Cecil Fielder
[8] Fielder became a part-time first and third baseman for the Blue Jays, sharing playing time with Willie Upshaw and Fred McGriff.[10] The Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League signed Fielder after the 1988 season, paying him $1,050,000 ($1,968,644 today), including a chauffeur and a full-time interpreter.[citation needed] In the beginning of spring training, Fielder had a difficult time adjusting to Japan's baseball culture.[10][12] In his first season with the Tigers, Fielder hit .277 while leading the major leagues with 51 home runs and 132 RBI in 159 games.Fielder, whose previous high mark was 14 with Toronto in 1987, provided a sudden and unexpected emergence as a legitimate slugger.[15] Fielder enjoyed a successful second season with the Tigers in 1991, batting .261 with 44 home runs and 133 RBI in 162 games.[18] Fielder responded by hitting 35 home runs and leading the league in RBI (124) for the third consecutive season, becoming the first American Leaguer since Babe Ruth to do so.[22] On January 8, 1993, Fielder signed a five-year, $36 million contract with the Tigers;[23] which made him the highest paid player in baseball for two seasons (1995 and 1996).He was, however, considered a competent defensive first baseman when it came to putouts and digging infield assists out of the dirt.[10] Fielder's acquisition was integral in the Yankees' World Series championship that year, as he won the Babe Ruth Award for most outstanding performance in the 1996 postseason.On July 15, Fielder suffered a broken thumb after an awkward slide during a game against the Cleveland Indians, and the subsequent surgery caused him to miss eight weeks.[37] Fielder later filed a libel suit against Gannett, the parent company of The Detroit News, and the lead reporter, Fred Girard, accusing them of slander and defamation of character.[38] Fielder's son Prince was a first baseman who played his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers.