- Melvin Mora
-
Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora during a game with the Baltimore OriolesInfielder Born: February 2, 1972
Agua Negra, Yaracuý State, VenezuelaBats: Right Throws: Right MLB debut May 30, 1999 for the New York Mets Career statistics
(through May 30, 2011)Batting average .278 Home runs 171 Runs batted in 753 Teams - New York Mets (1999–2000)
- Baltimore Orioles (2000–2009)
- Colorado Rockies (2010)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (2011)
Career highlights and awards - 2004 Silver Slugger Award winner
- 2x All-Star selection (2003, 2005)
Melvin Mora (born February 2, 1972 in Agua Negra, Yaracuý State, Venezuela), affectionately nicknamed Melmo or Melvy, is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has played for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks.
From his debut in 1999 to 2003, Melvin Mora was known as a utility player, playing all three outfield positions, shortstop, and second base. In 2004, Mora was designated the everyday third baseman, a position he has played regularly ever since.
Contents
Baseball career
New York Mets
Mora was signed out of Venezuela in 1991. After spending seven years in the Astros minors system and couple of months in CPBL's Mercuries Tigers, he signed as a free agent with the Mets in 1998 and made his major league debut in the 1999 season. With his ability to play all three outfield positions, shortstop, second base and third, Mora was considered a valuable man to have around.
In 1999, he scored the winning run of the final game of the year for the Mets on a wild pitch by the Pirates' Brad Clontz, which propelled the Mets to a one-game playoff with Cincinnati, which they won.
Baltimore Orioles
2000–02
Melvin Mora was traded by the Mets to Baltimore on July 28, 2000 with two minor league players and Mike Kinkade for shortstop Mike Bordick.[1]
Used as a utility player in Baltimore, Mora showed promise and hints of ability to contribute as an every day player but struggled to break through. Things changed when an injury-depleted Orioles team used Mora almost exclusively in left field, and Mora responded with the best stretch of his career. He reached base in 32 straight games while using a 23-game hitting streak to temporarily become the American League batting leader. Finally excelling as a hitter, Mora was chosen for his first All-Star selection. Mora's season was cut short due to injuries (a bruised wrist and a partially torn ligament in his left knee), but finished with a .317 batting average, 15 home runs, and a .418 on-base percentage in 96 games.
2003–04
Mora's 2003 season proved that he could be a consistent hitter at the major league level. In 2004, Mora became the Orioles' regular third baseman and enjoyed his most productive season in the majors. Mora hit a career-high .340, finishing second in the AL batting race to Ichiro Suzuki's .372 mark; led the league hitters in on base percentage (.419); ranked 5th in slugging average (.562) and OPS (.981); 6th in runs (111), doubles (41) and times on base (264); 8th in hits (187), and 9th in total bases (264). His 27 home runs and 104 RBI were also career-highs, while leading his team in batting average, runs, on base percentage, slugging average and OPS. At third base, he improved and became more consistent as the season wore on.
2005–07
In 2005, Mora once again hit 27 home runs, although his batting average and on base percentage dropped. On May 19, 2006 Mora agreed to a three-year, $25M deal that included a no-trade clause because Mora did not want to move his family to another city.[2]
In 2006, Mora's home run total dropped to 16, and again dropped in 2007 to 14. Mora also saw his batting average fall to .274 for both seasons.
2008
Mora was named American League Player of the Month for August 2008. Mora batted .418 (41-for-98) with 8 home runs and had a MLB leading 32 RBIs in 24 games. He posted a .765 slugging percentage and a .455 on-base percentage, with 17 extra-base hits, including eight doubles. Mora had a 13 multi-hit games in August 2008 and maintained an 8-game hitting streak from August 1–10. On August 17 at Detroit, Mora went 5-for-6 with two doubles, 2 home runs, 4 runs scored and 6 RBIs during a 16–8 Orioles win. Overall, Mora had five games in August in which he collected four-or-more RBIs. Mora injured his hamstring on August 29, 2008, missing the final games of his impressive month.
2009
On September 18, 2009, Brooks Robinson made a rare appearance at Camden Yards to honor Mora for moving into second all-time in games played at third base by an Oriole (behind only the Hall of Famer Brooks, himself). He presented Melvin with the third base from the game he moved into second.
In 2009 he led all major league starting third basemen in range factor, at 3.14.[3]
Mora's option was declined by the Orioles on October 29, 2009.
Colorado Rockies
On February 5, 2010, the Colorado Rockies signed Mora to a one-year, $1.275 million contract.[4][5] He played in 113 games for the NL West third place Rockies (83-79) and batted .285 with seven home runs and 45 RBI.[6] [7]
Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 6, 2010, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Mora to a two-year $4 million dollar contract.
On June 29, 2011, the Diamondbacks released Mora after he batted .228 with no homeruns and 16 RBI's.[8]
World Baseball Classic
Melvin Mora agreed to represent his native country, Venezuela, in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, joining fellow Venezuelan major Leaguers Bobby Abreu, Edgardo Alfonzo, Miguel Cairo, Omar Vizquel, Carlos Guillén, Johan Santana, Freddy García, Carlos Silva, Carlos Zambrano, Victor Zambrano, Juan Rivera, and Francisco Rodríguez. He later pulled out after being denied the third-base position in favor of Miguel Cabrera.
