José Valentín
Encyclopedia
José Antonio Valentín is a former Major League Baseball
infielder
, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers
(–), Chicago White Sox
(–), Los Angeles Dodgers
, and New York Mets
(–).
as an amateur
free agent. However, he was sent to the Milwaukee Brewers on March 26, 1992 with Ricky Bones
and Matt Mieske
in exchange for Gary Sheffield
and Minor League
prospect Geoff Kellogg. He made his major league debut with the Brewers on September 17, 1992. On January 12, 2000, and after eight seasons with the Brewers, he was traded with Cal Eldred
to the Chicago White Sox
in exchange for Jaime Navarro
and John Snyder
. He played five seasons with the White Sox before becoming a free agent on October 29, 2004.
to a player who can handle duties at third base
, second base, shortstop and left field
. On December 21, 2004, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, during spring training
, he went down with torn ligaments in his left knee, and ended up putting only a .170 batting average
in 56 games that season after he returned, serving as a third baseman, left fielder and lefty pinch-hitter. On October 27 of the same year, the Dodgers granted him free agency.
. His veteran leadership, mustache, and consistent hitting played a big part in helping the Mets to the 2006 National League Eastern Division title. Valentín capped off his great regular season by hitting two home run
s against the Florida Marlins
on September 18, 2006, in the division-clinching game.
On November 14, 2006, Valentin re-signed with the Mets for one year, with an option for . Valentín agreed to switch his uniform number from 18 to 22 for the newly-signed Moisés Alou
a few days later. On July 20, 2007, Valentín fouled a ball off his right leg, breaking his tibia
and ending his season after 51 games and a .241 batting average. He re-signed with the Mets to a minor league contract on January 18, 2008, with an invitation to spring training. With the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs
, Valentin told the Mets his season was over on June 21, due to physical and mental wear and tear. The Mets released him shortly thereafter. In February , he re-signed with the Mets to a minor league contract; he was released after not making the team out of Spring Training.
over a 162 game season for his career. Although he only has a .243 lifetime batting average (the lowest average among all qualified active players), he has established a .332 lifetime on-base percentage, evidencing his propensity to walk
. Valentín is the older brother of MLB catcher
Javier Valentín
.
. But after a decline in attendance and the reestructuring of the league, Valentín moved the team back to the biggest barrio
of the capital city
in 2008, therefore launching the much anticipated return of Los Cangrejeros. He has joined his home team as their second baseman becoming the only owner-player in the league.
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...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, who played with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(–), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(–), Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(–).
Early years
Valentín was signed on October 12, , by the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
free agent. However, he was sent to the Milwaukee Brewers on March 26, 1992 with Ricky Bones
Ricky Bones
Ricardo "Ricky" Bones is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who had a 10-year career from 1991 to 2001. He played for three National League teams - the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, and Florida Marlins - and four American League teams - the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, New York...
and Matt Mieske
Matt Mieske
Matthew Todd Mieske is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to for the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks.-External links:...
in exchange for Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
and Minor League
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
prospect Geoff Kellogg. He made his major league debut with the Brewers on September 17, 1992. On January 12, 2000, and after eight seasons with the Brewers, he was traded with Cal Eldred
Cal Eldred
Calvin John Eldred is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for 14 seasons from to ....
to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in exchange for Jaime Navarro
Jaime Navarro
Jaime Navarro Cintrón is a former Puerto Rican baseball player. Navarro was a 6 foot, four inch tall right-handed pitcher in the major leagues from to , playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians...
and John Snyder
John Snyder (baseball)
John Snyder , is a retired Major League Baseball player who played pitcher from -. He would play for the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.-External links:...
. He played five seasons with the White Sox before becoming a free agent on October 29, 2004.
Decline and injuries
As Valentín got older, however, his range in the field lessened with his foot speed. Therefore he shifted from a strict shortstopShortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
to a player who can handle duties at third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
, second base, shortstop and left field
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
. On December 21, 2004, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, he went down with torn ligaments in his left knee, and ended up putting only a .170 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in 56 games that season after he returned, serving as a third baseman, left fielder and lefty pinch-hitter. On October 27 of the same year, the Dodgers granted him free agency.
Resurgence with the Mets
On December 12, 2005, Valentín signed with the New York Mets hoping to make the team as a utility player off the bench, but rebounded from the previous season to have one of the best seasons of his career. He emerged as one of the most solid players in the line-up, becoming the Mets regular second baseman after they traded away Kazuo MatsuiKazuo Matsui
is a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter...
. His veteran leadership, mustache, and consistent hitting played a big part in helping the Mets to the 2006 National League Eastern Division title. Valentín capped off his great regular season by hitting two home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
on September 18, 2006, in the division-clinching game.
On November 14, 2006, Valentin re-signed with the Mets for one year, with an option for . Valentín agreed to switch his uniform number from 18 to 22 for the newly-signed Moisés Alou
Moisés Alou
Moisés Rojas Alou |Spanish:]] ; born July 3, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, 421 doubles, 332 home runs, and 1,287 runs...
a few days later. On July 20, 2007, Valentín fouled a ball off his right leg, breaking his tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
and ending his season after 51 games and a .241 batting average. He re-signed with the Mets to a minor league contract on January 18, 2008, with an invitation to spring training. With the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
, Valentin told the Mets his season was over on June 21, due to physical and mental wear and tear. The Mets released him shortly thereafter. In February , he re-signed with the Mets to a minor league contract; he was released after not making the team out of Spring Training.
Career
Valentín had success as one of the few shortstops with good home run power, averaging 25 homers and 80 RBIRun batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
over a 162 game season for his career. Although he only has a .243 lifetime batting average (the lowest average among all qualified active players), he has established a .332 lifetime on-base percentage, evidencing his propensity to walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. Valentín is the older brother of MLB catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Javier Valentín
Javier Valentín
José Javier Valentín Rosario is a catcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. From -, he played for the Cincinnati Reds after playing with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and playing in four brief stints for the Minnesota Twins from -. He is the younger brother of former Major League...
.
Owner/Player of Santurce Crabbers
In 2004 it was announced that Valentín bought the Santurce Crabbers, one of the most historic professional baseball franchises of the Puerto Rico Baseball League (formerly known as LBPPR). He relocated the team to his native town, and renamed them the Manatí AteniensesAtenienses de Manatí
The Atenienses de Manatí were a professional baseball team based in Manatí, Puerto Rico. The Atenienses were owned by José Valentín but they have now been relocated to San Juan as the Cangrejeros de Santurce. The team moved to Manatí for the 2004-05 season from San Juan, where they had been the...
. But after a decline in attendance and the reestructuring of the league, Valentín moved the team back to the biggest barrio
Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
of the capital city
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
in 2008, therefore launching the much anticipated return of Los Cangrejeros. He has joined his home team as their second baseman becoming the only owner-player in the league.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn 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...