T

Tommie Lee Agee was born August 9, 1942, at Magnolia, Alabama to Carrie and Joseph Agee. He had 10 siblings, nine of them girls. A year after Tommie’s birth, the Agees moved to Mobile, Alabama. His father worked for the Aluminum Company of America and Agee grew up in a low-income area that had segregated schools and parks. Being on the Gulf of Mexico, Mobile’s climate lent itself to year-round outdoor sporting activities. The locality also had a rich lode for baseball talent, Hank Aaron and Willie McCovey hail from the area as did legendary Satchel Paige and Agee’s Mets teammate Amos Otis. But it was another future teammate in New York that Agee would form a bond with in Mobile.

In junior high, Agee met another youngster, Cleon Jones, who became an immediate school yard teammate and close friend. They were born just five days apart (Cleon was older). Although Carrie Agee wanted her son to become a minister, early on Tommie demonstrated gifted athletic abilities and a desire that placed him on course for a sports career.

Though not yet five years old when Jackie Robinson brought an end to the infamous gentlemen’s agreement and opened up major league rosters to men of color, Agee still recalled the excitement it generated. “They had one television set in our part of town and everybody gathered around it one day when Jackie Robinson was playing a game. ..I knew then that I could be a ballplayer.”1

Agee attended the local high school, Mobile County Training School. Started in 1880, the facility was the oldest training school in Alabama and for many years was comprised of grades seven through 12. It was reorganized to a middle school in 1970. Agee was a four-sport star at Mobile County, playing football, basketball, and baseball as well as running track. During summer break the teenager played sandlot baseball. In fact, he once shagged flies for another Mobile resident, future Hall of Famer Billy Williams.

“There were quite a few playing fields around,” said Agee’s high school coach, Curtis J. Horton. “The boys had areas in which they could develop.. ..Fields didn’t have to be perfect and smooth. Baseball was played in just about every neighborhood, on every block. If the kids didn’t have regulation bats and balls, they played stickball with rubber balls and broomsticks.”2

On the high school diamond, Tommie batted .390 and also pitched. The team recorded only one loss. Unfortunately, Alabama did not have a state baseball championship while Agee was at Mobile County Training School.

On the gridiron, Agee was an end and his friend Cleon Jones, a halfback. MCTS football had a stellar record—only one loss during Tommie’s three years with the squad. He would remember fondly, “We had a play that we called number forty-eight, and it was a halfback option play. The quarterback would hand off to Cleon and he had an option of running or passing to me. During the 1960 season, we made five touchdowns on that play alone.”3

Agee went on to Grambling State University on a baseball scholarship, a school better known for other sports: NBA star Willis Reed and NFL cornerback Willie Brown, both of whom eventually reached the Hall of Fame in their sports as professionals, attended Grambling the same time as Agee. Dr. Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones who coached the Louisiana school’s baseball team remembered Tommie’s first game. “We worked on cutting down his swing. You know how it is, all these boys think about is home runs… .Well, the first time up, he hits a home run over the left-field fence. The next time he hits one over the center-field fence. The third time he hits one over the right-field fence. Then he hits so far into center that he gets an inside-the-park home run.”4

Early scouting reports claimed he “lacked coordination” as well as poor fundamentals. In fact, Coach Jones initially placed him at first base. The coach moved him to the middle infield and even had him pitch before finally slotting Agee as an outfielder. Hitting was not an obstacle. During his single season at Grambling, Agee batted .533, then the highest average in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s history.

After that colossal college season seemingly every pro birddog scout flocked to Agee’s home in Mobile. Similarly impressed was his pal Cleon Jones, who took to respectfully referring to Agee as “Number One.”5

Agee inked a contract with the Cleveland Indians with a $65,000 bonus in 1961. He spent parts of two season in Iowa, first at Class-D Dubuque, where he hit .261 with 15 home runs in 64 games, and then at Class-B Burlington, batting .258 with 25 steals in 500 at-bats. He moved up to Class-AAA Jacksonville for two games before being called up to Cleveland. His major league debut occurred in road grays, September 14, 1962 before 25,372 at Metropolitan Stadium. In the top of the ninth, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Agee flew out against Minnesota southpaw Dick Stigman in an 11-1 Minnesota rout. Agee batted .214 during that initial cup of coffee in 1962. He bounced back and forth from the farm to the parent club through the 1964 season. His cumulative batting average for Cleveland was just .170 with one home run in 53 at-bats.

On January 20, 1965, the 23-year-old Agee was involved in a three-team swap. Pitcher Tommy John, catcher John Romano, and Agee were sent to the Chicago White Sox; the Kansas City Athletics sent Rocky Colavito to Cleveland; Chicago sent Jim Landis and Mike Hershberger to Kansas City; and Chicago sent Cam Carreon to Cleveland. At a later date Chicago sent Fred Talbot to Kansas City. The White Sox wound up the winners in the complicated transaction, though Agee did not pay immediate dividends.

Agee spent almost all of 1965 at Class-AAA Indianapolis, batting .226 with 15 steals. He hit even worse in brief duty with the Pale Hose, batting a paltry .158. Agee finally got his chance in 1966.

Agee was tabbed as Chicago’s starting center fielder on Opening Day and launched a two-run home run in the seventh inning to tie the game. The White Sox went on to win in 14 innings and Agee, who began the season in the seventh spot in the order, quickly moved up in the lineup—first to leadoff, then moving to the two-hole, before settling into the third spot in the order. He wound up the season batting cleanup.

Agee batted .273 with 22 home runs, 88 RBIs, and scored 98 runs while playing in 160 games. After attempting just one steal in his past trials in the majors, Agee stole 44 bases for the White Sox (he was caught 18 times). He was named the American League Rookie of the Year and finished eighth in the MVP voting to Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson in Baltimore. Agee earned a Gold Glove and was named to the All-Star team.

Agee was an All-Star again in 1967, but he suffered through a sophomore jinx in the latter stages of the season. He managed through the first half with a split of .247/.317/.401—not bad numbers for that pitching-dominated era on a team where no regular wound up hitting higher than .250—but Agee slumped to .218/.282/.329 in the second half. And while he thrived against lefties, batting .306 and putting together an .844 OPS, he made management wonder if he might be a platoon player by hitting just .199 against righties, though he hit 10 of his 14 home runs against them. His slumping was certainly noticeable as the Chisox battled until the final week for the pennant with Boston, Detroit, and Minnesota; the club with scarlet socks nabbed the AL flag on the final day.

Also noticing the outfielder was opposing manager Gil Hodges of the Washington Senators. When the New York Mets traded for Hodges after the season, one of the new manager’s first requests was to try to pry Agee from the White Sox. On December 15, 1967, the Mets acquired Agee along with infielder Al Weis. The Mets gave up their best hitter, Tommy Davis, and Jack Fisher, the only Met besides rookie Tom Seaver to make more than 30 starts in 1967. (The Mets also sent Billy Wynne and Buddy Booker to the White Sox in the deal.)

Hodges penciled in Agee as his center fielder, a position where many had tried and failed for the sad-sack Mets to that point. Longtime Mets beat reporter Maury Allen wrote, “Hodges had always liked Agee as a ballplayer and thought sure that he could be the kind of exciting leader the Mets needed on the field.”6 The deal also reunited Agee with long-time friend and Mets left fielder Cleon Jones.

The ’68 Grapefruit League opener was a bleak foreshadowing for Agee’s first year as a Met. He was beaned by St. Louis Cardinals ace Bob Gibson on the first pitch of spring training and wound up hospitalized. Agee began the regular season batting third with a 5-for-16 start, good for a .313 average and five runs scored. In the fifth game, however, he endured an 0-for-10 nightmare in a 24-inning loss at the Astrodome, embarking on a 0-for-34 slump that tied Don Zimmer’s club record set in 1962. After going hitless for two weeks and seeing his average drop to .102, he finally grounded a single off Philadelphia’s Larry Jackson. He did not have his first home run or RBI until May 10. Agee ended the year with a .217 batting average and a mere five home runs and 17 RBIs in 391 at-bats. He walked just 15 times—his lowest total over a full season—while fanning 100 times for the third straight year.

Oddsmakers and baseball pundits tagged the 1969 Mets as a 100-1 longshot to win the Fall Classic. Why? Since their inception the hapless club never finished higher than ninth place. The smart money knew only a miracle could turn them around and that wasn’t going to happen. Or was it?

Agee, fittingly, was the first Mets batter of 1969. Primed for redemption and rewarding his manager’s faith by installing him in the leadoff spot, he knocked in New York’s first runs of the season with a three-run double in the second inning on Opening Day. Two days later, on April 10, the 26-year-old launched two home runs. His first of the day was a legendary homer in the second inning that landed in Shea’s left-field upper deck.

“That one today would have gone over the third fence and hit the bus in the parking lot if it hadn’t hit the seats,” marveled Ron Swoboda.7

After that blast plus another off Expos left-hander Larry Jaster, Agee said the chance Hodges gave him to go deep meant as much to him as the jaw-dropping distance. “Not many managers,” he said, “would have had enough faith to go with me after the year I had [in 1968].”8

Agee was the first—and last—to ever land a ball in the ratified air of fair territory in left or right field at Shea Stadium. The approximate spot was later memorialized by painting a large circle where he hit his home run with his name, number, and date. Years later, it was estimated at 480 feet.

But long balls were a generally rare event with the Mets. A pitching-first club without a lot of hitting, the 1969 Mets won by scoring just enough runs to win. They went a remarkable 41-23 in one-run games in 1969, often relying on their “lunch pail” everyday center fielder to inspire teammates. “I think it was just a matter of [Agee’s] getting adjusted, knowing the pitchers better and regaining his confidence,” Hodges said. “Tommie can make a ballclub go with running and power.”9

Agee led the 1969 Mets in games (149), at-bats (565), runs (97), and, surprisingly for a leadoff man, he led the club in both home runs (26) and RBIs (76). Though he had a superb season with his glove in center field, Cincinnati Reds right fielder Pete Rose wound up claiming a Gold Glove along with automatics Roberto Clemente and Curt Flood. Rose finished fourth in the MVP voting to Willie McCovey; Agee was sixth.

Agee’s offense garnered plenty of notice. Allen, who covered the club for the New York Post that summer, referred to 1969 as “the Mets Age of Agee,”10 bumping the Age of Aquarius from Broadway’s production of Hair to second billing.

Indeed, the Cubs must have been perusing the Big Apple tabloids. The first pitch of the September 8 showdown by Cub Bill Hands knocked down Agee. To veteran observers, it had all the earmarks of a “stick it in his ear” order from Cub skipper Leo Durocher.11 After that game, which New York won with Agee sliding past catcher Randy Hundley in a memorably close call, the outfielder commented, “I don’t mind being knocked down. If you’re hitting they’re going to knock you down. The only thing I don’t like is if we don’t retaliate.” Jerry Koosman took care of that end and the Mets—with a visit from a black cat—took care of the Cubs the next night and took over first place the night after that.

The Mets mowed down the opposition, finishing with a 100-62 record. The Amazin’s topped the second place Cubs by eight games and captured the first National League East title in history. The inaugural Championship Series saw New York square off against the West’s Atlanta Braves. Agee, who played every day despite Hodges’s multiple platoon system, batted leadoff in all three games. After becoming the first Mets to ever appear in a postseason game and going hitless in the series opening win, Agee homered in each of the next two games and knocked in four for a .357 average as the Mets swept.

Agee was the first Met to step to the plate in a World Series game and—as he’d done in the NLCS opener—he grounded out. Orioles outfielder Don Buford—a former teammate of Agee’s in Chicago—belted a leadoff home run against Tom Seaver as Baltimore took the first game, 4-1. The Mets held on for a 2-1 win the next day to even the Series.

Agee took over Game Three and the Mets shifted into another gear. Sports Illustrated labeled Agee’s October 14 performance, “The most spectacular World Series game that any center fielder has ever enjoyed.”12 Agee led off the first World Series game played at Shea with a home run against Orioles ace and future Cooperstown entrant Jim Palmer. Agee had been 0 for 8 in the two games in Maryland.

New York was up 3-0 in the fourth inning, but the Orioles threatened with runners on first and third and two outs. Baltimore catcher Elrod Hendricks hit a Gary Gentry pitch to left-center. It looked like a double or even a triple for the Baltimore backstop. As Agee sprinted toward left field, Cleon Jones knew his old friend would make the play. “Lots of room, lots of room!” Jones shouted, to make sure Agee knew the fence wouldn’t get in his way.13 Agee reached out and grabbed the ball backhanded as he came to a halt before slamming into the 396-foot sign—with plenty of white showing as the ball lodged in the glove’s stretched webbing.

Baltimore loaded the bases in the seventh with two outs. Orioles center fielder Paul Blair represented the tying run as Nolan Ryan came in to replace Gentry. Blair slammed a drive to deep right-center field as Agee again sped in pursuit. At the warning track he dove for the ball as if he were an Olympic swimmer. The ball landed in his glove as he sprawled prone to the ground. Agee later said the catch off Blair, as difficult as it looked, was easier than the one he made off Hendricks because the Blair catch was “on my glove side.”14

The 56,335 at Shea gave him a standing ovation when he led off in the bottom of the frame. Agee also received what may have been the ultimate compliment from the wags in the press box who winkingly told one another between catches, “Let’s see him do it again.”15 Little did they know they would.

Agee’s catches, especially his robbery of Blair, were immediately considered within the regal realm of other key Series plays: great grabs like Al Gionfriddo off Joe DiMaggio (1947), Willie Mays off Vic Wertz (1954), or Sandy Amoros off Yogi Berra (1955). After the contest, Agee was particularly satisfied that his all-around performance would make headlines back home in Mobile. “Oh, people hear about us,” he said. “They get clippings from out of town.”16

Agee’s leadoff homer accounted for one run and the catches saved at least five runs in the 5-0 win that put the Mets ahead of the overwhelming favorite Orioles in the World Series. Agee had just two more hits in the Series and finished with a .167 average in the five-game victory, but he was still as much a hero as anyone on a team suddenly overflowing with supermen.

Following the World Series, Agee along with a few other Mets appeared in a Las Vegas revue, singing “The Impossible Dream” among other standards. Back in Mobile, Agee and Jones were honored with a parade. Though Agee would later admit disappointment that as a pair of African-American big-leaguers he and Jones weren’t previously the object of much official municipal affection in their Deep South hometown, on the day of the celebration, he happily told the estimated crowd of more than 5,000, “There’s no place like home.”17

The Sporting News named Agee NL Comeback Player of the Year. He continued to be the club’s leadoff hitter and starting center fielder for three more seasons. He won his overdue second Gold Glove in 1970 and surpassed his ’69 season in several categories. He batted a career-high .286 and had his lone career 30-double season. That year also saw him set team records with 636 at-bats, (broken by Felix Millan in 1973 with 638), 31 stolen bases (topped by Lenny Randle in 1977 with 33), 107 runs (surpassed by one by Darryl Strawberry in 1987), and 298 total bases (erased by Strawberry in ’87 with 310). Agee had both a 20-game and a 19-game hitting streak in ’70 while his 24 home runs made him the first Met in history to twice lead the club in that category or reach 20 homers in more than one year.

