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The music in the background is one of Javy's faves "Suavemente" by Elvis Crespo.
Javy Lopez is the Braves catcher. Born on Nov 5, 1970 in Puerto Rico. Javy is one of five children raised by Jacinto and Evelia Lopez. He's not the only one in his family involved in sports, his sister Elaine is a professional volleyball player. He also played volleyball and particpated in track and field in high school along with baseball.He is married to Analy (his high school sweetheart) and has two son named Javier Alexander, but is called Javelito (Little Javy) and Kelvin Gabriel. Javy started catching at the age of 13 and made his major league debut vs. the Astros, on 9/19/92.
Serious and Easy Going!!!
JAVY FAQ'S
Have you always been a catcher, did you ever want to play another position?
Lopez: I started as a pitcher, and then I became a shortstop and then an outfielder. I played outfield until I was 13 -- that's when I switched. Then after that I was playing outfield and catcher both, because we usually played two games every weekend. So one game I was catching, and the other game I was playing outfield.
Which ballplayer was your favorite when you were growing up?
Lopez: I would say Jose Cruz. He's from Puerto Rico, plus my hometown. He was a big guy down in my hometown, so I always admired him a lot.
What advice would you give to high school catchers who desire to play in the Big Leagues?
Lopez: The only advice I can tell them is that there is a lot of competition out there. Don't even think about the rest of the guys, just think about yourself, just be positive all the time. Try to put at least 50 percent of (your time towards) what you want to do in your life and the other 50 percent in your family and personal life.
Who in your opinion is the pitcher you least like to bat against?
Lopez: There's a few. The most dominating pitchers in the Major Leagues right now are Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson. Those are the two that I'd really be happy not to face.
What is it like to catch for some of the greatest pitchers of all time?
Lopez: It is the best thing that happened in my life. Because seeing other catchers from other teams, seeing them not having the quality of pitching we've got here. I've seen them have a lot of work back there, blocking pitches, long games and all of that. I'm very fortunate that I have this pitching staff -- to get the game going fast, not many balls in the dirt -- they're all around the plate most of the time. They really make me a lazy catcher.
What has been the highlight of your baseball career?
Lopez: One of them was the World Series, the other one was when I won the MVP in the NLCS. Those are the two unforgettable moments for me, and I'm really proud of them.
What is it like to play for a championship baseball team?
Lopez: It's more than great -- knowing that this team is going to the playoffs almost every year. I mean, how many teams want to be in our uniform right now? A lot of players want to be (here) and I'm fortunate that I'm here playing with the Atlanta Braves.
| Bat Ave. | Games | At Bat | Hits | HR | RBI | Walks | Strikeouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | .375 | 9 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1993 | .375 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 1994 | .245 | 80 | 277 | 68 | 13 | 35 | 17 | 61 |
| 1995 | .315 | 100 | 333 | 105 | 14 | 51 | 14 | 57 |
| 1996 | .282 | 138 | 489 | 138 | 23 | 69 | 28 | 84 |
| 1997 | .295 | 123 | 414 | 122 | 23 | 68 | 40 | 82 |
| 1998 | .284 | 133 | 489 | 139 | 34 | 106 | 30 | 41 |
| 1999 | .317 | 65 | 246 | 78 | 11 | 45 | 20 | 41 |
| 2000 | .287 | 134 | 481 | 138 | 24 | 89 | 35 | 80 |
| 2001 | .267 | 128 | 438 | 117 | 17 | 66 | 28 | 82 |
| Total | .287 | 918 | 3199 | 917 | 160 | 533 | 212 | 575 |
click on the banner to go to the Javy Lopez Super Shrine (one of the best Javy Lopez sites around)
