Juan Rivera

Correlation is not causation, as statisticians never fail to state, but it’s hard to tell which one was at play as Gene Michael and the Yankees brass enjoyed freedom from George Steinbrenner during the Boss’s suspension. Although originally issued as a lifetime ban by Fay Vincent in 1990, it was lifted after less than three years by the effete commissioner. The interregnum gave the baseball operations group enough leeway to develop the core of the late-1990s Yankee dynasty: Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Bernie Williams. By the end of the decade, with fan favorite Paul O’Neill on the wrong side of 30, the Yankees expected Juan Rivera to ease into the right-field position once patrolled by Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Reggie Jackson, whose numbers adorned Monument Park. Instead, Rivera joined David Justice, Félix Jose, Lance Johnson, Karim García, Raúl Mondesi, Shane Spencer, John Vander Wal, Gerald Williams, David Dellucci, Rubén Sierra, Bubba Crosby, and Kenny Lofton as the Yankees employed a carousel of players as stopgap measures in right field before signing Gary Sheffield prior to the 2004 campaign.

While Rivera would enjoy over 1,000 regular-season games in the majors and 36 others in the postseason, he never reached the lofty expectations placed upon him by baseball experts. His 162-game averages (.274/.323/.443, 102 OPS+) were respectable but misleading, as he never came close to playing a full season.

Juan Luis Rivera was born on July 3, 1978, in Guarenas, a city on Venezuela’s coast that has produced two other big leaguers, Ehire Adrianza and Giomar Guevara, though neither enjoyed as long a career as Rivera. Former minor leaguer Raúl Ortega scouted the tall, lanky outfielder and brokered a deal with the Yankees on April 12, 1996, a few weeks before Rivera graduated from high school. He was quickly assigned to the Yankees’ Dominican Summer League affiliate, where he rubbed shoulders with his peers in 10 games (18 at-bats, three singles).1 He enjoyed the comforts of home the next season, playing for the Maracay Number 2 club of the Venezuelan Summer League and flashing good speed (12 stolen bases) and plate discipline (16 strikeouts in 142 at-bats, with 12 walks for a .331 on-base percentage).2

The Yankees deemed Rivera ready for higher competition in 1998; he abused the Gulf Coast League, slugging .557 with good plate discipline (26 walks to 27 strikeouts) and was briefly promoted to the short-season New York-Penn League (5-for-18 in six games). He faced tougher competition the following year, playing in advanced Class A for the Florida State League Tampa Yankees (.725 OPS in 109 games), and appeared on his first major-league baseball card thanks to the 1999 Topps “Bowman” set, which often heralded “rookies” more than a year away from reaching the majors. The front of cardboard #386 pictures Rivera exiting the batter’s box after making contact, while the back reflected his odd arrangement: He “played two summers under contract to New York prior to making official professional debut.”3 The new century saw his OPS increase to .783 with Tampa and earn a promotion to the Double-A Norwich Navigators (.226 in 17 games). He increased his average to .320 in 2001 and triggered a promotion to Triple-A Columbus (.327 in 55 games), prompting the Yankees to call him up as rosters expanded.

Rivera made his major-league debut on September 4, 2001, as a defensive replacement for O’Neill. The Yankees, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by nine runs, opted to give their veterans some rest for the stretch run; little did they, or the world, know that a scant week later the sport would experience its longest nonstrike stoppage due to the 9/11 attacks. Rivera picked up one at-bat, popping out to first base. Eighteen days later, on September 22, he again entered the game in place of a regular (Williams) and enjoyed one plate appearance, in which he lofted a fly ball to right field. In the pinstripers’ next to last game of the regular season, he went hitless in two at-bats against Tampa Bay to finish the season 0-for-4. The Yankees opted not to add him to the postseason roster for any of their postseason series.

As the 2002 campaign began, Rivera was tabbed as the 67th best prospect by Baseball America.4 He began the season with Columbus, where he produced a .325/.355/.502 line and New York called him up for a two-game cameo in early summer. On June 5, against Baltimore, he rapped his first major-league hit, a double off Travis Driskill, and also walked on six pitches against Orioles closer Jorge Julio. Two days later, against the Giants, he played the entire game but failed to reach base in three plate appearances. The Yankees recalled him on August 31 and he appeared regularly down the stretch, collecting his first home run against Tampa Bay on September 19 and finishing the season with a .265 average in 31 games. This time, New York added Rivera to the postseason roster and he played all but two innings of the division series against Anaheim. The favored Yankees could not stop the Angels, destined to win their first World Series; Rivera contributed three hits and two runs in what would become a familiar postseason setting.

Despite Rivera’s limited time in the majors, Baseball America was still high on his potential, upping the ante by citing him as the 55th best prospect in the minors, and tops for the franchise as 2003 began.5 While he did not break camp with the team, he returned to the Bronx on May 23 and contributed a .266/.304/.468 line over 185 plate appearances, including a six-game hitting streak and a two-home-run game on September 27. His power disappeared in October, as he had just one double among five hits in 10games (four in the ALDS, two in the ALCS, and four in the World Series).

