Jose has a practically perfect physique.

Though quiet and unassuming, Reyes is aggressive, almost to a fault. But he is also smart and learns from any mistakes he makes. His makeup is off-the-charts. Nothing bothers him. He is ambitious and confident in his ability. He has the confidence to excel on the field, and the character to survive in New York off the field.

Jose's smile is visible anywhere on the field. The energy from it pours throughout the Mets' lineup as Reyes shifts the momentum of a game with a triple to the gap, or beats out a groundout with a dusty headlong slide into first base.

GROWING UP IN THE DOMINICAN

The son of a grocery store owner and a housewife, Reyes was born June 11, 1983, in the northern village of Palmar Arriba, about 120 miles and a world away from the bustling capital of Santo Domingo. His hometown of Villa Gonzalez is on the top side of the island.

He grew up so poor that when he started playing baseball at age 10, he used a milk carton for a glove and an orange for a ball. He still lives with his parents and sister in a rickety bungalow surrounded by swaying grasses and banana groves on a dirt road where geese outnumber cars. The family home, painted bright turquoise, has a tin roof and a cement floor. The back door is a flowered curtain. The bathroom is a shack out back. About the only decorations on the walls are covers of newspaper sports sections featuring Reyes. "Golden Boy," exclaimed the headline on the afternoon tabloid Ultima Hora.

"I never thought I might become famous. It takes getting used to," Reyes said shyly as he sprawled on the frayed couch in the living room that doubles as the bed of his sister, Miosotys, who is seven years younger than him. Stashed behind the couch was the mattress that his parents sleep on in the living room when he's home, giving him the only bedroom. "I try not to pay much attention to what people say," Reyes said. "I just try to concentrate on the game."

Jose's father is a plumber, named Jose Manuel.

Reyes had a new home built for his family in 2002-2003. It is a concrete, three-bedroom structure that is rising next to his old home. It is painted an elegant beige and has a skylight, a tiled roof, ceramic tiled floors and indoor plumbing.

Jose has always loved the game. "I used to worry because he was very little when he started playing and the other kids were rough. But he insisted," recalled Reyes' father, Jose Manuel Reyes, who like many folks in Palmar Arriba wears a Mets baseball cap in honor of his son.

Reyes quickly established himself as the best player in the village. By the time he was 15, he'd shot up in height, although he had yet to reach his current size.

In 1999, Mets scouts Eddy Toledo and Juan Mercado found Reyes in the Dominican Republic and signed him in August of that year, out of a tryout camp in Santiago. His bonus was $13,000.

"He had everything—range, speed, fielding, a natural instinct, and charisma," Toledo said. "It was like he had a halo around his head. There was something special in his face and eyes. He was so exciting to me." 

The Mets usually send players through the Dominican academy in their first year, but not Reyes. He spent 2000 at rookie-level Kingsport.

In 2001, he was second in all of minor league baseball in triples and was fifth in the South Atlantic League in batting average.

Jose is shy and unassuming. But he is also confident in his ability. He has a polite, schoolboy a solid demeanor and a smile that melts the hearts of young girls. But he is now married.

Reyes' baseball hero is Roberto Alomar, whose locker was just 20-25 feet away from him during 2002 spring training with the Mets.

"He's a unique kid," former Mets assistant general Jim Duquette said. "The way he handles the pressure and challenges is exceptional. He's a guy who can play in New York for a long time."

He has developed a love for New York—the skyscrapers, bustle of New York City and the rap music, especially Snoop Dogg and Nelly. But he is still a wide-eyed country boy at heart.

In 2002, Reyes was rated the Top Prospect in the Eastern League by Baseball America magazine.

Teammates describe Jose as modest, cheerful and not much of a partier. And his  family is working hard to keep him that way.

"We watch him carefully and warn him not to take drink or take drugs," said Reyes's mother, Josefina, from whom he inherited his long legs and soft speech.

During the offseason, Reyes spends most his days at home, eating his mother's meals—rice and kidney beans, a slab of meat, and salad—and visiting childhood friends.

Though female fans fawn over him, he remained with the girlfriend the started dating in 1999, a willowy business administration student two years his senior named Massiel Pichardo, who lives a few houses down from him in Palmar Arriba.

And then, on July 25, 2008, Jose and Massiel were married at City Hall in New York, which meant no time for a reception.

