MIKE NAPOLI

'Michael Anthony "Mike" Napoli' (b. October 31, 1981 in Hollywood, Florida) is a Major League Baseball catcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Napoli attended Charles Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He was drafted out of high school by the Anaheim Angels during the 17th round (500th overall) in 2000.
Napoli began his professional career with the rookie-level Butte Copper Kings, but sat out most of the year after suffering a lower back strain. He returned to the diamond in 2001 with the high-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes before transferring to single-A Cedar Rapids. In 2002, he returned to Cedar Rapids, hitting .251 with 10 HRs and 50 RBIs as the Kernels' primary designated hitter. He also started at catcher for 37 games. After being transferred to Rancho Cucamonga in 2003, Napoli only played 47 games after injuring his right shoulder.
2004 was Napoli's breakout year with the Quakes. His offensive production exploded, as he hit .282 with 29 HRs and 118 RBIs, ranking seventh in RBIs and ninth in walks in all of the minor leagues. In 2005, Napoli was promoted to double-A Arkansas, finishing second in the league with extra-base hits and fifth in runs scored.
Napoli was behind Angels prospect Jeff Mathis on the organizational depth chart to start the 2006 season. However, Mathis struggled during his 23-game stint at the major league level to begin the season, allowing Napoli to make the active roster for the Angels. With solid offensive and defensive numbers, Napoli has worked his way to become the Angels' regular starting catcher.

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Trivia

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Trivia

★ On May 4, 2006, versus the Detroit Tigers, Mike became the third player in Angels history to hit a home run in his first Major League at-bat.

★ On July 1, 2006, Napoli had his first two-home run game, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The first came off Mark Hendrickson, and the second off Hong-Chih Kuo.

★ Played for the Santiago "Las Aguilas" in the Dominican Republic during the winters of 2004 and 2005.

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★ MLB

★ Minor League Splits and Situational Stats