Rubén Rivera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rubén Rivera |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: November 14, 1973 La Chorrera, Panama |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1995, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 28, 2003, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .216 | ||
| Home runs | 64 | ||
| Runs batted in | 203 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Rubén Rivera Moreno (born November 14, 1973) is a former professional baseball player from Panama. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five different teams. His career in MLB lasted from 1995 to 2003.
Rubén Rivera was part of the New York Yankees team that won the 1996 World Series. They won against the Atlanta Braves. He is also the cousin of Mariano Rivera, who was a famous pitcher for the Yankees for many years.
Rubén Rivera's Baseball Journey
Starting with the New York Yankees (1990–1997)
Rubén Rivera began his baseball journey when he was signed by the New York Yankees in 1990. He made his first professional appearance with the Gulf Coast Yankees in 1992. His big debut in Major League Baseball came on September 3, 1995, with the Yankees.
Rivera was seen as a very promising young player. Baseball America magazine even ranked him as one of the top prospects in baseball. He was ranked second in 1995, third in 1996, and ninth in 1997. In 1996, he played in 46 games for the New York Yankees. He also played in the postseason, helping his team in the 1996 American League Division Series.
Playing for the San Diego Padres (1997–2000)
On April 22, 1997, Rubén Rivera was traded to the San Diego Padres. This was a big trade where the Yankees also sent pitcher Rafael Medina and money to the Padres. In return, the Yankees received players like Hideki Irabu.
While with the Padres, Rivera showed his strong hitting power. However, he found it hard to get on base often. He played for the Padres for four seasons. He was released by the team just before the 2001 baseball season began.
Time with the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants (2001–2006)
After leaving the Padres, the Cincinnati Reds signed Rivera for the 2001 season. He played in a reserve role, meaning he wasn't a regular starter. After the season, the Reds decided to let him go. The San Francisco Giants then picked him up, but he was released a month later without playing any games for them.
In early 2002, the Yankees signed him again. However, he was released during spring training after an incident involving team equipment. This led to his departure from the team.
He then signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on March 31, 2002. He played for their minor league team, the Tulsa Drillers. He didn't perform as well as hoped and was released after that season.
In 2003, Rivera rejoined the Giants as a free agent. He was involved in a memorable play during a game on May 27. While running the bases, he made a mistake, thinking a ball was caught when it wasn't. This led to him being tagged out at home plate. He was released by the Giants on June 3.
Later in 2003, Rivera signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He played for their team, the Bowie Baysox. In 2006, the Chicago White Sox signed him to play for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. He hit 16 home runs that season.
Playing in the Mexican League (2007–2019)
Rubén Rivera spent many years playing baseball in the Mexican League. He played for several teams there:
- Piratas de Campeche (2007–2012)
- Delfines de Ciudad del Carmen (2013)
- Rieleros de Aguascalientes (2014)
- Diablos Rojos del México and Olmecas de Tabasco (2015)
- Olmecas de Tabasco and Pericos de Puebla (2016) – His team, the Pericos de Puebla, won the league championship that year!
- Acereros de Monclova (2017–2019)
Rivera announced he was retiring from playing after the 2019 season. He ended his playing career by winning another championship with Monclova.
Representing Panama in the World Baseball Classic (2006, 2009)
Rubén Rivera proudly represented his home country, Panama, in the World Baseball Classic. He played in both the 2006 and 2009 tournaments. This is a big international baseball competition where countries compete against each other.
Rubén Rivera's Coaching Career
After his playing career, Rubén Rivera became a coach. In 2021, he worked as the hitting coach for the Olmecas de Tabasco team in the Mexican League.
See also
In Spanish: Rubén Rivera Moreno para niños