"After the season, in the Dominican Republic [we'll celebrate]," he said yesterday. But he still considered it a great day. Referring to his new wife, he said: "She was real happy. She was crying and everything."

Jose has made good use of the classes the Mets provide in spring training, and during the season works as dutifully on pronunciation and vocabulary as he does on turning double plays and grabbing short hops. He studies from a book every night and learns by watching television and listening to music. Reyes speaks accomplished English now. He works as dutifully on pronunciation and vocabulary as he does on turning double plays and grabbing short hops. Before the 2003 season, he even had a tutor that helped him master not only the English language, but also his cliches.

Reyes' 17-game hitting streak from July 30 to August 18, 2003 was the longest by a Mets player since Mike Piazza had a 21-game streak in 2000. And it was the second-longest streak by a rookie in team history. Mike Vail had a 23-game streak in 1975.

Reyes needs to add upper-body strength. He has wiry athleticism, a lot like Alfonso Soriano.

His movement is fluid and stretchy, almost too smooth for a baseball player.

During the offseason before 2005 spring training, Reyes spent time with Mackie Shilstone, the fitness expert, in an effort to eliminate the hamstring problems he experienced in 2004. Then Jose took what he learned and implemented it during the Winter League season. Shilstone taught him how to stretch and take care of a body that some were beginning to say was too brittle to survive in the Major Leagues. Reyes proved during the Dominican Winter League the lessons he learned from Shilstone weren't wasted.

Reyes hit .302 in 29 regular-season games with a homer, three triples, 11 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. He hit .422 [27-for-64] in 15 playoff games, stealing nine more bases while smacking three homers and driving in nine for the Gigantes del Cibao. He also had a sparkling .443 on-base percentage in the postseason.

During his rookie season, his veteran teammates made him dress up like a clown while going on a road trip.

On August 15, 2006, Jose became the seventh Mets player to hit three home runs in one game. The other six Mets were more accomplished home-run hitters. Jim Hickman, the first Met to hit three, had hit 53 career home runs after his third on Sept. 3, 1965. Dave Kingman had 133, Claudell Washington 40, Darryl Strawberry 61, Gary Carter 238, and Edgardo Alfonzo 58.

Reyes hit two of this three home runs batting righthanded and the third batting lefthanded.

In December 2006, the Mets declined to let Reyes play winter league ball in his native Dominican Republic. They wanted to make sure he stayed healthy.

Jose's favorite TV show is La Ocean de la 12. He also likes "Sabado Gigante" and ESPN's SportsCenter.

He had two dogs when he was groing up. One of them was named "Quien," which means "Who?"

Jose says his favorite subject in high school was history.

For music, Jose likes Reggaeton. (2009)

Jose is typical of today's players when dealing with the media: He is accomodating when an interview is set up, but isn't likely to invite over anyone holding a notebook.

Jose has tattoos and long dread-locks. He is constantly heard in the clubhouse with his incessant chatter, friendliness, and ebullience.

May 30, 2011: Reyes was on the D.L. so that he could be at home in Santiago, Dominican Republic following the death of his grandmother.

Reyes' agents are Peter Greenberg, his brother Edward, and Chris Leible, who form Greenberg Associates, heaquartered in New York City. It is the first Spanish-speaking agency available to athletes.

Over the years, Jose and Leible have become as close as twins. Leible was Reyes' best man and is godfather to two of his three children. Leible's girlfiend gave birth to a son late in the 2011 season and Jose agreed to be the boy's godfather.

Reyes is a four-time all-star—2006, 2007, 2010, 2011.

Jose and his wife Katherine, have three daughters.

October 2014:  Reyes likes to dabble in the rap game. He released two music videos back in 2011 and rapped during a television interview in 2014 spring training.

Reyes has once again decided to showcase his rapping skills, this time by lending a hand to Jay The Prince for his song "Creeme A Mi."

"He doesn't want to get rid of it. He still drives it. It's unbelievable," said Reyes, who paid tribute to the scooter in a social media post in the offseason. "He would take me to the ballpark on that bike when we didn't have any money to take a cab. So many memories on it. That bike means a lot for us."

Reyes will still take the bike out for a trip when he visits home once or twice a year. It serves as a reminder of how far he's come and the bond he and his father forged as he chased his dreams.  Giving Reyes a lift to the ballfield was a small portion of Jose Manuel's influence on his son's baseball career. When he moved on from his trade as a plumber, he opened a small bodega that he still owns today. When work became too time-consuming, he taught Reyes how to operate the Honda 50 so he could taxi himself around.

