Eric Valent
Encyclopedia
Eric Valent is a former Major League Baseball
player and current Minor League Baseball
coach in the Philadelphia Phillies
organization.
in Anaheim, California
. On June 1, 1995, he was drafted in the 26th round of the amateur draft
by the Detroit Tigers
, but he did not sign and instead elected to attend college at UCLA
.
, Eric Byrnes
, Chase Utley
, and Garrett Atkins
. He helped lead UCLA to the college world series in 1997.
Valent has the most career home run
s in Pac-10 history with 69, and is the UCLA career RBI (219), in only three years of play.
He was the Pac-10 Player of the year in 1998. On June 2, 1998, Valent was selected in the first round of the supplemental draft by the Philadelphia Phillies (42nd overall).
Of his collegiate career, Valent perhaps prophetically said:
who could play either left or right field effectively.
On August 31, 2003, Valent was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher
Kelly Stinnett
.
Later that year, on December 15, Valent was drafted by the New York Mets in the Rule 5 draft
.
With the Mets, Valent saw the majority of his career's playing time. On July 29, 2004, Valent became the eighth player in Mets history to hit for the cycle
in a game against the Montreal Expos
. He also posted three pinch-hit home run
s in late August. During his time with the Mets, Valent wore uniform number 57 (which is now worn by Mets pitcher
Johan Santana
).
On January 12, 2006, Valent was signed as a free agent by the San Diego Padres
, but he was released on May 14 after playing in 30 games for their Triple-A farm club, the Portland Beavers
.
In a four-season career, Valent is a .234 hitter with 13 home runs and 36 RBI
in 205 games
.
in Japan
's Pacific League
.
of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, but was reassigned to a scouting position in January .
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...
player and current Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
coach in 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...
organization.
High school
Valent was an All-American at Canyon High SchoolCanyon High School (Anaheim, California)
Canyon High School is a traditional four-year high school located in the Anaheim Hills community in the city of Anaheim, California and is an International Baccalaureate school. It is located on of land on Imperial Highway between the cross streets of Santa Ana Canyon Road and Nohl Ranch Road, and...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
. On June 1, 1995, he was drafted in the 26th round of the amateur draft
1995 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1995 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign-Background:Outfielder Darin Erstad of the University of Nebraska was the first pick in the 1995 Rule 4 Draft. Erstad compiled a career .356 average in three seasons with the...
by the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, but he did not sign and instead elected to attend college at UCLA
UCLA Bruins baseball
UCLA Bruins baseball team represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the NCAA baseball competition. Having started playing in 1920, the team is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference and plays its home games at Jackie Robinson Stadium. It has produced many Major and Minor League...
.
College
He had a standout career at UCLA alongside teammates Troy GlausTroy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
, Eric Byrnes
Eric Byrnes
Eric James Byrnes , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He has played for the Oakland Athletics, the Colorado Rockies, the Baltimore Orioles, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Seattle Mariners...
, Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
, and Garrett Atkins
Garrett Atkins
Garrett Bernard Atkins is a Major League Baseball first baseman who is currently a Free Agent. He bats and throws right-handed....
. He helped lead UCLA to the college world series in 1997.
Valent has the most career 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 in Pac-10 history with 69, and is the UCLA career RBI (219), in only three years of play.
He was the Pac-10 Player of the year in 1998. On June 2, 1998, Valent was selected in the first round of the supplemental draft by the Philadelphia Phillies (42nd overall).
Of his collegiate career, Valent perhaps prophetically said:
Major leagues
In his brief playing career, he provided good power from the left side of the plate. A solid pinch-hitter and valuable utility man; he was a competent first basemanFirst baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
who could play either left or right field effectively.
On August 31, 2003, Valent was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for 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...
Kelly Stinnett
Kelly Stinnett
Kelly Lee Stinnett is a retired Major League Baseball catcher. He played all or part of 14 seasons in the majors, from until .-High school years:...
.
Later that year, on December 15, Valent was drafted by the New York Mets in the Rule 5 draft
Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
.
With the Mets, Valent saw the majority of his career's playing time. On July 29, 2004, Valent became the eighth player in Mets history to hit for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
in a game against the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
. He also posted three pinch-hit 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 in late August. During his time with the Mets, Valent wore uniform number 57 (which is now worn by Mets pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Johan Santana
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
).
On January 12, 2006, Valent was signed as a free agent by the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, but he was released on May 14 after playing in 30 games for their Triple-A farm club, the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
.
In a four-season career, Valent is a .234 hitter with 13 home runs and 36 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 205 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,...
.
Japanese baseball league
After being released from the Padres organization, Valent signed a one-year contract worth 50 million Yen to play right field for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesTohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
.
Coaching
In December 2008, Valent was named the hitting coach for the Single-A Williamsport CrosscuttersWilliamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a Short-Season A classification minor league baseball team based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, but was reassigned to a scouting position in January .