For a brief time, the baseball world fell in love with the "Kung Fu Panda" - and we don’t mean the one voiced by Jack Black. Pablo Sandoval, hailing from Venezuela, was a portly player but managed to move his weight around early in his career with the San Francisco Giants. He made his debut in 2008 and took over at Third Base, dazzling fans with his demeanor and unlikely acrobatics for a big man. 2009 was arguably his best season, where he set career marks in hits (189), home runs (25), RBIs (90), and the Slash Line (.330/.387/.556) and finished seventh in MVP voting.
Sandoval remained a good player over the next few years - he even went to the All-Star Game in 2011 and 2012 - but it was when the Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014 that he became nationally known. However, it wasn't all sunshine for him, as his extra weight became a problem and he was benched on occasions. Sandoval did not do much in his first World Series, but he blasted six home runs in the 2012 Fall Classic, including three in Game 1, and was named the World Series MVP, which was the highlight of his career.
The Boston Red Sox signed Sandoval as a Free Agent in 2015, but he wasn't the same player. Still overweight, Sandoval's hitting fell apart, and he was held to just six at-bats in 2016 due to shoulder issues. It was not much better for Sandoval in 2017, as he again struggled and was released. The Giants signed him back, and he was used in a bench role over the next few seasons. Sandoval even led the NL in pinch hits (18) in 2019 but was released again, this time during the 2020 season. The Braves picked him up to use in a reserve capacity, and he lasted until 2021. Though he was not on the playoff roster, he was awarded a World Series Championship Ring by the Atlanta.
As popular as he was at one time, Sandoval's overall numbers (1,279 hits, 153 home runs) are nowhere close to Hall of Fame worthy. However, those memories, oh boy, they sure were fun!