Jesus Tavarez had already tasted life as a major league starter with the Marlins. When dealt a setback in the form of the team looking elsewhere for a bigger name, Tavarez responded by vowing to work harder, The Miami Herald wrote.
"It's OK. I understand. It's what is good for the team," Tavarez told The Herald of the move in spring 1996. "This team is going to win. And I know what my role is. I can only work hard and hope that someday I'll start again. But right now I am just working hard."
Tavarez worked hard enough to see nearly 100 games for the Marlines that year. He saw just two seasons beyond that, with the Red Sox and the Orioles, for time in five big league campaigns in all.
Tavarez' career began in 1989, signed by the Mariners as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic.
Tavarez started with the Mariners in 1990 at high-A Peninsula. He saw 108 games, hit .238 and stole 40 bases. He moved to high-A San Bernardino in 1991 and hit .283 over 124 games and stole 69.
He made AA Jacksonville in 1992, then got selected by the Marlins in the expansion draft and played 1993 at high-A High Desert.
"I'm concentrating on line drives and ground balls," Tavarez told The Victorville Daily Press that April at High Desert. "Sometimes I have power, but not all the time."
Tavarez made AA Portland in 1994 and, that May, debuted in Miami. He saw 17 games in the majors that year and hit .179.
In his debut, he picked up two hits, knocked in a run, scored and threw out a runner at the plate, The South Florida Sun Sentinel wrote.
"That was the big play right there," Marlins starter Pat Rapp told The Sun Sentinel of Tavarez' throw. "He came up with a great gun."
He then returned for 63 games in 1995. He hit .289 with seven stolen bases. For 1996, he saw those 98 games and hit .219.
Tavarez moved to the Red Sox for 1997 and saw 42 games, hitting .174. He finished up his major league time in 1998, with eight games for the Orioles. He went 2 for 11.
He played 1999 in Mexico and at AAA and then 2000 in Mexico and Korea with Haitai. He returned to Korea in 2001 with Kia to end his career.
- Victorville Daily Press, April 12, 1993: Tavarez shows he can hit, sparks Mavs
- South Florida Sun Sentinel, May 24, 1994: Marlins find unlikely spark
- Miami Herald, March 21, 1996: Not backing down despite backup role
Made the Majors:1,378-32.9%-X
Never Made Majors:2,807-67.1%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:560-X
10+ Seasons in the Minors:344
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