Wilfredo Cordero Nieva (born October 3, 1971) is a former

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

, and

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. He was best known as a member of the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

(1992–1995, 2002–2003). Cordero made his Major League Baseball debut in 1992 and last played in 2005. In addition to the Expos, Cordero played for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

(1996–1997),

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

(1998), Cleveland Indians (1999, 2000–2002),

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

(2000),

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

(2004), and

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

(2005). He batted and threw

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

. In a 14-season career, Cordero was a .273 hitter with 122

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 566 RBI in 1247

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

Professional career

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 sixteen, but he

struck out In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denot ...

17 times in 38

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s, and was sent down to Triple-A

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. He debuted with the Expos after the All-Star break and finished with a .314

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

in 45 games, despite missing significant stretches of playing time due to a sprained ankle, a strained middle finger, and a serious case of

chicken pox Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually scab ...

. A line drive hitter, he finished his first full season with a .248 average, 10 homers and 58 RBIs in 1993. Meanwhile, he displayed excellent range at shortstop and a strong throwing arm. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, Cordero finished with a career-high .294 average, 15 home runs, 63 RBI, 65 runs scored and 35 doubles, and made the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

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

Rhéal Cormier Rhéal Paul Cormier (; April 23, 1967 – March 8, 2021) was a Canadian-American professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB), for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox (twice), Montreal Expos, Philadelph ...

and

Shayne Bennett Shayne Anthony Bennett (born 10 April 1972) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), and was a right-handed baseball pitcher, who last played in Major Leag ...

, and first baseman

Ryan McGuire Ryan Byron McGuire (born November 23, 1971) is an American retired professional baseball player. He played six seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1997–2002, as a first baseman and outfielder. In his MLB career, he played for the Montreal Exp ...

in the deal. In his first year in Boston, a pair of nagging injuries and the presence of

John Valentin John William Valentin (born February 18, 1967) is a former shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Boston Red Sox from 1992 to 2001, and spent a final season with the New York Mets in 2002. He later became a c ...

at shortstop limited his playing time. Cordero was used at second base and as

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

, appearing in 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 Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

(160) and games (140). At the end of the 1997 season, the Red Sox released Cordero, and he signed with the

. From 1998 to 2004, Cordero played for five teams, including two stints with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

and a full season with his former club, Montreal. In 2004, he had arthroscopic knee surgery and was out for the season. Cordero was back in 2005, with the renamed Washington Nationals franchise. On July 25, 2005, the Nationals placed Cordero on waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release. The 33-year-old Cordero, who had been bothered by knee problems, batted .118 with two RBI in 29 games that season for the Nationals. On July 27, the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

signed Cordero to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate, the

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

. The Mets released Cordero on August 15 after he hit just .129 for the Tides. After not playing at all in 2006, the Mets signed Cordero to a minor league contract on March 7, 2007, but released him during spring training. Cordero works as a baseball coach during the summers at Kutsher's Sports Academy in

Great Barrington, Massachusetts Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,172 at the 2020 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, ...

Personal life

In 1997, Cordero pleaded guilty to assault and battery against his former wife Ana. Later that year, a restraining order was issued against Cordero in Puerto Rico for his alleged threatening of his wife. In 1999, Cordero was arrested in New York and charged with disturbing the peace for an alleged altercation with his wife's former husband. In 2002, Cordero was arrested in Orlando, Florida and charged with battery in a domestic violence case that was eventually dropped when the alleged victim refused to participate in the prosecution.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordero, Wil 1971 births Living people Akron Aeros players Birmingham Barons players Boston Red Sox players Chicago White Sox players Cleveland Indians players Florida Marlins players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Harrisburg Senators players Indianapolis Indians players Jacksonville Expos players Jamestown Expos players Jupiter Hammerheads players Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Major League Baseball shortstops Montreal Expos players National League All-Stars Norfolk Tides players Pawtucket Red Sox players People from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Pittsburgh Pirates players Potomac Nationals players Puerto Rican expatriate baseball players in Canada Silver Slugger Award winners Washington Nationals players West Palm Beach Expos players

Professional career

Personal life

See also

References

External links