Rey Ordóñez (born November 11, 1971 in Havana, Cuba) was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Chicago Cubs.

In 1993 in Buffalo, New York, Ordóñez became the second Cuban baseball player in history to defect to the United States. Ordóñez was a promising young player for the Havana Industriales club in Cuba at the time.

In 1994, Ordóñez signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent. He made his major league debut in the 1996 season. Ordóñez went on to win three consecutive Gold Gloves for his outstanding defensive play with the Mets. During 1999 and 2000, Ordóñez set a Major League record for shortstops by playing 101 consecutive games without committing a fielding error.

By 2002, Ordóñez's defensive play had deteriorated. Taunted by unhappy Mets fans throughout the year, Ordóñez lashed out in a year-end interview calling the New York fans "too stupid." Later in the year, Ordóñez was traded to Tampa Bay. Ordóñez missed most of the 2003 season due to injuries and played briefly for the Chicago Cubs before being given his release.

In August, 2004, Ordóñez became a U. S. citizen. He was unsure at the time whether he would ever play major league baseball again.

Highlights

• Gold Glove (1997, 1998, 1999)

External links

• Career statistics at Baseball Reference
• 2004 daily statistics at ESPN

See also

• List of NL Gold Glove Winners at Shortstop
• List of players from Cuba in Major League Baseball