MLB history: Forgotten stars of the current NL West teams

Forgotten MLB stars of the current NL West teams: Willy Tavaras, Rockies

Willy Tavaras was a slap hitter, and nobody’s idea of a star. He averaged only two homers per 162 MLB games spread out over 13 years, and he played for nine different organizations.

However, like some others in this Call to the Pen series, Tavaras had his moments. In his age-23 season, 2005, he came in second in the Rookie of the Year vote in the National League after hitting .291 with the Astros and stealing 34 bases. However, he also posted a concerning stat that year, walking a mere 25 times while striking out in 103 visits to the plate – not what you want from one of your speed guys. The following year he improved on that ratio, but after the 2006 season, he was part of a five-player deal with Colorado.

The Dominican-born outfielder made 97 appearances for the Rockies in ’07 and missed his stolen base figure from two years earlier by only one despite playing in 55 fewer games. He hit .320, a figure that would be his MLB high, and led both leagues with 27 bunt singles.

And that skill was definitely dying out by then.

The Rockies won the NL pennant. Tavaras contributed as a speedy singles hitter having his best year. Thirty-six of his appearances were multi-hit games, including a 5-for-6 performance Apr. 25 against the Mets. He had seven games in which he stole multiple bases, and the Rockies won four of them.

In the NLCS against the Diamondbacks, he made a spectacular, diving catch on a ball hit by Tony Clark, whose name has appeared in the press recently for reasons that now escape me.

In the World Series against the Red Sox, unfortunately, he went hitless in three games. But he was one of the reasons his team was there.