Athletes - Melvin Mora

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	Athletes - Melvin Mora

Melvin Mora (born February 2, 1972 in in Agua Negra, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball Third Baseman for the Baltimore Orioles. He bats and throws right-handed. From his debut in 1999 to 2003, Melvin Mora was known as a utility player, playing all three outfield positions, shortstop, second base and third base. In 2004, Mora was designated the everyday third baseman, a position he has played regularly since.

Career

Mora was signed out of Venezuela in 1991. After spending seven years in the Astros minors system, he signed as a free agent with the Mets in 1998 and made his major league debut in the 1999 season. With his superb athletic ability to to play all three outfield positions, shortstop, second base and third, Mora was a valuable man to have around.

He was traded by the Mets to Baltimore in midseason 2000 with two minor league players and Mike Kinkade for shortstop Mike Bordick. A fantastic trade for the Orioles, who then resigned Bordick after the season's end.

Melvin Mora continued to be used as a utility player in Baltimore, always showing promise and hints of ability to play regularly at any position, but never playing at a superb level that could justify giving him the playing time opportunity to do so consistently. Things changed when an injury-depleted Orioles team used Mora almost exclusively in left field, and Mora responded with the best stretch of his career. He reached base in 32 straight games while using a 23-game hitting streak to temporarily become the American League batting leader. Finally excelling as a hitter, Mora was chosen for his first All-Star selection. Mora's season was cut short due to injuries (a bruised wrist and a partially torn ligament in his left knee), but finished with a .317 batting average, 15 home runs, and a .418 on-base percentage in 96 games.

Mora's 2003 season proved that he could be a consistent hitter at the Major League level. In 2004, Mora became the Orioles' regular third baseman and enjoyed his most productive season in the majors. Mora hit a career-high .340, finishing second in the AL batting race to Ichiro Suzuki's .372 mark; led the league hitters in on base percentage (.419); ranked 5th in slugging average (.562) and OPS (.981); 6th in runs (111), doubles (41) and times on base (264); 8th in hits (187), and 9th in total bases (264). His 27 home runs and 104 RBI were also career-highs, while leading his team in batting average, runs, on base percentage, slugging average and OPS. At third base, he improved and became more consistent as the season wore on.

In 2005, Mora once again hit 27 homeruns, although his batting average and on base percentage dropped.

In a seven-year career through 2005, Mora is a .281 hitter with a .363 on-base percentage, 103 home runs and 400 RBI in 860 games.

World Baseball Classic

Melvin Mora agreed to represent his native country, Venezuela, in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, joining fellow Venezuelan major Leaguers Bobby Abreu, Edgardo Alfonzo, Miguel Cairo, Omar Vizquel, Carlos Guillen, Johan Santana, Freddy Garcia, Carlos Silva, Carlos Zambrano, Victor Zambrano, and Francisco Rodriguez.

Highlights

Twice All-Star (2003, 2005)

Personal Trivia

When he was seven years old, his father was violently murdered in Venezuela by men who mistook him for somebody else.

On July 28, 2001, Mora and wife Gisel gave birth to quintuplets at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The babies, three girls and two boys, were named Jada Priscilla, Rebekah Alesha, Genesis Raquel, Christian Emmanuel, and Matthew David.

Nick Name

Melmo or Mel-Mo or Melvy

Quote

Melvin Mora is ready to turn more heads after hitting .340 at a position rarely known for high batting averages. Tom Singer, at Around the Horn: Corner infielders

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