Athletes - Shane Spencer

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	Athletes - Shane Spencer

Shane Spencer (born February 20, 1972 in Key West, Florida) is a professional baseball outfielder, currently with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. In Major League Baseball, he played a total of 538 games for the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets, compiling 438 hits, 59 home runs, and 242 RBI.

The stocky, baby-faced outfielder was first called up to the Major Leagues in September 1998, at the age of 26, in the midst of a famously dominant season by the Yankees. He quickly endeared himself to fans by hitting 10 home runs, including 3 grand slams -- a rate that would have been phenomenal even for an established star -- and won a surprise spot on the postseason roster. He hit a long home run in Yankee Stadium during the Divisional Series against the Texas Rangers, and the Yankees went on to win the World Series.

He stayed with the team through the 2002 season, playing in the World Series three times and winning it twice. He split the 2003 season with Toronto, Texas, and Cleveland and was signed as a free agent in 2004 by the Mets. His career did not live up to expectations, though, missing much playing time due to injury and striking out too often. In 2005 he signed with the Japanese Central League's Hanshin Tigers, appearing in 108 games and hitting 9 homers. In 2006, he continued to play for the Tigers.

Major league teams were reluctant to sign him, despite his major league experience, because of off-field trouble after leaving the Yankees. He was arrested for drunken driving and speeding over 97 mph; he cut his foot in a bar in Manhattan; he had problems with Florida police during spring training; and finally, while with Karim Garcia, he was accused of hitting a pizza man in 2004.

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