Javier Gonzalez (minors01)

Javier Gonzalez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.

• Born October 3, 1968 in Rio Piedras P.R.

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Javier Gonzalez was a long-time minor league catcher who later became a minor league coach. Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, he signed his first contract with the New York Mets as a 17-year-old before the 1986 season and spent the bulk of his career in their organization.

His professional career began in 1986 with the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League where he hit .291 in 25 games. He followed that by batting .262 in 40 games for the Little Falls Mets of the New York-Penn League in 1987, but any hopes that he would be a solid contributor with the bat faded quickly after that as his career batting average would be .217 in over 500 minor league games. Still, he was useful as the prototypical "good-field, no-hit" catcher, moving up all the way to AAA as his career advanced.

In 1988, he played 79 games for the Columbia Mets of the South Atlantic League, batting .200 with 3 homers and 21 RBIs and in 1989 hit .246 in 56 games as the most used catcher with the St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League. In 1990, he was with the Jackson Mets of the AA Southern League, where he hit .175 with 4 hoemrs an 15 RBIs in 45 games. He first made it to AAA in 1991, but just for one game with the Tidewater Tides, as he spent the rest of the season back in AA, this time with the Williamsport Bills of the Eastern League, hitting just .153 in 48 games. In 1992, he was with Tidewater in the International League for a full season, backing up Orlando Mercado and also sharing time behind the dish with Mitch Lyden and Scott Bradley; he hit .208 with 4 homers and 12 RBIs in 39 games. In 1993 he went back to AA, this time with the Binghamton Mets where he was the regular for the final time of his career and played a career high 94 games, batting .230 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs in what was his best season.

In 1994, he spent time with the New Britain Red Sox, the Boston Red Sox's AA affiliate, as well as back with Tidewater. He hit .233 in 17 games in AAA and .193 in 30 games in AA. Following the season, on November 30th, he was included in a major league trade, something unusual for a layer with his profile: he was sent by the Mets to the Milwaukee Brewers along with 2B Fernando Vina (who would turn into a solid major leaguer) in return for relief pitcher Doug Henry. He played only one season in the Brewers system, spending 1995 in AAA with the New Orleans Zephyrs. He did alright, hitting .248 in 43 games with 5 homers and 15 RBIs while sharing catching duties with Mike Stefanski, another career minor leaguer.

After the 1995 season, he went into coaching. he was a coach with the Helena Brewers of the Pioneer League in 1996 and 1997 and with the Salem Avalanche of the Carolina League in 1999, 2001 and 2002, the latter being an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

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