Jose Valentin: 2006 NL Eastern Champion Mets Second Baseman (2006 - 2007)
MLB Brother: Jose's brother Javier Valentin played ten MLB seasons (1997-2008) with the Minnesota Twins (1997-2002) Tampa Rays (2002) & Cincinnati Reds (2004-2008). Javier batted .251 with 45 HRs & 210 RBIs playing as a catcher & first baseman.
In 2005, in a ceremony at Williamsport, Virgina, The Valentin's parents received the George & Barbra Bush Little League Parents of the Year award for being the first Little League parents to have two children reach the major leagues.
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In January 2000 after eight seasons in Milwaukee, he was sent about two hours south to the city of Chicago, to the White Sox in exchange for Jaime Navarro and John Snyder.
In Chicago Valentin’s power numbers increased as many players did during the so called "steroid or juiced ball era" of baseball history. Valentin hit 25 or more HRs in each of his five seasons there, with four seasons of 70 plus RBIs.
Jose drove in runs in three straight games in that series. On May 18th, he then hit his second HR of the year, coming in a loss at St. Louis.
Mets Third Base Man Trivia: On May 26th, Valentin got a start at third base, becoming the 132nd third baseman in team history.
From May 28th to May 29th, he drove in runs in three straight games. As the Mets took two of three in a series with Arizona, Valentin homered in back-to-back games collecting six hits & four RBIs. Overall, from May 12th to May 30th he had driven in 15 runs.
From June 19th to June 28th, Jose had eleven hits, batting .423 hitting three HRs, coming against the Reds at home, then hit two more in Toronto & Boston.
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Trivia: Valentine was the first Mets player & the third MLB player in the last 40 years to hit a grand slam & have a bases loaded triple in the same game.
On July 14th, Valentin collected three hits, stealing two bases for the first time in his career since September 2000, in a 6-3 win at Wrigley Field.
Grand Slam HR: On July 21st Valentin hit his second grand slam of the season, coming off the Astros Taylor Buchholtz in a 7-0 Mets win at Shea. It was his eighth career grand slam.
Walk Off Hit: On July 26th he drove in the only run of the game with a walk off game winning single off former Met Glendon Rusch.
Errorless Streak: On September 11th, Valentin made an error at second base, breaking his 60-game errorless streak. It was the longest errorless streak by an NL second baseman that season. It was the longest by a Mets second baseman since Edgardo Alfonzo's 75 game errorless streak in 1999.
Mets Clinch NL East- Multi HR Game: On September 18th, the Mets clinched the NL Eastern Division with a win over the Marlins at Shea Stadium. That night Valentin had his second multi-HR game of the season hitting two off Brian Moehler. It was his 19th multi-HR game of his career. The first HR was also the 1300th hit of his career.
In the 2006 Mets NL Eastern Division Champion year, Valentin batted .271, with 104 hits 18 HRs, 24 doubles, three triples, 56 runs scored & 62 RBIs. He struck out 71 times, walked 37 times posting a .330 on base % & .676 OPS.
2006 Post Season- NLDS: Valentin played every game in the 2006 post season. In the NLDS he was hitless against the Los Angeles Dodgers going 0-2 drawing two walks.
2007 Season: Valentin returned in 2007 and gave up his uniform number 18 to the newly acquired Moises Alou. Valentin took over uniform #22. Valentin was now 38 years old & age was creeping up on him.
Retirement: In 2004 Valentin purchased one of the most historic baseball franchises in Puerto Rico, relocating the Santurce Crabbers team to his native town.
Trivia: His local high school was also once attended by Carlos Betran.
The five-foot ten switch hitting Jose was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1986.
He had a modest minor league career reaching AAA by 1992 after hitting 17 HRs the previous year. In 1992 he was sent along with Rickey Bones to the Milwaukee Brewers for Gary Sheffield.
MLB Career: Valentin made his debut with the Brewers as a September call up late in the year. After two seasons up & down to the big leagues he became the Brewers regular short stop by 1995. It took time to get adjusted, as he wasn’t the slickest fielder around, leading the league in errors in 1994, 1996 & later again in 2000.
Valentin's best season in Milwaukee was 1996 hitting 24 HRs with 33 doubles &95 RBIs batting .259. Valentin was a free swinger which led to a lot of strike outs. He struck out 145 times that season and would K over 100 times seven times in his career.
He hit 16 or more HRs over the next two seasons but never hit above .230.
MLB Career: Valentin made his debut with the Brewers as a September call up late in the year. After two seasons up & down to the big leagues he became the Brewers regular short stop by 1995. It took time to get adjusted, as he wasn’t the slickest fielder around, leading the league in errors in 1994, 1996 & later again in 2000.
