Raul Casanova #25

Raul Casanova...graduated from Ponce High School in Puerto Rico...was originally signed by New York Mets scout Junior Roman.

2007

Thirty-five year-old veteran switch-hitting catcher hit .253 (20-79) with 6 HR and 11 RBI for the Rays over a pair of tours ... First joined the Rays on June 4 from AAA Durham with Shawn Riggans going on the DL ... Appeared in 21 games batting .250 with 6 of his 14 hits going for home runs ... all 6 homers came on the road, including blasts off Erik Bedard and Tim Wakefield ... Designated for assignment on July 27 when Josh Paul returned from the DL ... cleared waivers and was outrighted to Durham on August 1 ... Rejoined the Rays on Sep 11 with Josh Paul nursing a sore lower back ... appeared in 7 games (4 starts) over the final couple weeks and went 6-for-20 (.300) ... collected a season-high 3 hits in the season finale, Sep 30 at Toronto ... At Durham he hit .291 (41-141) with 5 HR and 21RBI in 44 games, but batted .354 (17-48) with 5 doubles, 2 HR and 9 RBI in 15 games after rejoining Bulls on August 1 ... Was a non-roster invite ... Rays were his 10th different organization ... originally selected by the Mets in the 8th round of the 1990 June Draft.

2005

Spent most of the season at Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox organization before he was called up by Chicago when rosters expanded on September 1...appeared in six games at the Major League level and was 1 for 5 (.200) with a strikeout...made his White Sox debut on September 1 against Detroit as a defensive replacement at catcher in the ninth inning...it was his first appearance in a ML game since September 22, 2002 with Baltimore...his only hit was an infield single on September 10 at Los Angeles and it was his first hit since May 12, 2002 at Chicago (NL) while playing for Milwaukee...spent the balance of the season at Charlotte where he batted .266 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI in 70 games...his average included a .276 (53 for 192) mark and all 13 of his home runs against right-handed pitchers and .220 (9 for 41) against left-handers...batted .273 (15 for 55) with runners in scoring position, including .333 (9 for 27) with RISP and two outs...was 2 for 3 (.667) with two walks and eight RBI with the bases loaded...appeared in 62 games at catcher and one at first base and was also 4 for 20 (.200) in five games at designated hitter...tossed out 19 of 55 (34.5%) attempted base stealers...hit in every spot in the order except second and fourth...saw his most action in the seven spot, where he hit .206 (22 for 107) in 30 games, but had his best success in 26 games in the eight spot, where he batted .321 (27 for 84)...hit just .205 (8 for 39) over his first 11 games but then went 27 for 91 (.297) over his next 28 games to lift his average to .269 on June 25...was on the Disabled List from June 26 to July 17 with a muscle strain in his back...went 5 for 29 (.172) in nine games in July following his return...then hit .297 (22 for 74) with seven home runs and 18 RBI in 22 games in August...had just six home runs and 24 RBI in 48 games entering the month...had back-to-back three-hit games on August 7 against Durham and August 9 at Norfolk and had four three-hit games for the season...had his lone two-homer game of the season on August 7...had a season high four RBI on August 16 at Toledo.

2004

Combined to hit .310 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI in 81 games between Triple-A Pawtucket of the Boston Red Sox organization and Triple-A Omaha with the Kansas City Royals...batted .397 (31 for 78) against left-handers and .288 (63 for 219) against righties...went 27 for 82 (.329) with runners in scoring position...threw out 20.0% (8 of 40) of attempted basestealers...made 39 appearances as catcher, 24 as the designated hitter and 19 at first base...began the season as a non-roster invitee to spring training with the Baltimore Orioles...was released on March 18 and signed by Boston as a free agent on May 1...reached base safely in 18 of his 20 starts with Pawtucket...was traded to Kansas City on June 24 in exchange for future considerations...hit two grand slams with Omaha...hit .378 with seven home runs and 31 RBI in August...compiled a season best 15-game hitting streak from August 1 to 20, going 26 for 62 (.419) with 14 RBI...drove in five runs on August 24 at Memphis...hit two home runs on August 27 against Iowa...played for Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League, batting .306 with five home runs and 24 RBI...tied for the league lead in RBI and ranked sixth in average.

2003

Combined to hit .296 with seven homers and 50 RBI in 86 games between Triple-A Colorado Springs (Rockies) and Triple-A Ottawa (Orioles)...began the season at Colorado Springs...recorded four consecutive multi-hit games from May 3 to 9...hit safely in 11 consecutive games from June 6 to 19 (15 for 34, .442)...was on the disabled list with a sprained left wrist from July 17 to 26...was released by the Rockies on July 28 and signed with the Orioles as a free agent on August 6...went 5 for 17 (.294) with a home run and five RBI in the International League playoffs...hit .228 with six home runs and 21 RBI for Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

2002

Spent time with both Milwaukee and Baltimore...was the Opening Day starter for the Brewers on April 2 at Houston...hit his third career grand slam on May 12 at the Cubs (off Scott Chiasson)...hit just .184 (16 for 87) in 31 games before being placed on the disabled list with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow on May 17...appeared in 14 rehab games with Triple-A Indianapolis on a rehab assignment and hit .279 with four doubles and eight RBI...was activated on August 23...was released by Milwaukee on September 3 after batting .184 with a home run and eight RBI in 31 games...signed with the Orioles as a free agent on September 11...was 0 for 1 with a strikeout in two appearances with Baltimore.

