Eric Valent
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Eric Valent (born April 4, 1977 in La Mirada, California) is a Major League Baseball player. He has played parts of 5 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Phillies, Reds, and most recently the Mets. He bats and throws left handed. He had a stand out career at UCLA along side teammates Troy Glaus, Eric Byrnes, Chase Utley, and Garrett Atkins. Eric has the most career home runs in the Pac-10 with 69 HR's (which is more than Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds), and the most career RBI's (219), in only 3 years of play. He was the Pac-10 Player of the year in 1998 when he was taken in the first round of the supplemental draft by the Phillies (42nd overall). Valent accomplished much in the Minor League baseball environment but never seemed to get the full opportunity to produce in the major leagues. In his short career, he provided good power from the left side of the plate. A solid pinch-hitter and valuable utility man, he is a competent first baseman who can play either left or right field effectively.
On July 29, 2004, Valent became the eighth player in Mets history to hit for the cycle in a game against the Montreal Expos. He also posted three pinch-hit home runs in late August.
In a four-season career, Valent is a .240 hitter with 13 home runs and 36 RBI in 177 games.
He's also well known as a great instructor of hitting.[citation needed]
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Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Baseball players who have hit for the cycle | New York Mets players | 1977 births | Major league players from California | Philadelphia Phillies players | Cincinnati Reds players | People from the Greater Los Angeles Area | Major league first basemen | Living people | Baseball first baseman stubs
