Denard Span
From BR Bullpen
Keiunta Denard Span
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
- High School Tampa Catholic High School
- Born February 27, 1984 in Tampa, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Outfielder Denard Span was a first-round pick in the 2002 amateur draft and made his major league debut six years later.
Span played for the US junior national team in the 2001 Junior Pan Am Games. He hit .450 with 12 RBI in 40 AB. He was third on the team in RBI behind Jeff Francoeur and Mike Nickeas, beating out B.J. Upton among others. Span helped the US win its first Silver Medal ever in the event and joined teammates Nickeas, Francoeur, Nick Crowe and Jeremy Sowers on the tournament All-Star team.
In high school in 2002, Span batted .490 with 24 steals. The Minnesota Twins took him in the first round of the 2002 amateur draft, 20th overall and the third outfielder picked adter college players Jeremy Hermida and Nick Swisher and 3 spots before Francoeur. Span signed for a $1.7 million bonus.
He made his pro debut with the Elizabethton Twins the next summer, hitting .271/.355/.319 with 14 steals in 19 tries in 50 games. Baseball America rated him as the 9th-best Appalachian League prospect. He spent most of 2004 with the Swing of the Quad Cities, hitting .267/.363/.308 and making the Midwest League midseason All-Star team. He only played 64 games for the Swing due to injury.
He began 2005 with the Ft. Myers Miracle, with whom he hit .339/.410/.403 and made the Florida State League mid-season All-Star team before being promoted to the AA New Britain Rock Cats in June. He hit .285/.355/.345 in 68 games for New Britain. His composite .307 average led Twins farmhands. Baseball America rated him as the #7 prospect in the Florida State League and #14 in the Eastern League. Had he qualified, he would have led the FSL in batting average.
Span returned to New Britain in 2006 and hit .285/.340/.349 with 24 stolen bases in 35 attempts, earning himself a spot on the Eastern League mid-season All-Star team. His 80 runs and 153 hits led Twins minor leaguers. He led Eastern League outfielders in putouts (306) and double plays (5) and led the EL in hits. He spent the following year with the Rochester Red Wings, with whom he hit .267/.323/.355 with 25 steals - but was caught stealing 14 times. He led International League outfielders with 359 putouts.
In his major league debut, Span hit 9th and played right field for the Twins. He ground out against Brett Tomko in his first at-bat and walked his next time up. In the 8th, he ground out against Leo Nunez.
