Raul Chavez saw bigs over 11 seasons with Astros, others
Astros catcher Raul Chavez hit his first major league home run in this September 2000 game, a game made all the more memorable - or unusual - by the addition of a streaker, The Quad-City Times wrote.
"I'll remember this day," Chavez told The Times afterward. "For everything."
To get to that day - his first major league home run - took Chavez more than a decade of work. He'd seen the majors briefly in three previous seasons.
He went on to see the bigs - and more playing time - over seven more campaigns. His final major league time came in 2009, with the Blue Jays.
Chavez' career began in 1990, signed by the Astros as a free agent out of his native Venezuela.
Chavez started with the Astros in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .323 in 48 games there.
He then saw single-A Burlington in 1991, then high-A Osceola in 1993 and AA Jackson in 1994. He made AAA Tucson in 1995.
He then moved to the Expos for 1996. He debuted in the majors with Montreal that year. He saw four games and went 1 for 5. He returned for 13 more games with Montreal in 1997. He hit .269.
Chavez played one game for the Mariners in 1998 and returned to the Astros and the majors in 2000 for another 14 games and that home run.
Chavez saw two games with Houston in 2002, 19 in 2004 and a career high 64 in 2004. That August, he hit a three-run double in a win.
"I was trying to put the ball in play," Chavez told The Associated Press after that game. "He threw me a fastball away and I made good contact."
Chavez saw 37 games with the Astros in 2005 and 16 with the Orioles in 2006. He returned to the majors in 2008 with the Pirates and told The Beaver County Times that June he was glad to have another shot.
"Last year was tough, spending the whole year in Triple-A," Chavez told The Beaver County Times. "I always believed I could still play in the major leagues, though. ... Even though I had to go back to the minor leagues, I kept working hard and they gave me a chance up here. Now, I’m trying to make the most of my opportunity."
Chavez hit .259 in 42 games for the Pirates that year. He then saw a final 51 with the Blue Jays in 2009. He hit .258 there to end his career.
- Quad-City Times, Sept. 9, 2000: 7th-inning stripper gives Wrigley Field exhibition
- Abilene Reporter-News, Associated Press, Aug. 18, 2004: Astros hold down Phillies
- Beaver County Times, June 5, 2008: Chavez proves worth on offense as Pirates beat Astros
Made the Majors:1,432-31.7%-X
Never Made Majors:3,091-68.3%
