Willy Taveras #3

He and his wife, Jennifer, have a daughter, Marina (7/10/07) and make their offseason home in Pearland, Texas.

2012

Willy did not play professional baseball in 2012...Played 52 games for Obregon in the Mexican Winter League...hit .255 (49-for-192) with 15 doubles, two home runs, 22 RBI and 32 runs scored as the club's primary centerfielder...also drew 14 walks and stole 9 bases in 12 attempts.

2011

Played in 23 games for Oklahoma City, batting .275.

2010

Began the season with Washington after signing a Minor League contract with the club prior to Spring Training...was added to the club's active roster for Opening Day, and would spend the first month-plus in the Majors with the Nationals before being designated and released in mid-May...Was signed by Philadelphia, Atlanta and Texas but did not make it to the Majors with either club...Batted .200 (7-for-35) with one triple, 4 RBI and 7 runs for the Nationals...made just six starts in his time with Washington, with five of his six starts coming in right field...his five starts in right were the first instances in his Major League career to start a game anywhere other than in center field...Hit .218 (50-for-229) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 14 RBI, 28 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in 63 games at Triple-A for the three organizations.

2009

In lone season with CIN, played in just 102 games due to right quadriceps, right hamstring and left wrist injuries...25 swipes tied Brandon Phillips for Reds lead...May 11 at ARI, matched career highs with 5 hits and 4 runs scored.

2008

In 133g for the Rockies led the Major Leagues with a club record 68 stolen bases and a .907 stolen base percentage (68-for-75)...was the highest stolen base percentage by a Major League player, with a minimum of 60 stolen bases, since those statistics have been compiled (since 1920 in the American League, since 1951 in the National League)...the previous stolen base percentage record of .896 had been held by Pit's Tony Womack (60-67 in 1997)...became the first Rockies player ever to lead the NL in steals... also led the majors with 19 steals of third base, the most by an NL player since Cin's Deion Sanders stole third 21 times in 1997...was successful stealing third base on 19-20 attempts...had 14 multi-steal games...with 22 bunt hits ranked second in the majors (Min's Carlos Gomez, 30) and led the NL in that category for the fourth consecutive season...with 38 infield hits ranked third in the majors (Sea's Ichiro Suzuki 52, Gomez 50) but led the NL for the second straight season and for the third time in the last 4 years...reached on an error 11 times, fourth-most in the NL...made all 124 defensive apps and 110 starts in CF...on 4/15 at SD wore uniform #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson...in the 22-inning game on 4/17 at SD set a franchise record with 10 at bats (3-10)...on 6/14 at WSox stole a career-high 5 bases in 5 attempts, just 1 swipe shy of Eric Young's Major League record, and became the first player to steal third base 3 times in a game since Otis Nixon in 1991...on 8/14 vs Ari tied the club record with his 53rd stolen base...broke the record with a pair of steals the next night at Wsh...missed the Rockies' last 5g of the season with a stress fracture in the tibia of his right leg.

