Ron Belliard

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Ronald Belliard
(Ronnie, La Pared)

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Biographical Information[edit]

Infielder Ron Belliard burst onto the big league scene in 1999, one year after being named Milwaukee Brewers Minor League Player of the Year. He batted .295 while making the rookie leaderboard in almost every major offensive category. In 2004, he made his lone All-Star Game appearance as a member of the Cleveland Indians, enjoying perhaps his finest big league season with the Tribe the following year, 2005, when he hit .284/.325/.450 with career bests in home runs (17) and RBI (78). Belliard won a World Series ring as a mid-season acquisition of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 and spent his final season as a utility man with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.

Besides playing in the bigs, Ron was also a keen Winter League player in the Dominican Republic for the Licey Tigers. He was team captain and most of the time played third base instead of second base, which was the position he played in MLB. His efficiency defending third base coined him the nickname of "La Pared'" ("The Wall"). He was admired even by his rivals because of the stamina he put into his game and because he knew how to get the best from his teammates. Belliard hit .273/.304/.455 for Licey in the 2008 Caribbean Series but struggled defensively, with 4 errors in 6 games for the champions.

His father, Diógenes Belliard, was an amateur star in the Dominican and also played for the Dominican national team. His distant cousin, Rafael Belliard, also played in the majors.

Notable Achievements[edit]

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