Topic: Freddy Sanchez

Frederick Phillip "Freddy" Sanchez, Jr. (born December 21, 1977) is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Sanchez has previously played for the Boston Red Sox (2002-2003) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (2004-2009) and the San Francisco Giants (2009-present). He bats and throws right-handed.

Sanchez graduated in 1996 from Burbank High School in Burbank, California, where he was a consistent three-year varsity player. In his senior year he was named MVP of the talent-filled Foothill League of the CIF. He also starred in the Daily News Bernie Milligan All-Star Game, where he earned MVP honors. While in high school, he played on the same summer league team as former teammate Jack Wilson.

His success in high school was nothing short of miraculous. Sanchez was born with a severely pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot, and his parents had received an initial medical prognosis that he might never walk. After seeking specialized medical attention through the Children's Orthopaedic Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, he underwent surgery to correct his foot problems at 13 months, and then had to undergo years of physical therapy before he could walk properly.