Endy de Jesus Chávez Meza (; born February 7, 1978), is a Venezuelan former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

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 catch ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

, Texas Rangers, and

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. Chávez is the older brother of Ender Chávez.

Early life

Chávez was born in

Valencia, Venezuela Valencia () is the capital city of Carabobo State and the third-largest city in Venezuela. The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies. It is also the largest city in the Valencia-Maracay m ...

where his father, Alirio, worked as a

handyman A handyman, also known as a fixer, handyperson or handyworker, maintenance worker, maintenance man, repairman, repair worker, or repair technician, is a person who is knowledgeable in skills such as basic carpentry, plumbing, minor electrical w ...

. Growing up in Venezuela, he honed his hand-eye coordination by hitting pebbles out of the air with sticks. He initially drew attention from

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

scouts at 18 years old but, when their interest wavered due to his slight stature, he signed with the

Career

Minor league

Chávez made his

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

debut in 1997 with the Gulf Coast League Mets, a rookie-level affiliate of the New York Mets. He remained in the Mets organization through 2000, spending time with the Kingsport Mets,

Gulf Coast Mets The Florida Complex League Mets are a Rookie-level affiliate for the New York Mets, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Bas ...

, Capital City Bombers, and St. Lucie Mets. On December 11, 2000, Chávez was claimed by the

in the 2000 Rule 5 draft. On March 30, 2001, Chávez was returned to the Mets and then traded to the Royals for minor league outfielder Michael Curry. He played for the AA

Wichita Wranglers The Wichita Wranglers were a minor league baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas. The team, which played in the Texas League, was the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1994 and the Kansas City Royals fro ...

and the AAA

Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 41st-most-populous city, Omaha had a popu ...

before making his major league debut with the Royals on May 29, 2001.

Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals

In the winter of 2001, Chávez was waived by the Royals and then claimed and waived by both the Mets and

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

before being claimed by the

where he played in 309 games over three years (2002–05) while splitting time at AAA

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

and

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

. Playing full-time for the Expos in 2003 and 2004, Chávez batted first in the lineup and started in center field, stealing 18 bases in 2003 and 32 in 2004. On October 3, 2004, Chávez recorded the final out in Expos history in their 8–1 loss to the Mets at

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

before being traded to the

for fellow outfielder

Marlon Byrd Marlon Jerrard Byrd (born August 30, 1977) is an Americans, American former professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, ...

. During his tenure in Washington, Chávez was given the mocking nickname of "Inning Endy" by Nationals fansites due to his tendency to swing away rather than work the count to his favor which often resulted in groundouts and popups to end the Nationals innings.

Philadelphia Phillies

Chávez spent the rest of the 2005 season with the Philadelphia Phillies and appeared in 91 games with 107 at-bats and hit only .215. At the end of the season, Chávez became a free agent for the first time and signed one year, $500,000 contract with the Mets on December 23, 2005.

New York Mets

During

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

, Mets manager

Willie Randolph William Larry Randolph (born July 6, 1954) is an American former professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager. During an 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played from 1975 to 1992 for six different teams, most notabl ...

worked with Chávez to improve his hitting. Chávez's speed and his modified batting style sparked a 90-point jump in his batting average over the previous season (hitting .306 in 353 at-bats) as the Mets' fourth outfielder (often as an injury replacement for regular left fielder

Cliff Floyd Cornelius Clifford Floyd Jr. (born December 5, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for 17 seasons, most notably for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and New York Mets. He is currently a baseball analyst wh ...

). His improved hitting and excellent defensive skills contributed to the Mets winning the National League East. Endy Chavez signs autographs

Chávez's signature moment came at

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.2006 National League Championship Series The 2006 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of the National League side in Major League Baseball’s 2006 postseason, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postpon ...

. In the top of the sixth inning, with the game tied, 1–1, Cardinals third baseman

Scott Rolen Scott Bruce Rolen (born April 4, 1975) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Cincinnati Reds from ...

hit a pitch off Mets starter

Óliver Pérez Óliver Pérez Martínez (born August 15, 1981) is a Mexican former professional baseball pitcher. He played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamond ...