Valentin's best season in Milwaukee was 1996 hitting 24 HRs with 33 doubles &95 RBIs batting .259. Valentin was a free swinger which led to a lot of strike outs. He struck out 145 times that season and would K over 100 times seven times in his career.
He hit 16 or more HRs over the next two seasons but never hit above .230.
Trivia: In 1998 he was the first player to hit three HRs in Miami's Pro Player Stadium.
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In January 2000 after eight seasons in Milwaukee, he was sent about two hours south to the city of Chicago, to the White Sox in exchange for Jaime Navarro and John Snyder.
In Chicago Valentin’s power numbers increased as many players did during the so called "steroid or juiced ball era" of baseball history. Valentin hit 25 or more HRs in each of his five seasons there, with four seasons of 70 plus RBIs.
In 2000 he had career highs in hits (155) RBIs (92) runs scored (107) doubles (37) & stolen bases (19) playing for Jerry Manuel & the first place White Sox.
2000 Post Season: In his first post season he batted .300 in the ALDS loss to the Seattle Mariners.
In 2001 he hit 28 HRs matching that mark again in 2003. In 2004 he hit his career high 30 HRs driving in 70 runs but batted a weak .216 with 139 strikeouts (5th most in the league). As he got older, he had less range at short and moved around the diamond playing some outfield & third base.
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In 2005 he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but a nagging knee injury limited him to only 56 games and a .170 batting average. His contract wasn’t renewed, and the New York Mets gave him a chance.
Mets Career: Valentin surprised everyone in Spring Training 2006 making the Mets squad going north. He became the Mets steady everyday second baseman taking the job from Kazo Matsui in mid-May who was soon to be traded away. Valentin was solid only making six errors all season at second, posting a .978 fielding percentage, the best of his career.
In 2001 he hit 28 HRs matching that mark again in 2003. In 2004 he hit his career high 30 HRs driving in 70 runs but batted a weak .216 with 139 strikeouts (5th most in the league). As he got older, he had less range at short and moved around the diamond playing some outfield & third base.
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In 2005 he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but a nagging knee injury limited him to only 56 games and a .170 batting average. His contract wasn’t renewed, and the New York Mets gave him a chance.
Mets Career: Valentin surprised everyone in Spring Training 2006 making the Mets squad going north. He became the Mets steady everyday second baseman taking the job from Kazo Matsui in mid-May who was soon to be traded away. Valentin was solid only making six errors all season at second, posting a .978 fielding percentage, the best of his career.
Things began slowly as he batted just .136 in April without an RBI.
Multi- Four RBI Game: On May 13th, Valentin had multi-four RBI game, in a 9-8 win over his old Milwaukee Brewers teammates. In the 6th inning, he collected a two-run single off Dana Eveland. In the 8th inning, he hit a two run HR off Chris Demaria putting the Mets up 8-4. The Brewers came back to tie it but Paul LoDuca's 9th inning HR ended up being the game winner.
Multi- Four RBI Game: On May 13th, Valentin had multi-four RBI game, in a 9-8 win over his old Milwaukee Brewers teammates. In the 6th inning, he collected a two-run single off Dana Eveland. In the 8th inning, he hit a two run HR off Chris Demaria putting the Mets up 8-4. The Brewers came back to tie it but Paul LoDuca's 9th inning HR ended up being the game winner.
Mets Third Base Man Trivia: On May 26th, Valentin got a start at third base, becoming the 132nd third baseman in team history.
From May 28th to May 29th, he drove in runs in three straight games. As the Mets took two of three in a series with Arizona, Valentin homered in back-to-back games collecting six hits & four RBIs. Overall, from May 12th to May 30th he had driven in 15 runs.
From June 4th to June 10th, Valentin drove in runs in five of seven games, batting .333 with ten hits in that stretch.
Grand Slam & Multi- Seven RBI Game: On July 8th in the second game of a double header, Valentin had a huge day in the Mets 17-3 win at Shea Stadium. He hit a grand slam HR off Ricky Nolasco in the 1st inning, the seventh grand slam of his career.
He then added a bases loaded, base clearing triple in the 2nd inning for a career high seven RBIs in the 17-3 Mets blow out.
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On July 14th, Valentin collected three hits, stealing two bases for the first time in his career since September 2000, in a 6-3 win at Wrigley Field.
Grand Slam HR: On July 21st Valentin hit his second grand slam of the season, coming off the Astros Taylor Buchholtz in a 7-0 Mets win at Shea. It was his eighth career grand slam.
In the month Valentin drove in 17 runs & raised his average to .290.
On August 12th he singled in the top of the 7th inning, breaking a 4-4 tie in Washington D.C. The Mets went on to win the game 6-4. The next day he tied up the game with when he reached on an error scoring David Wright.
Multi- Two HR Game: On August 30th he hit a pair of solo HRs in Colorado, coming off Josh Fogg & Ramon Hernandez in an 11-3 Mets win. It was the 18th multi-HR game of his career.
