RAUL CHAVEZ

3/18/73; NDFA '90 (Houston); Venezuela
R/R; 5-11, 210

Level
BA
OBP
SA
AB
2B
3B
HR
BB
K
SB
CS
1990 R (Hou)
.323
.358
.387
155
8
1
0
7
12
5
3
1991 A (Hou)
.257
.312
.319
420
17
0
3
25
64
1
4
1992 A (Hou)
.284
.320
.371
348
22
1
2
16
39
1
0
1993 A+ (Hou)
.228
.261
.264
197
5
1
0
8
19
1
1
1994 AA (Hou)
.219
.273
.259
251
7
0
1
17
41
1
0
1995 AAA (Hou)
.262
.325
.311
103
5
0
0
8
13
0
1
1995 AA (Hou)
.287
.323
.394
188
8
0
4
8
17
0
4
1996 NL (Mon)
.200
.333
.200
5
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1996 AAA (Mon)
.247
.290
.328
198
10
0
2
11
31
0
2
1997 NL (Mon)
.269
.259
.269
26
0
0
0
0
5
1
0
1997 AAA (Mon)
.245
.293
.339
.310
17
0
4
18
42
1
3
1998 AL (Sea)
.000
.000
.000
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1998 AAA (Sea)
.223
.294
.300
233
6
0
4
22
41
1
2
1998 AAA (Mon)
.226
.333
.226
31
0
0
0
5
5
0
0
1999 AAA (Sea)
.268
.331
.356
354
20
1
3
28
63
1
3
2000 NL (Hou)
.256
.298
.372
43
2
0
1
3
6
0
0
2000 AAA (Hou)
.244
.325
.307
303
13
0
2
34
44
3
0
2001 AAA (Hou)
.302
.361
.450
278
17
0
8
19
34
1
1
2002 NL (Hou)
.250
.500
.500
4
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
2002 AAA (Hou)
.228
.278
.279
373
10
0
3
21
50
3
4
2003 NL (Hou)
.270
.289
.432
37
1
1
1
1
6
0
0
2003 AAA (Hou)
.273
.315
.408
355
28
1
6
13
43
0
2
2004 NL (Hou)
.210
.256
.259
162
8
0
0
10
38
0
1
2005 NL (Hou)
.172
.210
.263
99
3
0
2
4
18
1
0
2005 AAA (Hou)
.252
.299
.319
119
8
0
0
5
24
0
0
2006 AL (Balt)
.179
.207
.179
28
0
0
0
1
4
0
0
2006 AA (Balt)
.255
.290
.337
196
10
0
2
11
19
0
0
2007 AAA (NYY)
.221
.265
.310
290
14
0
4
11
39
1
0

Chavez has managed a lengthy career, including all or parts of nine seasons in the majors, as an emergency catcher.  Based on Nichols' Law of Catcher Defense, he must be an excellent defensive player, because he can't hit at all.  Many good-field, no-hit minor leaguers, especially catchers and middle infielders who get playing time for defensive reasons, eventually gain enough experience to become passable hitters at the AAA level.  Not so with Chavez, who has a 251/307/339 line in nearly 3,000 career AAA at-bats.  He does, however, have a great arm.  The Pirates don't have any catching prospects at the upper levels, leaving them with a need to stock up on minor league free agent catchers.  Chavez opened the season splitting time in AAA with Michel Hernandez, but was added to the roster and called up when Ryan Doumit broke his thumb in May.

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