Charlie Culberson

Charlie Culberson

Culberson with the Colorado Rockies in 2013
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 6
Infielder
Born: (1989-04-10) April 10, 1989
Rome, Georgia
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 13, 2012, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
(through 2016 season)
Batting average .231
Home runs 6
Runs batted in 44
Teams

Charles Edward "Charlie" Culberson (born April 10, 1989) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies.

Career

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants drafted Culberson in the first round (51st overall) in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft out of Calhoun High School in Calhoun, Georgia. They added him to the 40 man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after the 2011 season, in which he batted .259 with 10 home runs and 56 runs batted in for the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Double-A Eastern League.[1] He was rated the seventh best second base prospect prior to the 2012 season.[2]

After beginning the 2012 season with the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, the Giants promoted Culberson to the big league club on May 13, 2012. He made his MLB debut that day[3] and collected his first major league base hit against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Joe Saunders.[4]

Colorado Rockies

On July 27, 2012, Culberson was traded to the Colorado Rockies for Marco Scutaro.[5] He spent the rest of the 2012 season with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Rockies' AAA affiliate, and continued to play for them in 2013. In 97 games for the Sky Sox, he hit .310/.338/.524 with 14 HR, 64 RBI and 8 3B.

On July 29, Culberson was recalled by the Rockies, replacing Jordan Pacheco.[6] When Carlos González went on the disabled list, Culberson and Corey Dickerson entered a platoon situation in left field. On August 16, 2013, Culberson hit his first MLB home run off Wei-Yin Chen of the Baltimore Orioles. In 47 games with the Rockies, he hit .293/.317/.404 with 2 HR, 12 RBI and 5 SB.

On May 4, 2014, Culberson hit a pinch hit walk off two run homerun off New York Mets closer Kyle Farnsworth, giving the Rockies an 11–10 victory.

Culberson missed nearly the entire 2015 season with a back injury.[7] After the season, he was granted free agency by the Rockies and signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Culberson with the Los Angeles Dodgers during spring training in 2016

Culberson was signed by the Dodgers in November 2015 and invited to spring training,[8] where he impressed new Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.[9] After an injury to Howie Kendrick opened a spot for him, Culberson made the Dodgers 2016 Opening Day roster.[10] He was designated for assignment in July and optioned to the Oklahoma City Dodgers, then recalled a month later.[11] Culberson ended the big club's final home game of the season with a walk-off home run against former Rockies teammate Boone Logan, clinching the Dodgers' fourth consecutive National League West division title.[12] He played in 34 games for Los Angeles, hitting .284[13] and in 70 games for Oklahoma City, hitting .260.[14] He had no hits in seven at-bats with two strikeouts in the 2016 National League Division Series.[13]

Personal

Charlie Culberson's father, Charles Culberson,[15] was the Giants 16th pick in the 1984 draft and played in their minor league system for five seasons,[16] and his grandfather Leon Culberson[15] played in the major leagues 1943–1948, primarily for the Boston Red Sox.

On August 15, 2015, Charlie Culberson was inducted into the Calhoun-Gordon County Sports Hall of Fame.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Angel Villalona among Giants' 40-man roster additions as Rule 5 Draft looms". San Francisco Giants. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Prospect Watch: Top 10 second basemen". Major League Baseball. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Culberson called up, makes Major League debut". San Francisco Giants. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ "San Francisco Giants take series against Arizona Diamondbacks with 7-3 win". May 13, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Colorado Rockies trade Marco Scutaro to San Francisco Giants for Charlie Culberson". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Rockies recall INF Charlie Culberson from Colorado Springs". Rockies Press Release. July 29, 2013.
  7. ↑ Eric Stephen (November 21, 2015). "Dodgers sign Charlie Culberson to minor league deal". True Blue LA. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Charlie Culberson". MLB.com. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Los Angeles Dodgers back on track with a wild win of their own - Los Angeles - Dodgers Report- ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  10. ↑ McCullough, Andy (May 3, 2016). "Dodgers' Yasmani Grandal, Howie Kendrick to start season on disabled list". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  11. ↑ Staff (September 25, 2016). "Culberson's homer clinches NL West title for Dodgers". Reuters. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  12. ↑ Plunkett, Bill (September 25, 2016). "In Vin Scully's final home game, Dodgers clinch NL West on Charlie Culberson walkoff HR in 10th". Orange County Register. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Charlie Culberson Statistics". Baseball Reference.
  14. ↑ "Charlie Culberson Register Statistics & History". Baseball Reference.
  15. 1 2 "Charlie Culberson Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Charles Culberson Baseball Statistics". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  17. ↑ Staff (May 22, 2015). "14 to be inducted in Calhoun-Gordon County Sports Hall of Fame in inaugural class". Calhoun Times. Retrieved September 26, 2016 – via Northwest Georgia News.
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