Luis Andrew Polonia Almonte (born December 10, 1963) is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, California Angels, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers.

He joined the Dominican League at an early age and was known as a strong contact hitter, as well as a below-average defensive outfielder.

Though he had good speed, he was not a wise baserunner and led his league in caught stealing a total of five times between the minors and majors.

He is one of the top 10 contact hitters in Dominican League history and is the all-time Caribbean series leader in hits, doubles, and runs scored as of 2008.

[citation needed] On June 21, 1989, the Athletics traded Polonia, Eric Plunk, and Greg Cadaret to the New York Yankees for Rickey Henderson.

[3] The following year, his average fell to .286, but he tied Shane Mack for the eighth place in the American League in triples.

[citation needed] When baseball resumed in 1995, he hit .261 before being traded to the Atlanta Braves and provided a boost down the stretch when he was 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs in the NLDS and NLCS, despite playing in a platoon role.

Polonia was signed late in the 1999 season by the Detroit Tigers, hitting .324 and slugging 10 home runs in 87 games.

[5] In the 2000 American League Division Series, Polonia served as a pinch hitter for Jorge Posada in Game 4, where he recorded a single.

For long a member of Águilas Cibaeñas, Polonia is the all-time leader in hits of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, with 927.

[7] Luis Polonia was found guilty of having sexual intercourse with an underage girl, however the judge postponed sentencing until after the 1989 baseball season.

"[9] Polonia, still with the New York Yankees, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined $1,500 on the misdemeanor charge of having sex with a 15-year-old girl.