The 1971 and 1972 seasons saw Agee hampered by knee problems. Before the 1972 season, Hodges died suddenly, and Yogi Berra was named manager. More change was in store on May 11 when the Mets acquired the greatest center fielder to ever come from Alabama: Willie Mays. Agee still got the majority of starts in center field over the 41-year-old Mays, but he no longer played every day as he had under Hodges. His average stood at .281 the day Mays had his first at-bat as a Met and Agee finished the year at just .227, his lowest average since his first year at Shea.

On November 27, 1972, the Mets dealt Agee to the Houston Astros for outfielder Rich Chiles and right-hander Buddy Harris. Agee appeared in 83 games for Houston and batted .235 with eight home runs. The Astros sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals on August 18, 1973, receiving outfielder Dave Campbell and cash. His last game was September 30, 1973 at Busch Stadium, where he pinch-hit for pitcher Diego Segui in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies. Agee grounded out to short.

Agee had planned to continue playing and the Los Angeles Dodgers fully expected him to as well. On December 5, 1973, the Cards traded him to Los Angeles for Pete Richert, but the Dodgers released Agee near the end of spring training on March 26, 1974. Agee ended his career, at age 31, with a .255 batting average with 130 home runs, 433 RBIs, and 167 stolen bases. He finished one hit shy of 1,000 for his career.

In retirement, Agee was very active in youth programs in the New York area. He owned a bar near Shea Stadium called The Outfielder’s Lounge. He later went into the business sector and was affiliated with Stewart Title Insurance Company. On January 22, 2001, upon leaving a midtown Manhattan office building, Agee was stricken with a fatal heart attack. He was 58 years old. Agee was survived by his wife Maxine and daughter Janelle.

Mets team chairman Nelson Doubleday called Agee “one of the all-time great Mets.” On Opening Day 2001 the Mets wore a patch honoring Agee and Brian Cole, a prospect killed in an auto accident shortly before the opener. Agee was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2002, the last Met so honored at Shea Stadium. Members of his family were invited to take part in the final day at Shea in 2008.

After Agee’s death, Cleon Jones still marveled at how his old friend made playing center field at Shea Stadium look easy, despite its poor visibility and swirling winds. “I hated it; every guy before me hated it,” recalled Jones, who was the club’s center fielder the two years prior to Agee’s arrival in New York. “But Tommie never complained. I watched Willie Mays, Curt Flood, Vada Pinson—a lot of guys came into this Shea Stadium outfield. Nobody played it better than Tommie Agee.”18

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks to Mets fan Greg Prince, who researched and provided all the endnotes for this biography.

SOURCES

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted 108mag.typepad.com, Baseball Digest, guardonline.com, salisburypost.com, the 2008 Mets Media Guide, and two articles in particular.

Rubin, Adam, “Shea Stadium’s Been Raining Long Balls for Years,” http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/09/06/2008-09-06_sh…

Spector, Jesse, “Tommie Agee’s Upper-Decker Remains Singular Shea Swat” http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/09/20/2008-09-20_tommie_agees_upperdecker_remains_singula.html#ixzzOEZQaM9Hs&A

NOTES

1. A.S. “Doc” Young, The Mets From Mobile: Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1970), 24.

2. Young, 20.

3. Young, 22.

4. Young, 26.

5. George Vecsey, Joy in Mudville: Being a Complete Account of the Unparalleled History of the New York Mets from Their Most Perturbed Beginnings to Their Amazing Rise to Glory and Renown (New York: The McCall Publishing Company, 1970), 161.

6. Maury Allen, The Incredible Mets (New York: Paperback Library, 1969), 83-84.

7. Larry Fox, “Agee Reborn,” New York Daily News, April 11, 1968.

8. Fox, “Agee Reborn.”

9. Young, 60-61.

10. Allen, 125.

11. Vecsey, 209.

12. William Leggett, “Never Pumpkins Again,” Sports Illustrated, October 27, 1969.

13. Wayne Coffey, They Said It Couldn’t Be Done: The ’69 Mets, New York City, and the Most Astounding Season in Baseball History (New York: Crown Archetype), 183.

14. Young, 107.

15. Phil Pepe, “Agee Whiz! Mets Go 1 Up in Series,” New York Daily News, October 15, 1969.

16. Vecsey, 240.

17. Young, 134.

18. Bryan Hoch, “Agee Earns Rightful Sport in Mets Hall,” The Wave (Rockaway, New York), August 17, 2002.

William Robert Allison was born on July 11, 1934, in Raytown, Missouri, located about 10 miles southeast of Kansas City. His parents, Robert “Lou” and Frances (Witte) Allison, were hard-working, industrious people who provided Bob and his two younger siblings, Jim and Frances (known as Frankie), a solid, middle-class life. Bob got his first lesson in baseball from his father, a construction worker and former semipro catcher. He began playing organized baseball by the time he was 11 years old and attending Chapel Elementary School. He was a big, rugged, and agile youth, and his favorite sport was football. At Raytown High School he was a standout in multiple sports, starring at quarterback and fullback on the gridiron, playing in the front court in basketball, and running track. He was “something of a legend around Raytown,” read one report.2 Although his school did not have a baseball team, Bob played in the highly competitive Ban Johnson League in the Kansas City metro area.

After graduating from high school in 1952, Allison enrolled on a football scholarship at the University of Kansas, about 50 miles from home in Lawrence. He was a fullback on the Jayhawks football team in 1952 and 1953, and played baseball in 1954 for legendary coach, Floyd Temple, in his first of 28 years guiding Kansas. At 6-feet-3 and weighing 200 pounds, the right-handed Allison might have had the prototypical build for a professional fullback, but he garnered more attention as a hard-hitting, rough-and-tumble infielder-outfielder for Milgram in the Ban Johnson League in the summers of 1952-1954. “At 18, he could out throw most big leaguers I saw,” said one of his former coaches.3 Scouts from the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Braves, New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Senators were on his trail in Kansas City and Lawrence. “Tom Greenwade, who discovered Mickey Mantle, came to the university to see me,” said Allison. “He gave me all the sweet talk about the Yankees, and I must admit that I was surprised. [Senators scout] Ray Baker had told me that it was easier to make it in the Washington organization than with some of the richer clubs.”4 The decision to pursue a career in baseball became more immediate when Allison lost his athletic eligibility for the fall of 1954 due to poor grades. According to the Associated Press, the Senators signed Allison on Baker’s recommendation on January 24, 1955.5

With a bonus of $4,000 in hand, the 20-year-old Allison reported to the Class B Hagerstown (Maryland) Packets of the Piedmont League in 1955. He batted .256, but showed little power, slugging just .332. The Senators invited him to spring training in 1956 for a look-see. Although Washington sportswriter Shirley Povich praised him for his “big swing and determination,”6 Allison was over his head and was subsequently assigned to the Charlotte (North Carolina) Hornets in the Class A South Atlantic League, where his average dipped to .233.

In Charlotte Allison roomed with 20-year-old Harmon Killebrew, in his first year in the minors. Killebrew had signed with the Senators two years earlier for a reported $30,000 bonus; because of the bonus rule in effect at the time, he was required to spend his first two (agonizing) seasons on the big-league squad. The two prospects became lifelong friends and accompanied each other on their arduous journey to the big leagues. The following season, with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, Killebrew developed into a slugging sensation, belting 29 home runs to lead the Southern Association, while Allison batted just .246 and hit only two home runs, though his 11 triples tied for the league lead. Despite his weak hitting, Allison had established a reputation as good center fielder with excellent range and a rifle arm.

Back with Chattanooga in 1958 after another trial with Washington in spring training, Allison blossomed, batting .307 and slugging .446, and earned a call-up to the Senators when the rosters expanded in September. On September 16 he made his major-league debut, playing center field and batting leadoff, and going 1-for-4 in a loss to the Cleveland Indians. Allison appeared overmatched at the plate (7-for-35), but according to The Sporting News “can handle centerfield.”7 Allison honed his skills in the Cuban Winter League, leading Almendares to the league championship and earning a berth on the all-star team while experiencing a front-row view of the Cuban Revolution.8

Allison’s rookie season with the Senators in 1959 defied all expectations. His size, speed, strength, and athleticism inspired awe. Team trainer George “Doc” Lentz, who had worked for the Senators for 31 years and also for the Washington Redskins, called the now 220-pound, muscular Allison “the strongest man I ever handled.”9 Club owner Calvin Griffith praised him as having “the best arm that has come to our outfield since Jackie Jensen.”10 Said coach Ellis Clary, “I know he’ll scare the daylights out of the opposition. Man, when he runs down the line from home plate I can hear the ground shake.”11 But despite this praise, many felt that Allison would not even make the team because of his poor hitting. Boston sportswriter Hy Hurwitz wrote that Allison “should be shipped out” during camp while Senators beat reporter Bob Addie noted that “none of the scribes covering the team in training camp thought much of Allison.”12 Shirley Povich cautioned, “[Allison’s] not a power hitter.”13 His manager, Cookie Lavagetto, was even more direct in his evaluation, “He was the worst you ever saw at the plate. He chopped at the ball like he had an axe in his hand.”14

Dubbed the “hardest worker in camp,” Allison recognized that his future in the big leagues rested on improved hitting.15 Roy Sievers, renowned for his graceful swing, proved to be most influential on the youngster. “He had me move closer to the plate so I could reach the pitches,” said Allison. “He also taught me not to lunge.”16 A classic line-drive hitter, Allison’s new approach helped him temper the tendency to pull the ball. He impressed Lavagetto with his work ethic, “He’s a curious kid. If he makes a mistake, he’ll talk about it. Bob studies pitchers,” said his skipper.17

Allison made an immediate impression on fans with his energetic style of play. He opened the 1959 season with a nine-game hitting streak, including his first home run. He began in right field, moved to left, and then took over center field in the 12th game of the season, making Albie Pearson, the 1958 Rookie of the Year, expendable. (He was traded on May 26.)

With only 28 home runs in four years in the minors, no one expected Allison to develop into a home-run threat. But he surprised everyone. On June 5 Allison collected a career-best five hits (in five at-bats) and walloped two home runs for the first of 16 times in his career, yet the Senators lost to the Detroit Tigers, 7-6. By the end of July, Allison had clouted 27 round-trippers, and was named to the AL All-Star team for the second of two games scheduled that season, although did not play. “He can run, he can throw, he swings a good bat,” wrote Bob Addie.18 Allison intimidated baserunners with his accurate arm, but also tested Lavagetto’s patience for occasionally showboating and overthrowing the cutoff man to show off his arm strength, thereby permitting runners to advance.

Despite slumping the final two months of the season, Allison finished with 30 home runs and batted .261; he also knocked in 85 runs despite hitting in the two-hole for just over half of his at-bats. More than a slugger, he led the AL in triples (9) and finished fifth in stolen bases (13). He topped off the season by winning the Rookie of the Year award. The Senators were accustomed to losing, and finished in last place in 1959, but they treated their fans to a home-run barrage. En route to a new team-record 163 home runs, Allison, Killebrew (42), and Jim Lemon (33) became just the seventh trio of teammates to blast 30 round-trippers in one season, and the first in the AL since the 1941 New York Yankees with Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Keller, and Tommy Henrich.

After another offseason playing winter ball in Cuba, Allison reported to spring training in 1960 with high expectations. Calvin Griffith, the perpetually cash-strapped owner of the club, pronounced him an untouchable and rebuffed offers to sell the young star. Moved to right field, Allison got off to a torrid start. In his first seven games he collected 17 hits in 30 at-bats and drove in 12 runs. He caught President Dwight Eisenhower’s pitch on what turned out to be the last home opener for the Senators in Washington. Batting primarily in the third spot, usually in front of Lemon, Allison hit .328, scored 35 runs and knocked in 33 through the first 50 games, and seemed destined for stardom. But just as the Senators were putting together a winning record for three consecutive months (June, July, and August) for the first time since 1952 to begin September with a winning record, Allison commenced a prolonged sophomore slump, batting just .205 in his last 95 games. More disconcerting to the Senators was Allison’s loss of power –  just 15 home runs for the season. One of those, however, was a dramatic two-run walk-off blast in the 10th inning to defeat the New York Yankees on July 5. While the Senators floundered in September to finish in fifth place, Griffith became willing to listen to trade offers for Allison.

It was not a surprise when the Senators moved to Minnesota in the offseason. Griffith, the adopted son of former owner Clark Griffith, had begun exploring relocation options soon after taking control of the team in 1955. Since breaking the one-million mark in 1946, the club had struggled mightily at the gate, finishing last in attendance every year since 1955. Griffith, whose primary source of income was the baseball club, also complained that the location of Griffith Stadium, in the historically black neighborhood of Shaw, kept fans from the games. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, he hoped to reap the same kinds of financial rewards that the Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Giants did after relocating in the 1950s.

Ignoring trade rumors, Allison got off to another hot start in 1961 as the Minnesota Twins played their first six games on the road. In their season opener, he walloped the first home run in Twins history,  a deep line-drive blast to left field off Whitey Ford in the club’s convincing 6-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Three games later, he blasted two round-trippers and drove in a career-high seven runs in a Twins’ victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Two more games of two home runs followed in mid-May at Metropolitan Stadium, located in Bloomington, about 11 miles due south of downtown Minneapolis. Though the Twins finished in seventh place (70-90) in the year the AL expanded to 10 teams, the club finished third in attendance, proving that major-league baseball could succeed in the Upper Midwest where cool, indeed cold, temperatures in April, May, and September were the norm. Allison placed seventh in home runs (29) and RBIs (105) while drawing a career-high 103 free passes (fifth best in the AL).

Allison was an immediate favorite in Minnesota. As the first player to establish year-round, permanent residence in Minnesota, he helped Minnesotans forge a strong bond with their recently relocated team. He, his wife (his high-school sweetheart, Betty Shearer, whom he had married in 1956), and their three children, Mark, Kirk, and Kyle, were fixtures at the ballpark and in the community. Allison had matinee-idol good looks – tall, dark, and handsome with brownish black hair and hazel-green eyes – and played with an ethos that endeared him to fans and the media. He had all sorts of nicknames, from Paul Bunyan and Mr. America to Muscles, all which played on his Herculean physique. “He plays hard and he plays every second of every game,” commented The Sporting News.19 Called a “throw back to the old times,” Allison was “Old School” when it meant playing an all-out style like the 1920s or 1930s.20  He crashed into outfield fences going after balls and made daring, diving catches. Though not conventionally fast like Mickey Mantle or a great basestealer like Luis Aparicio, Allison was an excellent and fearless baserunner. His specialty was breaking up double plays, barreling over shortstops, many of whom he outweighed by 50 to 60 pounds.

In 1962 the Twins were the youngest team in the AL and had assembled a nucleus of players who helped transform the club to a pennant winner in 1965, and laid the foundations for the team’s success throughout the decade. Killebrew (age 26) and Allison (27) in the outfield, Zoilo Versalles (22) at shortstop, Rich Rollins (24) at third base, and catcher Earl Battey (27) were All-Star selections in the 1960s. The Twins farm system produced other future All-Stars who joined them: outfielders Jimmie Hall in 1963 and Tony Oliva in 1964, and second baseman Rod Carew in 1967.