He didn't make much, but Jose Manuel always made sure his kids got what they needed. For Reyes, that meant an upgrade from milk carton to a used baseball glove. Eventually he had a pair of cleats and his future began to take shape. In addition to material support, Jose Manuel's guidance is what ultimately swung a reluctant Reyes to leave his hometown and play competitively in Santiago's Felix de Leon league, a crucial decision that landed him on the radar of several Major League teams. The rest is history.

"He gave me everything, he didn't have anything," said Reyes. "I knew I had a time with no glove, but he made it happen. Cleats, he always found a way. [My parents] kept me on the right track—everything I've gotten is because of my parents."

Although they're 3,000 kilometers apart, Reyes and his father remain close. They talk on the phone almost every day, and Jose Manuel and Reyes' mother will periodically visit Toronto during the season. And when his Major League schedule is through, Reyes tries to get home to reconnect with family and friends, while making a point to hop on that Honda 50 to take a ride down memory lane. (Ross - mlb.com 6/19/15)

November 9, 2015: Reyes was arrested after an Oct. 31 incident with his wife in Maui, Hawaii, Hawaii News reported. The Maui News confirmed the arrest via the police arrest log. Maui Police Department Lt. William Juan, in an e-mail said a police report would be issued when he could confirm the arrest.

The Maui News reported that the log showed Reyes was arrested at 2:52 p.m. on that date, and was not charged at that time. Hawaii News Now, in its video report, said Reyes was out on bail.

November 24, 2015: Reyes pleaded not guilty to a charge of abuse against a family member, stemming from an Oct. 31 incident in which he allegedly choked and hit his wife in a hotel room in Maui, Hawaii.Reyes, 32 and now playing for the Rockies, was released on $1,000 bail and ordered to avoid contact with his wife, Katherine Ramirez, for three days. Reyes did not attend the proceeding, but he is due to appear in court in January.According to police, Reyes grabbed his wife by the throat, then slammed her into a sliding glass door during an argument in their room at the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea. Authorities said Ramirez suffered thigh, neck and wrist injuries.

Major League Baseball  launched an investigation into the matter.

Under new rules adopted last summer in the wake of high-profile domestic violence cases in the NFL, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has the authority to impose punishment before legal proceedings are fully resolved. (Marc Carig)

January, 2016: Reyes had a trial date of April 4 -- Opening Day -- on the domestic violence charge stemming from an Oct. 31 incident in Maui, Hawaii, the New York Daily News reported.

His case is already being investigated under a joint Major League Baseball-Players Association domestic violence policy instituted in 2015. Commissioner Rob Manfred was expected to rule on the case no later than March 1, according to reports. Under the policy, the Commissioner does not have to wait until the case is tried to make a ruling, and has the power to order a suspension as well as counseling for Reyes.

February 23, 2016: Reyes was placed on paid leave by MLB pending completion of his domestic violence case in Hawaii. He was not in Spring Training camp with the Rockies.

It was announced on May 13, 2016 that Reyes was suspended without pay through May 31, 2016 for violating its domestic violence policy, the league announced. It was later extended through June 30.

Reyes will not appeal. The suspension was retroactive to Feb. 23, when Reyes was first put on the restricted list.

"Mr. Reyes cooperated fully with my office's investigation," commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Reyes violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will expire on May 31st. I am encouraged by Mr. Reyes' commitment to the treatment provisions of the Policy in order to ensure that such an incident does not occur in the future."

As part of the discipline, Reyes has agreed to donate $100,000 toward the prevention and treatment of domestic violence.

Shortly after the announcement, Reyes issued an apology.

"I want to apologize for everything that has happened," he said in a statement. "I am sorry to the Rockies organization, my teammates, all the fans and most of all my family. I am happy to put this all in the past and get back to doing what I love most, playing baseball. My wife Katherine has remained by my side throughout everything and for that I will be forever grateful."

January, 2017: Reyes committed to play for Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

August 26, 2017: Reyes used the nickname "La Melaza" for the Players Weekend.Reyes has used this as his Twitter handle for a long time now. The literal translation to Spanish means "molasses," but the nickname was given to Reyes by a childhood friend, basically meaning "sweetness." 

