Raúl Casanova (born August 23, 1972) is a Puerto Rican former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player who was a

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...

from 1996 to 2008 with the exception of 1999, 2003, 2004, and 2006.

Early life

Casanova attended

Ponce High School The Ponce High School is public educational institution in Ponce, Puerto Rico, offering grades nine through twelve. The school's main building is a historic structure located on Cristina Street, in the Ponce Historic Zone. From its beginning t ...

in Puerto Rico.

Baseball career

Minor leagues

He was drafted 220th overall, in the eighth round of the 1990 draft by the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

. His professional career started off that year. In 65

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

s, he collected only five

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

for a .077 batting average. In his 1991 season he had 18 at-bats with the

Kingsport Mets The Kingsport Mets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League from 1921 to 2020. They were located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and were last named for the team's major league affiliate, the New York Mets. The team played its home g ...

, he collected one hit for a .056 batting average. In 32 games with the

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the low ...

Mets that year, he hit .243. His 1992 season was an improvement; in 137 at-bats with Kingsport that year, not only did he hit his first professional

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

, but he also hit .270. He hit only .167 in 18 at bats with the Columbia Mets that year though. After the 1992 season, he was traded with

Wally Whitehurst Walter Richard Whitehurst (born April 11, 1964) is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher who played from to with the New York Mets, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Standing 6'3" an ...

and D. J. Dozier to the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

for

Tony Fernández Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro (June 30, 1962 – February 16, 2020), better known as Tony Fernández, was a Dominican baseball player who played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams from 1983 to 2001, most notably ...

. He spent the whole of 1993 with the

Waterloo Diamonds The Waterloo Diamonds was a baseball team located in Waterloo, Iowa that formed in 1989 and lasted until 1993. A member of the Midwest League, they were affiliated with two teams in 1989, the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres, and the franch ...

, and he hit .256 with six home runs in 76 games. Then, in 1994, he had the best season of his professional career. Playing for the

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and play their home games at LoanMart Field. The franc ...

, his batting average rose to .340, and he also hit 23 home runs and had 120

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBIs). Because of his outstanding performance, he was named the Padres Minor League Player of the Year. He was also a

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

All-Star. In 1995, Casanova saw his average drop to .271, but he did hit 12 home runs while with the Memphis Chicks. He was playing in Double-A baseball, higher than he had ever played before. According to

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...

, he was the 60th best prospect in 1995. After the 1995 season, he was traded with

Richie Lewis Richie Todd Lewis (January 25, 1966 – December 8, 2021) was an American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played from to for the Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, Detroit ...

and Melvin Nieves to the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

for Sean Bergman,

Todd Steverson Todd Anthony Steverson (born November 15, 1971) is an American professional baseball coach, and a former left and right fielder. He played for the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres and coached for the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox, al ...

and minor leaguer Cade Gaspar. He started 1996 off strong, hitting .333 in 30 at bats with the

Jacksonville Suns The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

. That prompted his promotion to Triple-A, where he hit .273 in 49 games.

Major leagues

He made his major league debut on May 24 of that year at the age of 23, going 0-for-4 in his debut game. He collected his first hit on May 27 off pitcher

Tim Belcher Timothy Wayne Belcher (born October 19, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 to 2000 for seven different teams. He was named ''The Sporting News'' Rookie Pitcher of the Year ...

of the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

. Two days later in his very next game, he hit his first career home run, a solo shot off

Kevin Appier Robert Kevin Appier (; born December 6, 1967) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Kansas City Royals. Appier's solid pitching during his first full season i ...

. Overall, he played 25 games for the Tigers that year, hitting .188 with four home runs and nine RBIs. In 1996, he hit home runs from both sides of the plate in one game. He was the team's main starting catcher in 1997, although Matt Walbeck also got a fairly large amount of playing time. In 101 games with Detroit that year, he hit .243 with five home runs and 24 RBIs. Of all the players on the team who appeared in over 100 games, he was the only one not to collect 40 or more RBIs. He also spent some time in the minors, hitting .195 in 12 games with the

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A baseball team nicknamed the ...