Allison was hampered by several early-season injuries in 1962, including a pulled rib muscle and spiked fingers, and experienced a drop in his power numbers through early June. Nonetheless, the Twins briefly took over the top spot in the AL that month. “I’ve never seen the kind of spirit we’ve got on the club,” said Allison.21 Manager Sam Mele, who had replaced Cookie Lavagetto during the previous season, relied on the long ball; all eight position players swatted at least 11 home runs as the club set a new team record with 185. Allison regained his power in June and put together one of the most productive stretches in his career, hitting 27 round-trippers and knocking in 86 runs in 108 games from June 9 through the end of the season. On July 18 Allison and Killebrew became the first set of teammates in big-league history to wallop grand slams in the same inning when they accomplished the feat in the first frame of a 14-3 laugher against the Cleveland Indians at the Met. Minnesota finished with 91 victories, five behind the New York Yankees. In an era when high batting averages and low strikeout totals were the signs of good hitters, Allison – who struck out a lot and seldom hit for a high average – did not receive as much credit for his production as he probably should have. He finished third in runs (102) and seventh in RBIs (102), joining Norm Siebern of the Kansas City Athletics as the only AL players in triple digits in both departments; he also finished eighth in home runs (29) and fifth in slugging (.511).

Sluggers Killebrew and Allison were affectionately known as “Mr. Upstairs and Mr. Downstairs.” Whereas the “Killer” clouted legendary arcing homers, Allison ripped bullets that cleared the fences. The ever modest Allison claimed, “I’ve never been much of a long-ball hitter,” and added, “I swing down at the ball and I’m more of a line-drive hitter.”22

Using a wider batting stance and a heavier bat, Allison enjoyed arguably his best season in 1963 in an offensively depressed era. He was named Player of the Month by Fleer in April (five home runs and 18 RBIs in 19 games) while his teammates struggled and the club dropped into last place. “Allison is only doing what comes naturally when he plays Paul Bunyan so it is no surprise that he’s trying singlehandedly to carry the Twins,” wrote UPI after the slugger connected for three home runs for the first and only time in his career, against the Indians on May 17.23 On the strength of his league-leading 21 home runs, Allison was named a backup on the AL All-Star squad. (He struck out against Houston’s Hal Woodeshick in his only at-bat.) Despite being briefly sidelined in August when a pitch from Dean Chance of the Los Angeles Angels broke a bone in his right hand, Allison finished third in the AL in home runs (a career-best 35), fourth in RBIs (91), third in walks (90), and second in slugging (.533). He paced the circuit with 99 runs scored, marking the first time that the AL leader failed to reach 100 in a full season since Elmer Flick in 1906. The Twins proved to be a streaky team, winning 91 games, but finishing in a distant third place, 13 games behind the Yankees. They also established a new team record with 225 home runs – 113 of them from Allison, Killebrew (45), and Hall (33).

Twins beat reporter Arno Goethel once referred to Allison as the “unknown outfielder.”24 Soft-spoken off the field, yet articulate, Allison shunned the spotlight, played in the shadows of Killebrew and Oliva, and was rarely mentioned in discussions about the best outfielders in the early to mid-1960s. He played any position the team asked, moving from center field to right field, to first base in 1964, and then to left field in 1965 to accommodate younger players or improve the team. “I don’t care where I play,” he told sportswriter Dick Gordon. “I don’t think moving around affects my play and I like being able to play more than one position.”25 On the field Allison exhibited a completely different persona. Managers and teammates acknowledged him as the vocal team leader. Minneapolis sports reporter Max Nichols praised his “take charge instincts” and noted that he’s the “holler guy” on a team filled with “silent types.”26

The Twins fell to sixth place in 1964 with a 79-83 record despite a league-leading 221 home runs. Four of those home runs came consecutively against the Kansas City A’s when Oliva, Allison, Hall, and Killebrew connected in the 11th inning of a 7-3 victory. Allison was a jack-of-all-trades, starting 90 games at first base and 45 in the outfield (at all three positions). He was a starter in his third and final All-Star appearance (he went 0-for-3 with a walk). Allison’s season ended about a week early when he was hit by a pitch from Lew Krausse of the Kansas City A’s and broke a knuckle. With 32 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a career-best .287 average, Allison set career-best marks in slugging (.553) and on-base percentage (.404).

The 1965 Twins were an unusually deep team, with seven legitimate All-Star position players, and two more on the pitching staff. Three new coaches, Johnny Sain, Jim Lemon, and Billy Martin, helped forge them into a mentally tough and fundamentally sound team. In first place for the overwhelming majority of the season, the Twins overcame injuries to key players to pull away from the pack in August and September and cruise to their first pennant, seven games ahead of the Chicago White Sox, with a record of 102-60.

Allison started out the 1965 season in left field, his third different position in as many years. He put up typical numbers (.267, 12 HRs, 34 RBIs) until he was hit on the right wrist by a pitch from Boston’s Jerry Stephenson on July 6. Diagnosed with a fractured wrist, Allison missed 10 days. He struggled after his return (batting just .199, though he hit 11 homers and knocked in 44 runs in 68 games) and was often platooned with Sandy Valdespino, a speedy, left-handed-hitting rookie. About four weeks after Allison’s injury, Killebrew suffered what appeared to be a season-ending elbow injury in a collision at first base with Baltimore’s Russ Snyder on August 2.

The Twins’ pennant was a testimony to the team’s depth and team-oriented attitude. “We find a different way to win every day,” said Allison. “This team is a bunch of fighters.”27 With Allison bothered by a sore wrist and Killebrew out seven weeks, the Twins relied on a collective effort. “No player on this club has dominated the clutch hitting role,” wrote Max Nichols.28 Don Mincher belted 22 home runs and replaced Killebrew at first base, Oliva batted .321 to capture his second successive batting crown, and Versalles led the league in runs scored (126) and extra-base hits (76) and won the AL MVP award.

The Twins lost the 1965 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose other-worldly ace, Sandy Koufax, hurled shutouts in Game Five and Game Seven (on two days’ rest), but Allison’s remarkable catch in Game Two has endured as one of the most memorable in Series history. In the fifth inning of a scoreless game, with a man on first and no one out, Allison made a diving backhanded grab of Jim Lefebvre’s sinking line drive to left field. He caught the ball with his glove just off the ground in fair territory and skidded on the soggy field across the foul line. “It was the greatest catch I’ve ever seen,” said Killebrew.29 The Twins went on to win the game, 5-1, to take a two-games-to-none lead in the Series. Like his teammates, Allison struggled against Dodgers pitching. In five games (he did not start Games One or Four against Don Drysdale), Allison went 2-for-16. One of those hits was a two-run homer in Game Six off Claude Osteen. The last of his nine strikeouts accounted for the final out in Game Seven.

In 1966, Allison, now 31 years old, lost his position in left field to Valdespino and saw only limited action in an injury-plagued season. On July 23 he suffered his fourth hand/wrist injury in as many years when a pitch from Boston’s Jim Lonborg fractured his left wrist. “You can’t blame the pitchers for pitching me tight,” said a philosophical Allison. “That’s part of the game.”30

In light of a miserable campaign (8 homers and 19 RBIs) Allison endured an offseason filled with trade rumors, but the Twins had no viable options in left field. Two of his supposed replacements, Valdespino and Andy Kosco, had failed to lived up to their hype. Allison reclaimed his position as the everyday left fielder, though he was often replaced for defensive purposes late in games. With the Twins floundering in sixth place (25-25), Cal Ermer replaced Mele as skipper and ignited the team. They won 24 of their next 36 games, culminating in a doubleheader sweep of the California Angels on July 16 to pull to within a half-game of first place. In that twin bill, Allison went 3-for-5 with two home runs (one as a pinch-hitter) with five RBIs and three runs scored. Throughout August and September, Minnesota battled Boston, Chicago, and Detroit in one of the most exciting pennant races in league history. In first place entering the final weekend of the season and with just 1½ games separating four teams, the Twins were swept by Boston in a two-game series to finish in second place. Allison finished with a .258/24/75 line.

Collectively, the Twins struggled in 1968, the “Year of the Pitcher,” and fell to seventh place, their worst finish since their inaugural season in Minnesota. The players failed to respond to skipper Cal Ermer, whose authority players openly challenged, leading to some high-profile confrontations, such as one with Carew. Owner Calvin Griffith conceded that Ermer had lost control of the club. Allison, who had hurt his right knee the previous season, needed regular cortisone shots to play in the field. In his last season as an everyday starter, Allison was still an offensive threat, clouting 22 home runs (tied for eighth in the AL) and slugging .456 (sixth).

Although he was reduced to a role player in 1969, Allison looked forward to playing for Billy Martin, whose aggressive, daring style he appreciated. Martin considered Allison excellent coaching material (Allison turned down Martin’s offer to join his staff in Detroit in 1971).  In his autobiography (with Peter Golenbock), Number 1, Martin called Allison “my leader behind the leader on the bench.”31

En route to the AL West crown in the first year of realignment, Allison was involved in an ugly scene with Martin and pitcher Dave Boswell in August. At a local watering hole in Detroit, the Lindell Athletic Club, Boswell began arguing with pitching coach Art Fowler. Allison intervened as peacemaker and took Boswell outside to cool off. Boswell took out his frustration on Allison, knocking him out (with a sucker punch, according to some reports), whereupon Martin rushed outside. In the now infamous fight, Martin beat up his pitcher, who was subsequently hospitalized.32

Allison was placed on waivers during spring training in 1970, but there were no claims on the 35-year-old with creaky knees. Relegated to an occasional start and pinch-hitting duties, Allison saw sporadic action for manager Bill Rigney, who had replaced Martin and led the Twins to their second consecutive AL West crown. For the second year in a row, the club lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS and Allison went hitless in a combined 10 at-bats, both series sweeps. At the conclusion of the season, he announced his retirement. In his 13 years with the Senators-Twins, Allison hit 256 home runs, knocked in 756 runs, and batted .255.

On September 9, 1971, the Twins celebrated B.A.T. Day (Bob Allison Tribute Day), marking the first time a professional athlete had ever been feted with his own day in Minneapolis-St. Paul. The broad-shouldered, down-to-earth Allison was wildly popular as much for what he did off the field as for his accomplishments on the diamond. “[Allison] has been unmatched in the team’s history as a tireless good-will ambassador in Twinsland,” wrote Arno Goethel.33 Long associated with the Easter Seals, Allison worked tirelessly on behalf of sick children, visiting hospitals and raising money.

Allison was well positioned for his post-baseball career. Since his early days in Minnesota, he had worked in the offseason for Coca-Cola, and began working for the company full-time in 1971, moving into sales. His association with the soft-drink company gave rise to one of his funniest monikers, “Bubble-Up.” Allison maintained close ties to the Twins and former teammates, and participated in reunions and special events with the club. In 1989 he retired with his wife to a resort community north of Fountain Hills, in the desert of Arizona. An avid outdoorsman, Allison anticipated playing golf, hunting, hiking, and traveling.

Not long after retiring from Coca-Cola, Allison was tragically diagnosed with ataxia, a rare, incurable disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and gradually impairs coordination. As the disease progressed and his health began to fail, Allison and his family established the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center at the University of Minnesota.

Bob Allison died at the age of 60 on April 9, 1995, from the effects of ataxia. He was buried in Rio Verde Memorial Gardens, in Rio Verde, Arizona. Said close friend Jim Kaat, “This guy had the ideal body. Very durable. He was a hard-nosed player, and played every day. He was always so fit. Everyone marveled at his condition.”34 “When I think of Bob Allison,” remarked former Twins owner Calvin Griffith upon learning of Allison’s death, “I think of brute strength.”35 

Sources                                                                                                                                 

Bob Allison player file at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York.

Ancestry.com

BaseballLibrary.com

Baseball-Reference.com

Retrosheet.com

SABR.org

The Sporting News

Notes

1 Leonard Shechter, “A Hitter Has to Have a Killing Desire,” in Sport, September 1964, quoted from Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Abstract (New York: Free Press, 2001), 825.

2 The Sporting News, September 23, 1959, 3.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Associated Press, “A Boy Here to the Senators,” Kansas City Times, January 25, 1955, 16.

6 The Sporting News, March 14, 1956, 4.

7 The Sporting News, October 8, 1958, 26.

8 The Sporting News, January 28, 1959, 8.

9 The Sporting News, September 23, 1959, 3.

10 The Sporting News, April 1, 1959, 18.

11 The Sporting News, November 25, 1959, 3.

12 The Sporting News, February 3, 1960, 6; The Sporting News, September 23, 1959, 3.

13 The Sporting News, April 1, 1959, 18.

14 Whitney Shoemaker (Associated Press), “Bob Allison Crowds Ted’s Frosh Record,” Gastonia (North Carolina) Gazette, August 5, 1959, 24.

15 The Sporting News, April 8, 1959, 32.

16 The Sporting News, November 25, 1959, 3.

17 The Sporting News, September 23, 1959, 3.

18 Ibid.

19 The Sporting News, June 29, 1960, 21.

20 Ibid.

21 The Sporting News, June 16, 1962, 16.

22 The Sporting News, August 29, 1964, 3.

23 United Press International, “Bob Allison’s Three Homers Spark Twins,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 18, 1963, 6.

24 The Sporting News, January 22, 1965, 8.

25 The Sporting News, January 16, 1965, 20.

26 The Sporting News, July 11, 1964, 11.

27 The Sporting News, August 21, 1965, 13.

28 Ibid.

29 The Sporting News, October 23, 1965, 6.

30 The Sporting News, January 21, 1967, 25.

31 Billy Martin with Peter Golenbock, Number 1. Billy Martin (New York: Dell, 1981), quoted in Bill James, 826.

32 Myron Cope, “A Little Love, A Few Lunches, Make a Team,” Life, September 19, 1969, 79-82.

33 Arno Goethel, “The Citizen Who Never Whiffs,” St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press, August 2, 1970.

34 Bob Cohn, “Rare Illness dims life for ex-Twins slugger,” Arizona Republic (Phoenix), October 27, 1991. articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-10-27/sports/9104070130_1_earl-battey-mudcat-grant-watches.

35  Phil Pepe, “Star-Crossed Twin,” New York Daily News, October, 14, 1990, C46.

One of the reasons for the Tribe’s success was the unlikely power coming from the bat of Sandy Alomar Jr. The veteran backstop started the season in fine fashion, as he slugged a home run in five consecutive games from April 4-8. His 11 home runs at the break matched his season total of the season before and were just three short of his career-high 14 homers in 1994. “I’m in a zone,” said Alomar. “Everything looks like a beach ball.”1

But it was more than the long ball that Alomar was contributing to the team’s fortunes. He owned the second-longest hitting streak in franchise history, 30 games (from May 25 through July 6). The streak, in which Alomar batted .429, was second only to Nap Lajoie’s 31-game streak in 1906. “It’s been a remarkable run for him,” said the Twins’ Paul Molitor. “To be able to have the mind-set to call a game (as catcher) and still be able to do that. …”2  

For the All-Stars on July 8, pitching was the name of the game. The teams battled to a 1-1 tie through the top of the seventh inning. Each team scored its tally on a home run. Edgar Martinez, who was the first designated hitter elected to the All-Star Game, socked a 2-and-2 offering from Greg Maddux into the left-field plaza in the bottom of the second frame. In the top of the seventh, Braves catcher Javy Lopez led off with a solo shot off the Royals’ Jose Rosado.

