Luis Rivas

Luis Rivas
Second baseman
Born: (1979-08-30) August 30, 1979 (age 45) La Guaira, Venezuela
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 16, 2000, for the Minnesota Twins
Last MLB appearance
September 20, 2008, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average	.257
Home runs	34
Runs batted in	201
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Minnesota Twins (2000–2005) Cleveland Indians (2007) Pittsburgh Pirates (2008)

Luis Wilfredo Rivas [ree'-vas] (born August 30, 1979) is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played for the Minnesota Twins from 2000 to 2005, Cleveland Indians in 2007, and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008. He batted and throws right-handed.

Rivas was known to be a free-swinging hitter who will offer at almost any pitch often putting it in play. As a runner, he has good speed and is aggressive on the basepaths. Defensively, Rivas had soft hands, a great arm and good range. He turned the double play well, and was also competent ranging back on pop-ups.

From 2000 to 2004, Rivas posted a .262 batting average with 29 home runs and 165 RBI in 506 games. After the 2005 All-Star break, Minnesota optioned Rivas to Triple-A Rochester. Once thought of as the Twins' second baseman of the future, Rivas never developed into the type of consistent hitter needed. He was recalled, and then again sent back down on October 4 after the season had ended.

In 2006, Rivas played for the Durham Bulls of the International League. He hit a disappointing .218 with an OPS of .540. He signed a Minor League contract with the Cleveland Indians for the 2007 season. He hit .263 for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in 105 games. He earned a big league call-up on September 1, when rosters expand. In December 2007, Rivas signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In January 2009, Rivas signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela

Sources

• The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English. ISBN 1-4027-4771-3

External links

• Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet, or Venezuelan Winter League