Humberto Cota #11

Humberto Figueroa Cota...Wife's name is Joanna Guadalupe Gonzalez Aruizo...Attended Technica #4 junior high school and Preparatoria Abierta High School...Played winter ball in Mexico following the 2002 and 2003 seasons...Batted .284 (19-for-67) with two homers and nine RBI in 22 games with Hermosillo in 2003...Has teamed with Oliver Perez to form one of the five all-Mexican batteries in Major League Baseball history.

2006

Was Pittsburgh's Opening Day catcher in Milwaukee on 4/3; his first career Opening Day assignment. ...Went 1-for-3 with an RBI in his first game, but then went hitless in his next three (nine at bats)...Hit safely in nine of his 11 games from 4/10 thru 5/5, which included a career-high six-game hitting streak from 4/16-5/5 (7-for-20, .350)...Made 14 starts behind the plate in April, but just a total of 15 during the remainder of the year...Started game on 5/14 vs. Florida, but left contest with a contusion to the right knee...Hit safely in four straight games from 6/15-7/2 and reached base safely in six straight from 6/15 to 7/16...Had second career sacrifice bunt on 8/13 (other one coming on 5/10/05 at San Francisco)...Singled in back-to-back pinch hitting appearances on 8/29 and 8/30...Tallied fifth and final RBI in his last start on 9/7 at Chicago...Threw out five of the 19 baserunners attempting to steal against him (26%) and had five passed balls in his 29 starts behind the plate...Appeared in just 13 games (seven starts) after the All-Star break...Produced a 2.51 ERA (43.0ip/12er) in his last six appearances behind the plate...Hit .295 (49-for-166) with eight homers and 30 RBI in 51 games with Mexicali during the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

2005

Established career highs in every offensive category, including starts behind the plate (77)...Began season on the 15-day disabled list (retro to 3/26) with an oblique strain...Hit .273 (3-for-11) with an RBI in three rehab games with Indianapolis (AAA) before being reinstated from D.L. on 4/19...Made season debut with Pirates that night in start behind the plate and went 1-for-3 with second career triple...Went deep for first time on 4/30 vs. San Francisco...Had nine of his first 16 hits go for extra bases...Collected a career-high four RBI on 5/21 vs. Colorado...Homered and had three RBI on 5/28 @Cincinnati...Hit a two-out, game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning on 6/12 vs. Tampa Bay, his first career home run as a pinch hitter. ...Produced game-winning RBI with a double off the Green Monster while going 3-for-5 in Pittsburgh's 2-0 win @Boston on 6/18...Had five RBI in three-game stretch from 7/7-9...Smacked a two-run homer in Pittsburgh's 2-1 win vs. Philadelphia on 7/7...Produced "walkoff" single in the 10th inning on 7/8 vs. New York (the Pirates erased a 5-1 deficit to tie the game in the 9th before winning in 10 innings)...Went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBI and three runs scored on 7/9 vs. New York (NL)...Hit .350 (7-for-20) during career-high, five-game hitting streak from 7/16-22...Batted just .227 (10-for-44) in 14 games during the month of August and went 14-for-76 (.184) from 7/24 thru 9/11...Won game vs. Arizona on 9/8 with "walkoff" single in 12th inning...Went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three RBI in final game on 10/2 vs. Milwaukee...Hit five of his seven home runs on the road, homering at PNC Park on 4/30 vs. San Francisco and 6/12 vs. Tampa Bay...Hit .292 (40-for-137) with runners on base and .200 (32-for-160) with the bases empty...Threw out 12 of the 40 runners attempting to steal against him (30%)...Was charged with eight passed balls and committed four errors (three throwing and one fielding).

2004

Was a member of Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster for the first time in his career...Made first start on 4/10 @Cincinnati...Connected off Chicago's Francis Beltran for first major league home run on 4/15 @Wrigley Field...Started and hit second home run on 4/25 vs. Cincinnati off Jose Acevedo...Had first career three-hit game on 5/13 @Colorado (game two)...Collected first big-league triple on 5/19 vs. San Diego (game two)...Was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique on 5/28...Began rehab assignment with Nashville (AAA) on 7/21...Went deep for only extra base hit of rehab stint on 7/23 @Oklahoma. ...Hit .259 (7-for-27) with a home run and two RBI in eight games on rehab...Was recalled from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the disabled list on 8/2...Went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in first start after being activated from the D.L. on 8/8 @San Diego...Committed lone error (fielding) on 9/2 @Milwaukee - his first miscue in the majors...Snapped an 0-for-12 streak on 9/9 vs. Houston (game two)...Homered in back-to-back games on 9/18 and 9/19 vs. New York...Made 24 appearances (13 starts) behind the plate and threw out one of the four baserunners attempting to steal against him...Went 2-for-11 with an RBI as a pinch hitter...Hit a home run once every 13.2 at bats.

