Jose Javier Valentí­n was born September 19, 1975 in Manatí­, Puerto Rico. He graduated from Fernando Callejo High School in Manatí­ and still lives there with his wife Ingrid and their two children. Javy reported late to spring training in 2006 to attend the birth of his second child.

Javy was proud to represent Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic with his brother, Jose Antonio Valentí­n, third baseman for the New York Mets. Their father, surprisingly also named Jose, beamed with pride.

The LLM is involved with the Little League organization by way of his parents. Jose Sr. and Yolanda were selected as the Little League Parents of the Year in 2005. Javy credits his father with his baseball involvement. Discussing the 1990 series, he talks about how his father supported his and his brother’s interest in the sport:

“In the playoffs,” said the Cincinnati catcher, “my dad, my brother and I, we always picked out a team. My brother got the Cincinnati Reds that year and he beat me in four straight. If my dad’s team lost, he’d take the winner and buy us a bat or shoes or anything we wanted.”

The senior Valentí­n had been a player on the Puerto Rican team and is currently, a coach. He took Javy’s team to the Little League Junior World Series championship. Javy’s mother is also heavily involved in the Little League cause, as evidenced by being included in the Parents of the Year award.

Outside of being a short little slugger, a smart ballplayer, and an awesome all-around guy, Javy is well-known for his signature moustache. Some have been known to imply that it’s a porno mustache, but here at RHM, we’d never say a thing like that.