Jim Thome led off the bottom of the seventh inning by grounding out. Bernie Williams walked and with two outs took second base on a wild pitch by the Giants’ Shawn Estes. Alomar, who had replaced Ivan Rodriguez in the bottom of the sixth inning, stepped to the plate. “When Sandy went to the plate, Paul O’Neill turned to me and said, ‘If all things were fair, Sandy would hit a homer and win the ballgame,’” said Indians manager Mike Hargrove, one of manager Joe Torre’s coaches for the game.3 Sandy sent a 2-and-2 pitch from Estes on a line into the left-field bleachers. “I felt like I was flying,” said Alomar. “I’ve never run the bases so fast on a home run.”4

The 3-1 AL advantage stood up, as the junior circuit snapped a three-game losing streak. The NL was held to three hits. Alomar became the first Indian to homer in the All-Star Game since Rocky Colavito in 1959. Alomar was voted the game’s MVP, the first Indian to be so honored and the first player ever to win the award in his home ballpark. “This is a dream I don’t want to wake up from,” said Alomar. “You probably only get one chance to play an All-Star Game in your home stadium.”5

“It was another of those storybook things,” said Torre. “I had one last fall [the 1996 World Series], and now this. I was happy for Sandy to win it in his own park.”6 

Santos (Velazquez) Alomar was born on June 18, 1966, in Salinas, Puerto Rico. He was the middle child (older sister Sandia, younger brother Roberto) born to Santos and Maria Alomar. Sandy Sr. suited up for six different teams over a 15-year career in the major leagues. He had a career batting average of .245. He was mainly a second baseman, although he also saw time at shortstop. After his playing days, Alomar coached 15 years on the big-league level. In addition to his time in the major leagues, Sandy Sr. also managed the Puerto Rican National Team.

The elder Alomar did not push his sons into baseball. “The only influence is from them seeing me play,” he said.7 The life of a ballplayer means a lot of travel and time away from the family. Sandy Sr. credited his wife, Maria, with raising their three children, saying, “She deserves more credit than me. I was a ballplayer and couldn’t be around that much. She stayed home and raised those kids. That’s why they’re the kind of people they are.”8

Roberto Alomar took to baseball right away. He had the natural ability to play the game and at age 7 he made Sandy’s little league team for 9-to-12-year-olds. But for Sandy, he had other interests to keep him busy. “Sandy left the game at age 12 and got into dirt-bike riding and karate,” said his father. “He was doing dangerous things, more or less. He said the only way he could find excitement in baseball was to become a catcher.”9

Young Sandy took to catching and was signed as an amateur free agent on October 21, 1983, by the San Diego Padres. After graduating from Luis Munoz Rivera High School in Salinas, Alomar began his journey to the major leagues. It was a long climb indeed. At first, the going was rough for the young catcher, who hit a combined .221 through his first three years in the minor leagues. But like most talented players, Alomar put in the work and by 1987 he blossomed into a coveted prospect in the Padres chain. It became a family affair of sorts, as Roberto joined his older brother on multiple minor-league squads. Sandy Sr. joined San Diego manager Steve Boros’ coaching staff in 1986.

In 1988 Alomar was named co-Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News (with Gary Sheffield of Denver). Alomar, who was the catcher for the Las Vegas Stars of the Pacific Coast League, batted .297 and had career highs in home runs (16) and RBIs (71). “I didn’t expect to hit like that,” said Alomar. “As the season started, I struggled a little bit, but then I started swinging harder and pulling the ball more and hitting more home runs.”10

It was reported that 22 of the other 25 major-league clubs were interested in acquiring Alomar. The Padres already had their catcher of the future in Benito Santiago. The time looked right to possibly trade their star prospect and get plenty in return. While Santiago was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1987, Roberto was promoted to the Padres in 1988 and became their starting second baseman. Sandy was frustrated, feeling there was nothing more he could do on the minor-league level. Rumors persisted that he would be traded, or that Santiago might be moved. One rumor had Alomar headed to Atlanta for All-Star Dale Murphy. “Every organization in the league would love to have a Sandy Alomar,” said Atlanta general manager Bobby Cox.11

But no deal was ever made and Alomar returned to Las Vegas in 1989. He started the season poorly, batting .242 up to June 5, and then he became a man possessed, batting .351 the rest of the way. For the season, Alomar batted .306, with 13 home runs and 101 RBIs. He showed value behind the plate as well, fielding his position at a .984 clip, and throwing out 34 percent of would-be basestealers (25 of 74). He was once again honored by The Sporting News and Baseball America as the Minor League Player of the Year. “It means a lot to me,” said Alomar of the award. “The way I felt, I was so frustrated. I figured there was no way I’d win it again.”12

When the Cleveland Indians front office offered slugging outfielder Joe Carter a multiyear deal at the end of the 1989 season, Carter said, “No thanks.” He could be a free agent at the end of the 1990 season, and was looking forward to leaving Cleveland, and getting a fresh start – not to mention snagging a boatload of cash. Alomar, who was getting frustrated with his situation in San Diego, was just hoping for a chance to play in the big leagues. After all, he had accomplished all he could in the minors, and it really did not matter to him whose uniform he was wearing. On December 6, 1989, at the annual winter meetings, Cleveland GM Hank Peters and San Diego GM Jack McKeon hammered out a deal that sent Carter to the Padres and Alomar, infielder Carlos Baerga, and outfielder Chris James to Cleveland.

Alomar was penciled in as the starting catcher as soon as the ink was dry on the trade. He did not disappoint. Cleveland manager John McNamara praised his young backstop in all facets of his game. “To me, he’s very, very impressive at blocking balls,” said McNamara. “He does it even when there’s no need, when nobody is on base. Sandy’s been taught well. He’s absorbed the teaching, put it to good use.

“Sandy is hitting for a better average than I expected at this stage of his career. He’s adjusted very well to major-league pitching. I never had any doubt about his catching, but you just never know about his hitting.”13              

McNamara was not the only person to notice the outstanding play of his prized rookie. All of baseball took notice when Alomar was voted the starting catcher for the American League in the All-Star Game. He was the first rookie catcher ever to start in an All-Star Game. The game would be extra-special, as Roberto, then with San Diego, was also named an All-Star and Sandy Sr. would also join his sons as a coach for the NL at Wrigley Field for the midsummer classic.    

Sandy’s season was capped off with his being the unanimous choice for the AL Rookie of the Year. “This award means more to me than the All-Star Game,” said Alomar. “You have a lot of chances to be in the All-Star Game, but you’ve only got one chance to win this award. I was supposed to be Rookie of the Year, and that made it tough. I was traded for Joe Carter, and that made it tough. But the manager and the rest of the guys on the team really helped me.”14 Alomar was the fourth Indian to win the award. He was also awarded a Gold Glove for excellence in fielding his position. He was the first Indian to be so recognized since Rick Manning in 1976.

Alomar was instantly a fan favorite among Indians fans. However, the injuries began to pile up beginning in 1991, his second season. Though Alomar was selected to start the All-Star Game in both 1991 and 1992, he was dealing with myriad setbacks that included back surgery, injuries to his right rotator cuff, his right hip flexor, his right knee (two, caused by sliding), and the webbing between the fingers on his right hand (also twice). The 132 games Alomar played in his rookie year were the most of his career.

The Indians moved across downtown to their new ballpark, Jacobs Field, for the 1994 season. Alomar, despite missing time on the disabled list with the torn webbing on his right hand, was putting together a wonderful season, batting .288 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs, when the players’ strike on August 11 led to the remainder of the season being canceled.

Perhaps because Alomar suffered so many injuries, Cleveland signed Tony Peña before the 1994 season. For the next three seasons, the veteran provided solid leadership and was a reliable substitute for Alomar. It was a great free-agent signing for the Indians, as Alomar was recuperating from knee surgery and did not return to the active roster until June 29, 1995. Still, he batted .300 in 54 starts at catcher that season. The Indians, who sported one of the most potent lineups in baseball, moved Alomar to the bottom of their lineup.  “I think Sandy can still hit 10 to 15 homers this year,” said manager Mike Hargrove. “He has that kind of power. The thing that is really impressive is the way he’s accepted hitting ninth. The number 9 hitter is usually the weakest hitter in the lineup, but that’s not the case with this team.”15

The Indians returned to the postseason for the first time in 41 years, winning their division by 30 games. They marched through the American League playoffs before losing to Atlanta in the World Series.

The Indians won the AL Central from 1995 to 1999. In 1997 they advanced to the World Series again, only to lose to Florida in seven games. Alomar’s power surge in 1997 continued in the postseason, as he hit two home runs in the ALDS, one in the ALCS, and two in the World Series.

In 1999 Alomar was reunited with brother Roberto, who signed a free-agent contract with Cleveland. Together with Omar Vizquel, they formed one of the better middle-infield defenses in the big leagues. But Sandy missed most of the season after surgery on his left knee (he started 35 games), and in 2000 he split time with Einar Diaz at catcher. That season he batted .289 and drove in 42 runs.

But the end of an era was near as Alomar and the Indians were unable to negotiate a contract after the 2000 season. Alomar, ever the classy player, took the “life goes on” route and signed with the Chicago White Sox. He split time with Mark Johnson at catcher.

But the White Sox were just as interested in Alomar’s ability to teach their young receivers and work with their green pitching staff. He was traded to Colorado in 2002, but returned to the South Side for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. “I got kind of teary-eyed when he got traded,” said pitcher Mark Buerhle. “I’m still learning (from him). I’m out there thinking, ‘I’m going to throw this pitch,’ and he puts something else down. I’m not going to shake him off because he’s been around the league a long time.”16 

The White Sox made it clear that they wanted Alomar to work with Miguel Olivo, a catching prospect for whom the front office had high hopes. In 2003 Sandy was reunited again with Roberto, who by this time in his career was serving as a utility player for Chicago.

Alomar spent the remaining years as a backup catcher with Texas (2005), the Los Angeles Dodgers and the White Sox (2006), and the New York Mets (2007). He retired with a .273 batting average in a 20-year career. He hit 112 home runs and 249 doubles, and drove in 588 runs. He threw out just over 30 percent of baserunners, and fielded at a .991 clip at catcher for his career.

Alomar stayed with the Mets as a catching instructor in 2008 and 2009. Manny Acta was hired to replace Eric Wedge as Cleveland’s manager in 2010. Acta offered Alomar a job as his first-base coach. “I jumped at it,” said Alomar. “For me, it was coming home. No place in baseball means as much to me as Cleveland.”17

Acta was fired near the end of the 2012 season. Alomar was named interim manager, and looked to be the favorite until Terry Francona’s name was thrown into the mix of candidates. “I knew they’d hire him if he wanted the job,” said Alomar. “I don’t blame them. I understand. He’s won two World Series. He’s a heck of a guy.”18   

As of 2025, Alomar is still Cleveland’s first-base coach. Francona, who played for the Indians in 1988, was a teammate of Alomar’s in winter ball with Ponce in the Puerto Rico League. When the Indians acquired Alomar in 1989, Francona gushed at the young man’s ability. “He’s the best catcher I’ve ever played with,” said Francona. “He’s better than Gary Carter when Carter was good. Sandy might not drive in 100 runs like Carter did in his prime, but overall he’s a better ballplayer. He’s the best defensive catcher I’ve ever seen. His arm is almost incredible.”19  

When Francona insisted that Sandy Alomar be a part of his staff, he knew exactly what he was getting. Even way back when.     

Last revised: June 1, 2018

This biography appeared in “Puerto Rico and Baseball: 60 Biographies” (SABR, 2017), edited by Bill Nowlin and Edwin Fernández. It also appeared in “1995 Cleveland Indians: The Sleeping Giant Awakes” (SABR, 2019), edited by Joseph Wancho.

Photo credit

National Baseball Hall of Fame Library.

Notes                                        

1 Bill Livingston, “Sweet Sandy! AL Triumphs on Alomar Blast,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 9, 1997: 1A. 

2 Mel Antonen, “Sandy Alomar’s Streak Hits 30,” USA Today, July 7, 1997: 1C.

3 Paul Hoynes, “Sandy Steals the Show; Alomar’s Home Run Lifts AL,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 9, 1997: 1D.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 “Sweet Sandy.”

7 Chuck Johnson, “Alomar Sons Deepen Roots in Baseball,” USA Today, July 13, 1990: 2C.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

10 “Big League Awards in the Minors,” The Sporting News, December 5, 1988: 46.

11 Barry Bloom, “Alomar Hopes That His ‘First’ Won’t Last,” The Sporting News, December 4, 1989: 52.

12  Ibid.

13 Sheldon Ocker, “Alomar More Than Lives Up to Hype,” The Sporting News, July 2, 1990: 12. 

14 Paul Hoynes, “It’s Unanimous! Indians Catcher Alomar Is Rookie of the Year,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 8, 1990: 1F.

15 Paul Hoynes, “Deep Thunder Alomar Homers Twice at Bottom of Order,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21, 1995: 1D.

16 Nancy Armour (Associated Press), “Sandy Ready to Teach,” Elyria (Ohio) Chronicle-Telegram, March 3, 2003: C4.

17 Terry Pluto, “Playing, Coaching for Tribe ‘Paradise,’ Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 3, 2013: C3.

18 Ibid.

19 “Alomar Draws Praise From Former Mate,” The Sporting News, March 19, 1990: 30. 

The younger Aparicio was much more than an outstanding baseball player whose endurance, defense, and speed during an 18-year old major-league career earned him a spot in baseball’s Hall of Fame. He was a symbol of the growth and development of the game of baseball in Latin America — specifically in Venezuela and in his hometown of Maracaibo. Aparicio’s place among the greatest players in baseball signified the climax of a cycle of progress for the game of baseball, which has become the national sport of Venezuela and an intrinsic part of its cultural heritage.

To fully understand the significance, impact, and legacy of Aparicio’s career, one needs to take a journey back into the first steps of the game in Maracaibo.

The emergence of baseball in Maracaibo began around the turn of the 20th century when an American businessman, William Phelps (who later became a media mogul and philanthropist), opened the first department store in town, the American Bazaar. While he imported baseball equipment from the United States, he also saw the need for educating local children about the game in order to sell his merchandise. Phelps became a baseball enthusiast and taught schoolkids the rules of the game, which they quickly understood. He served as the first umpire of documented games and built the first baseball field in the coastal city of Maracaibo.

From the sport’s inception around 1912, baseball quickly became a favorite pastime of people of all classes. Several fields were created throughout the small urban area, and both adults and children were fascinated with the sport. In just a few years, the game spread throughout the region and it was soon established as a professional game. People fell in love with the game, and were willing to gather and pay to watch the best players and teams. They called it “the game of the four corners.” The game of baseball had found its stage in the country.

Through the years, the region had a constant flow of American workers from oil companies who helped shape the identity of the city as well as the influence of American culture. Baseball was no exception. By 1926, a heated rivalry between Vuelvan Caras and Santa Marta was catching the attention of followers and local sports media. In fact, the first big hero of local professional baseball was a shortstop from Vuelvan Caras, Rafael “Anguito” Oliver. Early on, the media shone a spotlight on the role of the shortstop.

