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

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

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 c ...

, who played in

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) ...

(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) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...

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

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 Stadi ...

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

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 leagu ...

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

, Texas Rangers, and

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles 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 American League's eight charter ...

. Chávez is the older brother of

Ender Chávez Ender James Chávez (born March 9, 1981) is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach. He is the former batting practice pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the younger brother of former Major League Baseball outfi ...

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, is a person skilled at a wide range of repairs, typically around the home. These tasks include trade skills, repair work, maintenance work, are both interior and exterior, and are s ...

. 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 (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

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 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, 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 fr ...

and the AAA Omaha Royals 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 of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

before being claimed by the

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

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

and

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anc ...

. 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 Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

. In 2005 Chávez played in only seven games in the majors for the now relocated

before being traded to the

for fellow outfielder

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

. 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 signed on December 23, 2005.

New York Mets

During

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 roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

, Mets manager Willie Randolph 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 a 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 who co-hosts ...

). 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 Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

in Game 7 of the

2006 National League Championship Series The 2006 National League Championship Series (NLCS), the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather ...

. In the top of the sixth inning, with the game tied 1–1, Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen hit a pitch off Mets starter Óliver Pérez. 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, 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 would go on to lose the game and the series, "The Catch" was named the top post-season moment in the 5th annual

This Year in Baseball The This Year in Baseball Awards, now called the "Esurance MLB Awards", were initiated by Major League Baseball (MLB) in . They are honors given annually to the most extraordinary baseball performances, players, managers, and executives, as voted ...

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. , AIG companies employed 49,600 people.https://www.aig.com/content/dam/aig/amer ...

(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 New York City, United States. It opened in 2009 and is the home field of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. The stadium was built as a replacement fo ...

, features a metal silhouette of a baseball player making a leaping catch similar to the one Chávez made in 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 Moisés Rojas-Alou Beltré (; ; born July 3, 1966) is a Dominican-American former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the National League. In 1,942 career games, Alou had a batting average of .303 with 2,134 hits, ...

, due to left hamstring issues which landed him on the disabled list twice. That winter, he reinjured the hamstring and injured his right ankle while playing winter ball in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

for

Navegantes del Magallanes The Navegantes del Magallanes ( Magellan Navigators), commonly known as Magallanes, are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Based in Valencia, Magallanes has won 13 LVBP championships and two (2) Caribbean Series. It w ...

. 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 Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

, the Mets played the Florida Marlins. With an NL wildcard spot at stake for the Mets, Chávez made another terrific catch in the outfield during the top of the seventh inning. After a ball was hit to left field by Jorge Cantú, 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. Heilman was drafted by the New York Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001. He came up through the Mets system as a starting pitcher, but was converted to ...

and several minor leaguers, to the

. On June 19, 2009, while trying to catch a pop-up, Chávez collided with shortstop

Yuniesky Betancourt Yuniesky Betancourt Pérez (born January 31, 1982) is a Cuban former professional baseball shortstop. Betancourt played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals. He played in the Cuban ...

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 capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, an ...

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

, which they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 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 Intercostal muscles are many different groups of muscles that run between the ribs, and help form and move the chest wall. The intercostal muscles are mainly involved in the mechanical aspect of breathing by helping expand and shrink the size of ...

hamstring In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury. In quadrup ...

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 and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nort ...

. 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, in the Atlantic League. Chávez was very successful in his first season with the Bluefish, batting .345 and winning the league batting title.

Pericos de Puebla

On March 9, 2017, Chávez signed with the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican Baseball League. 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 Minor League Baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, that is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League, known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, an ...

of the

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

. He retired as an active player following the conclusion of the season.

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Chávez played for 19 seasons in the

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

, all of them with

Post-playing career

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 Bo ...

, the team's

Class A-Short Season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...

affiliate. For the 2020 season, he was named the bench coach of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

St. Lucie Mets. Following the 2022 season, the Mets announced that they would not be bringing Chávez back as a minor league coach.

Personal life

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

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. 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 Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to th ...

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 internationally abducted by a parent from one member countr ...

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

Emerson, New Jersey Emerson is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, a suburb in the New York City metropolitan area. Emerson is the most southern town in an area of the county referred to as the Pascack Valley. As of the 2010 United States Cen ...

where the couple was then residing.

References

External links

Endy Chávez
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League) {{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 Sportspeople 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

Personal life

See also

References

External links