"In 2016, when we got Jose, if you would have been in the clubhouse when he walked in with that big smile, happy to be back, the clubhouse lit up," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "His energy on the field is contagious. He plays the game hard. He always runs hard. He always likes to play. He always gets ready to play. He's funny. He keeps guys loose. … You need that kind of energy on a club."

A fan favorite dating back to his rookie year in 2003, Reyes maintains even now that he never wanted to leave as a free agent after the 2011 season.

But the Mets, in Sandy Alderson's first full offseason as general manager, did not make Reyes even a token offer to stay. He moved on to Miami, then Toronto, and Colorado, returning to Flushing after serving a 51-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. Reyes maintains his primary offseason home on Long Island.  (DiComo - mlb.com - 9/28/17)

Jose became a United States citizen on April 5, 2018, swearing his oath at a Long Island courthouse before the Mets' 4-2 win over the Phillies. Reyes, who came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in 1999, owns a residence in Old Brookville, N.Y. 

"I live here," Reyes said. "I live in New York. My daughters, they go to school here, they were born here, they're Americans. I see myself living here after I retire. That doesn't mean I don't want to go back to the Dominican, because of course I'm Dominican, 100 percent. But that was a good feeling to become a citizen."

Reyes took the U.S. citizenship test during Spring Training 2018, and was sworn in alongside his wife, Katherine. (DiComo - mlb.com - 4/05/18)

TRANSACTIONS

1999: The Mets signed Reyes as a free agent, out of the Dominican Republic.

August 3, 2006: Reyes signed a four-year contract extension for $23.25 million, with a team option for 2011 at $11 million (which the Mets picked up on November 3, 2010).

December 5, 2011: Jose signed a six-year, $106 million contract with the Marlins. The guarantee for the first six years totals $102 million, sources said. The deal includes a $22 million option for a seventh year, with a guaranteed $4 million.

November 19, 2012: Toronto acquired All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes, right-hander Josh Johnson, lefthander Mark Buehrle, catcher John Buck, and infielder/outfielder Emilio Bonifacio.

Going to the Marlins: shortstop Yunel Escobar, infielder Adeiny Hechavarria, righthander Henderson Alvarez, veteran backup catcher Jeff Mathis, outfielder Jake Marisnick, lefthander Justin Nicolino, and righthander Anthony DeSclafani.

Toronto also reportedly received $4 million as part of the deal to help compensate for the almost $165 million in salary headed to the Blue Jays.

July 27, 2015:  The Blue Jays sent Jose, Jeff Hoffman, and Miguel Castro to Colorado. At the time of the trade, Hoffman, the ninth overall pick in the 2014 Draft, was ranked by MLBPipeline.com asToronto's No. 3 prospect and the No. 69 prospect in the game, while Castro was ranked No. 5 in Toronto's system.  The Blue Jays acquired All-Star shortstopTroy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins.

June 25, 2016: The Mets organization signed free agent Reyes.

Oct 21, 2016:  MLB Networks Jon Heyman reported that the Mets will pick up the option on the June 2016 deal, worth the league-minimum $507,500, though the Rockies still owe him $22 million in 2017.

Nov 2, 2017: Reyes elected free agency.

His plate discipline is improving every year. He needs to improve his strike zone knowledge. And take more walks. 

Being too aggressive at the plate, Reyes gets himself out when pitchers pitch him on the outer edge of the plate. He needs to let that pitch go by instead of waving at it for strike three. He is working on laying off the junk, which ensures that he will see the fastball—and he loves to hit the fastball.

In 2011, Reyes won the National League batting crown, hitting .337 to Ryan Braun's .332.  He also tied for first in triples (16, with Shane Victorino).

September 17, 2017:  Jose has been a consistent force in the Mets' lineup for 11 seasons. He has always been known as one of baseball's most dynamic leadoff hitters, but in 2017, he took a different approach.  

Reyes had started to use his power to drive the ball more into the gaps. He was taking advantage of mistake pitches and had started to heat up in the month of September.  

Against the Braves, Reyes continued his hot streak with a RBI triple in the first inning to help the Mets to a victory at SunTrust Park. He moved past Darryl Strawberry into second place on the club's all-time extra-base-hit list, with 470.

