Ruben Mateo #15

Obtained by the Royals for cash in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 1, 2004. Ruben Amaurys Mateo ... attended Liceo Jose Manuel Maria Balance High School in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. In a 1999 *USA Today Baseball Weekly* survey by minor league players was voted the best all-around player in Class AAA...was named by *Baseball America* to its 1999 Class AAA All-Star team...in 1998 was selected by *Baseball America* as the Rangers' Minor League Player of the Year and was named to Howe Sportsdata's All-Star and All-Prospect teams...also in '98 was the Rangers' Minor League Player of the Month for July (.360) and August (.362) and the Texas League Player of the Week for 7/6-7/12...hit a 2-run HR in the 1998 Texas League All-Star Game...in 1997 was a Florida State League All-Star and a member of Howe Sportsdata's All-Teenager team...in June 1997 was named Texas League Player of the Month (.347, 21rbi, 23g)...throughout his professional career has been hampered by injuries, including a broken index finger on his right hand (2002), sprained right ankle (2002), broken right femur (2000), broken left hamate bone (1999), strained groin (1999), strained right hamstring (1998-99), dislocated left shoulder (1998) and sprained right wrist (1997).

2003

Appeared in 74 games for the Cincinnati Reds and batted .242 (50-for-207) with 18 RBIs, three home runs and nine doubles. ... struck out 53 times and drew 12 walks. ... had a .982 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 110 total chances. Also had two assists. ... played in 54 games, making 49 starts.

2004

Priot to being acquired by the Royals from the Pirates on July 1, Mateo appeared in 19 games for Pittsburgh, batting .242 (8-for-33) with 3 home runs and 7 RBI...he began the season with the Nashville Sounds (AAA) and posted a .316 average (36-114) with 11 homers and 25 RBI in 35 games before joining the Pirates on May 19.

1999

After a great start at Oklahoma, Ruben was recalled by the Rangers on June 12 and started 31 games in center, mostly when Tom Goodwin was injured. He was on the disabled list twice and missed the final two months of the season after breaking his left hamate bone on August 4.

2000

Started 52 games in center field before his season-ending injury on June 2.

Batted .222 (8-36) in the season's 1st nine games...Had a .370 (40-108) batting average over the next 27 games, improving average to .333 through May 13...Hit .207 (12-58) in his final 16 games.

Had a 14-game batting streak from April 25-May 10 at .431 (25-58), the longest ever for a Rangers rookie.

Batted just .204 (11-54) with runners in scoring position but hit .301 (34-113) at The Ballpark in Arlington.

Fielded .980 (3 e/147 tc).

Was sidelined for the season on June 2 vs. Arizona when sustained a broken femur in his right leg in collision with 1st base bag...Underwent surgery that night to insert steel rod into leg...Was placed on the 15-day disabled and transferred to 60-day DL on June 16.

2001

Was acquired by the Reds on 6/15, along with IF Edwin Encarnacion, in the deal that sent RHP Rob Bell to Texas.

Began the season on the Opening Day roster of the Rangers and hit .248 (1 HR, 13 RBIs) in 40 games before he was sent to Class AAA Oklahoma, where he hit .216 (1 HR, 8 RBIs) in 14 games...began the season as the Rangers' starting right fielder.

From 5/2-5/10 started just two of Texas's eight games because of a tight right groin and then blurred vision suffered when he was hit by a pitch on 5/5...was optioned to Oklahoma on 5/29.

Made his debut in the Reds organization with Louisville on 6/17 vs Buffalo and went 2-for-4 with a run in a 7-4 loss...in his next game, on 6/18 at Syracuse, produced two doubles and a season-high four RBIs in an 8-6 loss.

For the RiverBats hit .197 in his first 35 games and .316 in his last 30 games...hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games there (22-54, .407, 2 HR, 11 RBIs) to raise his BA from .208 to a season-ending .251.

In a 12-3 victory vs Toledo on 8/21 went 4-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and three runs scored.

2002

Spent most of the season at Class AAA Louisville, where in 52g he hit .301 (9hr, 23rbi)...twice was on the Bats' disabled list with a broken index finger on his right hand (7/4-7/24, 7/25-8/3)...hit .256 (2hr, 7rbi) in 46g and 19 starts during 2 stints with the Reds (4/8-5/19, 8/16-end of season)...made 17 starts in RF and 2 starts in CF...on 9/21 vs Phi left the game with a high right ankle sprain...didn't start again the rest of the season but pinch hit 5 times (2-5)...had 9 hits in his last 24ab (.375), raising BA from .210 to season-ending .256...began the season at Louisville and appeared in 3g there before he was recalled on 4/8, when Ken Griffey Jr. went on the disabled list...was in the starting lineup that night at Pit but was scratched with a severe head cold...for the Reds hit .277 (1hr, 3rbi) in 20g and 11 starts before he returned to Louisville on 5/20, when RHP Carlos Almanzar was promoted...returned to Cincinnati on 8/16, when Brandon Larson went on the DL...finished the season at Cin and in his last 26g and 8 starts there hit .231 (1hr, 4rbi)...on 8/20 at Ari left the game with a bruised right big toe after he was hit by a Randy Johnson pitch...missed 1g...on 9/12 vs Chi snapped a career-high 0-for-18 skid (5/13-9/12) with a single off Pat Mahomes...had 7 multi-hit games, all 2-hit games...in spring training tied for the club lead with 3 homers...following the season played for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League (30g, .317, 10hr, 28 rbi).