Vital Statistics:
Born: December 23, 1978
Hometown: Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
Bats: Switch
Throws: Right
Family: Wife, Margaret; Son Victor Jr.
Primary position: Catcher
Before The Bigs:
- Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cleveland Indians in 1996.
- He moved up one level per season in the minors, and had his best season in 2002 at Double-A Akron, where he hit .336 with 22 home runs and 85 RBI.
- Shuttled between Cleveland and Triple-A Buffalo in 2003 and played in the Major League Baseball Futures Game that season. He hit .328 in 73 games in Buffalo.
Career Highlights:
- Made his debut as a September call-up in 2002.
- Became the Indians’ full-time catcher and made his first All-Star team in 2004, a season in which he hit .283 with 23 home runs and 108 RBI for the Indians. Those totals were the best among major league catchers that season.
- Hit a career-best .316 in 2006, and is a career .304 hitter as of July 2007.
