About Melvin Mora
Melvin Mora Diaz (born February 2, 1972) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball infielder who currently serves as a hitting coach for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks, and in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the Mercuries Tigers. From his debut in 1999 to 2003, Mora was known as a utility player, playing all three outfield positions, shortstop, and second base. In 2004, the Orioles made Mora their everyday third baseman, a position he occupied through 2009. == Playing career == === New York Mets === Mora was signed out of Venezuela as an amateur free agent in 1991. After spending seven years in the Astros farm system and few months in the Chinese Professional Baseball League with the Mercuries Tigers, he signed as a free agent with the Mets in 1998 and made his major league debut in the 1999 season. Mora made himself more valuable by being able to play all three outfield positions, shortstop, second base and third. In 1999, he scored the winning run of the final game of the year for the Mets on a wild pitch by the Pirates' Brad Clontz, which propelled the Mets to a one-game playoff with Cincinnati, which they won. Mora became a cult hero in New York as he starred in the 1999 National League Championship Series, batting a clutch.429 with an OPS of 1.143, and throwing runners out at home plate and third base from his right field position. In 2000, shortstop Rey Ordoñez broke his arm, ending Ordoñez's season.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.