by the Cubs to the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] along with [[Jamie Moyer]] and Drew Hall in exchange for [[Mitch Williams]], [[Paul Kilgus]], [[Steve Wilson (baseball player)|Steve Wilson]], Curt Wilkerson, Luis Benitez, and Pablo Delgado.
Upon moving to the [[American League]], Palmeiro was primarily used as a first baseman or [[designated hitter]]. Palmeiro blossomed as a hitter while with the Rangers, leading the league in [[hit (baseball)|hits]] in {{Baseball Year|1990}} and [[double (baseball)|doubles]] in {{Baseball Year|1991}}. In 1990, he was third in the [[American League]] in batting.
Prior to Palmeiro's {{Baseball Year|1995}} season, he had hit more than thirty [[home run]]s only once (37 in {{Baseball Year|1993}}). Starting in 1995, Palmeiro began a streak of 38+ home run years that continued through the {{Baseball Year|2003}} season. He hit 373 home runs during this nine-season span, while also [[runs batted in|driving in]] over 100 runs in each of these seasons. However, Palmeiro never led the league in home runs, and is history's most prolific home run hitter to have never won the home run crown. Palmeiro's nine consecutive years with 38+ home runs set the record - breaking record of seven consecutive years by Babe Ruth (1926-1932).
On [[May 11]], {{Baseball Year|2003}}, Palmeiro hit his 500th home run off David Elder in a game against the [[Cleveland Indians]]. Two years later, Palmeiro joined [[Hank Aaron]], [[Willie Mays]], and [[Eddie Murray]] as the only players in major league history to get 3,000 hits and 500 home runs when he got his 3,000th base hit off [[Joel Pineiro]] during a game against the [[Seattle Mariners]] on [[July 15]], {{Baseball Year|2005}}. Because most of Palmeiro's home runs came with the Rangers and Orioles, he is one of only four players in history to hit over 200 home runs for two different clubs.
Palmeiro has played in 2,831 major league games, the most by any player who has never played in the [[World Series]]. His 1999 Gold Glove Award is regarded by many as controversial, because he won the award despite playing only 28 games at first base that season.<ref>[http://www.citypaper.com/columns/story.asp?id=8502 8 Upper by Tom Scocca: Fools' Gold | 11/17/1999<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>[http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/G/Gold_Glove_Award.stm Gold Glove Award | BaseballLibrary.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He played most of his games that year as a [[designated hitter]].
Palmeiro filed for free agency on [[October 29]], 2005, indicating he would attempt to play his 20th season in baseball. As of 2007, he has not signed or played with any team. Palmeiro currently resides in Colleyville, TX with his wife and two sons.
==Steroids==
Former Rangers teammate [[José Canseco]] identified Palmeiro as a fellow [[anabolic steroid|steroid]] user in his [[2005]] book, ''[[Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big]]'', and claimed he personally injected Palmeiro with steroids. On [[March 17]], 2005, Palmeiro appeared at a Congressional hearing about steroids in baseball and, while under oath, denied ever using steroids and stated, "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never."<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2121659 ESPN - Palmeiro docked 10 days for steroids - MLB<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
On August 1, 2005, Palmeiro was suspended for ten days after testing positive for steroids.<ref>{{cite web | title = Players suspended under baseball's steroids policy | publisher = espn.com | date = 2006-06-07 | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2474192 | accessdate = 2007-07-20}}</ref> In a public statement, Palmeiro disclosed that an appeal of the suspension had already been denied. He released a statement saying, "I have never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period. Ultimately, although I never intentionally put a banned substance into my body, the independent arbitrator ruled that I had to be suspended under the terms of the program."<ref>[http://www.wltx.com/sports/sports.aspx?storyid=29331 WLTX.com Sports<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It should be noted that all of his previous tests over several years were negative, and a test he took just three weeks after his positive test was also negative.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/28/sports/base.php Baseball: Palmeiro weighs unknowns - International Herald Tribune<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
The ''[[Washington Post]]'' reported that the steroid detected in Palmeiro's system was a "serious" one.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080100739.html Palmeiro Suspended For Steroid Violation<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', Palmeiro tested positive for the potent anabolic steroid [[stanozolol]], the same substance [[Summer Olympic Games|Olympic]] sprinter [[Ben Johnson (athlete)|Ben Johnson]] of Canada took in 1988 when he was stripped of the gold medal at the Seoul Summer Olympics.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/28/sports/baseball/28chass.html?ex=1293426000&en=6a52d7b087f8ca80&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Palmeiro Cites His Own Naïveté and Ponders Mystery of It All - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Palmeiro returned to [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards|Camden Yards]] following his 10-day suspension on [[August 11]], [[2005]], although he did not play in the lineup until [[August 14]]. Coincidentally, this was the date that had been planned as "Rafael Palmeiro Appreciation Day" in celebration of his 500-home run, 3,000-hit milestone. It was canceled after Palmeiro's suspension. Palmeiro famously inserted earplugs in his ears to block out the loud boos of the fans during a subsequent game in [[Toronto]] against the [[Toronto Blue Jays|Blue Jays]].<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001909.html Palmeiro Tries Earplugs, But Can't Stop Slump<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' reported that Palmeiro never offered an explanation for his positive test to the MLB arbitration panel, which ran contrary to his public statements.<ref>[http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-te.palmeiro19aug19,0,5632662.story?coll=bal-sports-indepth Palmeiro provided no details about test - Upper House, Volusia County, Baltimore Orioles - baltimoresun.