2001

His first full season in the major leagues was cut short due to injury...batted .260 with a career high 11 home runs in 71 games...added 33 RBI...matched his career high with three hits on May 12 vs. Pittsburgh...recorded four RBI on May 14 vs. Pittsburgh and July 2 vs. Houston...was placed on the disabled list on August 11 with torn cartilage in his left knee...underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on August 27 in a procedure performed by Dr. William Raasch at St. Michael Hospital in Milwaukee.

2000

Was a non-roster invitee to spring training by Colorado...was released by the Rockies on March 23...was signed by Milwaukee on March 25 and assigned to Indianapolis...his contract was purchased by the Brewers on April 14, but he was designated for assignment on May 2...had his contract purchased a second time on May 19...batted .247 with six home runs and a career high 36 RBI in 86 games with the Brewers...caught 22 of Milwaukee's final 29 games...hit his first career grand slam on June 13 vs. Montreal (off Steve Kline)...hit his second grand slam on September 27 vs. Cincinnati (off Danny Graves) and drove in a career-best five runs...began the season with Triple-A Indianapolis...hit .288 with five homers and 12 RBI in 20 games.

1999

Opened the season on Detroit's disabled list after doctors found a benign tumor and fracture of his seventh rib during spring training...never appeared in a game with the Tigers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo on July 12...made injury rehabilitation assignments with the Gulf Coast League Tigers, Single-A Lakeland and Toledo before being reinstated on July 12...went 4 for 5 (.800) in two games with the GCL Tigers and 6 for 12 (.500) at Lakeland...then batted .206 with six home runs and 23 RBI in 44 games with Toledo...won the Puerto Rican Winter League batting title by hitting .331 for Ponce.

1998

Made his first career Opening Day roster with Detroit and batted .143 with a home run and three RBI in 16 games with the Tigers...started 10 of the first 19 games before suffering an abdominal strain on April 24...was placed on the disabled list on April 25...was activated on May 27 and optioned to Toledo...was recalled on July 16...appeared in three games before pulling his left hamstring on July 20 at the Yankees...was placed on the disabled list on July 21 and did not return after suffering a fractured right wrist swinging a bat on a rehab assignment with the Mudhens on August 2...underwent surgery on August 11 and missed the remainder of the season...hit .257 with seven home runs and 26 RBI in 50 games with Toledo.

1997

Was named by Baseball America prior to the season as the No. 3 Prospect in the Tigers system...began the season at Triple-A Toledo and went 8 for 41 (.195) in 12 games before he was recalled by Detroit on April 19...hit .243 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 101 games with the Tigers...started 83 games (Tigers went 43-40), including 48 of 77 games after the break...hit safely in nine consecutive games from May 24 to June 7.

1996

Was traded by San Diego to Detroit on March 22 as part of a six-player deal...was named by Baseball America prior to the season as the No. 6 Prospect in the San Diego organization...was recalled by the Tigers on May 24 and made his Major League debut that day against Cleveland...collected his first ML hit on May 27 at Kansas City, a single off Tim Belcher...hit his first home run on May 29 at Kansas City off Kevin Appier...suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist on June 18...was placed on the disabled list on June 19...was activated on August 13 and optioned to Toledo...was recalled to Detroit on September 3...batted .283 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI in 57 games between Toledo and Jacksonville.

1995

Was limited to just 89 games at Double-A Memphis due to a pair of ankle injuries...was on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle from May 14 to June 1...hit .271 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI.

1994

Was named San Diego's Organizational Player of the Year at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga...was named to the California League All-Star Team...led the league in average (.340) and hits (160), ranked second in RBI (120) and slugging percentage (.552) and tied for third in home runs (23).

1993

Played his first season in the Padres organization at Single-A Waterloo...hit .256 with six home runs and 30 RBI in 76 games.

1992

Spent most of the season at Rookie Kingsport where he hit .270 with four home runs and 27 RBI in 42 games...also went 3 for 18 (.167) in five games with Columbia...was acquired by San Diego from the Mets on December 14 as the PTBNL in the October 26 trade in which the Mets sent Wally Whitehurst and D.J. Dozier in exchange for Tony Fernandez.

1991

Combined to hit .217 in 37 games between the Gulf Coast Mets and Kingsport...did not homer and added nine RBI.

1990

Made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Mets after being selected in the eighth round of the June draft...hit .077 (5 for 65) with no home runs and one RBI in 23 games.