Previous Seasons

1996 Season

It was another magnificent season for the "Big Cat" in 1996 as he led the National League in home runs (47) and RBI (150)
He also finished second in the league in total bases (376), extra base hits (89), at-bats per RBI (4.2) while placing fifth in slugging percentage (.601) and at-bats per home run (13.3)
He hit .304 in 159 games with a career-high 119 runs scored
He joined teammate Dante Bichette as first Major League teammates to each break the 140-RBI mark since Boston red Sox teammates Walt Dropo and Vern Stephens did it in 1950
He established a single-game club record with eight RBI in one game against the Dodgers on July 27
He led the Rockies with eight multiple homer games and finished the year driving in at least one run in each of his last five games.

1995

Established a personal best and ranked third in the National League with 106 RBI
It was the first time in his career he broke through the century mark with his previous best of 98 set in 1993 with the Rockies
Also tied career best with 31 homers matching 1994
Set club records and career bests with 3 homers and 7 RBI on June 25 at San Diego
He tied a major league mark with the longballs coming in consecutive innings (6th, 7th,8th), the fourth time it has been done and first since Montreal's Larry Parrish hit homers in 3 consecutive innings in 1978
Was one of 5 players in the NL to hit 2 grand slams this year (July 2 at the Los Angeles Dodgers & September 8 vs. Cincinnati Reds)
He has 7 career slams, including 4 as a member of the Rockies
He is tied with Howard Johnson for second among active NL players for career grand slams, trailing teammate Ellis Burks, who has 8, all coming in the AL with Boston and Chicago
Trailed only Larry Walker for the club high in hit by pitches, getting plunked 13 times, which also ranked tied for third in the NL.

1995 Post-Season Highlights

Division Series: Hit .278 in four games vs. Atlanta with no home runs and 2 RBI.

1994

31 homers set a new career-high despite having the season cut short due to a strike
Ranked fifth in NL in homers and seventh in RBI (85)
Hit safely in first six games of the season
Drove in five runs with two homers on April 20 vs. the Marlins
Crushed game-winning homer off Jose Rijo vs. Cincinnati on May 25
Hit .342 for month of May.

1993

The 'Big Cat' terrorized National League pitchers, compiling a .370 batting average, equalling Tony Gwynn's 1987 mark as the highest in the league since Stan Musial hit .376 in 1948
Became the first Venezuelan player to win a major league batting title
His average was the highest by a righthanded batter in the majors since Joe DiMaggio hit .381 in 1939, and the highest by a righthanded NL batter since Joe Medwick hit .374 in 1937
Led the league in multiple-hit games, despite missing 41 contests due to two injuries
Was sixth in the league in on-base percentage, despite walking only 24 times (12 of them intentional)
Went more than two consecutive games without a hit only once all season
Was hitting .391 at the All-Star break and was the first Rockies representative at the mid-season classic
Was the only two-time winner of the NL Player of the Month award in 1993, earning the honor in June and September
Hit .420 (42-100) with six homers and 21 RBI in June and .361 with five homers and 23 RBI in September
His average stayed above the 'magic' .400 mark until July 5
Had nine straight hits over three games, including back-to-back four-hit games June 14 and 15 against Los Angeles, a streak that left him one short of the league record
Drove in a run every 4.8 at-bats, the fourth-highest ratio in the NL
Based on IBM 'Tale of the Tape' estimates, his 22 homers had an average distance of 419 feet, longest in the majors
His longest blast was a 473-foot shot off Florida's Charlie Hough July 6
Hit .402 (107-266) with 13 homers and 64 RBI in Denver's Mile High Stadium and .328 (67-204) with nine homers and 34 RBI on the road
Underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Oct. 6
Re-signed by the Colorado Rockies as a free agent on Dec. 6, 1993.

