Topic: Nick Punto

Nicholas Paul Punto (born November 8, 1977) is a Major League Baseball utility player who currently plays for the St. Louis Cardinals. He has played second base, third base, shortstop, and center field. Punto is a switch hitter and throws right-handed.

Punto is a 1996 graduate of Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo, California. After high school, he attended Saddleback College, also in Mission Viejo. His father, Lou, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Nick and his wife, Natalie have two children, Nicole Jayne born on May 30, 2008 and a son, Nash.

Punto made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on September 9, 2001. After playing in a career-high 64 major-league games in 2003, he was acquired by the Twins in the 2004 offseason (along with Carlos Silva) for Eric Milton. He started the season with the team, but he was injured twice and spent the majority of his time in 2004 on the disabled list. In 2005, he competed for the starting job at second base, which he eventually won, and in 2006 became the starting third baseman.