As Peralta sees it, everyone spells Jhonny wrong

Jhonny Peralta, SS, Cardinals
Hometown: Santiago, Dominican Republic

As a 17-year-old kid, the Indians gave Peralta a shot. And because of his success in his home country, he began an accelerated track toward the Majors.

Peralta hit .303/.398/.514 with the Dominican Summer League Indians in 1999. Forty-one percent of his hits went for extra bases. With that success, the organization sent him to the Class A South Atlantic League the following season, where he struggled. But by 2003, the then-21-year-old made his Major League debut and has since turned into a two-time All-Star and a capable shortstop.

Peralta, who spells his first name differently, said that many people in the Dominican Republic use the spelling "Jhonny," and he once quipped that everyone else in the world spells it wrong.

Peralta is one of 13 active Major Leaguers from Santiago.