Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs. He previously played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals. Soriano played primarily as a second baseman for the Yankees and Rangers. He bats right-handed, and has batted as a lead-off hitter for most of his career. Soriano began his professional baseball career in Japan with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, training at their Carp Academy for Dominican players. In 1997, he was promoted to the varsity team, and, wearing uniform number 74, he appeared in nine games, batting .118 with two... walks. Soriano disliked the intense Japanese practice schedule, and the Carp denied him a salary increase from $45,000 to $180,000 per year. Like Hideo Nomo and Hideki Irabu, who had previously left Japan to play in the United States, Soriano hired Don Nomura to help his situation. After first attempting to void Soriano's NPB contract by unsuccessfully arguing that the player was legally a minor when he signed it, Nomura advised him, like Nomo, to retire from NPB and pursue a career in MLB.
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| Birthdate: | January 7, 1976 |
| Birthplace: | San Pedro de Macorís |
| Age: | 36 |
| All Positions Played: | Second baseman, Left fielder |