Javier Valentin

In 1993 graduated from Fernando Callejo High School in Manati, Puerto Rico...won RBI titles his last 3 seasons there...his brother is Major League infielder Jose Valentin...the last 2 seasons donated to charity $4,400 based on $25 for each single, $50 per double, $75 per triple and $100 per home run, including $2,050 to the ALS Association Central & Southern Ohio Chapter in 2006 and $2,350 to the Reds Community Fund in 2007...is a member of the Cincinnati and Indianapolis Action Teams, part of a national youth volunteer program administered by the Major League Baseball Players Trust and Volunteers of America that is inspiring and training the next generation of volunteers.

2007

Led Reds pinch hitters in AB (40) and RBI (10)...had 1 pinch-hit homer (5/21 vs Wsh off Jon Rauch)...his 5 pinch-hit HR the last 2 seasons tie Ari's Tony Clark for the most in the Major Leagues in that span...late in the season was bothered by a sore lower back but still hit safely in 8 of his last 9g (8-26, .308, 3rbi)...in his 49 starts behind the plate, Reds pitchers went 26-23 and posted a 5.15era...after David Ross suffered a concussion on 8/12 started at catcher in 25 of the Reds' last 45g of the season (.276, 12rbi), including 9-13g during Ross' stint on the disabled list (.342)...caught 1 of the staff's 6 complete games and 2 of the team's 7 shutouts...threw out 5-44 baserunners attempting to steal (11%)...made 1 appearance at 1B (5/21 vs Wsh) and 1 start at DH (6/24 at Sea)...in the 3-2 win on 4/11 at Ari his pinch-hit, 2-run double off Micah Owings in the seventh inning erased a 1-0 deficit...in the 8-7 win on 5/21 vs Wsh pinch-hit, produced a 2-run HR off Jon Rauch that erased a 7-6 deficit and stayed in the game at 1B...in a 4-game span from 7/23-7/26 produced 2 of the club's 7 game-ending hits...in the 12-inning, 2-1 win on 7/23 vs Mil had a pinchhit, RBI-single off Grant Balfour and ended the 10-inning, 6-5 win on 7/26 vs Mil with a run-scoring single off Francisco Cordero...from 8/3-8/24 hit .396 during a career-high 14-game hitting streak, raising BA from .258 to .297...on 9/16 at Mil left the game with a sore back and was bothered by the injury the rest of the season... donated $2,350 to the Reds Community Fund based on $25 for each single, $50 for each double, $75 for each triple and $100 for each home run.

2006

Was 1 of 3 catchers on the Reds' roster (David Ross, Jason LaRue)...Reds pitchers went 14-18 in his starts and posted a 5.18era while he caught...caught 13 of Elizardo Ramirez' 19 starts...started 2 of the staff's 10 team shutouts...threw out 6-14 baserunners attempting to steal (43%)...was the club's best pinch hitter...led Reds pinch hitters in hits (12), AB (52), HR (4) and RBI (12)...fell 1 shy of the franchise record for pinch-hit HR in a season (5, Jerry Lynch, 1961)...entered the season without a pinch-hit homer in his career...tied Atl's Daryle Ward for the National League lead in pinch-hit HR (4) and ranked T4th in the NL in pinch-hit RBI (12)...in September hit .481 (2hr, 4rbi)...in his last 29g beginning 8/7 hit .389 (6hr, 11rbi), raising BA from .220...made 2 apps at 1B (6/17 vs WSox, 8/28 at LA)...came off the bench in the 5-4 win vs Ari on 5/28 to hit the first pitch he saw from Jose Valverde for a 2-run HR...was his first career pinch-hit HR and his first career walkoff HR...in the 10-inning, 8-7 loss on 7/6 at Atl hit a 3-run pinch-hit HR in the ninth off Jorge Sosa that tied the game at 7-7...on 8/10 and 8/11 produced pinch-hit homers in consecutive games, off StL's Adam Wainright and then off Phi's Tom Gordon...on 9/8 vs Pit produced his fourth career 2-homer game (3h, 2hr, 3rbi)...produced a game-ending hit in the 3-2 win vs StL on 5/2, when he pinch hit and singled home the winning run off Brian Falkenborg...on 4/24 at Wsh hit his first triple (off Livan Hernandez) since 8/4/04 at SF (off Matt Herges)...went 111g between triples...played for Puerto Rico in the inaugural World Baseball Classic (3g, 1-2, .500)...donated $2,050 to the ALS Association Central & Southern Ohio Chapter based on $25 for each single, $50 per double, $75 per triple and $100 per home run...on 1/15 signed a 1-year contract through the 2006 season, avoiding arbitration...on 8/28 agreed to a 1-year contract extension through 2007 with a club option for 2008...following the season played for Manati in the Puerto Rican Winter League (33g, .262, 3hr, 10rbi, 2sb).