2003

Spent majority of the season with Nashville (AAA)...Appeared in just 62 games with the Sounds and saw his batting average reach a career low...Made 59 appearances behind the plate and three as the designated hitter...Had just four hits in his first 25 Triple-A at bats (.160)...Went 22-for-73 (.301) with five home runs and 11 RBI in 20 games from 4/18 thru 5/18, raising his average from .160 to .265...Homered three times and knocked in six runs over a five-game span from 5/12-18...Was hitless in 17 at bats from 5/20 thru 6/3...Hit just .065 (3-for-46) from 5/30 thru 6/19...Drove in a season-high four runs on 6/20 vs. Iowa...Had just one hit in 22 at bats (.045) from 7/9-18...Was recalled by Pittsburgh on 7/21 after hitting .201 (38-for-189) with eight homers and 26 RBI in 58 games with Nashville...Picked up lone RBI (second career) with Pirates on 7/29 vs. San Diego...Made two starts behind the plate with the Bucs (7/29 vs. San Diego and 8/10 @Colorado)...Had three hits in his last five at bats as a pinch hitter...Was optioned back to Nashville on 8/19...Went 3-for-11 in three games after being sent down...Was placed on the suspended list on 8/29 for refusing to play...Hit just .151 (13-for-86) in his final 29 Triple-A games and posted just one multi-hit effort in his last 36 appearances with the Sounds...Threw out 10 of the 48 runners (21%) attempting to steal against him while playing with Nashville and had three passed balls.

2002

Spent full season with Nashville...Saw batting average increase each month of the season (.189 in April, .216 in May, .244 in June, .321 in July, .322 in August and .429 in September)...Led Nashville in doubles for the second straight year...Also led club in at bats and strikeouts (career high 106)...Shared team lead in games played and ranked third in hits...Made 85 appearances (83 starts) behind the plate, 21 as the designated hitter and one @first base (4/22)...Tied for second among PCL catchers with a .994 fielding percentage (four errors in 638 chances)...Hit just .189 (10-for-53) in April and .206 (29-for-141) in 44 games thru the month of May...Homered for first time on 5/10 @Portland...Tied a Nashville single-game record with seven RBI on 5/26 @Colorado Springs, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs...Hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer, which started a streak of pinch hits in three consecutive games (6/27-29)...Went 13-for-33 (.394) with six doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and eight runs scored during a season-high eight-game hitting streak from 7/4-16...Smacked a grand slam on 7/13 @Memphis...Went 64-for-191 (.335) in his final 54 Triple-A games...Threw out 14 of the 68 runners (20.6%) attempting to steal against him while playing with Nashville - allowed 21 of those thefts in the last 23 attempts against him...Was recalled by Pittsburgh on 9/3...Singled in second at bat with the Bucs on 9/8 vs. Florida...Made first of four starts @catcher on 9/15 @Philadelphia...Hit safely in his final four games, going 4-for-12 (.333) with a double...Threw out one of the two baserunners attempting to steal against him...Injured his left hand while playing winter ball in Mexico and had surgery on 1/8/03 to repair the fractured hook of the hamate bone.

2001

Spent full season with Nashville and was named Pittsburgh's Minor League Player-of-the-Year...Ranked fourth among Pirate farmhands in RBI and eighth in hitting...Led Nashville in doubles, RBI and hit by pitch...Also ranked second on club in hits and third in homers and total bases (180)...Hit .327 (37-for-113) with runners in scoring position and went 2-for-12 (.167) as a pinch hitter. ...Made 91 appearances (88 starts) behind the plate and went 11-for-34 (.324) in eight games as the designated hitter...Threw out 20.4 percent of the runners attempting to steal against him (10-of-49); had five passed balls and eight errors...Had four-hit game on 4/11 vs. Edmonton...Was on disabled list from 4/18-26 with a groin strain...Batted .240 in his first 38 games thru the month of May, but hit .325 (82-for-252) from that point on, including a .361 clip in June...Participated in Major League Baseball's Futures Game in Seattle on 7/8 (went 0-for-1 in the contest)...Had four hits and scored four runs on 7/12 @Oklahoma...Homered in back-to-back games @Sacramento on 7/30-31...Hit .333 (27-for-81) with 22 RBI and 17 runs scored in 22 games during the month of July...Hit grand slam and equaled season-high with four RBI on 8/28 @Memphis...Hit safely in 14 of his last 15 Triple-A contests, going 22-for-60 (.367) with 17 RBI...Was recalled by Pittsburgh on 9/4...Made major league debut on 9/9 and produced RBI-single off Cincinnati's Dennys Reyes as a pinch hitter @PNC Park...Also singled as a pinch hitter on 9/25 vs. Chicago (NL)...Made first big-league appearance behind the plate on 9/20 vs. St. Louis...Made lone start (catcher) on 10/6 @Wrigley Field.