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ESPN later reported that Palmeiro implicated [[Miguel Tejada]] to baseball's arbitration panel, suggesting a supplement provided to him by Tejada was responsible for his positive test. This supplement was simply vitamin B12, though it could have been tainted.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2169007 ESPN - Source: Palmeiro named Tejada before panel - MLB<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Miguel Tejada and two unnamed teammates provided B12 samples to the panel, and the samples did not contain stanozolol. However, the committee did say they found "substantial inconsistencies between Mr. Tejada's accounts and the accounts of players A and B." <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/10/AR2005111000852.html - Congress Declines to Prosecute Palmeiro for Perjury - WaPo<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Miguel Tejada, who said he received shipments of B12 from the Dominican Republic, was later implicated for steroid use in the Mitchell Report. <ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/5376406.html Housto Chronicle - Miguel Tejada excerpt from Mitchell Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
On [[November 10]], [[2005]], ESPN reported that the [[United States House Committee on Government Reform|House Government Reform Committee]] would not seek [[perjury]] charges against Palmeiro, although they were not clearing him.<ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2219460 ESPN - Congress won't charge Palmeiro with perjury - MLB<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Palmeiro continues to strongly deny ever using steroids, telling the Baltimore Sun in June, 2006, "Yes sir, that's what happened. It's not a story; it's the reality of what happened," and "I said what I said before Congress because I meant every word of it." <ref>[http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.palmeiro30jun30,0,7577175.story Baltimore Sun - Palmeiro speaks <!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Palmeiro passed a polygraph test in which he was not asked if he ever used steroids, but in which he did state that he unknowingly ingested them via a B12 injection.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/10/AR2005111000852.html Washington Post - Congress Declines to Prosecute Palmeiro for Perjury <!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=merron/051114 ESPN - Pass the B-12 <!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> A 2005 New York Times article expressed one writer's belief that Palmeiro's story could perhaps be the truth. <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/13/sports/baseball/13chass.ready.html?pagewanted=print New York Times - Resolution, and Doubts, Regarding Palmeiro <!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In December of 2007, Palmeiro was included in the [[Mitchell Report (baseball)|Mitchell Report]] in which it was alleged that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his career. The report did not provide any new evidence and only recapped allegations made by José Canseco, Palmeiro's appearance before congress and his subsequent failed drug test. The report also details a conversation [[Larry Bigbie]] alleges he had with Palmeiro where he claims "Palmeiro asked him about his source of steroids and human growth hormone (the source was [[Kirk Radomski]]) and how the substances made him feel". Bigbie also stated that "Palmeiro denied in those conversations that he had ever used performance enhancing substances himself".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://assets.espn.go.com/media/pdf/071213/mitchell_report.pdf | title = Mitchell Report pp. 103-06, 203| format = PDF}}</ref>
On December 20, 2007 Palmeiro was also named in [[Jason Grimsley]]'s unsealed affidavit as a user of [[amphetamines]] prior to them being banned by MLB.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/SPORT/12/20/drugs.grimley.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest
|title= Affidavit: Grimsley named players |date=2007-12-20
|publisher=[[CNN]] |accessdate=2007-12-31}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of Cuban Americans|List of Famous Cuban-Americans]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball doubles records]]
* [[500 home run club]]
* [[3000 hit club]]
* [[3000-500 Club]]
* [[Top 500 home run hitters of all time]]
* [[List of Cubans]]
* [[List of major league players with 2,000 hits]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI]]
* [[3000-300 club]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball doubles champions]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players suspended for performance-enhancing drugs]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball players named in the Mitchell Report]]
* [[List of Baltimore Orioles Opening Day Starting Lineups]]
*[[List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{Baseballstats | br=p/palmera01 | fangraphs=1266 | cube=P/rafael-palmeiro}}
*[http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20050801&content_id=1153525&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Rafael Palmeiro suspended for steroid usage]
{{start box}}
{{succession box | before = [[John Olerud]]<br />[[Bernie Williams]]<br />[[Nomar Garciaparra]]<br />[[Joe Randa]] | title = [[Player of the Month|American League Player of the Month]]| years = July 1993<br />June 1998<br />June 1999<br />August 1999 (with [[Iván Rodríguez]])| after = [[Frank Thomas (AL baseball player)|Frank Thomas]]<br />[[Albert Belle]]<br />[[Joe Randa]]<br />[[Albert Belle]]}}
{{end box}}
{{AL First Baseman Gold Glove Award}}
{{AL 1B Silver Slugger Award}}
{{500 home run club}}
{{3000 hit club}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmeiro, Rafael}}
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:500 home run club]]
[[Category:Baltimore Orioles players]]
[[Category:Chicago Cubs players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers players]]
[[Category:Major league first basemen]]
[[Category:Major league designated hitters]]
[[Category:Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball players]]
[[Category:Cuban baseball players]]
[[Category:Gold Glove Award winners]]
[[Category:Baseball players suspended for drug offenses]]
[[Category:Sports scandals]]
[[Category:Drugs in sport]]
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mississippi State University alumni]]
[[fr:Rafael Palmeiro]]
[[ja:ラファエル・パルメイロ]]