2005

Established career highs in batting average (.281), runs scored (36), hits (62), HR (14) and RBI (50)...with 11 doubles fell 1 shy of his career high...hit a career-high .310 with RISP, third-best on the club...combined with Jason LaRue to produce the best offensive catching corps in the Major Leagues...overall together they hit .268 with 28hr and 110rbi...their 26hr while catching tied NYM and Bos for the Major League lead, and their 101rbi at catcher was the highest total by any team's backstops...in 30 starts after the All-Star break hit .324 (10hr, 33rbi)...in his last 59g overall beginning 5/27 hit .309 (14hr, 46rbi)...Reds pitchers went 27-30-1 in his 58 starts behind the plate and posted a 4.92era while he caught (508.1ip, 278er)...caught the staff's only 2 complete games (Harang, 7/20 vs Chi, 9-3 win & Ortiz, 9/10 vs Pit, 6-2 win)...threw out 27 percent of the baserunners attempting to steal (9-33)...made 58 starts at C and his other 2 starts at 1B (9/20 vs StL, 9/25 vs Phi)...on 9/29 at Mil made his only career start batting fourth in the order (0-3, 1bb)...also hit fifth (7gs), sixth (3gs), seventh (16gs), eighth (31gs) and ninth (2gs)...produced 16 2-hit games and a 3-hit game on 4/26 at Chi...from 7/17-7/21 homered in 3 consecutive games (6-10, 5hr, 11rbi, 7r), including 2-homer games on 7/17 vs Col and 7/21 vs Chi...in the 9-4 victory on 7/17 vs Col played the best game of his career...produced a career-high 7rbi on a pair of home runs, a grand slam batting lefthanded off Jamey Wright and a 3-run shot batting righthanded off Brian Fuentes...was his first career grand slam and his second career 2-homer game...became the first Reds switch hitter to homer from each side of the plate in the same game since Pete Rose did it on 8/2/67 vs Atl at Crosley Field...became the first Reds batter with 7rbi in a game since Robin Jennings had 7rbi on 8/31/01 vs Pit...were the most RBI in a game by any Reds batter in 2005...he donated to the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum the bat he used to hit both homers...on 7/30 at SD hit a 426-foot homer off Scott Linebrink, the longest on record at PETCO Park in 2005...in the 10-inning, 2-1 victory on 9/6 vs Mil drove in the winning run with a single off Jorge De La Rosa...on the season vs Chi's Greg Maddux went 3-for-5 with 2 homers and in his career vs Maddux is 6-for-10 with 4hr...following the season played for Manati in the Puerto Rican Winter League (38g, .336, 7hr, 30rbi)...agreed to participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, scheduled for March 2006, if selected to the Puerto Rican team.

2004

Appeared in 82g, including 47 starts (44g at C, 3g at 1B)...his 3 starts at first base (5/15 at LA, 7/ 2 vs Cle, 7/3 vs Cle) were his only career starts at that position...as a defensive replacement on 4/17 at Chi played 1B in his first career appearance at a position other than catcher...finished the season with 7 apps at 1B...Reds pitchers went 17-27 in his 44 starts behind the plate and posted a 5.51era while he caught (409.2ip, 251er)...caught 2 of the staff's 5cg and 2 of its 8sho...in his last 23g of the season hit .313...began the season 0-for-23 with RISP, then went 9-for-22 (.409)...from 4/29-5/13 started 10 of the Reds' 13g while Jason LaRue was on the disabled list...in those 10 starts hit .237 (2hr, 7rbi)...from 5/2-7/27 caught 17 consecutive starts by RHP Cory Lidle...in the 7-5 victory on 5/3 at Hou hit a 2-run HR off Brad Lidge in the eighth inning that gave Cin a 6-5 lead...began the season 0-for-23 with RISP until an RBI-single off Braden Looper on 7/1 vs NYM...in the 13-2 loss on 7/22 at Chi provided the Reds' only runs with his first career 2-homer game, both off Greg Maddux...on 8/7 at Col tied his career high with 3 hits...on 9/22 at Atl established a new career high with 4 hits, including a 3-run HR in the ninth inning off John Smoltz that gave the Reds their 11-8 lead in an 11-8 win...in the 12-inning, 2-1 victory at Chi on 9/30 snapped the 1-1 tie with a 2-run double off Mark Farnsworth...during spring training made 8 starts at 1B and 4 starts behind the plate...on 4/3 was added to the 40-man roster...following the season played for Manati in the Puerto Rican Winter League (30g, .229, 2hr, 8rbi).

2003

Spent the season with the Devil Rays...made 33 starts...was acquired from the Brewers late in spring training...was the sixth switch hitter in club history...homered off Roger Clemens, Esteban Loaiza and Gil Meche...on 5/14 at Tor collected the first pinch hit of his career, a 2-run double...from 6/22-7/19 put together a career-high 8-game hitting streak...on 6/17/g1 at NYY grounded into 3 double plays, a Devil Rays record and 1 shy of the Major League mark...did not commit an error all season (225tc) and had just 1 passed ball.

2002

Was recalled on 9/16 and appeared in 4g for the Twins...At Edmonton was a Pacific Coast League All-Star and a Baseball America Class AAA All-Star...appeared in 127g for the PCL champions...was second on the club in doubles (33), third in homers (21) and fourth in RBI (80)...was the organization's Minor League Player of the Week for 5/4-5/10.

2001

Played in the Triple-A All-Star Game at Indianapolis...at Edmonton led the club in doubles (29) and ranked third in HR (17) and RBI (71)...threw out 23-50 baserunners attempting to steal (46%)...hit .355 vs LHP...appeared in 49g at C, 25g at 3B and 20g at 1B.

2000

From 5/25-7/5 was on Salt Lake's disabled list while recovering from right knee surgery.

1999

Spent the entire season with the Twins...hit .317 vs LHP...started 59g behind the plate.

1998

Spent the season with the Twins...on 4/25 at Sea hit his first career homer (off Bill Swift)...started 43g, including 42 as catcher and 1 as DH.

1997

Spent most of the season at Class AA New Britain but made the jump to the Major Leagues when he was recalled on 9/6...on 9/13 at Tex made his Major League debut as a defensive replacement...on 9/27 at Cle singled off Jeff Juden for his first career hit.

1996

Represented Ft. Myers in the Florida State League All-Star Game and was FSL Player of the Week for 7/1-7/7...led the league with 26 doubles...led FSL catchers by throwing out 46 percent of the baserunners attempting to steal (35-76).

1995

At Class A Fort Wayne was a Midwest League All-Star and a member of the Howe Sportsdata All-Teenager team...among ML leaders ranked second in slugging percentage (.564), fourth in homers (19) and sixth in hitting (.321)...led ML catchers by throwing out 43 percent of the baserunners attempting to steal (65-153)...ranked second among all Class A catchers in hitting (.324)...was Midwest League Player of the Week for 7/9-7/15.