Eli Marrero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eli Marrero |
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Marrero with the Daytona Tortugas in 2016
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| Utility player | |||
| Born: November 17, 1973 Havana, Cuba |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1997, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 8, 2006, for the New York Mets | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .243 | ||
| Home runs | 66 | ||
| Runs batted in | 261 | ||
| Former teams | |||
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Elieser "Eli" Marrero (born November 17, 1973) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player from Cuba. He played for several teams during his career. Eli started as a catcher, but he was a utility player. This means he could play many different positions. He spent time at first base, third base, and in the outfield.
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Eli Marrero's Baseball Journey
Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals
Eli Marrero was chosen by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 1993 MLB draft. He made his first appearance in the major leagues with the Cardinals in September 1997.
In 1998, Eli faced a serious health challenge. He had surgery in March but showed amazing strength. He was back playing with the Cardinals by April. In 2000, he missed two months because of a thumb injury. When he returned, he started playing in the outfield and at first base more often. He still caught sometimes too. A cool moment in his career was on September 3, 2001. Eli was the catcher when Bud Smith threw a no-hitter. This means no opposing player got a hit during the entire game!
Moving to the Atlanta Braves
In December 2003, the Cardinals traded Eli Marrero and J.D. Drew to the Atlanta Braves. In return, the Cardinals received pitchers Jason Marquis, Ray King, and a young player named Adam Wainwright.
While playing for the Braves in 2004, Eli was especially good against left-handed pitchers. He hit for a high batting average of .415 against them. He often played as a backup outfielder for the team.
Playing for Several MLB Teams
After the 2004 season, the Braves traded Eli to the Kansas City Royals. The Royals were looking for a strong hitter for their outfield. Eli played in 32 games for the Royals, but he struggled a bit with his hitting.
Later in 2005, the Royals traded him to the Baltimore Orioles. He played in 22 games for the Orioles and improved his batting average slightly. After that season, he became a free agent. This meant he could sign with any team he wanted.
Eli signed with the Colorado Rockies in January 2006. He played in 30 games for them and hit 4 Home runs. He even caught for one inning in his first game with the Rockies. This was the first time he had played catcher since 2003. In June 2006, the Rockies traded Eli to the New York Mets. He played 25 games for the Mets before being released in August.
Coaching Career After Playing
After his playing days, Eli Marrero started a new chapter in baseball as a coach. In July 2011, he became the batting coach for the Billings Mustangs. He then managed the Arizona League Reds in 2013.
On December 1, 2014, Eli was named the manager of the Daytona Tortugas. This team is a Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. He stayed with the Tortugas until late in the 2017 season.
Eli Marrero's Family Life
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Eli Marrero comes from a family of baseball players! He is the uncle of three other professional baseball players: Chris Marrero, Christian Marrero, and Deven Marrero.
Eli also has a son named Elih. Elih was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2015 MLB draft. However, he chose to play college baseball at Mississippi State first. Later, Elih transferred to St. Thomas University in Florida. He was then drafted again by the Boston Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB draft.