On December 13, 2003, the Yankees – outpitched in the World Series by the young Marlins –traded Rivera and fellow homegrown prospects Nick Johnson and Randy Choate for Expos right-hander Javier Vázquez. Although the Montréal franchise was expected to leave the city, it would play the 2004 season in Olympic Stadium and, for the second straight year, in Puerto Rico’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium for selected series. (On September 29, 2004, Major League Baseball officially announced the franchise relocation, the first since the second iteration of the Washington Senators departed for Arlington, Texas, and became the Rangers before the 1972 campaign.)

Rivera played in 134 games in 2004 – his career-best until 2009 – patrolling all three outfield spots and as the designated hitter. While the 67-95 Expos did not give their fans much to cheer about, Rivera entered the record books by clubbing two home runs in one inning on June 19, with his blasts off White Sox pitcher Arnie Muñoz generating six runs.6 As of the conclusion of the 2020 season, the feat had occurred only 63 times in major-league history, making it only one-sixth as frequent as a no-hitter.7 He became the first Venezuelan-born player to accomplish the deed, although he has since been joined by Magglio Ordóñez and Pablo Sandoval. For the season, he hit .307 with an .829 OPS, generating two wins above replacement. His Canadian work visa did not need renewal, as the soon-to-be Nationals traded Rivera and Maicer Izturis to the Anaheim Angels for José Guillén.

Anaheim became the scene of Rivera’s best memories. He spent six years with the team, reaching the 100-game mark in four of them. While the Angels did not return to the World Series, the remaining nucleus of the 2002 champions was still productive enough to reach the postseason in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009. In his first year with the franchise, Rivera played in 106 games, generating an OPS+ of 104. He was too aggressive on the bases, being caught stealing nine times while successfully pilfering only one bag. In the postseason he faced his old team, the Yankees, and contributed six hits and one walk in the five-game win by the now-renamed Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He played in three of the five Championship Series contests against the White Sox, who were en route to their first title since 1917.

While settled in the Angels outfield in 2006, Rivera reached career bests in batting average (.310), on-base-percentage (.362), and slugging average (.525). The club did not reach the postseason and Rivera returned to Venezuela to play winter ball. Sliding on December 22, he broke his left tibia, making 2007 a lost season.8 The injury cost him all but 14 games (.737 OPS) and four plate appearances (one walk, one hit) during the Red Sox’ sweep of the Angels in the 2007 Division Series.

Perhaps still suffering the lingering effects of the injury, Rivera did not raise his 2008 numbers to prior levels: In 89 games he had a .720 OPS, the lowest since his second Yankee campaign. He reached base four times in 11 plate appearances against the Red Sox in the Division Series, which the Angels lost in four games. His best season came in 2009, as he reached his zenith of games played (138), plate appearances (572), hits (152), home runs (25), runs (72), and runs batted in (88) with an .810 OPS. The ghosts of playoff pasts came revisited, as the Angels again faced the Red Sox (Division Series) and the Yankees (Championship Series). Covering left field, Rivera had 36 plate appearances and reached base in eight of them.

Rivera’s 2010 numbers took a backward step; he played in 124 games and slashed .252/.312/.409; the Angels did not reach the postseason. The club traded him to Toronto with Mike Napoli on January 21, 2011, for Vernon Wells, whose seven-year, $126 million contract had become a massive albatross for the Blue Jays.

With a 70-game sojourn in Toronto, Rivera became one of 56 players to suit up for both Canadian teams. Although the Expos had by now spent several years in Washington, some of the franchise’s prior players were still active in the major leagues.9 Curiously, many Venezuelans abound in the short list (Raúl Chavez, Omar Daal, Darwin Cubillan, Izturis, Fred Manrique, Robert Pérez). Perhaps due to the change of scenery, Rivera struggled at the plate, with his slugging dropping to a career-low .360. The Blue Jays sold his contract to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 12, 2011. The move energized him, as he slugged the first pitch from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Joe Saunders to deep left field for a debut home run. Playing left field, right field, and first base for the rest of the season, Rivera hit a collective .258/.319/.382 and re-signed with the Dodgers on November 3, 2011.

Rivera suffered an injury on May 8, 2012 and spent almost four weeks on the disabled list, impacting his timing at the plate. Returning on June 4, he was inserted into the starting lineup and continued to cover left field, right field, and first base as the lineup needs demanded. Like many players whose careers did not reach their full promise, Rivera did not expect his October 3, 2012, at-bat to be his last.10 The Dodgers and Giants played a Wednesday afternoon game in front of 34,014 at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles was nine games behind its archrivals, who would win a second World Series in three years. Clayton Kershaw tossed eight masterful frames for this 14th victory and manager Don Mattingly lifted his starting first baseman, Adrián González, at the start of the eighth, slotting Rivera in his place. Kershaw, ever efficient, did not give the veteran a chance to field (two strikeouts and a fly out put away San Francisco) and neither did Kenley Jansen, who retired the side on identical methods (a fly ball and two strikeouts). Rivera, however, took two balls on the bottom of the eighth against Jean Machi before smashing the third offering to deep center field for a two-run blast.