1992

Began the season as St. Louis' Opening Day first baseman, but broke his right wrist when struck by a pitch April 7, the second game of the year
Did not return to major league action until May 22
Hit only .189 through July 19 but turned it around, batting .301 (47-156) in his final 45 games
Committed only three errors during those 45 games
Signed by the Colorado Rockies as a free agent on Nov. 16, 1992.

1991

Had just finished shaking off an offensive slump when an injury sidelined him for all of June
Hit .184 through the first two weeks of the season but went on a month-long tear during which he batted .342 (26-76) that raised his average to .289
Finished the season strong, compiling a slugging percentage of .459 with 13 RBI after Sept. 1
Nine of his last 19 hits went for extra bases, including five home runs
Had a 34-game errorless streak.

1990

Hit at least 20 home runs for the third straight season, while driving in 87 runs
Hit his second career grand slam Aug. 21 against New York
Won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award, finishing with a career-high .993 fielding percentage.

1989

Remained strong in run production, despite a 45-point decrease in his batting average from 1988
Hit his first career grand slam Aug. 27 at San Francisco
Put together a 10-game hitting streak in mid-July, batting .395 during the span
Earned the first of two consecutive Gold Glove Awards.

1988

Led the NL in hits (184) and doubles (42) while batting .302
Earned his first trip to the All-Star Game
Finished among the NL's top 10 in 12 offensive categories
Was named All-Star first baseman by Baseball America and USA Today
Won three NL Player of the Week awards, including back-to-back honors from May 23 through June 5
Had his first career five-hit game July 2 against Atlanta
20 of his 29 homers came before the All-Star break
Became the second Montreal player to have back-to-back 90+ RBI seasons (Rusty Staub, 1970 and 71).

1987

Enjoyed a superb second season, ranking seventh in the NL with a .305 average and second with 40 doubles
Combined with Tim Wallach to provide the most RBI (213) of any Expo pair in history
Hit a 462 foot shot over the left-centerfield fence and into the Shea Stadium parking lot off Rick Aguilera Sept. 24
Put together then career-high 14 and 13-game hitting streaks, both ranking as Expo season highs
Was second in the Gold Glove voting to New York's Keith Hernandez
Finished one strikeout short of the single-season club record for whiffs.

1986

Platooned with Jason Thompson to begin his rookie season
Went 3-for-3 in his first start April 10 at Atlanta, driving in four runs, including three on a homer off Bruce Sutter
Five of his first six home runs, through early June, came off former Cy Young Award winners--Sutter, Steve Carlton (2), Fernando Valenzuela, and Vida Blue
Played in only one game between July 9 and Sept. 4 due to two injuries
Hit safely in 18 of 19 games following his return from the DL
Finished the year with a .995 fielding percentage in 102 games.

1985

Was promoted to the majors Aug. 23 and collected his first hit Aug. 24, off Rick Honeycutt of the Dodgers
His first two homers were mammoth shots, off Kepshire Sept. 21 at St. Louis and Frazier Sept. 23 at Chicago.

1984

Earned Southern League MVP honors with a .289 average, 27 home runs and 87 RBI at Jacksonville.

1983

Batted .289 with 10 home runs and 66 RBI at West Palm Beach in 104 games
Missed 25 games due to a beaning.

1982

Produced double figures in home runs (14) for first time as a pro
Finished with a .281 batting average at West Palm Beach.

1981

Appeared in 47 games at Jamestown (A), hitting .260.

1980

Hit .263 in his 2nd year at Calgary, 49 points better than his previous year.

1979

Signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Expos on January 19
Made pro debut at age 18 with West Palm Beach
Played seven games before being promoted to Calgary.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Won the National League batting title in 1993, when he hit .370 for Colorado
Spent six full seasons with Montreal before being acquired by St.Louis in exchange for pitcher Ken Hill on November 25, 1991
Played only one season for the Cardinals before signing with Colorado as a free agent
Two-time N.L.All-Star
Won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards with the Expos in 1989 and 1990
Led the N.L. with 184 hits in 1988.