José López (baseball)

José López
Cleveland Indians – No. 4
Second Baseman
Born: November 24, 1983 (1983-11-24) Anzoátegui State, Venezuela
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 31, 2004 for the Seattle Mariners
Career statistics (through 2011 season)
Batting average	.263
Home runs	88
Runs batted in	452
Teams
Seattle Mariners (2004–2010) Colorado Rockies (2011) Florida Marlins (2011)
Career highlights and awards
1x All-Star (2006) Hit three home runs in one game on September 22, 2010.

José Celestino López (born November 24, 1983, in Anzoátegui State, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.

López is praised for his baseball instincts both on offense and defense. He is a good contact hitter with some power. On the defensive end he displays a strong arm for an infielder. He is often criticized for being impatient, and rarely takes a walk.

Professional career

Seattle Mariners

In 2001 López was named the Everett AquaSox Most Valuable Player by the Mariners player development department.^{[citation needed]} Later that season he participated in the Arizona Fall League. He was also named the Mariners' minor league "Player of the Year."

He was named Mariners' minor league "Player of the Year" with the San Bernardino Stampede in 2002, marking the second time he won this award. He led the California League with 169 hits and 39 doubles. His .324 average was second-highest among all Marines minor leaguers while his 31 steals ranked fourth. Later that year selected to play with the World Team at the 2002 MLB Future's Game in Milwaukee.

López played three different infield positions (second base, shortstop and third base) in 132 games with the Double-A San Antonio Missions in 2003. He was third in the Texas League with 35 doubles. He had 41 multi-hit games, including four 4-hit games. At the all-star break he was selected to start for the Texas League. At the end of the season he was named to Texas League Postseason All-Star Team. López hit .391 with 3 runs, 2 home runs, a steal and 5 RBIs in five postseason games. He again played with Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League.

He hit .295 with 13 home runs, 39 RBIs in 74 games with the triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in 2004 before being called-up on July 31. López made his major league debut on July 31, 2004. At the end of the season he hit .311 with 11 doubles, 10 HR, 29 RBI in 46 games with Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League, making this the third time he played for Lara.

In 2005 López battled injury, going on the disabled list twice. In 44 games with Tacoma he hit .319 with five home runs and 31 RBIs.

He hit .232 with five home runs and 22 RBI in 57 games. López was selected as a replacement for the 2006 All-Star Game due to an injury to Robinson Canó. During this game, Lopez pinch-ran for Paul Konerko in the 9th inning and went on to score the game-tying run.

López playing the Seattle Mariners in 2007.

On May 27, 2008, López helped end a seven-game Mariner losing skid with a walk-off single off Boston reliever Mike Timlin to score Wladimir Balentien. The Mariners won 4–3 and Lopez was later quoted saying jokingly, "I wanted to run to center field...I knew the team was coming to kill me."

On May 1, 2009, Lopez hit a walk-off single in a 14-pitch at bat off of Oakland A's reliever Russ Springer. Lopez fouled off nine consecutive pitches before hitting his walk-off single.

In 2009 he had the lowest range factor of all starting major league second basemen (4.27).

During spring training for the 2010 season, Lopez was converted to a third baseman replacing teammate Chone Figgins who in turn took over the second base position.

In a game against the Chicago White Sox on April 23, 2010, Lopez hit his first career grand slam home run against former Mariner J. J. Putz. Lopez hit his second career grand slam off of Joba Chamberlain on July 10, 2010 in the bottom of the 8th inning leading the Mariners to a 4–1 victory over the New York Yankees.

On July 27, 2010 while running to first base in the 1st inning, Lopez strained his hamstring in his left leg. He missed the following six games, returning on August 4. In his first at bat back, he hit a 2 RBI single against the Texas Rangers with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the first inning.

On September 22, 2010, Lopez hit 3 home runs in one game. He was the first Mariner to do this since Mike Cameron in 2002 when he hit 4 against the Chicago White Sox.

Colorado Rockies

Lopez was traded to the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitching prospect Chaz Roe prior to the non-tender deadline.

On May 26, 2011, Lopez was designated for assignment. He was later released on June 7.

Florida Marlins

On June 9, 2011, just days after being released by Colorado, Lopez inked a minor league deal with the Florida Marlins. He had his contract purchased on June 15. He was designated for assignment on July 2, after making 31 plate appearances for the Marlins, hitting just .103.

Cleveland Indians

Lopez signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians on December 16, 2011. He also received an invitation to spring training.

International career

2009 World Baseball Classic

López, along with teammates Félix Hernández and Carlos Silva was a member of Team Venezuela in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In Round 1 against the Netherlands, he hit a solo home run to give Venezuela a two-run lead and the victory later with a 3–1 win.

Personal life

Before the team's game on June 13, 2007, López was informed that his brother Gabriel had died in a motorcycle accident in Venezuela. López still played in the game because his family told him he would not be able to make it home in time for the funeral and they wanted him to stay with the team and keep playing. He went 0-for-4 with an RBI in the game.

On June 16, 2009 he was put on the bereavement list again to visit his cancer-stricken sister, Enzy, but she died before he got there. Lopez remained in Venezuela for his sister's funeral and did not play for about a week.

López and his wife, Katerine, have one child, José López Jr.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)