Eric Valent

Eric Christian Valent graduated from Canyon High School in Anaheim, CA in 1995...Attended UCLA where his older brother, Royce, was an assistant coach...In 1997, he finished tied for the Pac-10 lead in RBI (91) with Troy Glaus...Named to the All-Academic Second Team...Hit .345 with seven home runs and 34 RBI for Team USA...In 1998, he led his UCLA team in home runs (30), RBI (73), runs (69) and slugging percentage (.800)...Named Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and Pac-10 First Team All-Academic...Was the third player in Pac-10 history to hit 30 or more home runs in a season (Troy Glaus and Mark McGwire)...His 30 home runs in 1998 were the second most in all NCAA Division I baseball behind Kevin Mench's 33 home runs...Holds the All-Time Pac 10 Home Run record with 69 from 1996-1998...Named First Team All-American by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball.

2004

Picked up the eighth cycle in Mets history, July 29th at Montreal...In the game, he set a career-best with four hits (4-4) and tied his career-high with three RBI...Tied for sixth among National League rookies with his 13 home runs...Also was fifth with a .481 slugging percentage, sixth with a .337 on-base average and eighth with 28 walks...Collected the third pinch-hit home run of his career and the season on August 27th vs. Los Angeles (Duaner Sanchez)...Ended the season with a career-high six-game hitting streak (7-20, .350)...Hit his second pinch-hit home run of the season, August 19th (Night) at Colorado (Tim Harikkala) in the eighth inning to tie the contest at 2-2 in a game the Mets would win, 4-2...For the year, he had 11 multiple-hit games: eight games with two hits; two games with three hits; and the one game with four hits...Hit .424 (14-33) with two home runs and eight RBI in July...Was 2-4 (.500) with five RBI with the bases loaded...Made his first major league start and second appearance at first base, May 14th at Houston...Also played first base for Philadelphia vs. Florida on September 12, 2002...Played 53 games at first base in the minor leagues...Hit home runs in consecutive games, vs. the Padres on August 26th (Marty McLeary) and vs. the Dodgers on August 27th (Duaner Sanchez)...For the year, he played in 27 games at first base (23 starts), 32 games in leftfield (24 starts) and 14 games in rightfield (nine starts)...Hit eight home runs in 134 at-bats after the All-Star break (one home run per 16.75 at-bats)...Had a then career-best five-game hitting streak from May 7th-May 11th...In those games, he was 7-17 (.412) with seven runs scored, two doubles, two RBI, a home run and five walks in those contests...Led off the May 9th game vs. Milwaukee with a home run (Victor Santos), the first lead-off home run of his career...Collected his first career three-RBI game on April 16th vs. Pittsburgh, when he belted a three-run, pinch-hit home run (Salomon Torres)...Hit safely in 11 of 13 games with an at-bat from August 7th-August 27th...Made his first start as a Met in rightfield on April 14th vs. Atlanta...Picked up his first hit of the year, a two-run home run (his first major league home run), in the sixth inning off Montreal's Livan Hernandez on April 11th in Puerto Rico to help lift the Mets to a 4-1 victory.

2002

Spent entire minor league season with Scranton (AAA) . . . Tied for 4th in International League and led team with 84 RBI . . . Had 50 RBI in 56 games, 6/1-8/4 . . . Hit .385 (15-39), 2 2B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 8 R in a season-high 10-game streak, 6/8-17 . . . Had a season-high 5 RBI, 7/29 vs Syracuse . . . Homered in back-to-back games, 8/22-23 at Ottawa . . . Phillies Minor League Player of the Week, 8/19-25 (.417, 10-24, 2 HR, 4 RBI) . . . Played 111 games in RF, 6 in CF, 1 in LF and 23 at 1B . . . Recalled on 9/7 following IL playoffs . . . Appeared in 7 games, 5 as PH and 2 as defensive replacement . . . Singled in his 1st ML at-bat of season (pinch-single), 9/8 vs NYM, 1st career pinch-hit . . . Both hits were pinch-singles . . . Played 1B for 1st time in ML career, 9/12 vs FLA . . . Played winter ball in Aguilas, DR.

