Terrmel Sledge

Terrmel Sledge
Sledge, playing for the Padres in 2007 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters — No. 10 OutfielderBorn: March 18, 1977(1977-03-18) (age 31) Bats: Left Throws: Left Major League Baseball debut April 6, 2004 for the Montreal Expos Selected MLB statistics
(through 2007) Batting average .247 On base percentage .327 Home runs 25 Teams

Montreal Expos (2004)
Washington Nationals (2005)
San Diego Padres (2006-2007)
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (2008-present)

Terrmel Sledge (born March 18, 1977 in Fayetteville, North Carolina) is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Sledge's career began in 2004 with the Montreal Expos. He moved with the team to Washington, D.C. the following season as the Expos relocated to the American capital, and hit the first-ever home run for the Washington Nationals. He was traded to the Texas Rangers along with fellow outfielder Brad Wilkerson for second baseman Alfonso Soriano on December 7, 2005. He was then traded to the San Diego Padres in a six-player deal on December 20.
His best season came in 2004, when he batted .269/.336/.462 with 15 home runs and 62 runs batted in.

Before playing with Montreal and the major leagues, Sledge played with the Edmonton Trappers shortly before the team was moved to Round Rock.

Sledge prepped at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, California and graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 1999.

Sledge is half Korean and half African American; his mother was Korean and his father was black. According to his father, his name is a combination of Terrence and Melvin, two names his parents had considered naming him when he was born.

Sledge holds the distinction of hitting the first home run for the Nationals, in an April 2005 game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

On November 29, 2007, Terrmel was granted permission from the Padres to sign with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional League. Sledge will be paid $2.85 million over two years.