Luis Rivera (riverlu01)
Luis Antonio Rivera Pedraza
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 170 lb.
- High School Escuela Luis Muñoz Iglesias
- Debut August 3, 1986
- Final Game August 27, 1998
- Born January 3, 1964 in Cidra, P.R.
Biographical Information[edit]
Shortstop Luis Rivera was signed as a free agent for the Montreal Expos by scouts Frank Perez and Danny Menendez. He first reached the majors towards the end of the 1986 season, taking over as the starting shortstop after a season-ending injury to Hubie Brooks. He spent most of 1987 in the minors, but was the team's regular shortstop in 1988. He was then traded to the Boston Red Sox along with P John Dopson in return for SS Spike Owen and P Dan Gakeler.
Nicknamed "Papa", Rivera played parts of eleven seasons in the majors. His finest year came with the Red Sox in 1991, when he hit .258 with 8 homers and 40 RBIs as the team's primary shortstop.
After his playing career ended, he was a member of the Kinston Indians coaching staff from 2000 to 2002. After managing the Lake County Captains in 2003 and 2004 and Kinston in 2005, he joined the Cleveland Indians as first base coach in 2006.
In 2010, he became manager of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Eastern League, and in 2011 joined the Toronto Blue Jays's major league staff as a coach. He stayed until the end of the 2023 season, when he retired. In addition to coaching third base, he was the team's infield coach. He was honored before the Jays' 2024 home opener when he was given the honor of throwing the ceremonial first pitch.
Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Lake County Captains | South Atlantic League | 97-43 | 1st/1st | Cleveland Indians | Lost League Finals |
| 2004 | Lake County Captains | South Atlantic League | 73-66 | 4th/4th | Cleveland Indians | |
| 2005 | Kinston Indians | Carolina League | 76-64 | 1st/3rd | Cleveland Indians | Lost League Finals |
| 2010 | New Hampshire Fisher Cats | Eastern League | 79-62 | 3rd | Toronto Blue Jays | Lost in 1st round |
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.