2001

Began season at Scranton (AAA) . . . Finished 4th in International League in extra-base hits (53), 5th in RBI (78), 9th in doubles (30) and HR (21) and 10th in slugging % (.489) . . . Led team in HR and RBI . . . Hit in 19 of first 23 games, 4/5-29 (.326), including 11 straight, 4/12-24 . . . Had 4 walks, 4/12 at Syracuse . . . Phillies Minor League Player of the Month for April (.330, 3 HR, 14 RBI) . . . Went 2-for-5, 4 RBI, 5/1 vs Pawtucket . . . Had RBI in 7 straight games (14 total), 5/14-19 . . . Hit 2-out, game-tying, pinch-HR in the 9th inning, 6/5 vs Louisville (only minor league pinch-hit appearance of season) . . . Recalled on 6/7 . . . Was leading IL in RBI (45) and tied for 2nd in HR (11) at time of recall . . . Made ML debut, 6/8 at BOS as DH and singled in 9th inning for his 1st ML hit (Derek Lowe) . . . Made 1st ML start in the outfield, 6/10 at BOS (LF) and got an assist on the first ball hit to him (threw runner out at 3rd base) . . . Got all 4 hits in first 16 at-bats . . . Optioned back to Scranton, 6/15 . . . Selected to IL All-Star team . . . Recalled again, 7/6 . . . Made 4 starts and 6 pinch-hit appearances before being optioned back to Scranton, 7/23 . . . Went 5-for-7, 4 runs, double, 2 HR, 4 RBI, in first 2 games back at Scranton . . . Recalled a 3rd time, 9/1 . . . Overall, made 10 ML starts: 6 in LF, 4 as DH . . . Named 16th-best prospect in IL by Baseball America . . . Named to TOPPS Minor League AAA All-Star team.

2000

Played entire season at Reading (AA)...Ranked 3rd in Eastern League in HR (22) and RBI (90), 5th in walks (70)...Led team in 8 categories: G (128), AB (469), R (81), TB (219), HR, RBI, BB and SLG % (.467)...Phillies Minor League Player of the Month and Topps Player of the Month for June, .337, 11 HR, 23 RBI...Had a .984 fielding % and led EL with 16 outfield assists...Had a 13-game hit streak, 4/15-28 (.357, 20-for-56)...Had two 2-HR games, 6/18 vs Erie and 6/26 at Erie...Hit 11 of his 22 home runs in June...Hit .284 with men on base and .308 with the bases loaded...Named to postseason EL All-Star Team...Named the 6th-best prospect in the EL and Phillies 8th-best by Baseball America.

1999

Played entire season at Clearwater...Finished 1st in Florida State League in RBI (106), 2nd in extra-base hits (60), tied for 4th in runs (91) and 5th in hits (150) and triples (9)...FSL postseason All-Star...106 RBI broke Clearwater Phillies record for RBI in a season (Rusty McNamara, 94, 1998)...Twice named Phillies Minor League Player of the Month (April & August)...Named Phillies Minor League Player of the Week, 4/12...Had 5 RBI twice: 4/9 vs Sarasota and 4/30 vs Lakeland...Hit 2 HR in a game 3 times: 4/9 vs Sarasota, 4/30 vs Lakeland, 8/31 vs Dunedin...Hit for the cycle, 8/10 vs Lakeland (4-for-5, 1 RBI, 2 R)...Homered in 3 consecutive games, 8/10-12, going 10-for-14...Named the Philliesb 5th best prospect by Baseball America...Played for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League.

1998

Phillies 2nd selection in 1st round of June draft (42nd overall)...Made pro debut at Piedmont (A)...Went 3-5 in 1st pro game, 7/10...1st pro HR was a grand slam, 7/23 vs Columbus (3rd game)...Phillies Minor League Player of the Month for July, .435, 21 G, 8 HR, 28 RBI, .859 SLG %...Hit 2 HR, 7/29 vs Augusta...Promoted to Clearwater (A) after 3 weeks at Piedmont...Homered in 3 straight games, 8/14-14-15, 8 RBI...Had 15-game hit streak, 8/17-9/2 (.345, 2 HR, 13 RBI)...Played for Delaware Stars in Maryland Fall League, .262, 2 HR; led club with 8 doubles, 20 RBI.