Héctor Giménez
Encyclopedia
Héctor Eliner Giménez [Ec-tor he-MEH-nes] (born September 28, 1982 in San Felipe
, Venezuela
) is a catcher
in Major League Baseball
. Giménez is a switch hitter
and throws right-handed.
as an amateur free agent in 1999. He spent two years in the Venezuelan Summer League
before joining the Astros U.S. based minor league system. At one point, Giménez was ranked the best defensive catcher in the Houston Astros
system, according to Baseball America
. In , he led the Corpus Christi Hooks
with 58 RBI and earned Texas League
All-Star honors. He hit .273 (75-for-275) with eight home run
s and 37 RBI
in 76 games
for the Round Rock Express
in his first season at the Triple-A level in 2006.
He made his major league debut with the Astros on September 25, striking out as a pinch hitter
against the Philadelphia Phillies
. He made one other major league appearance, also as a pinch hitter, against the Pittsburgh Pirates
on September 27 and groundout to the shortstop.
On February 26, , Giménez decided to have surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff
and as a result, missed the entire 2007 season.
On November 27, 2007, he signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays
that included an invitation to spring training
. He split the season between the A+ Vero Beach Devil Rays
and the AAA Durham Bulls
and then became a free agent at the end of the season.
and AAA Indianapolis Indians
. In 2010 he was with Altoona for the whole season and hit .305 in 94 games with 16 home runs, his highest total in any of his professional seasons.
in November 2010 but on November 19 he was purchased by the Dodgers and added to their 40-man roster. He appeared as a pinch hitter for the Dodgers on April 1, 2011, his first appearance in the Majors since 2006 with the Astros. He made his first career start the following day against the San Francisco Giants
, and also recorded his first Major League hit, a single to left field in the seventh inning off Javier López
. After appearing in four games, he was placed on the disabled list on April 10 and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. He was activated off the DL on June 10 and outrighted to the AA Chattanooga Lookouts
. He appeared in 66 games with the Lookouts, hitting .286 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI.
San Felipe, Yaracuy
San Felipe is the capital of the Venezuelan state of Yaracuy. Former Venezuelan President Rafael Caldera was born there. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Felipe. San Felipe is situated in a rich agricultural region of Western Venezuela...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
) is a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Giménez is a switch hitter
Switch hitter
In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed.-Baseball:Usually, right-handed batters hit better against left-handed pitchers and vice-versa. Most curveballs break away from batters hitting from the same side as the opposing pitcher. Such pitches are often...
and throws right-handed.
Houston Astros
Giménez was signed by the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
as an amateur free agent in 1999. He spent two years in the Venezuelan Summer League
Venezuelan Summer League
The Venezuelan Summer League is a minor league baseball rookie league which operates in Carabobo and Aragua states, Venezuela.The VSL was created in 1997, after several operational years of the Major League Baseball's academies in the country...
before joining the Astros U.S. based minor league system. At one point, Giménez was ranked the best defensive catcher in the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
system, according to Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
. In , he led the Corpus Christi Hooks
Corpus Christi Hooks
The Corpus Christi Hooks are a minor league baseball team of the Texas League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and are named for the city's association with fishing. The team's ownership group is headed by Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan...
with 58 RBI and earned Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
All-Star honors. He hit .273 (75-for-275) with eight home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 37 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 76 games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
for the Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
in his first season at the Triple-A level in 2006.
He made his major league debut with the Astros on September 25, striking out as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
against the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He made one other major league appearance, also as a pinch hitter, against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
on September 27 and groundout to the shortstop.
On February 26, , Giménez decided to have surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
and as a result, missed the entire 2007 season.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
that included an invitation to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. He split the season between the A+ Vero Beach Devil Rays
Vero Beach Devil Rays
The Vero Beach Devil Rays, originally the Vero Beach Dodgers, were a minor league baseball team based in Vero Beach, Florida. They played in the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1980–2008, at which point they relocated to Port Charlotte, Florida as the Charlotte Stone Crabs...
and the AAA Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
and then became a free agent at the end of the season.
Pittsburgh Pirates
He signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in January and split the season between the AA Altoona CurveAltoona Curve
The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...
and AAA Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
. In 2010 he was with Altoona for the whole season and hit .305 in 94 games with 16 home runs, his highest total in any of his professional seasons.
Los Angeles Dodgers
He signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in November 2010 but on November 19 he was purchased by the Dodgers and added to their 40-man roster. He appeared as a pinch hitter for the Dodgers on April 1, 2011, his first appearance in the Majors since 2006 with the Astros. He made his first career start the following day against the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, and also recorded his first Major League hit, a single to left field in the seventh inning off Javier López
Javier López
Javier Alfonso López is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants. López previously played for the Colorado Rockies , Arizona Diamondbacks , Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates . He is a left-handed specialist known for his sidearm delivery...
. After appearing in four games, he was placed on the disabled list on April 10 and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. He was activated off the DL on June 10 and outrighted to the AA Chattanooga Lookouts
Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. They are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team, which plays in the Southern League, has been a Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club since the 2009 season. The Lookouts...
. He appeared in 66 games with the Lookouts, hitting .286 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI.