Luis Rivera (infielder)

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Luis Rivera

| image = Luis Rivera (50165133921) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Rivera with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020

| position = Shortstop / Third base coach

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|1|3}}

| birth_place = Cidra, Puerto Rico

| debutleague = MLB

| debutdate = August 3

| debutyear = 1986

| debutteam = Montreal Expos

| finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = August 27

| finalyear = 1998

| finalteam = Kansas City Royals

| statleague = MLB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .233

| stat2label = Home runs

| stat2value = 28

| stat3label = Runs batted in

| stat3value = 209

| teams =

As a player:

Montreal Expos ({{mlby|1986}}–{{mlby|1989}})
Boston Red Sox ({{mlby|1989}}–{{mlby|1993}})
New York Mets ({{mlby|1994}})
Houston Astros ({{mlby|1997}})
Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|1998}})

As a coach:

Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|2006}}–{{mlby|2009}})
Toronto Blue Jays ({{mlby|2011}}–{{mlby|2023}})

}}

Luis Antonio Rivera Pedraza (born January 3, 1964) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball infielder and coach, who played for the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Houston Astros, and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB).

Rivera began coaching in the Cleveland Indians organization in 2000, and worked as their infield and first base coach from 2006 to 2009. In 2010, he joined the Toronto Blue Jays as a coaching assistant, and became the third base coach in 2012. Rivera retired at the end of the 2023 season.

Professional career

Rivera signed with the Montreal Expos as an international free agent on September 22, 1981. He played four years in their minor league organization before making his MLB debut on August 3, 1986.{{Cite web |date=August 3, 1986 |title=Montreal Expos vs New York Mets Box Score: August 3, 1986 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN198608030.shtml |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=Baseball Reference |language=en}} Rivera played parts of three seasons with the Expos before he was traded to the Boston Red Sox, along with John Dopson, for Dan Gakeler and Spike Owen on December 8, 1988.{{Cite web |date=December 9, 1988 |title=FREE-AGENT PITCHERS ATTRACT BIG DOLLARS AT WINTER MEETINGS |url=https://www.deseret.com/1988/12/9/18787408/free-agent-pitchers-attract-big-dollars-at-winter-meetings/ |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=Deseret News |language=en |agency=Associated Press}} Rivera had the most productive season of his career with Boston in 1991, when he hit .258 with eight home runs and 40 runs batted in (RBI) in 129 games.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/riverlu01.shtml|title=Luis Rivera Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|accessdate=September 25, 2016}}

After the 1993 season Rivera became a free agent. He signed with the New York Mets on January 19, 1994.{{Cite web |date=January 20, 1994 |title=SPORTS PEOPLE: BASEBALL; Mets Sign Shortstop And Free-Agent Pitcher |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/20/sports/sports-people-baseball-mets-sign-shortstop-and-free-agent-pitcher.html |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=The New York Times}} He spent the 1995 and 1996 seasons entirely in the minor leagues, with the Texas Rangers and Mets respectively.{{cite web |title=Luis Rivera Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=rivera007lui |accessdate=September 25, 2016 |work=Baseball Reference}}

Rivera joined the Houston Astros in 1997, and finished his playing career as a member of the Kansas City Royals in 1998.

Coaching career

In 2000, Rivera joined the Cleveland Indians organization, working as a coach and manager. He coached the Advanced-A Kinston Indians through the 2002 season, when he was promoted to manager of the Class-A Lake County Captains.{{cite web |title=Manager and Coaches - Toronto Blue Jays |url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=tor&coachorstaffid=121248 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206023826/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=tor&coachorstaffid=121248 |archive-date=December 6, 2010 |accessdate=September 25, 2016 |work=Toronto Blue Jays |publisher=MLB.com}} In 2003, he was named the South Atlantic League Manager of the Year, after managing the Captains to a league-best 97–43 record. After coaching the Captains in 2004, Rivera was made the manager of the Kinston Indians prior to the 2005 season. Kinston finished the year with a 76–64 record, and went to the Carolina League Championship Series. Rivera was promoted to the Majors in 2006, working as the Indians infield coach and later first base coach until the end of the 2009 season.{{cite web |last=Castrovince |first=Anthony |date=September 30, 2009 |title=Indians dismiss Wedge, coaching staff |url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090930&content_id=7241814&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014083849/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090930&content_id=7241814&vkey=news_cle&c_id=cle&fext=.jsp |archive-date=October 14, 2013 |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=Cleveland Indians |publisher=MLB.com}}

In 2010, Rivera joined the Toronto Blue Jays organization, and managed the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. In 2011 and 2012, he worked as a coaching assistant for the Blue Jays. Prior to the start of the 2013 season, Rivera was named the third base coach.{{Cite web |last=Lott |first=John |date=February 22, 2013 |title=Blue Jays: Luis Rivera will use exhibition games to sharpen third-base coaching skills |url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-luis-rivera-will-use-exhibition-games-to-sharpen-third-base-coaching-skills |access-date=October 24, 2024 |website=National Post}} Rivera retired from coaching on October 5, 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/toronto-blue-jays-3b-coach-luis-rivera-retiring/?|title=Long-time Toronto Blue Jays coach Luis Rivera retiring|last=Davidi|first=Shi|work=Sportsnet|date=October 5, 2023|accessdate=October 5, 2023}}