Oliver became an icon and two brothers were some of his biggest fans — Luis and Ernesto Aparicio Ortega. The Aparicio Ortega brothers (in the Latin American custom, they used their father’s and mother’s surname) were also natural athletes; Luis enjoyed soccer but ended up practicing baseball with Ernesto. Both became quality infielders. Luis, however, became the big star, the super athlete, while Ernesto, who had great playing tools, concentrated on learning the game as a science. He became a successful manager, coach, and team owner, transmitting his knowledge over generations.

Luis gained fame for his great plays and intelligence in the position of shortstop. He became a reference, a master, and a key player sought by many teams throughout the country. He played in both professional leagues in the country, in Caracas and Maracaibo. He became the first player “exported” from Venezuela when he signed with Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Republic in 1934.

Also in 1934, Ortega and his homemaker wife, Herminia Montiel, welcomed their son Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel. By the time Aparicio was born in Maracaibo on April 29, his father was shining as one of the first baseball superstars of Venezuela and Latin America. Ortega was an All-Star player and one the most famous players ever of Venezuelan baseball. “An artist in the shortstop position,” many called him.

Uncle Ernesto became a mentor to Luis. In Gavilanes, where his father also played, little Luis got his first job in baseball: batboy. His father and uncle taught him the secrets of the game. He also had the chance to learn from players of all nationalities, including Cuban, Dominican, and American players.

Baseball was his life. Aparicio recalls his mother washing baseball uniforms for his team and talking about baseball all day. From the age of 12, when he played shortstop for a team called La Deportiva, Aparicio displayed the grace and elegance he learned from his father. From then on, Aparicio was a member of several teams in Maracaibo, Caracas, and Barquisimeto. He was constantly moving with his family, depending on the time of year and which team his father was playing for.

That was his life: baseball, the stardom of his father, the knowledge of his uncle and whatever the game brought to the family table.

In 1953, Caracas hosted the Baseball Amateur World Series, and Luis Aparicio, then 19 years old, was selected to represent Venezuela. It was his first big tournament, and he played shortstop, third base, and left field. Although Cuba won the tournament, Aparicio was recognized both in the stands and in newspapers as the most electrifying player, who made great plays and showed security and maturity in all positions. Fans waved white handkerchiefs during this tournament, praising the teenager with great speed and a solid glove. All eyes were on him for the first time, but the name of his famous father would always be on his shoulders if he chose to be a professional player.

Soon after the Amateur World Series, the day arrived. Aparicio had to tell his parents he was quitting school to become a professional baseball player. His mother was not happy with the decision. His father, on the other hand, told him something that would stand out in his mind for the rest of his career. “Son, if you are going to play baseball for a living, you will have to be the number one always,” said his father. “You will never be a number two of anybody, always be the number one.”1

That winter, the best four teams in Venezuela played in the country’s first national tournament. The teams — Gavilanes and Pastora from Maracaibo, and Caracas and Magallanes from Caracas — rotated their games in four cities and it was the first tournament played under the umbrella of major-league baseball.

Aparicio signed with Gavilanes and his debut was scheduled for November 17, 1953, in Maracaibo. That day it rained, and his debut was postponed until the next day, November 18, which is a special holiday in Maracaibo. The city celebrates the day of its lady patron, the Virgin of Chiquinquirá, and festivities are held all around. Among them is the special baseball game between the crosstown rivals Pastora and Gavilanes.

Aparicio’s father, Ortega, who also played for Gavilanes, led off the game against Pastora’s Howie Fox, a major-league veteran. After the first pitch, Ortega went back to the dugout and pointed to his son with his bat, signaling it was time for Luis to take his father’s bat and replace him at home plate for his first official at-bat.

The crowd of 7,000 gave a 15-minute standing ovation to this simple but magical gesture. They were recognizing Ortega — known as “The Great of Maracaibo” — for his outstanding career, his talent as the best shortstop in Venezuelan baseball, for his dedication on the field, and for more than 20 years of contributing to the development of the game in Maracaibo. At the same time, people were showing Luis the huge burden he had on his shoulders for carrying his father’s name, and for the responsibility he had on the field from that moment.

Aparicio Jr., at 19 years old, understood the situation and embraced it with maturity. “I knew the responsibility on me. I knew about the expectations people had everywhere I stepped on a field. I just had to be great as my father, otherwise people would consider me a total deception,” he said in later years. “It was destiny.”2

Panorama, the local newspaper, wrote the next day: “Aparicio´s son’s debut was patronized by the Virgin herself.” For a very Catholic-religious region, this was a big deal.3

Aparicio ended up being named the best shortstop of the tournament. By December, the Cleveland Indians were negotiating with him. Gavilanes manager Red Kress, who was a coach for the Indians, spoke with general manager Hank Greenberg about signing Aparicio, but Greenberg replied that he thought Luis too small to play baseball. Chico Carrasquel, who was playing for Caracas and Chicago at the time, talked to Chicago White Sox general manager Frank Lane and told him about Luis, asking him to sign the youngster before someone else did. Caracas’s manager, Luman Harris, also talked to Lane. Soon after, Lane sent an offer and a contract for Aparicio with a $10,000 check. Young Luis became a member of the White Sox.

Aparicio’s days in the minor leagues were hard. His English was very limited. He knew he belonged in the majors, but the learning process was strict. Carrasquel was the big-league shortstop. After spring training in 1955, Aparicio was sent to Memphis in the Double-A Southern Association. He thought about going back to Venezuela and quitting the White Sox, but both his father and Carrasquel convinced the novice of his potential and explained to him the process of reaching the majors, a road even tougher for Latinos, especially in those years. Carrasquel, who was the big baseball idol in Caracas, became Aparicio’s mentor and a father figure for him. Aparicio also recalls meeting a singer that season in a small bar in Memphis, a young man named Elvis Presley.  

In October 1955, the White Sox traded Chico Carrasquel to the Cleveland Indians, leaving the door open for Aparicio. When Lane announced the trade, a Chicago journalist said: “You are trading your All-Star shortstop? You will need a machine to replace Chico.” Lane replied, “Yes, that’s precisely what we have — a machine, and his name is Luis Aparicio.”4

Aparicio was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1956. He was the first Latin American player to win the award. He finished with a .266 batting average and a league-leading 21 stolen bases, and also led the league in sacrifice hits. The stolen base as a strategy was becoming less and less used in baseball in those years. Aparicio revived the essence of the stolen base from the moment he reached the majors. He injected the White Sox with the game of speed, the Caribbean game, where speed is a key. He was praised for his defense but during his first season had 35 errors.

Luis needed work on his throw. Venezuelan journalist Juan Vené, who covered Aparicio’s entire career, recalled, “Fans were afraid to sit behind first base and they were really aware of the throw every time Aparicio was fielding a grounder because the ball often ended into the stands.”5

His debut met everyone’s expectations at home, but he knew he needed to do more. After his first season, when he returned home with his wife, Sonia, Aparicio said, “By seeing how so many people have gathered to welcome me at the airport just to say hello and congratulations, it makes me realize that I still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to go beyond their expectations. I need to put the name of my country and my people up high; I feel my game represents them.”6

In 1958, Aparicio won his first Gold Glove, was named to his first All-Star Game, hit .266, and led the league in stolen bases for the third consecutive year, with 29. Chicago ended up in second place for the second year in a row behind the Yankees. The situation in the American League was tough. The Chicago White Sox was an outstanding club but the Yankees were the Yankees, and in those years they simply dominated baseball. There were no playoffs. To go to the World Series they just needed to finish first in the American League. The White Sox needed to reach one more step, and they did it in 1959.

Dámaso Blanco, a former infielder for the San Francisco Giants, remembers 1959: “I went to Chicago in August 1959 with the Venezuelan baseball team for the Pan Am Games and they took us to Comiskey Park to watch the White Sox and Luis Aparicio. It was my first MLB game ever and I was very anxious. Aparicio hit a single on his first at-bat and we all noticed that people started to yell: ‘Go! Go! Go!’ At first we did not understand what was happening and then our guide explained people were actually rooting for Aparicio to steal second base. I can’t really describe how proud we felt listening to a full Comiskey Park rooting for a fellow Venezuelan and the team leader of the ‘Go Go White Sox.’ ”7

That season, the White Sox won 94 games and finally won the pennant. Among the keys to their success were Aparicio’s base-stealing skills and his defense along with his double play partner and close friend, Nellie Fox. For Chicago it was a magical era. It was their first trip to the World Series since 1919. This team was the complete opposite of the Black Sox. It was fun to watch. Aparicio remembers: “We were so close, like a family. We enjoyed our game and the fans of Chicago so much during 1959. Having guys in the team like Ted Kluszewski, Jim Rivera, Sherm Lollar, and Early Wynn was just amazing. We just had to win the league because we were good, having fun in the field, and playing very seriously.”8

Aparicio ended up second to his double-play partner Fox in the voting for the American League’s Most Valuable Player. He stole a career-high 56 bases that year. He realized no one in baseball was better than him at stealing. His speed was a key to victory. He led the team in runs with 98. “Before the season Al Lopez, our manager, told me he wanted me to focus on my base stealing,” Aparicio said long after his career ended. “They wanted me to spice things up in the club and that was going to be our key to win games that season.”9

After their great season, the White Sox lost the World Series to the Dodgers in six games. Aparicio hit .308 (8-for-26), and although he was thrilled to participate in the fall classic, he was deeply frustrated in not winning the Series. “The people were very excited in the city, because they waited 40 years to see their team in a World Series. They were disappointed, but at the same time they treated us like winners,”10 he recalled. This first trip to the Series made Aparicio realize how important it was to be a winner and how hard a team needed to work to win it all.

Hoping to return to the World Series in 1960, the White Sox instead slipped to third place. They fell to fourth place in 1961 and fifth in 1962. The Sox wanted to rebuild their team, and in January of 1963, Aparicio and veteran outfielder Al Smith were traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Ron Hansen, Pete Ward, Dave Nicholson, and Hoyt Wilhelm.

The trade was a jolt to Luis, but he was moving to a contending team built around a foundation of power and pitching. Aparicio added speed to the Baltimore lineup, winning two more stolen base titles in 1963-64 to give him nine consecutive seasons as the American League stolen base champion, an all-time record. More importantly, he helped solidify the Oriole defense. Luis and future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson formed one of the best shortstop-third base combinations of all time.

In 1966, the Orioles won the American League pennant, and Aparicio once again faced the Dodgers in the World Series. Although his offense was not as solid as it was in 1959, he still contributed with four hits and great defense during the series, which the Orioles swept in four games. It was first and only championship ring of his career. He came back to Maracaibo as a hero, dedicating his part of the title to his parents, who were his biggest supporters.

In November of 1967, Luis was traded back to the White Sox. As a veteran player, he became the team leader and mentor. During his second stint in Chicago, his glove was still his great tool, though his speed was not the same. He worked on his offense and in 1970, at the age of 36, batted a career-high .313.

Before the 1971 season, Aparicio was traded to the Boston Red Sox and played with them for three more seasons. In two of them was he was selected to the All-Star Game. In 1973, at the age of 39, he batted .271 in 132 games and stole 13 bases in 14 attempts.

Vené remembers March 26, 1974: “Luis was in the Red Sox spring camp when he got the notice that he was being released. He wanted to play one more season; he was 40 and still felt he had it. When he went back to the hotel he had a letter from Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. It was an open contract that had a note saying: “You put in the amount to play for the New York Yankees.” 

Aparicio sent the envelope back with a note that said: “Dear Mr. Steinbrenner, thank you very much for your offer but I just get released once in my lifetime.”11 That was the end of Aparicio’s playing career. He went back to Maracaibo that day with his family.

From 1956 to 1973, no other shortstop was more dominant in his position than Luis Aparicio, who won nine Gold Gloves. He was a profound influence on the game during his era with his speed, helping to revive the stolen base as an offensive weapon. He was selected to 10 All-Star teams. He played in two World Series and won one, and he set the most significant personal record for himself: No player had played more games at his beloved position in the major leagues than he (2,583). (The record has since been broken by Omar Vizquel.) He finished his career with 2,677 hits, a .262 batting average and 506 stolen bases.

After 10 years of eligibility and a huge crusade by many Hispanic journalists pushing his candidacy for the Hall of Fame, he was elected to the Hall in 1984, becoming the first Venezuelan to ever receive this form of baseball immortality. “This is a triumph of Venezuela for all Venezuelans,” said Aparicio when he heard of his election.12

His biggest regret is that his father didn’t live long enough to see his son elected to the Hall of Fame. Luis Aparicio Ortega died on January 1, 1971. After his death he was honored with his election to the Hall of Fame of Venezuelan Sports. The Maracaibo baseball stadium was officially named Luis Aparicio Ortega “El Grande de Maracaibo.” After the creation of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Aparicio Ortega brothers, Ernesto and Luis, were also inducted.

After retirement, Luis moved back to Venezuela and worked during the Venezuelan league in winter as manager. He managed Caracas, Zulia, Lara, La Guaira, Magallanes, and Cabimas. He was a celebrity and his retirement was not easy for him. They were hard times, not economically because he was very organized financially, but emotionally. He spent more time with his family and was part of many local projects of many kinds.

In the early 1980s he became a television commentator for Radio Caracas Television during the Venezuelan League. In fact, when he got the notice about his selection to Cooperstown, he was working with RCTV. Although he enjoyed it for a while, television was not his passion, but at least something to stay close to the game, if he was not managing.

In the 1990s Luis was back to the field with Tiburones de La Guaira in the winter league as a manager and coach. Aparicio moved to Barquisimeto. He enjoyed spending time with his family and especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His family suffered a big setback when his daughter Sharon was the victim of a crime in Venezuela. After this incident, he concentrated even more on his family. He continued to enjoy and follow baseball and kept his participation in baseball and Hall of Fame events with the help of his son Nelson.

After his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Aparicio’s status of celebrity increased greatly. He became known as the most important and influential Venezuelan athlete of all time, the most revered and followed. He also made several trips a year to the US to participate in autograph sessions, fan festivals and former player activities. He was a constant supporter of Hall of Fame gatherings, including All-Star games and Cooperstown induction weekends.

 His solid and impeccable image and personality caught the attention of ESPN International and ESPN Deportes who invited him as a special color analyst for the international broadcasts of Venezuelan baseball from 2011 to 2013, alongside veteran and famed Spanish-broadcasters such as Emmy-award winning Ernesto Jerez.

Aparicio has since become an active baseball follower and his voice is present through his social media accounts, where he has provided opinions and personals perspective of issues around baseball. Most notably in 2017 he was invited to participate in a ceremony honoring the Latino members of the Baseball Hall of Fame prior to the 2017 All-Star Game in Miami, Florida. Aparicio respectfully declined the invitation and publicly stated: “Thank you for the honor @mlb, but I cannot celebrate while the young people of my country are dying while fighting for freedom”13

Aparicio did not attend the 2017 Hall of Fame induction for the same reasons and actively became a strong opponent of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and the regime that has ruled Venezuela since 1998.

