Orlando Palmeiro

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**Orlando Palmeiro**

Free Agent — No.
Outfielder
Born: January 19, 1969 (1969-01-19) (age 39)
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
July 1, 1995 for the California Angels
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
Games played	1105
Hits	616
Teams
California Angels (1995–1996) Anaheim Angels (1997-2002) St. Louis Cardinals (2003) Houston Astros (2004-2007)

Orlando Palmeiro (b. January 19, 1969, in Hoboken, New Jersey) is a Major League Baseball outfielder, most recently with the Houston Astros, who went to the University of Miami.

Palmeiro has spent his entire career as a backup outfielder, never having been a regular starter. Palmeiro also made the last out of the 2005 World Series for the Houston Astros. He has played for the California & Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, and Houston Astros. His best season arguably was with the Cardinals in 2003, were he batted .271 with 3 homers and 33 RBI.

Palmeiro, a star high school player at Miami Southridge Senior High in Miami, FL, went on to play baseball at the community college level at Miami-Dade Community College South and then briefly at the University of Miami under UM coach Ron Fraser before being called up into the Major Leagues where he played for a number of years in various farm teams in Texas until joining the California Angels.

Palmeiro also ranks third among active players with the lowest percentage of swings that miss (7.9%) is considered one of the game's best pinch hitters and ranks second among active players and 15th all time with 105 career pinch hits. Palmeiro, 38, who in the off-season maintains a strict physical and nutritional regimen, continues to be among the best bench players currently in the game with no signs of slowing down.^{[citation needed]} Past and present coaches alike recognize and admire Palmeiro's mental discipline and physical preparation.^{[citation needed]} Palmeiro will usually wait patiently on the bench for his opportunity to contribute to team victories by limbering up and stretching innings before he is actually called in.^{[citation needed]}