Bárbaro Cañizares
Bárbaro Rafael Cañizares Hernandez is a Cuban-American former first baseman. Listed at 6' 3", 230 lb., Cañizares batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Havana.
Career in Cuba
Cañizares played from 1995 through 2003 for the Industriales and Metropolitanos teams of the Cuban National Series. Overall, he posted a batting average of.304 with 47 home runs and 335 runs batted in in 573 games. He guided Industriales together with MLB player Kendrys Morales to the postseason in 2005.Minor League Baseball career
While playing for the Cuban national team, he sold his jersey to a fan after an international game. Unbeknownst to Cañizares, the fan was a member of the United States Interests Section in Havana. As a result, Cañizares received a lifetime suspension from Cuban baseball.In February 2004, Cañizares defected from Cuba along with Michel Abreu and Yosandy Ibañez. The three later played professionally together in Nicaraguan baseball. He then signed with the Atlanta Braves on February 4, 2006.
After that, Cañizares has been consistently held in the Minor Leagues, playing for several teams in different countries.
Major Leagues
Cañizares was called up to the Atlanta Braves on June 11, 2009, making his major league debut the same day appearing fourth in the batting order and playing first base.Canizares played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball during the 2012 season.