Maracaibo still remembers every November 18 as part of the festivities around the Virgin holiday, the anniversary of Luis Aparicio’s debut. At the Aguilas del Zulia game, Aparicio has made the ceremonial first pitch. Every year the Luis Aparicio Award is given to the best Venezuelan player of the major-league baseball season. It was a tribute to his career and to the memory of his father.

In 2006 the Chicago White Sox unveiled the Luis Aparicio statue at the U.S. Cellular Field in the center-field concourse and created by artist Gary Tillery. Aparicio attended the event with Sonia celebrating 52 years of marriage and with his son Luis Jr and daughter Karen. The sculpture is part of a two-player series depicting Aparicio waiting to catch a ball from his longtime double-play partner Nelly Fox, whose widow, Joanne, also attended the ceremony. “This is my biggest moment in baseball. I thank the White Sox organization for giving me the opportunity to play baseball, and I thank God for giving me the ability to play this game. The only thing I can say is baseball is so much of me, I even met my wife playing baseball.”14

The 2014 season of the Venezuelan Winter League was played in honor to the 30^th anniversary of Aparicio’s induction to Cooperstown and he was honored at every ballpark of the league and the league reinforced and emphasized the biggest honor ever made to a Venezuelan baseball player: the retirement of his number 11 from every team in the country.

Much more than a great player, Aparicio was recognized as a great human being. Most people knew Luis for his playing feats, but ignored his great heart and family values. During his career the integrity he brought to the game was one of his strongest assets. He gave everything he had to win and help his teams. He played simultaneously for 19 years in Venezuelan baseball, doubling the amount of work year round. As a major-league player he played fewer than 130 games in a season only once.

Maybe his greater value was how he embraced and understood his position and his significance on and off the field for the people of Venezuela, a country filled with social problems that universally celebrates the achievements of its people. He was much more than an icon.

People always expected the best from him, and he gave nothing but the best both as a player and as a human being, working hard enough and using his abilities to be among the greatest players of all time. He had huge shoes to fill under the shadow of his father and he never let this issue pressure him during his life. Luis Aparicio assumed a social responsibility and went beyond expectations.

Aparicio was named the Athlete of the 20th Century in Venezuela. Beyond his recognition for being the best player ever born in the country, his integrity and family values always accompanied him. Moreover, he is the role model for future generations and the “godfather” of the dynasty of Venezuelan shortstops in the history of the major leagues. Panorama published a letter Aparicio sent to his mother in March 1956: “To Herminia de Aparicio, Maracaibo. Dear Mom: You are finally the mother of a big leaguer. Try to figure out what it means to me to become ‘a big leaguer.’ Today I’ve cried alone, when they told me they were sending my luggage to Chicago because I had made the big league team. Tears came out by themselves and I just thought about Dad. Mom, please tell Dad that my debt with him is finally paid. Kisses, your son, Luis.”15

Luis has said: “When my father asked me to be always a number one, I always kept that on my mind. I think I didn’t disappoint him. I wanted him to be proud of me, and I know he definitely was. That’s the achievement of my life.”16   

Last revised: January 23, 2018

An earlier version of this biography originally appeared in SABR’s “Go-Go To Glory: The 1959 Chicago White Sox” (ACTA, 2009), edited by Don Zminda.

Sources

In addition to the sources in the Notes, the author also consulted

Verde, Luis. The History of Baseball in Zulia (Maracaibo: Editorial Maracaibo SRL, 1999).

Perfiles: Luis Aparicio. ESPN International. 2002-2007. 

Author interviews with Luis Aparicio, Juan Vené, Dámaso Blanco, Angel Bravo. Luis Verde, Nelson Aparicio, and Rafael Aparicio.

¡A La Carga! Tripleplay Sports Productions, Maracaibo, Venezuela. Various televisión episodes 1998-2002.

www.eljuegoperfecto.com

www.baseball-reference.com

Notes

1 Author interview with Luis Aparicio, July 2008.

2 Aparicio interview.

3 Diario Panorama (Maracaibo, Venezuela), November 19, 1953.

4 Carlos Cárdenas Lares, Venezolanos en las Grandes Ligas (Caracas: Fondo editorial Cárdenas Lares, 1990), 78.

5 Author interview with Juan Vené, Cincinnati, August 2007.

6 Diario Panorama, October 10, 1956. 

7 Author interview with Dámaso Blanco, Cincinnati, August 2007.

8 Aparicio interview.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid..

11 Vené interview.

12 Revista IND, Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Caracas, Venezuela. August 1984. 

13 Luis Aparicio, via Twitter, July 11, 2017.

14 Scott Merkin, “Aparicio, Fox honored with statues,” MLB.com, July 23, 2006.

15 Diario Panorama, March 2, 1956. 

16 Aparicio interview.

Jeff Bagwell was a dominant player in the National League for most of his 15-year career. Eight seasons he drove in more than 100 runs. Nine times he hit 31 or more home runs and scored over 100 runs. In 1994 he was unanimously selected as the Most Valuable Player. Despite these and other accomplishments, Bagwell’s career was shadowed by controversy because he played during the steroid era and his reputation, justified or not, marred by that juxtaposition of timing.1

Many felt this issue played a substantial role in his being delayed selection to the Hall of Fame during his first six years of eligibility. While conclusive evidence never surfaced that Bagwell used steroids, his reputation seemed to rest with the concept of inductive reasoning expressed by the old phrase, “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.” His election to the Hall in 2017 went a long way toward dissipating the cloud over his reputation.

Jeffery Robert Bagwell was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 27, 1968, the only child of Robert and Janice Bagwell. Baseball entered his life early: His father had pitched in college at Northwestern University and subsequently on a semiprofessional basis.2 Janice, who eventually became a police officer, played softball into her 20s. She later recalled that Jeff “could throw a ball before he could walk. When he was six months old, we’d throw a ball to him and he would throw it back.”

Bagwell attended Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, and although playing shortstop for the school, his main sport was soccer. Soccer notwithstanding, he received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Hartford and came under the tutelage of coach Bill Denehy. Denehy, a former major league pitcher, soon realized Bagwell’s potential, converting him into a third baseman that quickly became a team star.3

While Bagwell performed well for Hartford, he thought major league scouts noticed his playing summer ball. He recalled, “I got my chance in the Cape Cod League. … A lot of players from the best programs in the summer came to play there. Albert Belle was playing there. Frank Thomas. I only hit about .205 that year, but I looked at those guys and decided I could play with them.” Next year he hit over .300, and Boston selected him in the fourth round of the 1989 amateur draft.4

Assigned to the Class A Winter Haven Red Sox in the Florida State League he batted .310, exhibiting little of his eventual power, collecting just two home runs. His performance still earned him promotion to New Britain, the Red Sox Class AA team in the Eastern League. There Bagwell hit .333 to win the batting title and was named the league’s MVP. Again, he generated little power with only four home runs on the year.

As the season ended, word came out of Boston on August 30, 1990, that the 22-year-old Bagwell had been traded to the Houston Astros for Larry Andersen, a 37-year-old relief pitcher. It was then and still is, considered one of the worst trades in baseball history. Red Sox General Manager Lou Gorman, who received the bulk of criticism for this transaction, spent many of his ensuing years explaining his reasons for trading Bagwell.

In a tight pennant race as the 1990 season entered its final month, Boston needed bullpen help badly after their best reliever Jeff Reardon was lost for several weeks due to surgery. Andersen looked like the best potential available help, but Houston wanted a minor league prospect in return.

Bagwell had shown potential at third, but he was at the end of the queue for the position in Red Sox system. Gorman felt he could fill a yawning hole for Boston to “win now” without much sacrifice.5 Years later, Bagwell commented on the trade from his perspective. ”The Red Sox were in a pennant race. They needed help. I was third on their chart at third base. They had Wade Boggs. They had Scott Cooper at Pawtucket. You look at that, and you look at their situation—they bring in free agents all the time.”

At the time, the trade devastated Bagwell: ”I was one of the saddest guys you’ll ever see. All my life everything had been Boston. I was born in Boston. My father was from Watertown; my mother was from Newton, both outside Boston. … our house was one of those places where you couldn’t mention the word Yankees. … Every weekend the television would be tuned to … [t]he Red Sox. No other games. My grandmother Alice Hare, she’s 81 years old, she still lives in Newton, and she can tell you anything … about the Red Sox. I called her to tell her the news. She started crying.”6

Andersen pitched well the last month of the season. In 15 games he posted a 1.23 ERA helping Boston to secure a division championship. As a free agent during the winter, he eventually signed with the San Diego Padres. Those 15 games do not begin to match against Bagwell’s spectacular career with Houston.7

Although he no longer had to compete against Cooper or Boggs, Bagwell still had to contend with Ken Caminiti, well entrenched at third for the Astros. Bagwell came to spring training expecting to be assigned to Houston’s farm club in Tucson. But his play so impressed the Astros that two weeks before the season opener, Houston decided to bring him to the majors—as a first baseman. Bagwell went through a crash course learning how to play the position. In the time remaining until Opening Day he manned first in minor league games during the morning and for the Astros in the afternoon. The Sporting News put it succinctly: “Rookie Jeff Bagwell never played first base before this spring, but the position is his to lose. It’s up to his bat.”8

But that put him in a tenuous position, because Bagwell started slowly, hitting just .100 early in the season. But when he came up to bat in a tie game against the Braves, his first major league home run won the game. The next day he homered again. By the end of April his average had improved to a more respectable .254. And he continued to hit well, finishing the year at .294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in a romp with23 of the 24 first place votes.9

Bagwell’s power numbers surprised baseball observers. During his two Double A minor league seasons, he hit six home runs in 932 at bats—or one for every 155 at bats. His 15 home runs for Houston came at the rate of one every 36.9 at bats. Bagwell’s home run total was all the more impressive for having been amassed in the cavernous Astrodome. He also exhibited unique plate discipline for a rookie, gathering 75 walks, 10th in the league. This contributed to a .387 OBP, fifth in the league. Both his power and patience at the plate would improve over the years, each becoming a signature part of his game.

Houston finished last in the NL West in 1991 at 65-97, tying a franchise record for futility. Since winning the division championship in 1986, they had descended into consistent mediocrity. In place of such departed luminaries as Jose Cruz, Glenn Davis and Nolan Ryan, Craig Biggio and Bagwell were coming on board. And they would anchor a team that made the 1990s the most successful decade in Houston’s franchise history.

While the season had not been successful for Houston, Bagwell immediately sensed a key difference from the minor leagues. ”I’ll tell you what made the greatest impression on me during the whole year. We were in Atlanta when the Braves clinched the pennant. We’d played them early in the season, and maybe 10,000 people were at the game . . . at the end of the season, the place was filled every night. All these people were singing and cheering, celebrating. It made you think. You play in the minor leagues and it’s all individual, really. . . . everybody is always looking up, trying to figure where he’s going to go next.” In “major league baseball [, t]he individual didn’t matter. Winning mattered. I watched the Braves, and everything came into focus for me: This is what I want for us.”10

Bagwell successfully avoided the sophomore jinx in 1992. Playing in all 162 scheduled games, his home run total increased to 18.While his average dipped to .273, a careful review of his performance indicated a more disciplined hitter. Strikeouts decreased from 116 to 97 and walks increased to 84, seventh in the league. Part of Bagwell’s success may well have involved his unique batting stance.

Numerous unusual batting styles pepper baseball’s history. Mel Ott’s lifting his right leg, a “foot-in-the-bucket” stance as he began his swing or Stan Musial’s “peeking around the corner” approach come distinctly to mind.11 Bagwell’s was equally unique. It has been described as a “crouching-tiger, hidden dragon” batting stance or more indelicately, “like he is sitting on the john.” He stood in the batter’s box with his legs spread wider than his shoulders in an exaggerated crouch.12With his bottom hand over the knob of the bat, he lifted his left foot a few inches and unleashed a forceful uppercut swing. “That wide stance keeps him from over striding,” Joe Torre observed, “which can be your biggest problem when you’re trying to hit for power.” Despite his odd stance, Bagwell still hit with authority.13 And as unorthodox as his stance appeared, it served another purpose, minimizing Bagwell’s strike zone, a factor in his ability to coax a walk.

His unique stance caused Bagwell repeated injuries three consecutive seasons beginning in 1993. That year he began to come into his own. Batting .320 with 20 home runs and 88 RBIs in mid-September, Bagwell broke his hand on a pitch from the Phils’ Ben Rivera. His next two seasons ended prematurely for the same reason. An examination of his swing indicated Bagwell’s hands dipped into the strike zone making them vulnerable to injury. After his third broken hand in 1995, he began wearing a protective pad over his batting glove.14

While the season ended early for Bagwell, it marked Houston’s steady improvement. After having finished last in 1991, the Astros progressed to fourth in 1992 and third in 1993. Bagwell as well as players like Craig Biggio, Caminiti, and Luis Gonzalez were improving. Pitcher Daryl Kile blossomed in 1993 going 15-8. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, both Bagwell and the Astros improved markedly.

In just 400 at bats, Bagwell scored 104 runs and drove in a league-leading116.He hit .368, second behind Tony Gwynn’s .394, but what really caught everyone’s breath was his .750 slugging percentage. At the time it ranked seventh highest all-time in a season, second best in the NL, just behind Rogers Hornsby’s .756 in 1925. On June 24, he hit three home runs in a game against the Dodgers, two coming in the sixth inning. Indeed, between May 16 and July 24 Bagwell hit two or more home runs in a game five times. “Crazy stuff happened that year,” Bagwell recalled. “Every pitch that I was looking for, I got. And when I got it, I didn’t miss it. It was ridiculous.”15Lost amidst Bagwell’s hitting exploits was his receiving the NL Gold Glove Award at first base, a testament to his well-rounded abilities.

Unfortunately, the 1994 season ended when players went on strike in mid-August due to acrimonious disputes with team owners over several issues. Houston trailed Cincinnati by half a game when the strike took effect. Whether the Astros could have continued to hold their own in the race was problematic though. Because the day before the strike commenced, Bagwell was hit by a pitch from San Diego’s Andy Benes that broke the fourth metacarpal on his left hand, the same bone he broke a year earlier. “I can’t believe this happened to me two years in a row” he said after X-rays confirmed he would be out several weeks—essentially until the end of the season.16 But a day later the season ended anyway. Paradoxically, timing of the strike benefitted Bagwell in ways unforeseen at the time.

Despite the truncated season, players were still selected to receive individual awards. The BBWAA unanimously choose Bagwell as the National League’s MVP. He was only the 11th player and fourth National Leaguer to win every writer’s first place votes. “It’s very flattering. It means more to me than you can possibly imagine.”17

Strong conjecture had it that if the season had continued with Bagwell sidelined the award might have gone elsewhere. Matt Williams of the San Francisco Giants who finished second in the MVP voting had 43 home runs when the strike started and on a pace to hit over 60. With the Giants in the thick of the pennant race he could well have supplanted Bagwell in the voting. Bagwell did win the award however, the first and only Astro through 2014 to do so. Despite his spectacular year however, Bagwell’s achievement is always less lustrous because it happened in the “strike shortened season.”

