Eric Chavez is a former professional baseball player for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Chavez’s high school success was so impressive that in the 1996 Major League Baseball draft, he was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round. Chavez chose a professional baseball career over a full scholarship to the University of Southern California. His time in the minor leagues was a short two seasons. He finished his minor league career by being named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, as well as earning the J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the Topps/NAPBL Minor League Player of the Year.
Chavez made his Oakland Athletics major league debut on September 8, 1998, in a game against the Baltimore Orioles. He finished the 1998 season having played in 16 games, and ending with a .311 batting average. In the 27 games of September and October in 2001, Chavez hit ten home runs with 31 RBIs, a .379 batting average and a .738 slugging percentage resulting in him being named the American League Player of the Month. In 2004, the A’s signed him to a six-year, $66-million contract extension.
On February 4, 2011, Chavez agreed to a contract with the New York Yankees with an invitation to spring training for the 2011 season. Chavez finished the 2012 season with 16 home runs in 113 games played. It was his highest total in both categories since 2006.
For the 2013 season, Chavez agreed to a one-year contract worth $3 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks. On December 19, 2013, Chavez re-signed with the Diamondbacks for $3.5 million. Chavez retired on July 30, 2014.
During his career Chavez won six Gold Glove awards and the Silver Slugger award. From 2013-2016, Chavez lived in a sprawling 3 acre Paradise Valley estate with his wife Alex.
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