Multi- Two HR Game: On August 30th he hit a pair of solo HRs in Colorado, coming off Josh Fogg & Ramon Hernandez in an 11-3 Mets win. It was the 18th multi-HR game of his career.
On September 1st, Jose broke up a 6-6 tie in Houston with a pinch-hit double scoring David Wright, as the Mets went on to an 8-7 win.
On September 7th he hit his 15th HR of the year driving in two runs in Tom Glavine's combined 7-0 shut out over the Dodgers at Shea Stadium.
Mets Clinch NL East- Multi HR Game: On September 18th, the Mets clinched the NL Eastern Division with a win over the Marlins at Shea Stadium. That night Valentin had his second multi-HR game of the season hitting two off Brian Moehler. It was his 19th multi-HR game of his career. The first HR was also the 1300th hit of his career.
In 94 games at second base, he posted a .988 fielding % & turned 52 double plays.
His veteran leadership added to the club house & his moustache made for one of the best in Mets history.
In Game #2 he drew a walk in the bottom of the 5th inning & scored on Paul LoDuca's sac fly.
In the 6th inning he reached on an error & scored another on Jose Reyes' base hit. The Mets won the Game 4-1.
2006 NLCS: In the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit safely in Game #2 & Game 3, collecting one hit in each game. In Game #4 in St. Louis, Valentin had two hits, with walk, & three RBIs.
In the top of the 6th, he doubled off Josh Hancock with the bases loaded, clearing the bases putting the game away with a 9-3 Mets lead. The Mets scored six runs in that 6th inning & sent ten men to the plate. They would go on to win 12-5 evening the Series at two games each.
In Game #5 Jose drove in the first two runs of the game with a double off Jeff Weaver. They were the only runs Weaver allowed as the Cards rallied to win the game 4-2 at Busch Stadium.
2006 NLCS: In the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit safely in Game #2 & Game 3, collecting one hit in each game. In Game #4 in St. Louis, Valentin had two hits, with walk, & three RBIs.
In Game #5 Jose drove in the first two runs of the game with a double off Jeff Weaver. They were the only runs Weaver allowed as the Cards rallied to win the game 4-2 at Busch Stadium.
In the Mets Game #6 win, Jose went hitless.
In Game #6 Valentin led off the 9th inning with a single off Adam Wainwright. He advanced to second on Endy Chavez's base hit & then third vase when Paul LoDuca drew a walk. He was stranded at third when Carlos Beltran watched a third strike go by to end the series.
Overall, he went 6-24 in the NLCS (.250) with two doubles & five RBIs.
From April 14th to April 23rd, Valentin was hot, collecting 11 hits batting .407 with 2 HRs & 9 RBIs in a seven-game span.
Multi- Four RBI Game: On April 23rd, in a 6-1 win over the Rockies at Shea, Valentin had a season high four RBIs. In the 2nd inning he hit a three run HR off Taylor Buchholtz then added a sac fly in the 4th.
On June 24th, he cracked a three run HR off the A's Jay Marshall in a 10-2 Met win.
Season Ending Injury: On July 20th Valentin fouled a ball off his right leg breaking his fibula & ending his season. In September he would undergo surgery on his right knee in a separate injury.
In 51 games in 2007 he only hit .241 with 3 HRs 11 doubles a .302 on base % & 18 RBIs. The next season the Mets gave him a minor league contact, but at age 38 he couldn’t come back from the injuries. He did not make the ball club & retired.
Mets Career: In his two seasons with the Mets, Valentin hit 21 HRs 80 RBIs 35 doubles a .322 on base % & a .262 average in 188 games played.
Mets Career: In his two seasons with the Mets, Valentin hit 21 HRs 80 RBIs 35 doubles a .322 on base % & a .262 average in 188 games played.
Career Stats: Overall, In his 16-year career he hit 249 HRs ranking him in the top 200 All Time.
He hit .243 1348 hits, with 302 doubles, 41 triples, 872 runs scored a .321 on base % & 816 RBIs in 1678 games played.
He hit .243 1348 hits, with 302 doubles, 41 triples, 872 runs scored a .321 on base % & 816 RBIs in 1678 games played.
On the field he played 181 games at third making 31 errors (.936 %) 158 games at second with 12 errors (.985%) & 54 games in the outfield (.990%).
After attendance fell off, he brought the team back to their original home.
He also has played with the team at second base in his forties. In 2012 he was named manager of the A ball Fort Wayne Caps, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres. In 2013 he coached the Padres at the big-league level.
He also has played with the team at second base in his forties. In 2012 he was named manager of the A ball Fort Wayne Caps, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres. In 2013 he coached the Padres at the big-league level.
Family: Jose & his wife have three children.
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