Justo Rivas

Justo Cesar Rivas Granera

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 175 lb.

• Born January 9, 1980 in Masaya, Masaya Nicaragua

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Biographical Information

Justo Rivas was a minor league outfielder who has also played for the Nicaraguan national team.

Rivas hit .186/.308/.274 for the 1998 GCL Braves. He made significant progress by 1999, batting .312/.380/.447 for the Danville Braves. He had 14 outfield assists, leading the Appalachian League. In 2000, Rivas batted .288/.342/.403 for the Macon Braves with a team-high 30 doubles; his 65 RBI tied for the team lead. Despite his success, it would be his last season in the minors.

Rivas was 7 for 27 in the 2003 Pan American Games. He batted .364/.417/.697 in the 2003 Baseball World Cup to lead the Nicaraguan offense. He helped Nicaragua win Gold at the 2006 Central American Games, where he was named All-Star center fielder, and then hit .316 and slugged .421 in the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. In the 2006 COPABE qualifiers for the 2008 Olympics, Rivas was the worst starter on the Nicaraguan squad, going 3 for 22 with a walk in 8 games.

In the 2006-2007 Liga Nicaragüense de Béisbol Profesional season, Rivas led in average (.377), hits (78) and RBI (36).

Justo was one of the top hitters in the 2007 Pan American Games, going 7 for 12 with a walk, 2 doubles, a homer and 3 of Nicaragua's 5 RBI in the Games. He led the offense for the Nicaraguan squad that shared a Bronze Medal with Mexico, beating out a Dominican Republic team with several former major leaguers.

In the summer of 2008, Rivas set a new Campeonato Nacional de Beisbol Nicaraguense wooden-bat record with 17 home runs, breaking a mark that had stood since 1973.

Rivas hit .333/.500/.375 in the 2008 Americas Baseball Cup to help Nicaragua win a trip to the 2009 Baseball World Cup. He stole 2 bases in 2 tries, had one assist and no errors and drew 7 walks in 8 games. He led the Cup in walks.