Once play resumed in 1995, Houston was expected to contend as they had in 1994. Bagwell and Biggio began dominating the Astros’ offense, and within a year they gained nickname, “The Killer B’s.” Over the years other “B’s”—Derek Bell, Carlos Beltran, and Lance Berkman—came to prominence, but Bagwell and Biggio remained constants.

The team performed well; on July 30 they were just 3½ games behind the Reds when Bagwell was hit on his left hand by San Diego’s Brian Williams, taking him out of the lineup for several weeks. “I was getting it X-rayed and I was moving it pretty good,” said a frustrated Bagwell. “I thought, O.K. it’s probably going to be O.K. That’s the same thing I said last year, and that’s the same result. I don’t know whether to change my stance. I’ve taken all the precautions.”18 Of the pennant race, he noted: “I can’t tell you how sad I am about this right now because . . .we’re playing great baseball. We’ve still got a great team and everything, but I know my production was helping, at least.”19 From then on a special pad protected Bagwell’s batting glove, and he never suffered this injury again.

Bagwell proved prescient. The team had gone 9-21 in his absence and was 13½ games behind the Reds, well out of the race. He had started the season slowly, hitting just .183 at the end of May, but in the next two months he had improved to .283 and was on a batting spree. Bagwell finished at .290 with 21 home runs. A fall off from 1994, but he would more than make up for it the next several seasons as his and the Astros’ potential came to full fruition.

Bagwell undertook a rigorous training program after the 1995 season. He gained 20 pounds and enhanced his endurance for the rigors of grueling seasons by a concentrated period of weight lifting, change of diet, plus the use of creatine and androstenedione.20 In later years those entering the Astro’s gym were welcomed by a banner reading, “Bagwell’s Gym. Work Hard. Play Hard. Or Leave,” a testament to his intense work ethic. “It’s pretty impressive when you watch a guy like him,” observed Geoff Blum, a later teammate. He “knows what he has to do, and he puts his mind to it and he does it.”21While successful in the short term, Bagwell later came to feel his regimen shortened his career, that his muscular buildup contributed greatly to shoulder problems forcing his retirement in 2005 at age 37.22

By the start of 1996, Bagwell was one of the senior members on the Astros if not by age then by tenure. He had become a forceful influence on how Houston prepared for games, i.e., with maximum effort and players held accountable for their actions. Discipline fostered camaraderie, and Bagwell made sure everyone on the team was part of the team.23 His and Biggio’s leadership propelled the Astros to new levels of play.

His workout regimen generated tremendous results. The 1996 season began a run of performances that established Bagwell’s reputation as one of the most dominant players of his era. That year he batted .315, hit 31 home runs, drove in 120 runs, and led the league with 48 doubles. It was the first of six consecutive seasons where Bagwell scored and drove in at least 100 runs, averaging 128 runs scored and 126 RBIs per year during this stretch.

Some of the numbers he put up were spectacular. In 1999 Bagwell drew 149 walks (including a major league record six in one game), at the time the third highest single season total in the National League. Twice that year he hit three home runs in one game. The following year he launched a career-high 47 homers and scored 152 runs, fourth highest in the NL since 1900.

Bagwell had become a complete ballplayer. In 1997 he stole 31 bases and hit 43 home runs. In 1999, 30 stolen bases and 42 homers. One of only 13 major league players to have accomplished 30 home runs and steals in a season more than once, Bagwell and Joe Carter remain the only first basemen to reach the 30-30 club through 2014.While Bagwell was at the peak of his career Houston took division championships in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001, the best run in franchise history. Of the 13 games played in the four post-season series however, Houston managed but a single 5-4 victory over San Diego in 1998. Unfortunately, in the other three series Houston confronted the Atlanta Braves and their buzz-saw starting rotation of Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz. Bagwell’s performance in these series was equally dismal, just .174 with no extra base hits and just four RBIs.

In 2002 and 2003 both Bagwell and his team declined. Houston finished second both years but failed to make postseason competition. Bagwell’s run of 100 RBI seasons ended with 98 in 2002. He achieved an even hundred RBIs in 2003, but his peak-year production had waned. His slugging averages dipped into the low .500s, well below what had become customary for him. Still a strong hitter, at 35 years old he no longer dominated as he once had.

Beginning in 2001 pain began flaring in his left shoulder. He underwent surgery in the offseason to extract bone spurs and restore a torn labrum.24 Eventually he developed arthritis in the other shoulder, an affliction that worsened over time.25 By 2004, his career entered the twilight: Bagwell’s average fell to .266 with “only” 27 home runs and 89 RBIs. His defense suffered too. The first baseman who could whip a ball to third on bunts eventually got to the point where he had trouble merely throwing to infielders between innings.26 Ironically, he had the best post-season of his career in a seven game series that St. Louis ultimately won. Bagwell hit .318 with two home runs, the second helping break open the fifth game.

As the 2005 season began, Bagwell played through April until the pain in his right shoulder became intolerable. On May 4, after going 0-5 in a loss to Pittsburgh he was hitting just .250 with only 3 home runs in 88 at bats. The next day he asked Astros’ manager Phil Garner to be pulled from the lineup. “I couldn’t hit, I couldn’t throw, if I played, I’d just be hurting the team.”27 By September, following shoulder surgery, he was well enough to join an Astros team contending for a wild card spot in the standings. Playing exclusively as a pinch hitter he drove in his last major league run on a ground out against the Cubs, providing an insurance run in a critical 3-1 win. For Houston’s win that day and the next allowed them to finish one game ahead of the Phillies for the wild card position.

The Astros finally beat their longtime nemesis Atlanta Braves to win the Division Series then defeated the Cardinals to win the NL pennant. But the Chicago White Sox swept them in four straight games in the World Series. Bagwell went 1 for 8 as a DH and pinch hitter, just one of many Astros stymied by Chicago’s pitching in a closely played series. Bagwell’s ground out as a pinch hitter in the fourth game proved his last major league appearance.

Bagwell went to spring training in 2006 to see if he could still contribute on the field. But legal issues, specifically who was going to pay Bagwell’s estimated $15.6 million salary for the year, muted Houston’s welcome. The situation was awkward. The Astros had obtained a disability insurance policy on Bagwell when he had signed a multi-year contract in 2001. And at this point the team essentially had to prove that Bagwell became disabled between the end of 2005 and January 31, 2006, when the policy expired. So Bagwell’s appearance in camp threw Houston’s claim that he was disabled into question. Amid the legal maneuvering, it was revealed that a physical examination of Bagwell in January 2006 concluded he could only throw a ball 35 mph, and then only for short distances.28 Based on that assessment, the attending physician declared Bagwell totally disabled.29

Bagwell appeared in a few practice games but had to quit several when his shoulder became too sore to continue. He was hitting just .219, but the major obstacle to continued play remained his arm. He simply could not throw a ball to meet major league standards. The chances of additional surgery succeeding were minimal. The conclusion was obvious.

Bagwell had given it all to come back. “You have to do everything you can to try and play. If not you’ll be kicking yourself.” Houston placed him on the DL, and Bagwell recognized the reality: “I may never play again.”30 He was right. A few months after the 2006 season ended, he officially retired from the game.31 “[I]t’s been a great ride,” he said. “I wish I could still play and try to win a World Series here in Houston but I’m not physically able to do that anymore. I’m OK with that.”32

Bagwell’s lifetime stats are impressive: .297 batting average, 449 home runs, 1,529 RBIs, 79.6 WAR, and .948 OPS. But there was more to Bagwell than robust numbers. He was a role model in the clubhouse, a “consummate professional” who, along with Biggio set the bar for how an Astro approached the game. Houston’s best years remain the heart of the “Killer B” years (1996-2001) during which the Astros won four of six division championships, the finest years of the franchise.

The Astros wanted Bagwell to stay connected with the organization and so signed him to a personal services contract through 2009, mostly to spend time working in player development. Bagwell’s post playing career has been largely low key and private. Although he has had intermittent assignments with the team, Bagwell’s aversion to travel and devotion to his family have been his guiding principles.

He did not totally avoid the limelight however. On June 28, 2007, his longtime teammate and friend Craig Biggio singled against the Colorado Rockies to get his 3,000 hit. Biggio’s family joined him on the field, and he insisted Bagwell come out to be with him as well. It was Bagwell’s first appearance before Houston’s fans since he retired.33 A few months later Houston retired his Number 5 before Bagwell, his family, and more than 42,000 onlookers.

In mid-season 2010, the Astros asked Bagwell to become their batting coach. Last in hitting, the team hoped his expertise and rapport with players could improve their output. Their hitting did improve over what remained of the season, but Bagwell, citing family obligations, turned down a proffered two-year contract to continue the job. “My decision came down to the times that these coaches put in, the effort they put in, and my family.”34 He returned to his personal services agreement occasionally spending time with the club, usually in spring training helping younger players.

In 2011 Bagwell became eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame. More than anything else this has kept his name in the media and before fans over the years. The first year he was eligible he received 41.7 percent of the writer’s votes for induction. Every year since he consistently received over 50 percent of the vote with a high of 59.6 in the 2013 election.

Whether he deserved induction was a controversial subject over the years. Several factors delayed his induction. On a few occasions, most recently in 2015, he was up against a crowded field of worthy candidates, which tended to concentrate votes on first-time eligible players.35 A second and more serious consideration is that Bagwell’s career peaked in the late 1990s coinciding with what has become known as baseball’s steroid era. One of the major side effects of this period was to cast a pall of suspicion over virtually all its players, including high performers like Bagwell.

Several aspects of Bagwell’s career prompted questions about steroid use. Ken Caminiti, one of his teammates and close friend on the Astros, publicly admitted he took steroids during his career, a fact dramatically underscored when he died of a drug overdose at the age of 41, just three years after retiring from the game. For Bagwell it suggested guilt by association.36

His physical growth led to further conjecture. The slim 185-pound minor league third baseman grew to 220 at the peak of his career. Creation of a bodybuilder’s physique and its subsequent reduction in size as a career waned was “typical” of players found to have used steroids—and another factor fueling speculation about Bagwell’s career.37

These perceptions seemed relevant because of the curve of that career. He started out with just six home runs in two minor league seasons and averaged fewer than 20 per year during his first three years in the majors. At the top of his game he had successive seasons of 31, 43, 34, 42, 47 and 39 home runs. Bagwell surged almost simultaneously with Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, two sluggers whose drug use subsequently sullied their career reputations. Their and others’ accomplishments generated questions about the proliferation of home runs hit during this period. It became a centerpiece of suspicion that something might be amiss.38

These sorts of associative considerations fueled speculation that Bagwell used steroids or PEDs. He was never linked to use of drugs, however, either through the drug testing policy, various investigations, or legal actions. Bagwell consistently denied employing drugs or steroids on numerous occasions. But he has come to believe that whatever he says will not matter. In a 2009 interview, Bagwell observed that his is a no-win situation. “I know what I did; I know how hard I worked. If someone thinks I took crap because I was in that era, what am I going to do to show them I didn’t? I can’t go take a blood test now.”39

Bruce Jenkins, Senior Sports Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, acknowledges that while steroid suspicion was a factor for several voters, there is another point of consideration. “I certainly can’t speak for the bulk of national baseball writers, but I know that many are suspicious of Bagwell—without proof, as you say. I’ve always voted for the best players—Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, etc.—so that’s not a factor for me. I always found Bagwell just a bit short of Hall of Fame material. Heck of a player, I don’t mean to knock him, just my personal opinion. And I do know that some other writers feel that way, as well.”40

Because of the controversy over drugs, Bagwell increasingly showed ambivalence about getting into the Hall because even if elected, it would be an empty accomplishment. Induction into the Hall is not what defines him, “I keep telling people this and people don’t understand it. . . . Baseball does not define me as a person. It’s what I do with my kids, and as a husband, that’s going to define me. It’d be an honor, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve got other things to do in my life too.”42

Amid the discussions, Bagwell went on with his life. Twice divorced, he remarried in August 2014. He and his wife Rachel have five children in their blended family.44  He lives in the Houston area and occasionally works with the Astros, most recently spending several days with them in the spring of 2015 as a special instructor.45

Just when it seemed Bagwell would stay in a Hall of Fame netherworld, a change took place in how players were selected for induction. A rules change in voter eligibility seemed to generate greater support for his induction. Beginning with balloting in 2016, voters were required to have ten years of continuous membership in the Baseball Writers Association of America as well as be active members or been active members in the Association in the ten years prior to balloting. This had a practical effect of removing more than 100 voters from the process, many of whose careers paralleled the steroids era. The elimination of this bloc of voters seemed to signal a more tolerant perspective of players from that time frame.

It was reflected in a change of voter patterns. Mike Piazza, thrice denied induction was selected with the 2016 vote. Players suspected of steroid use such as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling saw their support increase. Bagwell received 71.6 percent of the vote, missing election by 15 out of the 440 votes counted.

That trend continued for many of these players in 2017, most dramatically for Bagwell who was selected for induction receiving more than 82 percent of the votes, higher than anyone else on the ballot. He was formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 30, 2017 surrounded by family, friends, fans – and teammates. Most prominent of these was Craig Biggio.  

While Bagwell’s credentials were questioned for years there was never any question how his teammates viewed him. Astros pitcher Mike Hampton once called Bagwell “the ultimate teammate,” in an interview. “Bagwell and Biggio let it be known that there was an Astros way of doing things. The Bagwell and Biggio way was to demand accountability, starting with themselves. Bagwell was particularly quick to deflect credit for his success, explaining ‘that’s my job,’ and to readily accept blame—often for the failures that weren’t even his. His ability to connect with teammates knew no barriers, racial or otherwise.”46

This description, echoed by many, more than any outside voting process reflected the highest compliment a player can receive. It speaks well of a one-time skinny Red Sox prospect who indeed had “a great ride.”

Last revised: August 1, 2017

• Related link: Get your copy of SABR’s Jeff Bagwell in Connecticut: A Consistent Lad in the Land of Steady Habits, on the Hall of Fame slugger’s early years

Notes

1 The author would like to express his appreciation for Mr. Bill Francis at the Baseball Hall of Fame (HoF) who provided a copy of material from Jeff Bagwell’s HoF file for this article and to Tom Schott for his editorial skills in improving this piece.

2 Bill Ryan, “Sergeant, Mom, Her Dream is Still Fenway Park”, Bill Ryan, New York Times, August 28, 1994, A1.

3 Ibid.

4 Leigh Montville, “Trade Deficit Jeff Bagwell Has Proved by Trading him to the Astros, the Red Sox Made a Ruthian Blunder,” Sports Illustrated, Vol. 79, No. 4, July 26, 1993: 44-48.

5 Lou Gorman, One Pitch From Glory: One Decade of Running the Red Sox, (Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing L.L.C., 2005), 137-39.

6 Montville, “Trade Deficit Jeff Bagwell.”

7 See, for example, “The List: Readers Pick Most Lopsided Trades,” http://espn.go.com/page2/s/readers/worstdeals.html

8 “Rolling the Dice,” The Sporting News, April 15, 1991, 10.

9 Pittsburgh first baseman Orlando Merced received the other first place vote.

10 Montville, “Trade Deficit Jeff Bagwell.”

11 See Alfred M. Martin, Mel Ott, The Gentle Giant, (Lanham MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2003), 23-25, and James M. Giglio,Musial: From Stash to Stan The Man, (Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 2001), xi.

