Félix Pie

Félix Pie

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 170 lb.

• Debut April 17, 2007
• Final Game September 29, 2013
• Born February 8, 1985 in La Romana, La Romana D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Pie at bat.

Félix Pie (pronounced PEE-ay) is an outfielder. Formerly a top prospect of the Chicago Cubs, he played in the Futures Game twice and was noted for his ability to hit triples.

Pie was signed initially by scout Jose Serra for the Cubs as an international amateur free agent in July of 2001. He debuted the next year with the AZL Cubs (.321/.385/.569, 17 SB in 25 tries, 13 triples in 218 AB) and the Boise Hawks (1 for 8, double, walk, run , RBI). He made the Arizona League All-Star outfield at age 17, ranking 8th in the Arizona League in batting average and leading the league in triples (13, more than twice the runner-up), total bases (124) and extra-base hits (33). He tied Chris Young for the lead in games (55) and led outfielders with 112 putouts. He split AZL MVP honors with Matt Creighton. Managers praised his speed and line-drive power while Cubs manager Carmelo Martinez said he needed to work on his plate discipline. Baseball America rated him the top prospect in the AZL and the 17th-best outfield prospect in baseball.

Pie led Cubs minor leaguers in hits (144) in 2003. The teenager hit .285/.346/.388 with 9 triples and 19 steals in 32 tries. He went 0 for 1 as a backup right fielder for the World team in the 2003 Futures Game. He joined Rudy Guillen and Kennard Jones on the Midwest League All-Star team in the outfield. Baseball America named him as the #8 prospect in the MWL and #17 outfield prospect. They also rated him the best defensive outfielder in the MWL.

Pie continued to play well in 2004. Still just 19, he hit .299/.361/.442 for the Daytona Cubs with 9 triples and 113 strikeouts in 412 AB. His steal rate remained mediocre, with 16 times caught to 31 successes. Backing up Willy Taveras in center in the 2004 Futures Game, Pie singled in a run in the 7th inning in a late but unsuccessful rally by the World team. He was 4th in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in batting average and made the league All-Star team, joining Matt Murton and Ron Davenport in the outfield. Baseball America named him the best batting prospect, having the best outfield arm and being the most exciting player in the league. They also rated him the #6 prospect in the league and #10 outfield prospect in baseball.

At age 20, Félix spent all year in AA. He produced at a .304/.349/.554 clip for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx with 13 steals in 22 tries in 59 games before an injury shortened his season. Baseball America ranked him as the #8 prospect in the Southern League, between Andy LaRoche and Brian McCann. Had he qualified, Pie would have ranked tied for 6th in the SL in average and would have beat out Young for the slugging lead.

Healthy again in 2006, Pie hit .283/.341/.451 for the Iowa Cubs with 126 strikeouts in 559 AB (with 46 walks) and 17 steals in 28 tries. He hit 8 triples and 15 homers and led Cubs minor leaguers with 259 total bases. He led the Pacific Coast League in outfield putouts (333) and double plays (8) and tied Adam Hyzdu for the assist lead (18). Baseball America rated him the #11 prospect in the PCL between Carlos Quentin and James Loney.

Pie began 2007 on a torrid pace, going 16 for 36 with 9 walks and 16 runs in 11 games for Iowa and was called up to Chicago. He made his major league debut on April 17, going 1 for 6 with a run and RBI as the leadoff hitter, having been called up when Alfonso Soriano was injured. Pie hit .224/.240/.388 over the following month before being returned to Iowa in exchange for a right-handed bat, Angel Pagan. Pie finished 2007 with a .215/.271/.333 batting line in 87 games for Chicago and a .362/.410/.563 line in 55 games for Iowa.

In 2008, Pie hit .287/.336/.446 in 85 contests for Iowa and .241/.312/.325 in 43 games for the Cubs. He was then dealt to the Baltimore Orioles for Garrett Olson and Henry Williamson. He did quite well with his new team in 2009, getting into 101 games in an outfield crowded with the presence of veterans Nick Markakis, Luke Scott and Adam Jones, and excellent rookie Nolan Reimold. He hit .266 with 10 doubles, 9 homers, 38 runs and 35 RBI, all career-highs, and got progressively more playing time as the season progressed. He played 44 games in left field, where Reimold was the regular, and 41 games in center, where Jones was the starter.

In 2010, Pie fell victim to a ruptured muscle in the back early in the season, an aggravation of an injury first sustained in spring training. He was batting .400 in 8 games when he was placed on the disabled list on April 16th and was expected to miss up to three months of action. He returned to action on July 6th and still managed a .274 average in 82 games with 15 doubles, 5 triples and 5 homers. Back with Baltimore in 2011, he played 85 games but only went to bat 164 times. He hit .220 without a single homer as he was given a predominantly defensive role. After the season, he signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians.

Sources: 2003-2007 Baseball Almanacs, MLB.com

Related Sites

• Felix Pie on mlb.com