Trivia

Surname pronounced Mint-KAY-vich.

Member of the gold medal-winning Team USA in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

An avid fisherman, he has a snook engraved on his wedding ring.

Selected in the 5th round by the Minnesota Twins in the 1995 draft out of Florida State. Has played for the Twins (1998-2004), Boston Red Sox (2004), New York Mets (2005), Kansas City Royals (2006) and New York Yankees (2007).

Made major league debut on 18 September 1998.

(February 11) Agreed to a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He will get $750,000 if he makes the team. (2008)

(January 26) Traded to the New York Mets. He became unpopular in Boston when he refused to give the Red Sox the ball he caught for the final out of the World Series. Under terms of an agreement to be hammered out, Mientkiewicz told reporters he will give the Red Sox the ball to keep for one year, then would get the ball back. (2005)

Added to the Los Angeles Dodgers' 40-man roster. Mientkiewicz signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in February. (April 2009)

(December 16) Finalized a $1.85 million contract with the Kansas City Royals while the Boston Red Sox agreed to dismiss the lawsuit they filed asking the Superior Court to order Mientkiewicz to return the ball he caught for the final out of the 2004 World Series, and will go to arbitration to decide who owns the ball. (2005)