2007

While he did not appear in any of the Rockies' final 21 regular season games, Taveras stood an outside shot at postseason action...a victim of several different injuries this season, Taveras batted .320 with two homers and 24 RBI over 97 games in his first season with Colorado...appeared in just 97 games after playing in at least 149 over his first two full seasons in the big leagues...led the Major Leagues with 37 bunt hits and 54 infield hits despite playing in less than two-thirds of the Rockies' games this season...the 37 bunt hits was the 2nd-most by any player in a season dating back to 1974...the 54 infield hits was the most by any player since Taveras' career-high 71 infield hits in 2005...had 33 stolen bases, matching his 2006 total...the 33 steals ranked first on the team, most by a Rockie since Juan Pierre's 42 steals in 2002...had seven games with multiple steals...Taveras and Kazuo Matsui combined to form the first 30-steal duo for the Rockies since 1997...it marked just the fourth season in franchise history for multiple players to have at least 30 steals, first time in 10 years...the others: 1993 (Eric Young/Alex Cole), 1996 (Eric Young/Ellis Burks/Dante Bichette, and 1997 (Eric Young/Larry Walker)...hit .371 (33-for-89) against left-handed pitchers, .304 (86-for-283) vs. right-handers...had a .368 (46-for-125) average with runners on base, including a .316 (25-for-79) mark with the bases loaded...hit .403 (29-for-72) in 20 games against NL East clubs, including a .714 (10-for-14) figure against the Mets...best full month batting average-wise was May, when he led all Rockies with a .348 (23-for- 66) mark...hit .409 (18-for-44) in 11 games vs. San Francisco...hit .558 (29-for-52) when putting the first pitch in play...was 1-for-8 as a pinch-hitter...had more starts in leadoff slot (88) and in center field (85) than any other Rockie...his four errors was second-most among Rockies outfielders...had just one disabled list stint, from Aug. 15- 31 with a strained right groin, but missed games on several other occasions...did not play May 7-11 after leaving game May 6 at Cincinnati with right groin soreness...did not play May 29-31 after crushing right index fingernail while trying to lay down a bunt on May 28 vs. St. Louis...did not play in Milwaukee series July 13-15 after All-Star break, attempting to get more rest following All-Star break for a strained right quadriceps...did not play again Aug. 7-9 with the sore right quad...after starting just one of previous six games, went 1-for-2 on Aug. 14 at San Diego and was removed from the game in the fifth inning...would go on disabled list the next day...played in four games on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Colo. Springs and batted .357 (5-for-14) with one stolen base and was activated on Sept. 1...hit .440 (11-for-25) in six games after his return, but was forced to exit game on Sept. 8 vs. San Diego after stealing second base and re-aggravating his previous right quad injury...hit .192 (10-for-52) over his first 15 games in purple pinstripes through April 24...beginning with a five-hit game on April 25 at Shea Stadium, Taveras batted .394 (41-for-104) over his next 26 games through June 3 to raise average to season-high .327...in fact, beginning April 25, he hit .341 (109-for-320) over his final 82 games with the Rockies to finish at .320...posted career-high five hits in that April 24 game at New York-NL, first five-hit game by a Rockie since Aaron Miles had five hits on Opening Day, April 4, 2005...it was the 16th time in franchise history for a Rockie to have at least five hits in a game, one of two times in '07, although Andres Galarraga is the only player on that list with a six-hit contest (7/3/95 vs. Hou.)...Taveras had 10 hits all season before his five-hit effort...had a 15-game hit streak from May 21-June 10, the second-longest hit streak of his career...both of his homers came in a nine-game span...homered off his old team on June 7 vs. Houston, a leadoff homer off Roy Oswalt in Rockies' 7-6 come-from-behind win...it was the Rockies only leadoff homer of the season, the first by a Rockie since Aaron Miles on July 2, 2004 vs. Detroit...was successful in 23 of his last 24 steal attempts for Colorado this season, including a stretch of 19 straight successful attempts from May 28-Aug. 1...ended that run with a career-high three-steal game on Aug. 1 at Florida...it was the first game of three or more steals by a Rockie since Juan Pierre had three steals on June 12, 2002 at Boston...it was just the ninth game of three+ steals in Rockies history, just the second in the last seven seasons, as Tom Goodwin had a pair of three+ steal games in 2000...Taveras joins a short list of Rockies players with three or more stolen bases in a game...he is just the sixth player on that list, joining Eric Young (3x), Tom Goodwin (2x), Charlie Hayes, Juan Pierre, and Larry Walker (once each)...beginning July 24, Taveras hit .538 (7-for-13) with runners in scoring position over his last 20 games.

2006

In his second full season, batted .278 with one home run and 30 RBI in 149 games for Houston...established career highs in RBI, runs scored (83), doubles (19), triples (5), and walks (34)...had 33 steals, 10th in the N.L...became first Astro with consecutive 30-steal seasons since Craig Biggio in 1997- 98...had five games with multiple steals...drew nine more walks and had 15 fewer strikeouts than his rookie season... compiled an Astros-record 30-game hit streak from July 27-Aug. 27, 2nd-longest in the major leagues all season...only Philadelphia's Chase Utley (35 games, June 23-Aug. 3) had a longer streak in '06...Taveras' effort marked the 42nd time in major league history that a hit streak went at least 30 games...he twice extended the streak with a bunt single in his last at-bat of a game...started 120 games in center field...had nine outfield assists, second-most among major league centerfielders behind only Carlos Beltran (13)...went 5-for-13 (.385) as a pinch-hitter...hit .250 or better in every month...hit .313 (95-for-304) in road games, ninth in the N.L...hit mostly in the first and second slots in the lineup...hit safely in 15 of first 17 games and batted .299 (43-for-144) over first 35 games through May 12...hit just .221 (36-for-163) over next 58 games through July 22, dropping average to season-low .257...would bat .306 (68-for-222) in his final 56 games, raising final mark to .278...hit safely in 11 straight from April 7-18...had five steals in span of eight games from May 19-27...had hits in three consecutive pinch PA's from June 10-16...drove in winning run in 13th inning on June 25 at Chicago-AL...hit only home run of the season on Aug. 4 at Arizona, ending span of 785 homerless at-bats...batted .328 (41-for-125) in August, T2nd-most hits in N.L. that month and T3rdmost in majors...started 35 straight July 28-Sept. 3...played in seven games for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