Highlights
- Twice All-Star (2003, 2005)
- Twice American League Player of the Month (May 2004, August 2008)
- First player to hit a home run off the top of the foul pole at Camden Yards
- 2000 Wampum Willy Award Winner
Personal life
When he was six years old, his father was murdered in front of him in Venezuela by men who mistook him for somebody else.[9]
On July 28, 2001, Mora's wife Gisel gave birth to quintuplets at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The babies, three girls and two boys, were named Genesis Raquel, Jada Priscilla, Rebekah Alesha, Christian Emmanuel, and Matthew David. They also had an older daughter Tatiana before the quintuplets were born.[10] The family resides in Fallston, Maryland.[11]
In the Orioles media guide, Mora stated his most embarrassing moment as a player came in his rookie year when, knowing little English, he thought his coach told him to go to left field—he was actually being told to go to second base. Melvin Mora is the best player I have ever seen.
References
- ^ "Melvin Mora". Retrosheet. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmoram002.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ Associated Press (2006-05-19). "Mora signs three-year, $25M extension with Orioles". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2451156. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ "MLB Player Fielding Stats - As 3b - 2009," ESPN, accessed October 6, 2009
- ^ Harding, Thomas (2010-01-31). "Rockies agree to one year deal with Mora". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100131&content_id=8001834&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved 2010-02-01.
- ^ Rockies agree to terms with Mora
- ^ Baseball-reference.com (player)
- ^ Baseball-reference.com (team)
- ^ Bloom, Barry M. (29 June 2011). "D-Backs release veteran Mora". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110629&content_id=21184412&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ^ http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/morame01.php
- ^ Klingaman, Mike. "Mora's abundance of fatherly joy," The Baltimore Sun, Sunday, June 21, 2009.
- ^ Connolly, Dan (January 5, 2010). "Three teams showing interest in Mora, his agent says". The Baltimore Sun: p. 3.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- USA Today Orioles' Mora a Nº 1 dad
- Johns Hopkins Hospital Dome - Mora Quintuples
Preceded by
Carlos Beltrán
Miguel CabreraAmerican League Player of the Month
May 2004
August 2008Succeeded by
Iván Rodríguez
Shin-Soo ChooAmerican League Third Baseman Silver Slugger Award 1980: Brett | 1981: Lansford | 1982: DeCinces | 1983: Boggs | 1984: Bell | 1985: Brett | 1986: Boggs | 1987: Boggs | 1988: Boggs | 1989: Boggs | 1990: Gruber | 1991: Boggs | 1992: Martínez | 1993: Boggs | 1994: Boggs | 1995: Gaetti | 1996: Thome | 1997: Williams | 1998: Palmer | 1999: Palmer | 2000: Glaus | 2001: Glaus | 2002: Chavez | 2003: Mueller | 2004: Mora | 2005: Rodriguez | 2006: Crede | 2007: Rodriguez | 2008: Rodriguez | 2009: Longoria | 2010: Beltré | 2011: BeltréVenezuela 2009 World Baseball Classic roster 1 Gerardo Parra | 2 Carlos Guillén | 3 César Izturis | 4 José López | 6 Melvin Mora | 7 Luis Maza | 11 Gregor Blanco | 12 Marco Scutaro | 16 Víctor Moreno | 19 Ramón Hernández | 21 Henry Blanco | 22 Jan Granado | 24 Miguel Cabrera | 30 Magglio Ordóñez | 31 Víctor Zambrano | 39 Yoel Hernández | 40 Armando Galarraga | 43 Ramón Ramirez | 44 Orber Moreno | 47 Endy Chávez | 48 Carlos Vásquez | 51 Max Ramírez | 52 Carlos Silva | 53 Bobby Abreu | 54 Enrique González | 59 Félix Hernández | 63 Iván Blanco | 75 Francisco Rodríguez
Manager 8 Luis Sojo | Coach 41 Andrés Galarraga | Coach 20 Tony Armas | Coach 34 Omar Malavé | Coach 5 Oscar Escobar | Coach 10 Roberto Espinoza | Coach 33 Luis Dorante
Categories:- 1972 births
- Living people
- New York Mets players
- Baltimore Orioles players
- Colorado Rockies players
- Arizona Diamondbacks players
- 2009 World Baseball Classic players
- American League All-Stars
- Expatriate baseball players in Taiwan
- Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
- Major League Baseball third basemen
- People from Yaracuy
- Venezuelan people of Black African descent
- Gulf Coast Astros players
- Asheville Tourists players
- Osceola Astros players
- Jackson Generals (Texas League) players
- Tucson Toros players
- New Orleans Zephyrs players
- St. Lucie Mets players
- Norfolk Tides players
- Bowie Baysox players
- Gulf Coast Orioles players
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