. He started 1998 as the team's starting catcher, but after collecting only two hits in his first 13 games, he was sent down to Toledo. In 50 games with Toledo that year, he hit .257. He was recalled back to the Majors in July of that year, but only played three more games in the big leagues. Overall, he hit only .143 in 16 games with the Tigers that year. He spent all of 1999 in the minor leagues, playing as low as Rookie League baseball. In two games with the GCL Tigers that year, he collected four hits (including a home run) in five at-bats. In 12 at-bats with Single-A Advanced Lakeland, he hit .500, hitting another home run. He really struggled while with Triple-A Toledo-he spent 44 games with them and hit only .206. He was granted

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

after the 1999 season and was signed by the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

. He was released by them before the beginning of the season and was then picked up by the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. Casanova,

Henry Blanco Henry Ramón Blanco (born August 29, 1971) is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach and former player. He is currently the catching and strategy coach for the Washington Nationals. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1997 to ...

and Tyler Houston all spent time catching for the Brewers in 2000. He hit .247 with six home runs (including two grand slams) and 36 RBIs for the Brewers that year. He also hit .288 in 20 games with the

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory ...

that season. He was the team's main backup catcher in 2001, backing up Blanco. He had a career year that year, belting a career high 11 home runs and hitting a career high .260 in 71 games. Also, for the first time in his career, he did not spend any time in the minors that season. 2002 was a bad season for Casanova. He started off with the Brewers, but after hitting only .184 in 31 games with them he was released and quickly signed by the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

. He only played two games with them that year, collecting no hits in one at bat. Overall, he hit .182 that year, with one home run and eight RBIs. He spent 14 games with Indianapolis that year as well-he hit .279 with them. He played in five different farm systems between 2003 and 2005, playing well. He played for the

Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado R ...

and

Ottawa Lynx The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Exp ...

in 2003, hitting .301 while with the Sky Sox, who are in the Colorado Rockies farm system, and .286 with the Lynx, who are in the Orioles farm system. Signed as a free agent by the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

in 2004, he hit .270 in 23 games with their Triple-A team, the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

before being sent to the Kansas City Royals as part of a conditional deal. In 58 games with their Triple-A team, the

Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 41st-most-populous city, Omaha had a popu ...

, he hit .323 with 10 home runs. Even after a great performance in their system, Casanova was released by the Royals and then signed by the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. He spent 70 games with their Triple-A team, the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...

, before getting called up to the Majors in the latter part of the season. In six games with the White Sox that year, he collected one hit in five at-bats. He was granted free agency after the 2005 season and was signed by the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

. He played in a total of eight minor league games in 2006, hitting .265 in 34 at-bats. He spent time with three teams in 2006 – he played two games with the

Stockton Ports The Stockton Ports are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Athletics. They are located in Stockton, California, and are named for the city's seaport. The team plays its home games at Banner I ...

, two games with the

Midland RockHounds The Midland RockHounds are a Minor League Baseball team based in Midland, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Momentum Bank Ballpark, which ope ...

and four games with the

Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...

. He was a non-roster invitee to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

in 2007 for the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. They are one of two major league clubs based i ...

. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

. In June 2007, Casanova was called up to back up

Dioner Navarro Dioner Favian Navarro Vivas (born February 9, 1984) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, Chi ...

in the major leagues. In 29 big league games in 2007, Casanova hit .253 with six home runs and 11 RBIs. His

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...

was .519. In 44 games with the Bulls, he hit .291 with five home runs and 21 RBIs. On December 12, 2007, Casanova signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. On April 27, 2008, Casanova hit his first home run as a New York Mets player. Batting

left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to and causing it to be stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply l ...

, he hit the home run to right-center field at

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

pitcher

John Smoltz John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967), nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time Ma ...

. Casanova was placed on the bereavement list on June 4, 2008, after the death of his father. After returning to the team a few days later, he was designated for assignment on June 10. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

References

External links