José Ortiz (second baseman)
Encyclopedia
José Daniel Ortiz is a former Major League Baseball
second baseman. He has played all or part of three seasons in the majors, and is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
of the Pacific League
in Japan.
as an amateur free agent in . After spending several seasons in the minors, he had a breakout season in , winning the Pacific Coast League
MVP while playing for the A's Triple-A farm club, the Sacramento River Cats
. That earned him a September call-up to the majors, where he played in seven games for Oakland.
on July 25 as part of a package that brought Jermaine Dye
to Oakland. Ortiz was installed as the Rockies starting second baseman, replacing Todd Walker
(who had been traded to the Cincinnati Reds
). Ortiz batted .255 the rest of the way, with 13 home runs in just 204 at bat
s in 53 games.
and was replaced at second by Brent Butler
. After hitting .333 with 6 home runs in 26 minor league games, Ortiz was brought back up in September. He hit .281 in 12 games down the stretch, but failed to hit a home run the rest of the year.
. On March 28, , Ortiz hit a home run in his first at bat in Japan, and on May 3 he hit for the cycle
against the Seibu Lions. He finished 2003 with 33 home runs for the BlueWave, batting .255 and driving in 86 runs in 127 games.
Ortiz returned to the BlueWave for , and he increased his batting average to .289. However, his power totals declined, as he dropped to 24 home runs in 128 games. After the season, the BlueWave merged with the Kintetsu Buffaloes
to become the Orix Buffaloes
, and Ortiz was not retained for by the new team.
of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
. He played two seasons with Lancaster in and . In , Ortiz returned to Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines
, where he batted .309 with 7 home runs in 67 games. He returned to the Marines in , batting .288 with 11 home runs in 100 games. His contract was not renewed by the Marines, and so he started the season as a free agent. In May, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
came calling, needing a power bat in the lineup to protect aging left-handed slugger Nobuhiko Matsunaka
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
second baseman. He has played all or part of three seasons in the majors, and is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
of the Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
in Japan.
Early career and MLB debut
Ortiz was originally signed by the Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
as an amateur free agent in . After spending several seasons in the minors, he had a breakout season in , winning the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
MVP while playing for the A's Triple-A farm club, the Sacramento River Cats
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
. That earned him a September call-up to the majors, where he played in seven games for Oakland.
2001: Becoming a major league regular
The next season, Ortiz started the year in Oakland, but was returned to the minor leagues two weeks later after batting .179 in his first 11 games. After a second brief call-up in May Ortiz was traded to the Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
on July 25 as part of a package that brought Jermaine Dye
Jermaine Dye
Jermaine Trevell Dye is a retired American Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. Dye played with the Atlanta Braves , Kansas City Royals , Oakland Athletics , and the Chicago White Sox . Dye won the World Series MVP with the White Sox in 2005...
to Oakland. Ortiz was installed as the Rockies starting second baseman, replacing Todd Walker
Todd Walker
Todd Arthur Walker is a former Major League Baseball infielder.-College:Walker attended LSU where he led the Tigers to the 1993 national championship. He also earned the 1993 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award. In 2006, Walker was elected to the LSU Hall of Fame...
(who had been traded to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
). Ortiz batted .255 the rest of the way, with 13 home runs in just 204 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s in 53 games.
2002: Sophomore slump?
Ortiz opened the season as the Rockies' starter at second again, but his power numbers declined substantially. By mid-June, while he was hitting .244, Ortiz had just one home run through the same number of games (53) in which he'd hit 13 home runs the year before. Ortiz was sent down to the Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky SoxColorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
and was replaced at second by Brent Butler
Brent Butler
Justin Brent Butler is a retired Major League Baseball utility infielder.Drafted by the St...
. After hitting .333 with 6 home runs in 26 minor league games, Ortiz was brought back up in September. He hit .281 in 12 games down the stretch, but failed to hit a home run the rest of the year.
Off to Japan
Ortiz was not offered a contract by the Rockies after the season, and rather than catch on with another major league club, Ortiz signed with the Orix BlueWave of the Japanese Pacific LeaguePacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
. On March 28, , Ortiz hit a home run in his first at bat in Japan, and on May 3 he hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
against the Seibu Lions. He finished 2003 with 33 home runs for the BlueWave, batting .255 and driving in 86 runs in 127 games.
Ortiz returned to the BlueWave for , and he increased his batting average to .289. However, his power totals declined, as he dropped to 24 home runs in 128 games. After the season, the BlueWave merged with the Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
to become the Orix Buffaloes
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....
, and Ortiz was not retained for by the new team.
Independent ball and back to Japan
Without a team in Japan or the majors, Ortiz signed with the Lancaster BarnstormersLancaster Barnstormers
The Lancaster Barnstormers is an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
. He played two seasons with Lancaster in and . In , Ortiz returned to Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
, where he batted .309 with 7 home runs in 67 games. He returned to the Marines in , batting .288 with 11 home runs in 100 games. His contract was not renewed by the Marines, and so he started the season as a free agent. In May, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
came calling, needing a power bat in the lineup to protect aging left-handed slugger Nobuhiko Matsunaka
Nobuhiko Matsunaka
is a left fielder and designated hitter for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Matsunaka is the only active hitter in Japanese professional baseball to have ever led the league in all three Triple Crown categories in the same season...
.