- Wil Cordero
Infobox MLB retired
name=Wil Cordero
position=Outfielder /First baseman /Shortstop
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1971|10|3
city-state|Mayaguez|Puerto Rico
debutdate=July 24
debutyear=by|1992
debutteam=Montreal Expos
finaldate=July 19
finalyear=by|2005
finalteam=Washington Nationals
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.273
stat2label=Home run s
stat2value=122
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=566
teams=
*Montréal Expos (by|1992-by|1995)
*Boston Red Sox (by|1996-by|1997)
*Chicago White Sox (by|1998)
*Cleveland Indians (by|1999)
*Pittsburgh Pirates (by|2000)
*Cleveland Indians (by|2000-by|2002)
*Montréal Expos (by|2002-by|2003)
*Florida Marlins (by|2004)
*Washington Nationals (by|2005)
highlights=
*All-Star selection (1994)Wilfredo Cordero Nieva ("aka" "Coco") (born
October 3 ,1971 inMayagüez, Puerto Rico ) is afirst baseman /outfielder inMajor League Baseball who is afree agent . He is best known as a member of theMontreal Expos (by|1992-by|1995, by|2002-by|2003). Cordero made his Major League Baseball debut in 1992 and last played in by|2005. In addition to the Expos, Cordero has played for theBoston Red Sox (by|1996-by|1997),Chicago White Sox (by|1998), Cleveland Indians (by|1999, by|2000-2002),Pittsburgh Pirates (2000),Florida Marlins (by|2004), andWashington Nationals (2005). He bats and throwsright-handed .In a 14-season career, Cordero is a .273 hitter with 122
home run s and 566 RBI in 1247 games.Cordero had an opportunity to make the Montreal Expos roster on Opening Day in 1992, less than four years after he signed with the team at the age of 16. But he struck out 17 times in 38
spring training at bat s. Cordero bounced back to Triple-A Indianapolis. He debuted with the big team after the All-Star break and finished with a .314batting average in 45 games, despite missing significant stretches of playing time due to a sprained ankle, a strained middle finger, and a serious case ofchicken pox .Like the privileged few who have made it to the majors quickly, Cordero showed inconsistency at bat. A line drive hitter, he finished his first full season with a .248 average, 10 homers and 58 RBIs in by|1993. Meanwhile, he displayed excellent range at shortstop, a strong throwing arm and the cool demeanor necessary to make the correct play. Again on the
disabled list in by|1994, Cordero missed 52 games, but he finished with a career-high .294 average, 15 home runs, 63 RBI, 64 runs and 35 doubles, and made theNational League All-Star team. The next year he batted .286.Cordero was traded to the Boston Red Sox before the 1996 season. The Expos received pitchers
Rheal Cormier andShayne Bennett , and first baseman Ryan McGuire in the deal. In his first year in Boston, a pair of nagging injuries and the presence ofJohn Valentin at shortstop limited his playing time. Cordero was used atsecond base and asdesignated hitter in only 59 games. His most productive season came in 1997, when he hit .281 and posted career-highs in home runs (18), RBI (72), runs (82), hits (160) and games (140). However, Cordero became an embarrassment to the organization and drew the ire of fans after he was arrested onJune 10 ,1997 , on domestic abuse charges. He was re-arrested for violating an order to stay away from his wife after being released on $200 bail. Later that month, theBoston Globe published court documents from Cordero's 1993 divorce from his first wife Wanda Mora in which she alleged that he had struck her "on numerous occasions" causing "bruises and bleeding", including when she was pregnant. [http://ww1.sportsline.com/b/page/pressbox/archive/jun97/ryanb62797.htm] Upon returning to the line up after an eight game absence, Cordero was booed by the Boston fans. OnNovember 4 , 1997, Cordero plead guilty to the charges and received a 90-day sentence, suspended for two years. At the end of the 1997 season, the Red Sox released Cordero and he signed with the Chicago White Sox.Between 1998 and 2004, Cordero played for five teams, including two stints with the Cleveland Indians and a full season with his former club, Montreal. He suffered new injuries, had
arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in 2004, and some personal problems, including domestic abuse, that have plagued his career. But Cordero was back in 2005, with the new-look Washington Nationals franchise.2005
On,
July 25 , 2005, the Nationals placed Cordero on waivers for the purpose of giving the veteran his unconditional release. The 33-year-old Cordero, who had been bothered by knee problems, batted just .118 with two RBI in 29 games that season for the Nationals. OnJuly 27 , the New York Mets signed Cordero to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate, theNorfolk Tides . The Mets released Cordero onAugust 15 after he hit just .129 for the Tides.2007
After not playing at all in by|2006, the
New York Mets signed Cordero to a minor league contract onMarch 7 , by|2007, but released him during spring training. During the summer of 2007, Cordero worked as a baseball coach at Kutsher's Sports Academy inMonticello, New York .ee also
*
List of NL Silver Slugger Winners at Shortstop External links
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4895 ESPN] - profile and daily updates
*baseball-reference|id=c/cordewi01
* [http://thebaseballcube.com/players/C/wil-cordero.shtml Wil Cordero's Major and Minor League Statistics: The Baseball Cube]
* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=cordewi01 Baseball Almanac - career statistics]
* [http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=753#more-753 Baseball America]
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