Shawn Riggans #9

Graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) High School and attended Indian River (FL) Community College ... Was limited to just 4 games last season between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Buffalo due to right shoulder tendinitis ... Made his only Opening Day roster with Tampa Bay in 2008 as the backup to Dioner Navarro ... Underwent season-ending surgeries in 2007 (7/27 - right elbow) and 2008 (9/10 - right knee) ... Was a South Atlantic League All-Star in 2003 and International League All-Star in 2006

2008

Made his first career Opening Day roster as the backup to Dioner Navarro...started 38 games, including 10 of 16 when Navarro was on the disabled list from April 5-21 with right hand lacerations...underwent season-ending right knee surgery (bursa sac) on Sep 10 in St. Petersburg. Started the home opener April 8 vs. BAL and belted his first career major league homer, a 378-foot solo shot to left off Erik Bedard in the 2nd inning, breaking a scoreless tie...came in his 51st major league AB. Made his season debut April 4 at NYY, pinchhitting with the bases loaded after Navarro was injured...delivered a bases-clearing double... batted .333 (7-for-21) against the Yankees on the year, with a homer and 6 RBI. Threw out his first attempted base stealer (Joe Inglett) Aug 28 vs. TOR, coming in his 21st try...had gone 0-for-23 dating back to 2007 until then. Pitchers posted a 3.62 ERA with Riggans behind the plate, including a 2.51 ERA from Matt Garza...caught 3 shutouts: April 19 vs. CWS, Aug 15 at TEX and Aug 27 at TOR. Set a career high with 3 hits, including a homer and 2 RBI, on June 29 at PIT in the Rays 4-3 victory.

2007

Twenty-six year-old was recalled on May 24 from AAA Durham when Josh Paul headed to the DL ... was also reinstated off the AAA DL the same day (right elbow strain) ... Made only three starts before returning to the disabled list on June 4 with right elbow tendinits ... underwent season-ending surgery on July 27 to have a "loose body" removed from his elbow ... In 29 games with Durham prior to recall, batted .295 (31-for-105) with 9 doubles, 4 HR and 14 RBI ... Was rated the best defensive catcher in the International League by Baseball America's Best Tools Survey in 2006 ... Caught 21 of 84 potential base stealers (25%) and made only 12 E's in 694 TC behind the dish (.984 fielding %) ... was the 5th time in his 6-year career he has received the honor ... Owns a .347 (133-383) average against lefties since 2003 (minor and majors) ... Batted .316 (12-for-38) with 5 doubles and 5 RBI in 17 games this spring earning the Al Lopez Award for the Rays best rookie in spring camp ... His .293 career batting average in the minor leagues ranks 8th all time among Rays farm- hands (min 1400 PA's) .

2006

The 26-year-old saw his first major league action as a September callup with the Rays...was recalled from AAA Durham Sept 5...Made his ML debut that night at home collecting a pinch-hit single off Minnesota's Matt Guerrier in his first major league at-bat...Made his first ML start Sept 15 against TOR...went 1-for-3, doubling in his first AB off Roy Halladay...recorded his first career RBI Sept 27 at Fenway with a 7th inning fielder's choice...Appeared in 8 games, making 6 starts, at catcher batting .172 (5-for-29)...caught all 3 attempted base stealers...Batted a team-high .293 with career-highs in hits (122), doubles (26), triples (2), home runs (11), runs (43) and RBI (54) in 115 games with Durham...Named the starting catcher on the International League's midseason All-Star squad...Started slow batting just .194 in April...rebounded in May to lead the International League with a .429 (27-63) average for the month...Was rated the best defensive catcher in the International League by Baseball America's Best Tools Survey...received the same honor from BA among Rays minor leaguers...caught 21 of 84 potential base stealers (25.0%) and made only 12 errors in 694 toal chances behind the plate (.984 fielding %)...was the 5th time in his 6-year career he has received the honor from the publication...Batted .333 (2-for-6) appearing in 4 games with the Rays in his first major league spring camp.

2005

Batted .310 (97-for-313) at Montgomery with 21 doubles, eight home runs and a career-high 53 RBI in his first full season at the Double-A level ... Cut down 32 percent (27 of 85) of potential base stealers ... Drove in the game-winning, "walk-off" RBI three times: May 4 (9th inning fielder's choice, 2-1 win over Jacksonville), June 26 (9th inning single, 2-1 win over Chattanooga) and August 26 (11th inning sacrifice fly, 3-2 win over Miss.) ... Biscuits had six 'walk-off' wins all season ... Only Marland Williams (TEN-4) and Russell Martin (JAX-4) had more walk-off RBI's in the Southern League ... Connected for a pair of homers July 5 against Mississippi (ATL) ... was his third career multi- HR game, first since 2001 ... Hot in August: led all Rays minor leaguers with a .433 (39-for-90) average in the month ... hit safely in 22 of 25 games ... named Southern League hitter of the week Aug. 22-28 ... His .293 career average is eighth best all-time among Rays minor leaguers (min. 1400 PA) with a .367 average against left-handed pitchers over the last three seasons.

2004

Limited to 44 games at Bakersfield (A) and Montgomery in 2004 ... Missed nearly two months with right elbow inflammation while with Bakersfield ... was leading the California League with a .383 average at the time he was shelved on May 28 ... Named the organization's best defensive catcher by Baseball America ... Tied his career best with 5 hits against Stockton (TEX) on May 12 ... was part of a 20-for-37 stretch (.541, 6-2B, HR, 9-RBI, 9-R) ... Batted .433 (13-for-30) off left-handed pitching ... Finished the season with Montgomery ... was 8-for-36 with a double and a pair of home runs.

2003

Named to the 2003 South Atlantic League midseason All-Star team ... Awarded best defensive catcher in the South Atlantic League by Baseball America ...Belted the game-winning 3-run home run Apr 22 at Hagerstown (SF).

2002

Led Hudson Valley (A) in 2002 with 48 RBI (tied with Jason Pridie), was tied for 4th most in the New York-Penn League ... Was 5th in the league with 9 home runs ... Named best defensive catcher in the Rays system by Baseball America.

2001

Batted .345 in 15 games at Rookie Princeton in 2001 ... Belted three home runs July 7 at Pulaski (TOR) ... was the lone 3-HR game in the Appalachian League that season ... Was part of a 4-game stretch with a homer in each game, July 6-9 ... tied for the 5th longest such streak in the minors that year...Named Appy League player of the week, July 2-8 (.444, 8-18, 9-R, 7-HR, 10-RBI, 1.611 slg pct.) ... Rated the best defensive catcher in the Rays system by Baseball America ... Season was cut short on July 9 when he underwent "Tommy John" surgery.