“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”

Westley: You have six fingers on your hand.
Count Rugen: Yes?
Westley: I know someone who is looking for you.

In the classic movie The Princess Bride, Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) is on a quest to kill his father’s murderer, the six-fingered man. Newly acquired Phillie Antonio Alfonseca will have to watch his back for sneak attacks from Patinkin.

That’s right Antonio Alfonseca has six fingers and six toes on each of his hands and feet. Alfonseca has a genetic condition know as polydactyly. Antonio is one of many six fingered members of the Alfonseca family. Polydactyly doesn’t affect his ability to pitch either positively or negatively. The extra small fingers lie next to his pinky and don’t touch the baseball when he throws.

In his native Dominican Republic Alfonseca goes by the nickname “El Pulpo” or “The Octopus”. The comparison is not really accurate because octopi have 8 tentacles, but El Pulpo is more creative and sounds a whole lot cooler than his English nick name “Six-Fingers”.

Hopefully the Phillies promotional staff will take full advantage of their new six-fingered man and play Octopus’s Garden to announce his coming into a game.

Sources:
6 of 1, half dozen of the other
by Bill Conlin / The Philadelphia Inquirer

Picture of Antonio Alfonseca from MLB.com