Rafael Furcal
Born: 10/24/1977 in Loma de Cabrera, Dajabón, D.R.
MLB Debut: 2000-04-04 | Final Game: 2014-06-21
Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 195 lbs
Biography
Rafael Furcal, born in 1977, was a dynamic position player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball from 2000 to 2014. Over the course of his career, he played in 1,614 games, accumulating 1,817 hits and demonstrating both power and speed with 113 home runs and 314 stolen bases. His career batting average of .281 reflects his ability to consistently get on base and contribute to his teams' offensive efforts. Furcal was known for his agility and quickness, which made him a formidable presence on the basepaths and a reliable shortstop.
Furcal's major accomplishments included being named the MLB Players Choice Outstanding Rookie and winning the Rookie of the Year award, along with the TSN Rookie Player of the Year. He earned three All-Star selections, solidifying his status as one of the standout players of his era. Throughout his career, Furcal played during a time marked by increased emphasis on speed and agility, and he embodied these traits, leaving a lasting legacy in the game as one of the premier shortstops of his generation.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1614 | 6477 | 1063 | 1817 | 311 | 69 | 113 | 587 | 314 | 643 | 910 | 0.281 | 0.346 | 0.402 | 0.748 | 139.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ATL | NL | 131 | 455 | 87 | 134 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 40 | 73 | 80 | 0.295 | 230.1 |
| 2001 | ATL | NL | 79 | 324 | 39 | 89 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 22 | 24 | 56 | 0.275 | -575.3 |
| 2002 | ATL | NL | 154 | 636 | 95 | 175 | 31 | 8 | 8 | 47 | 27 | 43 | 114 | 0.275 | -721.5 |
| 2003 | ATL | NL | 156 | 664 | 130 | 194 | 35 | 10 | 15 | 61 | 25 | 60 | 76 | 0.292 | 722.0 |
| 2004 | ATL | NL | 143 | 563 | 103 | 157 | 24 | 5 | 14 | 59 | 29 | 58 | 71 | 0.279 | -38.2 |
| 2005 | ATL | NL | 154 | 616 | 100 | 175 | 31 | 11 | 12 | 58 | 46 | 62 | 78 | 0.284 | 457.8 |
| 2006 | LAD | NL | 159 | 654 | 113 | 196 | 32 | 9 | 15 | 63 | 37 | 73 | 98 | 0.300 | 962.2 |
| 2007 | LAD | NL | 138 | 581 | 87 | 157 | 23 | 4 | 6 | 47 | 25 | 55 | 68 | 0.270 | -1037.9 |
| 2008 | LAD | NL | 36 | 143 | 34 | 51 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 8 | 20 | 17 | 0.357 | 929.7 |
| 2009 | LAD | NL | 150 | 613 | 92 | 165 | 28 | 5 | 9 | 47 | 12 | 61 | 89 | 0.269 | -608.9 |
| 2010 | LAD | NL | 97 | 383 | 66 | 115 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 43 | 22 | 40 | 60 | 0.300 | 967.7 |
| 2011 | LAD | NL | 37 | 137 | 15 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 0.197 | -607.9 |
| 2011 | STL | NL | 50 | 196 | 29 | 50 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 0.255 | -607.9 |
| 2012 | STL | NL | 121 | 477 | 69 | 126 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 49 | 12 | 44 | 57 | 0.264 | -602.8 |
| 2014 | MIA | NL | 9 | 35 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0.171 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 247 | 33 | 56 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 27 | 34 | 0.227 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | NLCS | SLN | 6 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.185 |
| 2011 | WS | SLN | 7 | 28 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0.179 |
| 2011 | NLDS1 | SLN | 5 | 22 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.227 |
| 2009 | NLCS | LAN | 5 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.143 |
| 2009 | NLDS1 | LAN | 3 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.500 |
| 2008 | NLDS1 | LAN | 3 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0.333 |
| 2008 | NLCS | LAN | 5 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0.211 |
| 2006 | NLDS1 | LAN | 3 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0.182 |
| 2005 | NLDS2 | ATL | 4 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0.150 |
| 2004 | NLDS2 | ATL | 5 | 21 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0.381 |
| 2003 | NLDS2 | ATL | 5 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0.211 |
| 2002 | NLDS1 | ATL | 5 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0.250 |
| 2000 | NLDS1 | ATL | 3 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.091 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 44 | 38 | 65 | 104 | 1 | 31 |
| SS | 1554 | 1514 | 2373 | 4678 | 249 | 1020 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | ATL | 2B | 31 | 26 | 45 | 73 | 1 | 18 |
| 2000 | ATL | SS | 110 | 92 | 147 | 289 | 23 | 54 |
| 2001 | ATL | SS | 79 | 79 | 126 | 224 | 11 | 49 |
| 2002 | ATL | 2B | 4 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 5 |
| 2002 | ATL | SS | 150 | 147 | 245 | 466 | 27 | 111 |
| 2003 | ATL | SS | 155 | 154 | 237 | 481 | 31 | 108 |
| 2004 | ATL | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | ATL | SS | 131 | 130 | 190 | 411 | 24 | 101 |
| 2005 | ATL | SS | 152 | 152 | 255 | 504 | 15 | 119 |
| 2006 | LAN | SS | 156 | 156 | 269 | 492 | 27 | 117 |
| 2007 | LAN | SS | 138 | 138 | 241 | 426 | 19 | 99 |
| 2008 | LAN | SS | 36 | 35 | 46 | 92 | 4 | 17 |
| 2009 | LAN | SS | 149 | 141 | 187 | 419 | 20 | 76 |
| 2010 | LAN | SS | 93 | 91 | 127 | 275 | 19 | 47 |
| 2011 | LAN | SS | 36 | 36 | 57 | 95 | 4 | 18 |
| 2011 | SLN | SS | 49 | 47 | 73 | 155 | 10 | 36 |
| 2012 | SLN | SS | 120 | 116 | 173 | 349 | 15 | 68 |
| 2014 | MIA | 2B | 8 | 8 | 13 | 19 | 0 | 8 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 44 |
| Shortstop | 1554 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Player of the Week | Week of 2010-07-05 |
| 2004 | Player of the Week | Week of 2004-07-09 |
| 2003 | This Year in Baseball Play of the Year | MLB.com GIBBY |
| 2000 | MLB Players Choice Outstanding Rookie | |
| 2000 | Rookie of the Year | |
| 2000 | TSN Rookie Player of the Year |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | MIA | NL | $3,500,000 |
| 2012 | SLN | NL | $6,500,000 |
| 2011 | LAN | NL | $13,000,000 |
| 2010 | LAN | NL | $9,500,000 |
| 2009 | LAN | NL | $7,500,000 |
| 2008 | LAN | NL | $15,730,195 |
| 2007 | LAN | NL | $13,730,196 |
| 2006 | LAN | NL | $8,715,508 |
| 2005 | ATL | NL | $5,600,000 |
| 2004 | ATL | NL | $3,700,000 |
| 2003 | ATL | NL | $2,200,000 |
| 2002 | ATL | NL | $405,000 |
| 2001 | ATL | NL | $355,000 |
| 2000 | ATL | NL | $200,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $90,635,899 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 14th | 11.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 2003 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 33th | 2.0 | 448 | 0 |
| 2000 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 1st | 144.0 | 160 | 25 |