Endy Chavez (Jacob Resnick/MMO)
Endy Chavez is one of the more famous Mets in team history, known largely for “the catch” in 2006 that kept Game 7 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals tied at 3-3 in the sixth inning, robbing a home run from Scott Rolen.
Chavez, 41, had multiple stints with the Mets, but first joined the organization as a free agent from Venezuela in 1996. However, he failed to reach the majors and was claimed by the Kansas City Royals in the 2000 Rule 5 Draft.
The outfielder was quickly returned to the Mets in 2001, though, as he struggled to stick with the Royals. However, the two teams managed to work out a trade to send him back to Kansas City that season, which is where he would make his MLB debut on May 21, 2001.
After that season, Chavez would find himself in flux all offseason as the Royals waived him and then he was claimed and waived by both the Mets and Detroit Tigers. He would find a longer residency with the Montreal Expos, though, spending the last three seasons of their existence there and would end up making the final out of the team’s history as well against the Mets at Shea Stadium.
Chavez would not spend much time with the team once they became the Washington Nationals, though, as he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in the first month of the 2005 season for Marlon Byrd.
Once the season finished, he signed a one-year, $500,000 contract with the Mets, which would be the start of something special for Chavez.
In 2006, he would hit .306/.348/.431 with four home runs, five triples, and 12 stolen bases to give himself a 101 OPS+ and a career-high 1.8 bWAR as the team’s fourth outfielder that appeared in 133 games.
After being a productive player for the Mets for three seasons, the Mets ended up trading Chavez to the Seattle Mariners in a 12-player trade that allowed the Mets to acquire J.J. Putz.
Sadly, Chavez would tear his ACL during the 2009 season after colliding with Yuniesky Betancourt. The Texas Rangers signed him that offseason, but he would not return to the field until the 2011 season.
While he registered a solid .749 OPS in 2011, his decline would drastically kick in after that season as he would record a .618 OPS over his last three MLB seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners, before retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 season.
In parts of 13 major league seasons, Chavez recorded a .270/.308/.364 slash line to go along with 30 home runs, 266 RBI, and 106 stolen bases. He accumulated a 4.7 bWAR and 77 OPS+. Defensively, he recorded a 39.2 career UZR and 37 DRS.
Chavez would spend the 2016-2018 seasons between the Bridgeport Blue Fish (Atlantic League), Pericos de Puebla (Mexican Baseball League), and Somerset Patriots (Atlantic League) before retiring from baseball completely after last season.
In February, it was announced by the Mets that Chavez would be returning to the organization, this time as a coach for the Brooklyn Cyclones who are managed by Edgardo Alfonzo.
I got the opportunity to speak with Endy last week and I appreciate him giving me that time to speak with him.
MMO: For starters, what made you transition from pro ball to coaching?
Chavez: I love baseball so I decided it was enough running for me and I wanted to still be part of baseball. I want to keep continuing to contribute my experience in this sport.
MMO: What made you believe that Brooklyn was the right fit for you?
Chavez: I just had a conversation with the Mets organization and they talked to me about a spot over here and I said that was good for me.
MMO: Obviously you were known in your Mets for “the catch,” but in 2006 you actually had your best season (according to OPS+ and WAR). Willie Randolph gave you a vote of confidence and said that you were a great clubhouse guy, what do you attribute your success offensively that season to?
Chavez: I think the union we had as a team was great since we had really good chemistry. Everybody felt comfortable and I think all the veteran players we had there helped me a lot and I just took advantage of it to get good results that season.
MMO: What was your favorite regular-season moment in 2006?
Chavez: It was the walk-off base hit I had in the ninth inning where I remember I hit a ball in the gap with a man on third and one out. As soon as I hit it I knew the game was over.
MMO: With regards to “the catch,” when you first saw that ball hit by Scott Rolen, did you think you had a shot or were you just running and hoping you’d somehow get to it?
Chavez: No, the first reaction I had was to get to the fence as quick as I could because I knew that ball was going to go out or be at the warning track. I was just trying to run the fastest I could and when I got to the fence I felt like I had no chance since it was still in the air really high up. I felt like “I don’t know if I can make this,” but I tried to time the jump and make it. Luckily, I did, but I honestly didn’t think I had a real chance to do it.
MMO: I’m not sure if you already knew this or not, but they have a plaque at Citi Field honoring the catch, have you ever gotten to go see it or take a picture with it?
Chavez: Yeah, I’ve seen it and taken a picture with it with my family.
MMO: Obviously, the end of the 2006 season wasn’t as great as you were all hoping and with Carlos Beltran, many people fault him for looking at strike three to end that series. Do you think that criticism is a little overblown at all?
Chavez: Well, it was a tough situation you had right there. I was running on second base and I saw that curveball. It was a very nasty pitch and while he should’ve pulled the trigger, you have to give a lot of credit to the pitcher (Adam Wainwright).
MMO: In Montreal Expos history, you’re pretty famous as well. There’s been a lot of talk over the last few years about Montreal getting a team again, do you believe that they have the type of fanbase that can support a team there?
Chavez: That’s sadly the problem we had in Montreal as we had fans, but many of them just didn’t come to the stadium. But for me, it was the best city to play baseball and a very comfortable area. We could always find hotels, restaurants, and stuff like that. I loved Montreal and it was a very nice city to play baseball in.
MMO: Did you have any teammates and coaches you particularly enjoyed playing with in your career?
Chavez: I had Manny Acta and Jerry Morales over there coach-wise while I liked Vladimir Guerrero, Orlando Cabrera, Javier Vazquez, and Tony Armas Jr. player-wise, who I still keep in touch with.
MMO: Are there any players on this Brooklyn Cyclones roster that have stood out to you so far?
Chavez: We have some pretty good talent here. Some players on this team have a chance to play this game for many years. Wilmer Reyes is a very good utility player. Luke Ritter is a very good player too. We got Jake Mangum, who’s got some pretty good tools. That’s the type of player, along with Yoel Romero, that if they keep playing the way they have, they’ll be playing for a long time.
MMO: Have you found it difficult to transition to coaching at all?
Chavez: No, I’m just trying to learn as fast as I can. Under the coaching area, there’s a lot of that stuff you have to do that I’ll learn. I think I’m handling it well. That transition doesn’t frustrate me because I want it. I want to be around baseball and honestly, I’ve been doing that over the last three years of my career with the young guys, so there’s nothing really hard or frustrating about it since I enjoy it.
MMO: How close would you say you are with Delwyn Young (hitting coach) and Fonzie?
Chavez: I would say I’m more close with Fonzie than Delwyn because we played together and have known each other for a long time. Fonzie and I have a pretty good relationship and he’s been helping me a lot with the coaching area. And with regards to Delwyn, we have a pretty good relationship too. We had faced each other when we played in the majors, but weren’t close at the time. Now, I’ve gotten to know him pretty well, though.
MMO: After the 2008 season, you were in a big 12-player trade. You tore your ACL the next season and I know many people say that they never quite feel the same. Did you feel like that to any extent?
Chavez: Oh yeah, that took away a little bit of my speed, but I think that I came back stronger and more mature to play baseball.
MMO: Thank you so much, Endy.
Chavez: No problem, man!