. Leaping over the left field wall, Chávez caught the ball with the tip of his glove to rob Rolen of a two-run home run. Chávez then threw to cutoff man second baseman

José Valentín José Antonio Valentín (born October 12, 1969) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers (–), Chicago White Sox (–), Los Angeles Dodgers (), and New Y ...

, who threw to Carlos Delgado at first base to double off Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds for an inning-ending double play. Although the Mets went on to lose the game and the series, "The Catch" was named the top post-season moment in the fifth annual This Year in Baseball Awards. On July 13, 2007,

American International Group American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an American multinational finance and insurance corporation with operations in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. As of 2023, AIG employed 25,200 people. The company operates through three core ...

(the company whose left field advertisement was where Chávez made the catch) sponsored a special bobblehead doll day to commemorate the catch. The left field entrance gate of the Mets' current ballpark,

Citi Field Citi Field is a baseball park, baseball stadium located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the Boroughs of New York, borough of Queens, New York City, United States. Opened in 2009, Citi Field is the home of Major League Baseball's New York M ...

, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a leaping catch similar to the one Chávez made during the 2006 NLCS. Chávez's playing time decreased dramatically in 2007 when he only saw time in 71 games, primarily splitting time with regular left fielder Moisés Alou, due to left hamstring issues which landed him on the disabled list twice. That winter, he reinjured his hamstring and injured his right ankle while playing winter ball in

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

for

Navegantes del Magallanes Navegantes del Magallanes B.B.C., commonly known as Navegantes del Magallanes (; ''Strait of Magellan, Magellan Navigators''), or simply Magallanes, are a professional baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP), based in ...

. In 2008, Chávez again saw time as the Mets' fourth outfielder and hit .267 in 270 at-bats. On September 28, the final day of the 2008 regular season and the final game at

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Jorge Cantú Jorge Luís Cantú Guzmán (born January 30, 1982) is an American-born Mexicans, Mexican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Texas Rang ...

, Chávez made the catch for the final out of the inning. Despite his defensive play, the Mets lost to the Marlins 4-2 and failed to qualify for post-season play.

Seattle Mariners

On December 11, Chávez was involved in a three-team, 12-player trade in which he was sent, along with pitcher

Aaron Heilman Aaron Michael Heilman (born November 12, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Early life Heilman was born in Logansport ...

and several minor leaguers, to the

. On June 19, 2009, while trying to catch a pop-up, Chávez collided with shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and suffered a torn ACL in his right knee which ended his 2009 season.

Texas Rangers

On February 15, 2010, Chávez agreed to a minor league free agent contract with the Texas Rangers and spent time with the Rangers' Rookie League team, the AA Frisco and AAA

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

while coming back from his ACL injury. In 2011, he batted .301 with 5 home runs in 256 at-bats and helped the Rangers to the

2011 World Series The 2011 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2011 Major League Baseball season, 2011 season. The 107th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Le ...

, which they lost to the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

in seven games.

Baltimore Orioles

On December 18, 2011, Chávez signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the

. Chávez again saw major time on the disabled list (suffering

intercostal muscle The intercostal muscles comprise many different groups of muscle Muscle is a soft tissue, one of the four basic types of animal tissue. There are three types of muscle tissue in vertebrates: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle ...

hamstring A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. Etymology The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...

injuries) appeared in only 64 games, batting .203 with 12 RBIs and two home runs. On August 4, he was designated for assignment to make room for Nate McLouth and spent the next month with AAA

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. He was recalled by the Orioles in mid-September.

Seattle Mariners

On December 31, 2012 Chávez signed a minor league contract with the

, but was released on March 22, 2013. On March 24, Chávez signed a minor league contract with the

and appeared in 97 games for the Mariners hitting .267.

Bridgeport Bluefish

On March 8, 2016, Chávez signed with the

Bridgeport Bluefish The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseb ...