A possible reunion loomed, as the Yankees invited Rivera to 2013 spring training, but he did not make the team and was released. Arizona inked Rivera to a minor-league deal on April 30, 2013, and he was assigned to Triple-A Reno. In 96 games as the Aces’ left fielder, he collected 109 hits but his power numbers (17 doubles, 10 home runs) were uninspiring and the Diamondbacks did not call him back to the majors. Only 34 years old, Rivera expected to have more opportunities during the offseason, but they did not materialize.

Beyond his playing time in North America, Rivera also played 13 seasons in the Venezuela winter league, slashing .305/.328/.474 in 395 games with the Tigres of Aragua, the Caribes of Anzoátegui, and the Navegantes of Magallanes.11 He won a Venezuelan League Gold Glove award in 2001-2002 and appeared in 110 additional postseason contests, increasing his output to .312/.330/.520.12 In three instances his club won the circuit’s title (Aragua in 2003-2004, Magallanes in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014) with the last final series being a veritable showcase of his talents (1.177 OPS in five games).13

Rivera wore his country’s colors on the international stage on two occasions. Nearing his prime in 2006, he was chosen as the nation’s starting left fielder in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. In five games, he had 13 at-bats and two singles; he scored three runs for the team before it was eliminated in the second round.14

While the WBC garnered the attention, a second international tournament provided professional players a chance to provide their mettle on the global stage. The 2012 World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 was hosted by Taiwan and Japan. Venezuela faced a tough draw in Group B alongside Japan, the United States, and eventual champion South Korea; its 2-3 record tied with Mexico but the latter owned the tiebreaker given its 6-4 win over Venezuela. Rivera was eager to join the team, noting that “this is an opportunity to wear the country’s uniform for the second time and that obligates me to work even harder, to ensure the name of Venezuela stands tall.”15 However, he struggled at the plate, hitting 4-for-18 and drawing three walks.16

Rivera’s career is riddled with what-ifs. Had the Yankees provided him regular playing time, he could have blossomed into a valuable piece of their puzzle, much as Brett Gardner did in the 2010s. His leg injury cost him not only most of the 2007 campaign, but also the chance to prove that his 2006 breakthrough season was not a fluke. He particularly enjoyed hitting against Eric Milton (4-for-10, 1.500 OPS), Kenny Rogers (7-for-12, 1.500 OPS), Mark Buerhle (three home runs), Cliff Lee (four homers), and Jarrod Washburn (three homers), while he could not figure out Roy Halladay (0-for-14), Justin Verlander (0-for-13, one walk), and Jamie Moyer (2-for-18).17 Among Venezuelans through the conclusion of the 2020 season, he was number 38th in career games (1,058), 41st in runs (425), 35th in hits (950), and 19th in home runs (132) in the major leagues.

Sources  

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author relied extensively on Baseball-Reference.com. 

Notes

1 Dominican Summer League Statistics, https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/24534/juan-rivera/.

2 Venezuelan Winter League Statistics,  https://www.baseballamerica.com/players/24534/juan-rivera/.

3 Juan Rivera Baseball Cards, https://www.tradingcarddb.com/ViewCard.cfm/sid/1300/cid/225396/1999-Bowman-386-Juan-Rivera.

4 Baseball America 2002 Prospects by Organization, http://www.thebaseballcube.com/prospects/years/byYear.asp?Y=2002&Src=BA.

5 Baseball America 2003 Prospects by Organization, http://www.thebaseballcube.com/prospects/years/byYear.asp?Y=2003&Src=BA.

6 Montréal Expos vs. Chicago White Sox, June 19, 2004, box score, https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2004/B06190MON2004.htm.

7 Ed Eagle, “Players with Two Home Runs in an Inning,” MLB.com, April 9, 2019. https://www.mlb.com/news/two-home-runs-in-an-inning-c266221190.

8 Associated Press, “Angels’ Rivera Breaks Leg in Winter Game,” ESPN.com, December 22, 2006, http://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2706891.

9 Multi-franchise players: Montréal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays, https://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/multifranchise.cgi?level=team&t1=TOR-TOR&t2=MON-WSN&t3=–&t4=–.

10 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants, October 2, 2012, box score,  https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN201210030.shtml.

11 Juan Rivera Venezuelan League Statistics, http://pelotabinaria.com.ve/beisbol/mostrar.php?ID=rivejua001.

12 Juan Rivera Venezuelan League Statistics.

13 Juan Rivera Venezuelan League Statistics.

14 World Baseball Classic 2006 Statistics, https://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/stats/. Box scores accessed on March 2, 2021, via archive.org/web.

15 “Rivera y Nieve se Unieron al Equipo Criollo del Premier,” Meridiano.com,  https://meridiano.net/beisbol/beisbol-venezolano/113102/especialistas.html

16 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WSBC) Premier2012 Statistics, https://premier12.wbsc.org/en/2015/stats/general/team/VEN.

17 Selected Batter-Pitcher Matchups for Juan Rivera, Retrosheet.org, https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/MU0_rivej001.htm.