Wilbert Nieves… Married, wife's name is Charol Baez; has one daughter, Maria Isabel… Graduated from Eloisa Pascual Bairoa High School (PR)… Brother, Melvin, played 7 ML seasons with ATL (1992), SD (1993-95), DET (1996-97) and CIN (1998)… **Signed by:** Ronquito Garcia.
2013
Set a career high in doubles (11) and tied his career high in hits (58)... Made 40 starts at catcher for ARI... Threw out 2 of 15 (13.3%) potential base stealers... Hit .302 (15-53) with RISP... Tied his career high with two 8-game hitting streaks: 5/13-6/6 and 8/9-17
2012
Combined to hit .301 (25-for-83) with 2 home runs and 8 RBI in 32 games with Colorado and Arizona...appeared in 16 games with the D-backs, going 11-for-36 (.306) with 1 homer and 3 RBI...Claimed by the D-backs off waivers from the Rockies on Aug. 6...Began the season with Triple-A Colorado Springs and hit .306 (34-for-111) with 3 homers and 16 RBI in 34 games...On the disabled list from April 27-May 5 with a sprained right great toe...Contract was selected by the Rockies on May 25...Hit safely in 11 of 13 games from June 9-Aug. 9 (.342 (13-for-38)...On the disabled list from July 9-Aug. 1 with a sprained right great toe, including 6 rehab games with the Sky Sox.
2011
Split season between the Majors with Milwaukee, and in Triple-A Nashville for the Brewers and Triple-A Gwinnett in the Atlanta organization...Hit .140 (7-for-50) with 2 doubles, 3 RBI in 20 games with the Brewers...began the season on the Brewers active roster before being outrighted to Minors on 6/15...was traded to Atlanta for cash considerations on 7/27 and spent the remainder of the season at Triple-A Gwinnett...With Milwaukee, Nieves threw out 2-of-9 attempted base stealers and owned the pitching staff owned a 3.84 ERA while he was catching.
2010
Batted .203 with 3 HR and 16 RBI in 59 games with Washington...Made 43 starts, all at catcher.....the Nationals went 18-25 when he started...The team posted a 3.96 ERA in games he caught (395ip, 174er)...Threw out 7 of 38 runners attempting to steal (18.4%)...Following the season played for San Juan in the Puerto Rican Winter League...Signed as a free agent with Milwaukee on 12/10.
2009
Capitalized on increased playing time due to Jesus Flores injury, playing in a career-high 72 contests for the Nationals... shared catching duties with Josh Bard for season's final 4-plus months...established career highs with 20 runs scored, 58 hits, 26 RBI, 13 walks and .313 on-base percentage...batted .310 with 8 RBI in 16 May contests...guided Nationals young pitching staff, which featured 7 rookie starters who combined on 95 starts...threw out 13 of 47 (27.7%) would-be base stealers...when starting, Washington went 17-14 beginning July 21.
Game-By-Game Highlights:
Finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, July 12 at HOU...the 4 hits set a single-game career high...blasted 2nd career home run, an opposite field blast in a 2-0 win, August 14 at CIN...posted 3 hits in a 5-4 win, August 16 at CIN...notched career-best 3 RBI in a 15-6 win, August 25 at CHI.
2008
Set career highs with 46 hits, 9 doubles, 20 RBI, 13 walks and 15 runs...first big league homer was game-ending opposite field 2-run shot off Bobby Howry to lift the Nationals to a 5-3 win vs CHI, April 25...along with Tim Raines (May 1, 1981 vs. LAD) is only the 2nd player in franchise history whose initial MLB homer was a game-ending blast...hit safely in 32 of 46 starts...hit .278 (42-for-151) (.278) with 9 doubles and 8 RBI when starting...excelled with RISP (.318, 14-for-44) and against righthanders (.304, 17-for-56)...hit safely in a career-best 8 straight games from April 22-May 2...began season with Columbus ...played in 9 games before having contract selected by Washington on April 16.
2007
Was on NYY's Opening Day roster for a 2nd consecutive season, again as Jorge Posada's backup...started 21 games for Joe Torre, during which NYY finished 12-9...made first career appearance defensively at 1B on July 8 vs. LAA.
2006
Spent the majority of the year at Triple-A Columbus, batting .259 (83-for-321) with 5HR and 34RBI in 88 games...played in six games (one start) for the Yankees in 2006, going 0-for-6 with one strikeout in seven plate appearances...hit .250 (7-for-28) in 17 games with the Yankees in 2006 Spring Training and made his first career Opening-Day roster...did not appear in a game and was designated for assignment on 4/7...was outrighted to Columbus on 4/13 but was signed to a minor-league contract by the Yankees on 4/15...Hit in a season-high 10 straight games from 5/27-6/17, batting .351 (13-for-37) over the stretch...in 13 June games for the Clippers, hit .404 (19-for-47)...spent the remainder of the season with the Clippers before having his contract purchased by the Yankees on 9/1...made his first start as a Yankee on 9/20 at Toronto, going 0-for-3...was his first start in the Major Leagues since 9/29/02 (with San Diego).