"It feels good, but I got one job to do here and it's to continue to play baseball and continue to put this team in a position to win every night," Reyes said. "It is always good when you break a record, especially one of Darryl Strawberry's, as he is a legend with this ball club."  (Thompson - mlb.com)

Jose is an exceptionally speedy base-stealer.

They say that doubles aren’t made from first to second, but home to first. Well, Reyes makes his triples the same way. He jumps out of that box knowing he’s going for third.

In May 2004, the Mets hired Toronto-based chiropractor Mark Lindsay as a consultant. His job was to change they way Reyes runs to take pressure off his hamstrings. He was running with a noticeable hitch in his right leg, the result of spending nearly three months on the D.L. with a torn hamstring. Apparently hiring the chiropractor was a waste of money. Reyes said he abandoned the new style when it gave him a sore back.

"I don't want to run like that. I run the way I run. I don't try to run the way they wanted me to run," Jose said. "I don't want that thing happening again to my back."

In 2006, Reyes became the first Mets player to have back-to-back seasons with at least 60 stolen bases.

Reyes has led the Majors in triples four times in his career. He's had at least 10 in a season seven times. Prior to joining Toronto, he accumulated 111 career three-baggers in 5,095 at-bats—or one triple every 45.9 at-bats, a pretty astounding rate in this day and age.

January 4, 2003: Reyes injured his thigh while playing in his native Dominican Republic. He pulled his left quadriceps during a game. He had just crossed first base while legging out a single during a game between his Cibao Giants and the Escojido Lions in San Francisco de Macoris. He had to be helped off the field, but later was walking gingerly on his own. "I felt an intense pain and I thought the worst. Thanks to God I can walk without problems," he said. 

March 2003: Jose came into spring training with a sore quadriceps muscle and spent several weeks nursing it before finally getting into a game.

August 31, 2003: Jose suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his left ankle, putting him on the sidelines for three weeks. The Mets put Reyes on the D.L. just to get his mind off thinking he could come back and play in September.

March 14-June 19, 2004: Reyes pulled his right hamstring during a spring exhibition game. It was a Grade-1 strain, the least severe type. Jose sustained the injury running from second to third base. He spent the first two and a half months of the season on the D.L.

May 26, 2009: An MRI showed Jose had tendinitis behind his right calf. He went on the D.L. 

June 4, 2009: An MRI revealed a small tear in Reyes' right hamstring tendon. He was told to rest for two days, then resume treatment. He did not play again in 2009.

September 30, 2009: Reyes again tore his right hamstring.

October 14, 2009: Jose underwent surgery to "clean up" the scar tissue around the accessory hamstring tendon behind his right knee. Surgery was performed by Dr. Daniel E. Cooper, whom the team describes as "the leading expert in the country in the surgical treatment of the chronically torn semitendinosis tendon in athletes."

March 8-April 10, 2010: Reyes underwent test in New York after doctors in Florida discovered a thyroid imbalance. The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces hormones that help control metabolism.

Jose's problem was only a very mild case of hyperthyroidism which normally requires no treatment.

He was cleared to resume baseball activity on March 23. But he still began the 2010 season on the D.L.

August 26, 2010: Reyes was day-to-day with a strained right oblique once more, the result of a swing in the second inning of a game that day.

July 3-19, 2011: Jose was put on the D.L. with a left hamstring injury.

August 8-29, 2011: Reyes was back on the D.L. with another strained left hammy.

April 12-June 26, 2013: Reyes was carted off the field at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium, then left in a wheelchair and taken for an MRI after he hurt his left ankle making an awkward slide into second base. When he decided to slide just a couple steps short of the bag, his left ankle rolled beneath him as he slid over the base.

Reyes immediately rolled onto his back and grabbed at his ankle, screaming in pain before pulling the front of his jersey over his face. Trainers from both teams ran out to check on Reyes.

He immediately went on the D.L.

March 31-April 17, 2014: Reyes went on the D.L. after reinjuring his left hamstring in the first inning of his team's 9-2 Opening Day loss to Tampa Bay.

April 27-May 25, 2015: The Blue Jays placed Reyeson the 15-day disabled list with a cracked left rib.

July 27-Aug 13, 2016: The Mets placed Reyes on the disabled list with a left oblique strain.

August 17, 2017: Reyes was placed on the 10-day disabled list by the New York Mets with a sore left rib cage.