, in the Atlantic League. Chávez was very successful in his first season with the Bluefish, batting .345 and winning the league batting title. In 95 games he hit .345/.397/.415 with 2 home runs, 37 RBIs and 5 stolen bases.

Pericos de Puebla

On March 9, 2017, Chávez signed with the Pericos de Puebla of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In 93 games he hit .343/.397/.429 with 5 home runs, 59 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He was released before the start of the 2018 season on January 23, 2018.

Somerset Patriots

On February 26, 2018, Chávez signed with the

Somerset Patriots The Somerset Patriots are an American professional Minor League Baseball (MiLB) team based in Bridgewater, New Jersey. They are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League (EL), known as the Double-A Nort ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. He retired as an active player following the conclusion of the season. In 87 games he hit .287/.317/.330 with 2 home runs, 41 RBIs and 1 stolen base.

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Chávez played for 19 seasons in the

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (, or LVBP) is the top-level professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Background and predecessors Baseball had been play ...

, all of them with

Post-playing career

New York Mets

In February 2019, Chávez returned to the Mets organization and was announced as a new coach for the

Brooklyn Cyclones The Brooklyn Cyclones are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and play at Maimonides Park, just off the Coney Island ...

, the team's Low–A affiliate. For the 2020 season, he was named the bench coach of the High–A St. Lucie Mets. Following the 2022 season, the Mets announced that they would not be bringing Chávez back as a minor league coach. Chavez served as the first base coach for the Tiburones de La Guiara of the Venezuelan league, from the start of the 2023-24 winter ball season, through the 2024 Caribbean Series.

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

On January 8, 2024, Chávez was hired to serve as the hitting coach for the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (English: Two Laredos Owls), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (English: Nuevo Laredo Owls), are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. The Tecolotes are a binational baseball team, spli ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He was fired by the club on May 17.

Personal life

Chávez had a daughter, Joendys, with Joelis Molina on August 5, 2009 in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. In the years following her birth, Chávez and Molina engaged in an international custody battle in the courts of Venezuela and the United States, ultimately concluding when Judge Jose L. Linares of the

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. gover ...

ordered that Joendys be returned to her mother in Venezuela pursuant to the

Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or Hague Abduction Convention is a multilateral treaty that provides an expeditious method to return a child who was wrongfully taken by a parent from one country to ano ...

. Chávez married his wife, Patrice, on September 15, 2015, in

Emerson, New Jersey Emerson is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, a suburb in the New York City metropolitan area. Emerson is the most southern municipality in an area of the county known as the Pascack Valley. As of the 2020 United Stat ...

where the couple was then residing.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chavez, Endy 1978 births Living people Arizona League Rangers players Baltimore Orioles players Binghamton Mets players Bowie Baysox players Bridgeport Bluefish players Brooklyn Cyclones coaches Capital City Bombers players Delmarva Shorebirds players Edmonton Trappers players Frisco RoughRiders players Gulf Coast Mets players Gulf Coast Orioles players Kansas City Royals players Kingsport Mets players Major League Baseball center fielders Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Mexican League baseball outfielders Montreal Expos players Navegantes del Magallanes players New York Mets players New Orleans Zephyrs players Norfolk Tides players Oklahoma City RedHawks players Omaha Golden Spikes players Ottawa Lynx players Pericos de Puebla players Philadelphia Phillies players Round Rock Express players Seattle Mariners players Somerset Patriots players Baseball players from Valencia, Venezuela St. Lucie Mets players Tacoma Rainiers players Texas Rangers players Venezuelan baseball coaches Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Washington Nationals players Wichita Wranglers players World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela 2006 World Baseball Classic players 2009 World Baseball Classic players

Early life

Career

Minor league

Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals

Philadelphia Phillies

New York Mets

Seattle Mariners

Texas Rangers

Baltimore Orioles

Seattle Mariners

Bridgeport Bluefish

Pericos de Puebla

Somerset Patriots

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Post-playing career

New York Mets

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

Personal life

See also

References

External links