2000

Spent entire season with Altoona (AA)...Made 90 appearances behind the plate and one @first base (6/3 @Harrisburg)...Also went 18-for-71 (.254) in 19 games as the designated hitter...Threw out 19 of the 112 baserunners attempting to steal against him (17%), committed 17 errors and had 15 passed balls...Established minor league career high in stolen bases...Hit .290 in April, .235 in May, .308 in June, .216 in July and .289 in August...Hit first Double-A home run on 4/13 @Erie...Had two-homer game on 5/14 @Trenton...Went 5-for-6 on 8/13 @Bowie, becoming the first Curve player ever to collect five hits in a game.

1999

Began season with Charleston-SC (Devil Rays' A) before being acquired by Pittsburgh in a trade on 7/23...Finished season with Hickory (A)...Batted .277 (130-for-469) with 11 home runs and 81 RBI in 122 games with the two clubs...Average reached a season-high .300 following a three-hit, two-homer performance on 4/26 vs. Cape Fear...Tallied 29 RBI in 30 games during the month of May...Homered twice and knocked in five runs on 5/25 @Cape Fear...Made first of two appearances @first base on 6/2 @Piedmont...Hit .381 in 12 games with Charleston during the month of July, which included an eight-game hitting streak between 7/2-18 (12-for-26, .462)...Made second appearance @first base on 6/28 @Columbus (game two)...Made a total of 61 appearances behind the plate, two @first base and 22 as the designated hitter while playing with Charleston...Was acquired by Pittsburgh on 7/23 and was assigned to Hickory...Hit .364 (12-for-33) in his first nine games thru 8/4, but went 11-for-68 (.162) in his next 20 contests, dropping average to .228 on 8/29...Made 30 appearances behind the plate with the Crawdads...Threw out 10 of the 22 baserunners attempting to steal against him (46%) while playing with Hickory and 36-of-115 (31%) on the season...Went 6-for-19 (.316) with a homer and six RBI in five post-season games...Homered in Game Three of second-round playoff series against Augusta...Played winter ball with Mochis in the Mexican League and hit .351 (26-for-74) with six homers and 19 RBI in 23 games.

1998

Spent entire season with Princeton (Devil Rays' Rookie)...Established minor league career highs in batting, triples and home runs...Ranked second in the Appalachian League in home runs and RBI...Went 1-for-23 (.043) in his first seven games before hitting safely in six straight and 11-of-12 from 6/26 thru 7/9 (18-for-49, .367)...Homered twice on 7/14 @Martinsville and again on 7/24 vs. Danville (game two)...Average went above .300 for the first time (.307) following a three-hit performance on 7/25...Had two-homer game on 8/5 vs. Elizabethton...Batted .387, scored nine runs and knocked in 12 runs during an eight-game hitting streak from 8/12-20...Went 4-for-5 with two homers and four RBI on 8/22 vs. Johnson City...Average reached a season-high .320 on 8/23. ...Hit .340 with eight home runs and 28 RBI in 27 games during the month of August and was named the organization's co-Player-of-the-Month...Made 52 appearances behind the plate, 14 as the designated hitter and one @first base (7/1 vs. Kingsport)...Named to Appalachian League post-season All-Star team...Was rated as one of the league's Top 10 prospects by Baseball America...Named to Topps' Short-Season Rookie All-Star team.

1997

Began season with the Gulf Coast League Devil Rays...Went 6-for-42 (.185) in his first 23 games thru 7/30, which included a 1-for-21 stretch between 7/18-30...Hit first professional home run on 8/6 against the Tigers (game one)...Had four-hit game on 8/21 against the Astros...Went 10-for-31 (.323) in his last eight Gulf Coast League games, raising average from .216 to .241...Made all 42 defensive appearances behind the plate...Was promoted to Hudson Valley on 8/26 and played his final three games in the New York-Penn League.

1996

Was loaned to Mexico City Tigers on 6/23, but did not appear in a game...Was returned on 9/23