Prince Fielder is the starting first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers in baseball's National League. In 2010, Fielder hit .261 with 32 home runs and 83 RBI in 161 games. These numbers were a disappointing drop-off after Fielder finished 2009 with 46 home runs and 141 RBI. Fielder also won the 2009 Home Run Derby, defeating Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers with six home runs in the final round.
Childhood
Fielder was born in Ontario, California, on May 9, 1984. He is the son of former Detroit Tigers All-Star Cecil Fielder, with whom Prince has had a contentious relationship with over the past few years. Throughout his childhood, Prince often hung around the Detroit Tigers' clubhouse and would take batting practice with the team at Tiger Stadium. According to several reports, Prince hit a home run in Tiger Stadium during batting practice as a 12-year-old.
Early Professional Career
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Fielder in the first round of the 2002 amateur draft. In 2005, he was called up to the big leagues for the first time and spent most of the season as a pinch-hitter, batting .288 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 59 at-bats. In 2006, Fielder became the full-time starter at first base for the Brewers after Milwaukee traded Lyle Overbay to the Blue Jays.
Becoming a Vegetarian
Before the 2008 season, Fielder became a vegetarian, removing both meat and fish from his diet. Some questioned the move, citing the fact that Fielder had just come off a season in which he became the youngest player since Willie Mays to hit 50 home runs. In an interview with CBS Sports, Fielder commented on it after his first home run during spring training in 2008. "Everyone was saying how many home runs would I hit as a vegetarian," Fielder said. "I told the guys when I got back to the dugout, 'Hey, guys, I'm OK!' I'm still hitting home runs even if I'm not eating meat."
Contract controversy
In recent seasons, Fielder's contract has been a point of attention and controversy. Before the 2008 season, Fielder was looking to lock up a long-term contract extension from the Brewers after he hit 50 home runs and drove in 119 runs in 2007. However, his agent Scott Boras could not get the Brewers to agree to the terms they wanted and settled for a one-year deal worth $670,000. Before the 2011 season, Fielder again could not get a long-term deal done with the Brewers and instead signed a one year deal worth $15.5 million.
References
- "CBS Sports"; Brewers Counting on Vegetarian Fielder in Meat of Order; Scott Miller; March 2008
- "ESPN the Magazine"; Meat of the Order; Jeff Bradley; August 2007
- "USA Today"; Brewers Clear Decks, Pin Hopes on Young Fielder; Steve DiMeglio; March 2006
- ESPN.com: Prince Fielder Statistics
- "MLB.com"; Prince Signs Historic Contract to Avoid Arbitration; Adam McCalvy; Jan. 18, 2011
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