Willy Taveras

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**Willy Taveras**

Houston Astros — No. 1
Center field
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
September 6, 2004 for the Houston Astros
Selected MLB statistics (through 2006)
Hits	319
Stolen bases	68
Runs scored	167

Willy Taveras (born December 25, 1981 in Teneras, Dominican Republic) is a center fielder for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed. Many Astro fans refer to him affectionately as "Willy T."

Taveras played in ten games at the end of the 2004 Astros season, mostly as a pinch runner.

Taveras was the Astros' starting center fielder during his rookie season (2005), replacing Carlos Beltran who signed with the New York Mets in the off-season. After the season, Taveras was voted National League Rookie of the Year by the players while (Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies won the actual Rookie of the Year Award). In 2005, he led the majors with 71 infield hits and was tops among rookies in runs (82), hits (172) and stolen bases (34), and hit .291.

[edit] 2004 Playoffs

In Game 4 of the 2005 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals, he made a catch while running up Tal's Hill in Minute Maid Park's deep center field to end the 8th inning and preserve a 2-1 lead. He scored the winning run as a pinch-runner the inning before on a short sacrifice fly to center field.

On Mother's Day, May 14, 2006, Taveras was one of more than 50 hitters who brandished a pink bat to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. Taveras had a 30-game hitting streak that ended August 29, 2006 during a game in which he was hit twice by Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Tomo Ohka. His streak is a franchise record, breaking the record of 25 previously held by Jeff Kent. He is the 42^nd player in MLB history with a hit streak of 30-or-more games.