2005

Hit .291 (172x592) with three home runs and 29 RBI...led all Major League rookies and finished fourth in the National League with 34 stolen bases...named the Astros Rookie of the Year by the Houston chapter of the BBWAA...started 143 of Houston's 163 games in center field...played in 152 games overall...committed only three errors in 147 totalgames played in center field...led the Majors with 70 infield hits and 29 bunt singles...leads all NL rookies in hits* (172), multi-hit games* (52), runs scored* (82), stolen bases* (34), singles* (151), games* (152), and at-bats* (592) this year (* also first among all MLB rookies)...tied for first among NL rookies with four triples and second with 197 total bases...tied for second among ML rookies in outfield assists (10, Brad Hawpe, COL)...recorded 52 multi-hit games (ninth in NL), and the Astros were 38-14 in those 52 games...was the second-highest multihit games total for a rookie in club history (Greg Gross, 54, 1974)...his 171 hits are the 3rd-highest total by a rookie in club history (Gross, 184 in '74, Sonny Jackson, 174 in '66)...is the 2nd Astros rookie to steal 30 in one year (Jackson, 49, 1966)...the club was 16-13 when he stote a base...stole two bases on 8/20 vs. MIL (fifth two-steal game of career)...hit .343 in June and .321 in July...hit .309 (34x110) in August...returned to the lineup on 9/21 at PIT and went 3x6 with two runs...suffered a laceration to his right middle finger on 9/13 vs. FLA...left the game in the 3rd inning...X-rays were negative...did not start for six games...his 152 singles were the 3rd-highest total in club history...ranked 5th in the NL with 97 hits at home and fourth with a .330 average in home games...his 96 hits in the 1st half were the most for a National League rookie before the All-Star break since Albert Pujols (101) and Jimmy Rollins (98) in 2001...scored the winning run as a pinch-runner on 9/16 vs. MIL...hit .368 (7x19) during a four-game hitting streak from 9/5-10...ejected on 7/20 at PIT (Iassogna, for throwing helmet following a call at first base), the first ejection for an Astros player in 2005...tied career high with four hits on 7/3 at CIN...recorded his first four-hit game on 6/5 vs. STL...missed all three games at NYM from 6/7-9 with a strained left hamstring...hit .500 (21x42) during his career-best, 10-game hitting streak from 5/30-6/13...hit his 2nd HR of the year on 5/10 at FLA (Moehler)...tied career high with three hits and also recorded his first two-steal game on 5/3 vs. PIT...recorded his 2nd two-steal game on 5/12 vs. SF, stealing second and third base in the same inning...threw out a runner at home plate from 4/29-5/1, the first to do since Melvin Mora (BAL, 6/7-10/03)...is the first outfielder to throw out three runners at home plate in three different games of a three-game series since Bernard Gilkey on 7/22-24/93 vs. COL...hit his first career home run on 4/19 vs. Atlanta (Sosa)...hit his first career triple on 4/15 at CIN...collected two or more hits in each of his first four MLB starts...recorded his first Major League hit on a third-inning single on 4/5 vs. STL (Carpenter)...was the first rookie to start in center field for the Astros since Richard Hidalgo in 1998.

2004

Made his Major League debut and appeared in 10 games for Houston...went 0x1 with two runs scored, one sacrifice hit, one strikeout, and one stolen base...scored the game-winning run on Sept. 24 at Milwaukee as a pinch-runner...notched first Major League stolen base on Sept. 12 at Pittsburgh...made his Major League debut after his contract purchased from Double A Round Rock on Sept. 6...struck out in his first big league at-bat that day...named the Texas League batting champ in 2004, leading the league with a .335 average...also led the league in steals (55), and ranked third in on-base percentage (.402)...has 257 steals in 516 career minor league games...named a Texas League regular season and post-season All-Star...also selected as a TOPPS Double A All-Star...played for the World Team in the 2004 MLB All-Star Futures Game at Minute Maid Park in Houston...posted two double-digit hitting streaks: a 14-game streak from April 23-May 11 (.415, 27x65), and a (.333, 13x54)...selected as Round Rock's offensive player of the month for April, batting .367 with a home run, 14 RBI, 20 runs scored and 11 stolen bases...acquired from Cleveland along with OF Luke Scott in exchange for LHP Jeriome Robertson on March 31...originally selected from the Indians in the 2003 Rule V Draft.

2003

Played at Class A Kinston in the Cleveland Indians organization...batted .282 (112x397) with two home runs and 35 RBI...named a Carolina League All-Star and a Carolina League/Baseball America High Class A All-Star...led the Cleveland organization and ranked second in the league in stolen bases with 57...also ranked third in the league in triples (6).

2002

Ranked third in the South Atlantic League in stolen bases (54) with Class A Columbus...underwent left wrist surgery on July 22...rated by Baseball America as the 11th-best prospect in the Cleveland organization.

2001

Promoted to Class A Columbus...underwent surgery on his left hand on Sept. 11...ranked by Baseball America as the fourth-best prospect in the Indians organization.

2000

Led the Appalachian League in stolen bases (36) and finished fifth in runs (46) while at Burlington.

1999

Played in the Dominican Summer League.