Antonio Alfonseca
Relief pitcher
Born: April 16, 1972 (1972-04-16) (age 37) La Romana, Dominican Republic
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 17, 1997 for the Florida Marlins
Last MLB appearance
September 23, 2007 for the Philadelphia Phillies
Career statistics
Win-Loss record	35-37
Earned run average	4.11
Saves	129
Teams
Florida Marlins (1997-2001) Chicago Cubs (2002-2003) Atlanta Braves (2004) Florida Marlins (2005) Texas Rangers (2006) Philadelphia Phillies (2007)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1997) 2000 NL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year

Antonio Alfonseca (born April 16, 1972 in La Romana, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He last pitched in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, and is also known for having an extra digit on each hand and foot. Alfonseca has also played for the Florida Marlins (1997-2001, 2005), the Chicago Cubs (2002-2003), the Atlanta Braves (2004), and the Texas Rangers (2006). He was signed by the Phillies on January 14, 2007. He is currently a free agent.

Alfonseca was originally signed by the Montreal Expos as a non-drafted free agent in July 1989. On December 13, 1993, he was taken by the Florida Marlins from the Montreal Expos in the 1993 expansion draft.

His best year was in 2000 with the Marlins, when he led the National League in saves with 45, and won the National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year.

At the end of the 2001 season, Alfonseca had surgery to repair a herniated disc. Subsequently, the Marlins asked Alfonseca to lose 15 pounds to help to relieve stress on his back. At a weigh-in during 2002 spring training, Alfonseca had a confrontation with Dale Torborg, the son of then manager Jeff Torborg.^[1] While the Marlins denied any connection, shortly afterwards, on March 27, 2002, he was traded, along with Matt Clement, to the Chicago Cubs for Julian Tavarez, Ryan Jorgensen, Dontrelle Willis, and Jose Cueto.

On September 2, 2003, while with the Cubs, Alfonseca was thrown out of a game for bumping an umpire with his stomach.^[2] He was subsequently suspended for five games.^[3]

After the 2004 season, he filed for free agency, and signed back with the Marlins, but in July 2005, he went down due to a right elbow injury and missed the rest of the season. He was released by the Marlins, signed with the Rangers, but after another mid-season elbow injury was released by them. The Phillies signed him in January 2007.

Alfonseca is known for his sixth fingers on each hand

His nicknames are El Pulpo ("The Octopus"), The Dragonslayer, and Six-Fingers. He has six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, a condition known as polydactyly. His grandfather also had this trait. Alfonseca regards it with pride, as a kind of family emblem.^[4] The extra finger has no influence on his pitching, as it does not touch the ball.

Alfonseca and his wife Rocio have two sons,: Antonio Jr. and Mark Anthony and one daughter, Jenitza^[5]

[edit] See also

• List of Major League Baseball saves champions
• List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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