2005
Spent the majority of his first season in the Yankees' organization with Triple-A Columbus, hitting .289 (110-for-380) with 22 doubles, 4HR and 37RBI in 102 games...led all catchers in the league with 695 putouts and tied for the lead with 52 assists...in Clippers debut on 4/8 at Charlotte, hit go ahead three-run home run. 4 Hit in 11 straight games from 7/8-23, batting .439 (18-for-41) during the streak...went 3-for-4 in three straight games from 8/12-17...also reached base safely in 15 straight games from 8/12-29...was recalled by the Yankees on 9/1 and made his Yankees' debut on 9/2 at Oakland, going 0-1...played in three games with the Yankees in September, going 0-for-4.
2004
Spent second full season at triple-A Salt Lake batting .297 (125/421) with 10 home runs and 53 RBI in 108 games...Started 85 games as catcher and 23 at first base committing seven combined errors...Was recalled from Salt Lake to the Angels on Aug. 4...Did not see any action with Angels and was optioned back to Stingers on Aug. 10...Set career-highs in home runs, triples (8), runs (60) and total bases (93)...Had only eight triples in his previous eight-year career before 2004...Batted .346 (18/52) with seven runs scored, seven RBI and two home runs during a season-high 12-game hitting streak from July 5-21...Named to the 2004 PCL All-Star team...Had three extra-base hits on May 5 at Portland, one double and two triples...Hit two home runs with a season-high five RBI on May 1 vs. Tacoma...Began season with eight-game hitting streak.
2003
Spent eighth professional season with triple-A Salt Lake, batting .283 (102/361) with 48 runs scored, 16 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 38 RBI in 102 games with Stingers (88 as catcher, 15 at first base, 1 as DH).,After hitting .190 (11/58) in April, batted .300 (91/303) from May-SeptPut together two season-best 10-game hit streaks,Collected four hits twice (June 27th vs. Portland and July 7th vs. Edmonton),Best month came in June (.319, 23/72, 12 RBI),Hit .304 at home and .264 on the road.
2001
SUMMARY:
Hit .300 with 24 doubles, 3 home runs and 41 RBI in 95 games with Double-A Mobile...batted .300 or better for the 3rd time in 6 pro seasons, including 2 of the last 3 (hit .328 in 1999)...struck out only 40 times in 330 at-bats...committed a career-low 3 errors behind the plate...posted a .319 road batting average and hit .412 against left-handed pitching...went 5-for-10 with the bases loaded...drove in a season-high 4 runs August 18 vs. Orlando thanks to his only grand slam of the season...went 2-for-3 in the season finale September 1 at Huntsville, to finish the season at .300.
Career Notes:
THE PADRES BROTHERHOOD: Entering 2002, only 2 sets of brothers have played for the Padres: Tony and Chris Gwynn and Roberto and Sandy Alomar Jr...Wilbert's brother Melvin played for San Diego from 1993-95.
2000
Hit .263 (83-for-316) with 4 homers and 39 RBI in 100 games at 3 levels...with Mobile, went 4-for-5 with 2 runs scored and a double April 21 vs. Huntsville...batted .375 (9-for-24) during a season-best 7-game hitting streak May 25-June 2...had 4 hits, including a double and RBI, in Single-A Rancho Cucamonga's 19-9 victory July 4 vs. San Jose...hit safely in 6 straight games (.455, 10-for-22) August 8-17.
1999
Was named to the California League All-Star team after finishing 2nd in the San Diego organization and 6th in the California League with a .328 batting average...in 120 games with Rancho Cucamonga, established career highs in nearly every offensive category, including slugging percentage (.447)...batted .389 (49-for-126) with 4 homers and 26 RBI against lefthanders...was named the Cal League's Player of the Week for the week of July 26-August 1...reached base safely via hit or walk in 25 consecutive games (.420, 37-for-88) July 14-August 10...hit .366 (26-for-71) in 20 games August 1-25, to raise his average to .334...threw out 65 of 154 would-be basestealers (42 percent).
1998
Stole a career-high 7 bases and drove in 55 runs in 115 games for Single-A Clinton.
1997
Hit a combined .244 in 26 games with Rookie-level Peoria and Single-A Clinton.
1996
Batted .345 in his debut season with Peoria of the Arizona Rookie League.
