Eliézer Alfonzo

Eliézer Alfonzo
San Diego Padres – No. 77
Catcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
June 3, 2006, for the San Francisco Giants
Career statistics (through 2008 season)
Batting average	.258
Home runs	13
Runs batted in	46
Teams
San Francisco Giants (2006-2008)

Eliézer Jesús Alfonzo (born February 7, 1979 in Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela) is a catcher in Major League Baseball who is currently in the San Diego Padres organization. He bats and throws right-handed. Eliézer is the second cousin of former MLB star Edgardo Alfonzo.

A 10-season minor league veteran, Alfonzo debuted with the Giants on June 3, 2006. During his debut, he hit a two-run home run against the New York Mets for his first Major League hit. Three days later, he caught pitcher Jason Schmidt's 16-strikeout game, which matched a 102-year-old Giants franchise record.

Alfonzo filled in for veteran catcher Mike Matheny, who was sidelined with symptoms following a concussion for the rest of the 2006 season. He was the Giants backup catcher in 2007. In 2008, he lost the competition for the backup catcher position and was sent down to Triple-A.

On May 1, 2008, Alfonzo was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed with the San Diego Padres.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs