Eli Marrero #26

Graduated in 1993 from Coral Gables High School in Miami...played baseball and was named first-team All-State and All-Dade County...in 2000 served as the honorary chairperson for the Wellness Center Cancer Survivor Walk...he and his wife, Marisol, have a son, Elih Alexander, and a daughter, Abigail and make their home in Miami, Fla.

2006

Began the season with Colorado before a mid-season trade to the New York Mets (6/9) in exchange for infielder Kazuo Matsui and cash considerations...Combined to hit .204 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 55 games for both clubs...Entered camp as a non-roster invitee, but was added to Colorado's 40-man on 3/2. Was on the Rockies' Opening Day roster...Hit .217 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 30 games for the Rockies...Made 13 starts for the club: seven at first base, three in right field, two in left field, and one at catcher...Became just the third player born in Cuba to appear for the Rockies, the first such position player. Caught the 9th inning on 4/5 vs. ARI, his first game behind the plate since 5/10/03 at Chicago Cubs while with St. Louis...First start came 4/7 at SD, filling in for Matt Holliday (illness), and he went 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles, four RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base that night in a 10-4 Rockies win...Hit safely in seven of his first nine starts, holding a .308 overall average through 5/4, and homered in four of his first six starts...Was consistently unavailable to play in his time with Colorado due to various ailments, including the flu and ribcage soreness, though he never went on the disabled list despite a trip to the hospital at one point for a hydrating IV...Despite illness, led off the 9th inning on 4/21 vs. SF with a home run, keying a four-run frame in a 9-8 comeback win against the Giants...The homer came in his first start of the year at first base...Scored winning run on 4/23 vs. SF, a 10-inning 3-2 walk-off victory, after leading off the 10th with a walk. Had two steals 4/25 at PHI...Beginning 5/10, went 1-for-21 (.048) over his final 14 games with Colorado. One of his four starts in that span came as catcher on 5/14 at HOU, first start behind plate since 5/8/03 at Chicago Cubs...After trade to the Mets, hit .182 with two home runs and five RBI in 25 games. His two home runs with NY came in consecutive games 6/27 at BOS and 7/1 at NYY...Was designated for assignment on 8/9 and released on 8/15.

2005

Split the season with Kansas City and Baltimore, missing the final 2 months of the campaign with a sprained right thumb...acquired by the Orioles in a June 8 trade, he combined to hit .181 with 7 home runs and 19 RBI in 54 games for the two clubs...was 3rd-highest home run total in any season in his career...hit .247 (22-for-89) against left-handers...went 0-for-13 to open year for K.C...appeared in 22 of Royals' first 27 games, appearing in left and right field, along with first base and pinch-hit duties...went 3-for-4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI on April 30 at Cleveland, his 2nd career multi-homer game...following that game, batted .086 (3-for-35) in May and was designated for assignment on May 31...was acquired by Orioles in exchange for minor league 2nd baseman Pete Maestrales on June 8...hit safely in 4 straight, June 17-21, going 7-for-11 with 5 RBI in that stretch...homered in consecutive games, June 20-21 at Toronto...had 3 extra base hits, including 2 doubles, in June 21 contest...left game on July 26 vs. Texas due to heat exhaustion...suffered sprained ligaments in his right thumb in that game attempting to turn a triple into an inside-the-park home run...was placed on the disabled list the next day and missed remainder of season...transferred to 60-day DL on Aug. 22...it was the 7th disabled list stint in his professional career and 3rd straight season to endure DL time.

2004

Began his first season with Atlanta on the disabled list with a strained abdominal muscle...activated on 4/14 after missing seven games...hit .415 (44-for-106) vs. left-handed pitchers and .350 (21-for-60) with 31 RBI with runners in scoring position... placed on the DL again on 4/28 with an upper respiratory infection...was activated on 5/29 after missing 30 games...hit .342 (77-for-225) in his final 68 games...did not appear at catcher for the first time in his big league career...recorded a pair of career-high eight-game hitting streaks, 6/8-16 and 7/5-20...hit his third career grand slam on 7/18 vs. MON.

2003

Injured his right ankle on 5/11 at CHI in game that was called due to rain after four innings...missed remaining games of season until 9/1...made 17 starts in the outfield and four at catcher, posting one outfield assist and nabbing both attempted basestealers...returned in September and appeared in 17 games.

2002

Enjoyed a breakout season for St. Louis, establishing career highs in nearly every offensive category...posted career bests in games, home runs, RBI, doubles, runs, walks and steals ...was 14-for-16 in steal attempts...recorded three hits on 4/6 at HOU, falling just a single shy of the cycle...went 3-for-4 with season-high four RBI on 7/19 at PIT, posting a homer among three extra base hits...hit second career grand slam on 8/31 (Game 2) at CHI...homered in three straight games 8/31 (both games)-9/1...collected career-high four hits with four runs on 9/20 vs. HOU...Went 0-for-6 in Division Series against Arizona before hitting a decisive 6th-inning home run off Jay Witasick in Game 3 of NLCS against Giants...that homer proved to be game-winner in Cards' 5-4 victory.

2001

Made 45 of his 50 starts behind the plate...St. Louis pitchers had a 3.72 ERA with Marrero catching...homered off Randy Johnson on 4/8 at ARI...suffered sprained left thumb on 6/21 vs. CHI and, with exception of one game pinch-running, was sidelined for 11 games from 6/22-7/5...compiled 7-game hit streak from 6/17-7/18...drew career-high four walks 8/31 at LA... caught Bud Smith's no-hitter on 9/3 at SD...Made two starts in NLDS against Arizona.

2000

Suffered partially torn ligament in his left thumb while stealing second base on 7/1 vs. HOU...on 15-day DL, 7/2-8/31... posted first career two-homer game on 4/20 vs. SD, contest which included his first career grand slam...posted career-high five RBI in that game...did not commit an error in 210 chances behind the plate and 16 chances at first base... did not appear during NLDS vs. Atlanta, but appeared in 4 of 5 games in NLCS loss to Mets...starting catcher Mike Matheny had suffered severe right ring finger injury with a hunting knife just prior to postseason.

1999

In his first full season in the majors, batted .192 with six home runs and 34 RBI in 114 games...threw out 24-of-65 (37%) runners attempting to steal...played 96 games behind the plate, 20 games at first base...stole home in a 4-2 win on 4/13 at PIT... homered in back-to-back games 5/11-12 vs. PHI...each of his six home runs came before mid-June.

1998

After being named Baseball's "One to Watch" by The Sporting News, Eli battled back from early-season thyroid cancer to earn Cardinals Rookie of the Year awards from the St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and Hamilton Jewelers... posted a team-best 3.72 "catcher's ERA"... had five three-hit games and eight infield hits, fifth-best on the team in each category... ended the year on a high note, batting .308 (16-for-52) in his last 17 home games... had a cancerous thyroid gland removed in March during Spring Training... made his '98 debut 4/13 at SF, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple (in his first at-bat)... was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on 5/14 and played 32 games for the Redbirds... was recalled to St. Louis on 7/1... collected back-to-back three-hit games vs. CHI on 8/7 and 8/8... hit a dramatic 12th-inning solo homer to tie the 8/8 game.

1997

Earned a late-season trial after putting together an All-Star season at Triple-A Louisville... led Louisville in home runs (20) and RBI (68) and was named to the American Association's postseason All-Star team... was recalled from Louisville on 9/2 and batted .244 with two homers and seven RBI in 17 games with the Cardinals... made his Major League debut on 9/3 vs. CWS. Went 2-for-4, with a double in his first at-bat... hit his first big-league homer on 9/18 at CHI... his game-winning homer in the 11th inning on 9/19 at PIT was his second homer in as many games... was 2-for-4 with two steals and two RBI on 9/14 vs. SD... had a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning vs. CIN on 9/25... at Louisville, had a team-high 20 homers and 68 RBI... gunned down 38 percent (35 of 91) of would-be base-stealers at the Triple-A level and 36 percent (five of 14) with St. Louis. Led American Association catchers with 750 total chances, 675 putouts and 68 assists.

1996

Named to the Texas League All-Star team in first season at Class AA Arkansas... shared the team lead and tied for second in the farm system with 19 home runs... ranked second at Arkansas with 65 runs and third with a .270 average... committed only three errors in 107 games behind the plate and threw out 43 percent (36-84) of runners trying to steal... hit .424 (14-33) vs. El Paso... popped seven homers and collected 27 RBI in 32 games vs. Jackson... played 53 straight errorless games 4/18-6/28... hit .329 (27-82) with 21 RBI in May... hit safely and drove in a run in seven consecutive games, 5/1-9, batting .615 (16-26) and slugging 1.077 with three doubles, three homers and 12 RBI... began the streak with back-to-back three-RBI games 5/1 and 5/2 vs. Jackson... ended it with back-to-back four-hit efforts 5/8 and 5/9 at El Paso... his three-run homer gave Travs a 3-2 win 6/25 at Jackson... finished the season with 47 consecutive errorless games, from 7/1 forward... hit .299 with six homers and 15 RBI in August... delivered an 11th-inning sacrifice fly for 2-1 victory 7/13 at San Antonio... tallied season highs of two homers and four RBI 8/26 at Jackson.

1995

Ranked 10th among Cards Minor Leaguers with 55 RBI at St. Petersburg... hit all 10 of his home runs and drove in 41 runs prior to June 27... played for Cards Winter Instructional League club and batted .340 with a Club-leading three homers and 15 RBI... played for West Oahu in the Hawaiian Winter League and batted .272 with four home runs and 21 RBI.

1994

Ranked second in homers (21), third in RBI (79) and eighth in runs (71) among Cards Minor Leaguers... led South Atlantic League catchers in games played (105), and putouts (804)... named to SAL All-Star team and hit a home run in the contest... had a 15-game hitting streak in April (20-55, .346) and a 12-game hitting streak in July (18-46, .391)... had a .463 slugging average and a .328 on-base average... hit .313 in the Winter Instructional League.

1993

Ranked second in homers (21), third in RBI (79) and eighth in runs (71) among Cards Minor Leaguers... led South Atlantic League catchers in games played (105), and putouts (804)... named to SAL All-Star team and hit a home run in the contest... had a 15-game hitting streak in April (20-55, .346) and a 12-game hitting streak in July (18-46, .391)... had a .463 slugging average and a .328 on-base average... hit .313 in the Winter Instructional League.