Erick Almonte #22

Was the starting shortstop for the Yankees for 27 games in April and May of 2003 following an Opening Day injury to Derek Jeter...His only Major League home run came in his first career start on 4/2/03 at Toronto (2-run shot off Pete Walker)...His older brother, Hector, pitched in the Major Leagues with Florida (1999), Boston (2003) and Montreal (2003).

2009

Signed as a free agent with Chicago-NL on 1/22...released on 3/24...signed with Milwaukee on 4/1

2007

Signed as a free agent with Colorado on 1/25...released on 4/5...signed with Detroit on 5/14

2006

Spent season with the Long Island Ducks in independent Atlantic League...batted .302 (122-for-404) with nine home runs, 77 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 111 contests...ranked among league leaders in walks (4th, 68), RBI (5th), OBP (5th, .391), and average (7th)...was 16-for-20 (80%) in steal attempts...played mostly third base for the Ducks, where he was teammates with former major leaguers Juan Gonzalez and Pat Mahomes...compiled 11-game hit streak, June 9-25...combined to bat .332 (83-for-250) from June-August, but hit just .225 (16-for-71) over final 20 games in September...appeared in nine games for Cibao in Dominican Winter League, batting .438 (14-for-32).

2005

Played for Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan's Pacific League, batting .193 (17-for-88) with 3 HR and eight RBI in 34 games...played for manager Trey Hillman, his skipper at Triple-A Columbus in 2001...batted .299 in 29 games for Kamagaya in minor leagues (Eastern League)...released on Sept. 3.

2004

Spent entire season at Triple-A Colorado Springs, his only other year in the Rockies organization...batted .318 with 17 home runs and 74 RBI...posted career highs in average, runs (91), hits (143), doubles (26) and home runs (17)...ranked among club leaders in stolen bases (2nd, 14), runs (3rd), home runs (3rd), RBI (4th), and doubles (5th) on team that included Garrett Atkins, Clint Barmes, Brad Hawpe, and Choo Freeman...batted .336 (79-for-235) at home and .298 (64-for-215) on the road...hit safely in 83 of 123 contests...collected season-best four hits on May 15 at Salt Lake...hit a pair of home runs with 4 RBI Aug. 7 vs. Fresno...had season-high 13-game hitting streak from Aug. 22-Sept. 4.

2003

Began the season on Yankees' Opening Day roster and appeared in 28 games for the club over the first month and a half of the season...hit safely in 16 of 28 contests...made season debut in club's third game on April 2 at Toronto, when he started at shortstop in place of Derek Jeter, who suffered dislocated left shoulder on Opening Day...in April 2 game, Almonte homered and drove in three runs...had six RBI over his first four games and hit safely in 6 of his first seven contests at .333 (9-for-27)...was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on May 13 when Jeter was activated and played in 48 games...was on the disabled list May 18-July 7 with a right knee sprain...made a rehab assignment with the Gulf Coast Yankees, appearing in six games and batting .286...was reinstated on July 7...homered with season-high six RBI July 26 at Norwich...recalled by big league club on Aug. 30, but appeared in just two more games for A.L. East champs, going 1-for-5.

2002

Started his second straight season at Triple-A Columbus, batting .235 with nine home runs and 28 RBI in 66 games...hit two home runs May 18 (1) vs. Charlotte and had seven RBI in the twinbill...was assigned to Double-A Norwich on July 4 and finished the season there, batting .241 with eight homers and 33 RBI in 53 games...was named the Eastern League postseason MVP, batting .387 (12-for-31) with three home runs and 10 RBI in eight contests, helping lead the Navigators to the league championship.

2001

Started the season at Triple-A Columbus, batting .287 with 12 homers and a team-leading 55 RBI in 97 games...also led the Clippers with a .464 slugging percentage and had 19 doubles and 44 walks...led club in hitting in the month of June, batting .352 (19-for-42) in 13 games...had a season-high 14-game hitting streak from June 2-July 2, batting .478 (22-for-46) with 12 runs, 2 homers and 14 RBI...was assigned to Double-A Norwich on June 12 before being placed on the disabled list June 16-26 with a strained right quadriceps muscle...was reassigned to Columbus on June 27 and was named International League Batter of the Week for June 25-July 1 after hitting .550 (11-for-20) with 2 homers and 10 RBI in six games...was placed on the disabled list for a second time from July 23-Aug. 4 with a strained right quadriceps...had a season-high four RBI with a grand slam on Aug. 7 vs. Durham...was recalled from Columbus on Sept. 4 and made his major league debut later that night at Toronto, recording his first major league hit in his first at-bat, an eighth inning single off Chris Carpenter...went 2-for-4 in eight games with the Yankees...was ranked as the eighth-best prospect in the Yankees organization by Baseball America.

2000

Spent the entire season at Double-A Norwich, batting .271 with 15 home runs and 77 RBI...established minor league career highs in at-bats (454) and games (131)...over the last three months of the season, hit .308 (61-for-198), raising his final average from .242 to .271...compiled season-best 10-game hitting streak from April 7-20...hit a pair of grand slams, April 24 at Binghamton and June 8 vs. New Britain...played with the Maryvale Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League and was named to the All-Prospect Team, batting .301 (31-for-103) with 19 runs, two doubles, four triples, 4 HR, 21 RBI and four stolen bases in 30 games...was ranked as the 7th-best prospect in New York's minor league system by Baseball America.

1999

Split the season between Gulf Coast Yankees and Class A Tampa...began the season at the rookie league level, batting .300 (9-for-30) with two home runs and nine RBI in nine games...spent the remainder of the season with Tampa of the Florida State League, batting .257 (59-for-230) with five homers and 25 RBI...made three separate trips to the disabled list.

1998

Spent his first full professional season at Class-A Greensboro, batting .209 (94-for-450) with 6 home runs and 33 RBI in 120 games...was moved from third base to shortstop.

1997

Played rookie ball for Gulf Coast Yankees, playing third base while batting .283 (51-for-180)...was named the fourth-best prospect by managers in the GCL in a Baseball America survey.

1996

In his first professional season, played in the Dominican Summer League for Santo Domingo.