José Vidro (born August 27, 1974 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball player who currently plays second base for the Montreal Expos. He is a switch hitter, which means he hits from both sides of the plate. Vidro hits for average batting left, but he hits for power from the rightside. He throws right-handed.

Early beginnings

Vidro was drafted in the sixth round of the 1992 amateur draft. Working his way through the minor leagues, he made his major league debut on June 8, 1997. He continued to be a fill-in starter and play irregularly through both the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Playing for the most part as a third baseman his first season, Vidro was moved to second because of his shaky defense there. Second base was his more natural position, so it was reasoned that he wouldn't be as bad there. Like many Latin American baseball players, Vidro was very aggressive at the plate and criticized for the low number of walks he received. When he finally got a good amount of starts and was allowed to play everyday, he shined, finishing with a .304 batting average to along with 12 home runs and 59 RBI.

Best seasons

Following his breakout 1999, Vidro followed up with a great 2000 season in which he earned his first All-Star team honor. He placed seventh in the National League in batting with a .330 average and connected on 24 homeruns. He also made himself into a consistent fielder, many calling him a premier second baseman because of the culmination of all his stats.

Vidro continued to produce over the seasons, earning All-Star selections in 2002 and 2003, continuing to bring in a good bat with solid fielding. Vidro set career highs in walks and OBP in 2003, helping the Expos out when they were without superstar Vladimir Guerrero to challenge for the National League wild card race, which they fell just short of in a tough NL East division. However, most people outside baseball do not know his name as he plays on the lowly Montreal Expos who have not had great seasons in the recent years. Many speculate that he will leave the cash strapped Expos as a free agent following the 2004 season, to further continue to the disintegration of Montreal. His career statistics before the 2004 season are 87 homeruns, 411 RBI, 233 doubles, 473 runs scored, 940 hits, and a .306 batting average.

See also

• Players from Puerto Rico in MLB

External links

• Jose Vidro's career statistics at Baseball-Reference.com
• Jose Vidro's ESPN Profile