12 Steve Campbell, “Jeff Bagwell knows he did things the right way in a Cooperstown-worthy career. But if the Hall doesn’t call the former Killer B? ‘I’m good’ he says,” Houston Chronicle clipping, July 28, 2009. Bagwell’s HoF file; Tom Verducci, “One of a Kind – A self made slugger with a screwy stance,” Sports Illustrated, Vol. 91, No. 3, July 19, 1999: 56-61.

13 Tim Windal, “The Swing is the Thing,” USA Today Baseball Weekly, July 27-August 2, 1994, 36.

14Verducci, “One of a Kind.”

15 Ibid.

16“Benes Pitch Breaks Bagwell’s Hand,” The Washington Post, August 11, 1994, D4.

17 Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr., “Bagwell’s Latest Stat: All the M.V.P. Votes, New York Times, October 28, 1994, B13.

18 Murray Chass, “Different Departures for Bagwell and Kruk,” ibid., July 31, 1995, C3.

19 “Astros Lose Games but lose Bagwell,” The Washington Post, July 31, 1995, B7.

20Verducci, “One of a Kind.”

21 Jose De Jesus Ortiz, “Bagwell turns to weight room to regain shoulder strength,” Houston Chronicle, November 26, 2002.Bagwell’s HoF file.

22 Jerry Crasnick, “Jeff Bagwell Tires of Steroid Talk,” ESPN.com, December 29, 2010,http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=5963276.

23 See, for example, Campbell’s “Jeff Bagwell knows he did things the right way in a Cooperstown-worthy career. But if the Hall doesn’t call the former Killer B?” and John Smith, “Stats alone no measure of this man,” Houston Chronicle, December 16, 2006, sports section, 1.

24 Ortiz, “Bagwell turns to weight room.”

25 Richard Justice, “Bagwell reaches limit of pain,” Houston Chronicle clipping, May 10, 2005, from Bagwell’s HoF file.

26 ESPN.com News Service, “Bagwell acknowledges he might ever play again,” March 26, 2006.

27 Richard Justice, “Bagwell reaches limit of pain,” Houston Chronicle clipping, May 10, 2005, Bagwell’s HoF file.

28 Jose De Jesus Ortiz, “Bagwell insurance claim denied,” Houston Chronicle clipping, March 28, 2006 from Bagwell’s HoF file.

29 The Houston Astros and Connecticut General would eventually settle the matter in a confidential agreement in December 2006. See Brian McTaggart, “Insurance Settlement Reached,” Houston Chronicle, December 2006, from Bagwell’s HoF file.

30 Jason Stark, “Bagwell acknowledges he might never play again.’” ESPN.com News Service, March 26, 2006.

31 A private settlement was reached on the Astro’s insurance claim in December 2006. Alyson Footer, “Report: Astros settle insurance claim,” MLB.com, December 15, 2006.

32 Brian McTaggart, “Bagwell retires, remembers ‘great ride,’” Houston Chronicle clipping, December 2006,Bagwell’s HoF file.

33 “Biggio Gets His 3,000 Hit in Houston,” New York Times, June 29, 2007, D4.

34 Zachary Levine, “Bagwell cites family reasons,” Houston Chronicle clipping, October 28, 2010, Bagwell’s HoF file.

35The 2015 HoF selectees were: Bagwell’s teammate Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz.

36 See for example Asher B. Chancey, “The Bagwell Conspiracy,”http://baseballevolution.com/asher/bagwellconspiracy.html or Harold Friend, “Jeff Bagwell is Guilty Until Proven Innocent,” April 20, 2012,http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1153441-jeff-bagwell-is-guilty-until-proved-innocent-of-steroid-use or Adam Spolane, “If Frank Thomas is a Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell Should Be Too, January 8, 2014,http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/01/08/if-frank-thomas-is-a-hall-of-famer-jeff-bagwell-should-be-too/ for several online articles concerning Bagwell and Caminiti.

37 See http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/01/08/if-frank-thomas-is-a-hall-of-famer-jeff-bagwell-should-be-too/ and Richard Justice, “Steroids? Not me, says Bagwell,” Houston Chronicle clipping, February 25, 2004,Bagwell’sHoF file.

38 One measure of this phenomenon: In the 1980s, just 13 major leaguers hit 40 or more home runs in a season. In the 1990s, 71 players did it, and more than 60 homers in a season happened four times. During the previous 90-plus years only Babe Ruth (in 1927) and Maris (in 1961) achieved this mark.

39 Steve Campbell, ‘B’ all, end Hall?” Houston Chronicle, July 28, 2009 from Bagwell’s HoF file.

40 Email, Bruce Jenkins to author, July 19, 2015.

41 For a dissenting view to Jenkins’, see Dayn Perry, “Hall of Fame candidate breakdown: Jeff Bagwell,” August 27, 2015, http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24906915/hall-of-fame-candidate-breakdown-jeff-bagwell.

42 Ted Berg, “New Astros instructor Jeff Bagwell on his Hall of Fame case: “I don’t expect to get in,” USA Sports Today, March 10, 2015, http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/03/jeff-bagwell-houston-astros-hall-of-fame-spring-training-instructor-mlb.

43 Jerry Crasnick, “Jeff Bagwell Tires of Steroid Talk,” ESPN.com, December 29, 2010.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof11/columns/story?id=5963276

44 The author wishes to thank Bob Dorrill of the SABR Houston/Larry Dierker Chapter for information on Bagwell’s post-career life.

45Evan Drellich, “Jeff Bagwell takes small step back into baseball with the Astros,” March 10, 2015,   http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2015/03/10/jeff-bagwell-takes-small-step-back-into-baseball-with-astros/#30721101=0

46 Steve Campbell, ‘B’ all, end Hall?” For others’ views on Bagwell, see Richard Justice, “Astros retire Bagwell’s No. 5,”Houston Chronicle, August 26, 2007, and Tom Haudricourt, “Biggio, Bagwell finally there,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oct. 20, 2005.

Stanley Raymond Bahnsen was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on December 15, 1944, the third of Raymond and Viola Bahnsen‘s four children. Raymond Bahnsen was a brakeman for the Union Pacific Railroad; Viola was a homemaker. None of the family was athletic except for Stan, who wore out the Bahnsen garage door with a baseball. Older brother Jerry recalled Stan’s pitching into a canvas sheet in front of the garage, soon torn to shreds. In an interview with the Des Moines Sunday Register on Bahnsen’s induction into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, Jerry reminisced: “So then we closed the garage doors, and he broke the doors pretty bad. After Stan signed to play professional baseball, one of the first things he did was build my dad a new garage.”

At Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Bahnsen was a star on the baseball team, which usually came up short against cross-town rival Jefferson High. “My high school was more of a basketball school,” Bahnsen recalled. He starred in that sport as well; as a small forward, Bahnsen scored 18 points in the 1963 state title game, but his team lost.

The University of Nebraska recruited the 6’2”, 185-pound right-hander for baseball. In Bahnsen’s only season there he won All-Big Eight and third team All-American honors. When Major League Baseball inaugurated the Rule 4 draft in 1965, the New York Yankees, on the advice of scout Joe McDermott, chose Bahnsen in the fourth round with the 68th pick overall.2 Bahnsen recalled, “I jumped at the opportunity to play major league baseball even though Nebraska had a premier sports program.” He signed with the Yankees and reported to the Columbus (Georgia) Confederate Yankees (Southern League, AA), where he posted a 2-2 record over the remainder of the season.

In 1966, Bahnsen was promoted to the Toledo Mud Hens (International League, AAA) where he was 10-7, threw a no-hitter on July 13, and earned an expanded roster call from the Yankees. On September 9 he made a promising major league debut, pitching two perfect innings in relief against the Boston Red Sox, striking out Joe Foy, Carl Yastrzemski, Tony Conigliaro, and Rico Petrocelli and picking up a save. Six days later, he got his first start, against Washington. Bahnsen showed more promise with a 10-5 complete game win although a rocky three-run ninth took some of the glow off the accomplishment.

A mediocre spring training sent Bahnsen back to the International League for the entire 1967 season, this time with the Syracuse Chiefs. He was under .500 at 9-11 and began to show what was for the times a worrisome tendency—a failure to pitch complete games—though he did muster a seven-inning perfect game against Buffalo on July 9. But the Yankees were desperate for improvement. The team had been losing steadily since their 1964 pennant, when majority ownership in the club was purchased by CBS. At the same time, the cross-town Mets, though not winning a lot of games, drew fans and attention. With Yankee brass hoping their draft choices would start to pay off, Bahnsen made the 1968 club out of spring training.3

Bahnsen got his first 1968 starting assignment on April 17, the Yankees’ sixth game of the season, and did well, pitching into the ninth inning in a 3-2 victory over California. By the end of June, he was firmly ensconced in the starting rotation with a 7-3 record. Bahnsen spoke about his success with The Sporting News and attributed it to better stamina from gaining ten pounds, and “I have better control of my curve, so I throw the fastball less and make fewer pitches. When I depended on my fastball all the time, hitters tended to foul off a lot of pitches.”

Bahnsen ended 1968 at 17-12, with a 2.05 ERA in 267 innings pitched. Four of the losses occurred during weeks when Stan was a part-time Yankee fulfilling Army Reserve duty and pitching only on weekends. The team had improved by 11 games over 1967, and a significant part of this success was attributed to Bahnsen; he was voted American League Rookie of the Year. At the awards banquet, manager Ralph Houk praised his new star‘s discipline in balancing his Army commitment and baseball as early as spring training. Houk told Sporting News writer Jim Ogle, “Stan did it all himself, primarily reporting to camp in the best physical condition he’s ever reported in. He came down for a couple weekends, stayed in shape in the Army and, when he finally joined us on March 17, was ready to pitch.”

For the 1969 season, Major League Baseball enacted two major changes in an attempt to adjust what was perceived as a disproportionate advantage to pitchers—the height of the mound was lowered from 15 to ten inches, and the strike zone was officially tightened. Bahnsen, who at times had difficulty controlling his curve, and whose fastball had benefited from the higher mound, was skeptical. “I don’t like the lower mound, but the smaller strike zone doesn’t bother me since I’m not a spot pitcher,” he told The Sporting News. Bahnsen knew himself well. He struggled with the lower mound throughout 1969, as his record dropped to 9-16 and his ERA almost doubled. A significant factor, given the times, was that Bahnsen tended to tire in later innings. He completed only five of his 33 starts, a performance that magnified the weakness of the New York bullpen.

Bahnsen remained in the Yankees’ rotation in 1970 and 1971, winning 14 games each season. Mel Stottlemyre was the ace of the staff with Bahnsen and Fritz Peterson vying for the second spot. In 1971, Bahnsen showed stamina similar to that of his successful 1968 season as he completed 14 games and pitched 242 innings. Future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski described Stan as “the hardest thrower in the league.” However, the Yankees, who had won 93 games and finished second in 1970, had regressed to 82 wins and fourth place in 1971. Management decided that offense was the problem and saw Bahnsen, with 55 wins at age 27, as a valuable trade commodity.

On December 2, 1971, the Yankees traded Bahnsen to the White Sox for infielder Rich McKinney. The 1971 White Sox had used McKinney as a versatile utility player. He handled a number of different positions with modest fielding skills, but was in the lineup for his bat. At 25, he was expected to be the regular New York third baseman, an upgrade for their weak-hitting infield. Yankee fans disagreed vociferously. Jim Ogle reported a typical fan reaction in The Sporting News: “How could they possibly give up a starting pitcher for another fringe player? I thought they swore not to make a deal unless they obtained a professional infielder,” a Yankee fan wrote. The fans were right.4

In Chicago, Bahnsen took the place of Tommy John, shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers for heavy-hitting first baseman Dick Allen. The White Sox intended to make Bahnsen more than a typical starting pitcher. White Sox manager Chuck Tanner and executive Roland Hemond were developing the concept of a three-man rotation, with starting pitchers often operating on only two days rest. Bahnsen would join Wilbur Wood and Tom Bradley, who along with Tommy John had started 116 games for the White Sox in 1971.

The concept seemed to work. The 1972 White Sox outperformed projections, remaining in the 1972 pennant race much of the season. On September 12, Bahnsen won his 18th game, combining with Rich Gossage for a six-hit shutout of the Kansas City Royals, placing the White Sox only two games behind the first-place Oakland A’s. The offense had improved with the addition of Dick Allen. He almost won the American League Triple Crown, and did win the MVP award. The “iron-man” rotation started 130 of Chicago’s 154 games with Wood winning 24 games, and Bahnsen a career high 21. Bahnsen took the ball for 41 starts, going the route five times as his WHIP (Walks plus Hits divided by Innings Pitched) rose to 1.332, necessitating extra pitches. The WHIP was above the 1972 AL average of 1.231 and well above the 1.062 Bahnsen posted in his rookie year.

September left the White Sox 5½ games short of the A’s. Encouraged, White Sox management had seen a sharp rise in both wins and attendance brought on by the Allen-led offense and wanted more of it. Over the winter, Hemond executed a trade with San Francisco, sending one of the Sox’s starters, Tom Bradley, to the Giants in exchange for center fielder Ken Henderson and pitcher Steve Stone. The White Sox hoped Stone and Bart Johnson, with help from the deft- touch pitching coach Johnny Sain had shown in implementing the 1972 Tanner-Hemond “iron-man” plan, could make up for Bradley’s 40 starts. Wood and Bahnsen would remain the heart of the rotation.5

The White Sox approached 1973 with great optimism. Announcer Harry Caray typified the attitude in Chicago when he predicted the “Year of the Sock” at the White Sox Hot Stove Press Luncheon. But things did not go as planned. Injuries to Henderson and Allen diminished the offense while Tanner and Sain scrambled to cobble together a rotation beyond Wood and Bahnsen. The two stalwarts held up their side of the pitching load, starting 90 games between them, but both losing a batch in the process. Bahnsen pitched a career-high 282 innings, completing 14 games with an 18-21 won-lost record. Jeff Torborg, a catcher that year with the California Angels, commented on the Sox duo in Phil Pepe’s Talkin’ Baseball: An Oral History of Baseball in the 1970s: “Wilbur could pitch a lot because of that knuckleball, and because of him, the White Sox went with a three-man rotation at times. Bahnsen started throwing overhand, and by the time the season was over, he was throwing sidearm.” Although Bahnsen’s physical woes throughout his career were primarily tied to his back and legs rather than his pitching arm, he didn’t directly disagree with Torborg, telling writer Jerome Holtzman, “It’s twice as hard for me as it is for Wilbur. He throws the knuckler, and of course, that’s not wearing on the arm. I’m essentially a power pitcher. It’s a big difference that should be considered.” Bahnsen had been 18-16 on September 9 before losing his last five games to close at 18-21. “I was going for 20 wins, but instead I wound up with 20 the other way,” he lamented to Holtzman.

The 1973 season ended with the White Sox in fifth place in the AL West Division. Harry Caray’s enthusiasm had turned sour as he blamed players such as Bahnsen and Bill Melton for the team’s disappointing finish.6 When Jerome Holtzman brought up to Chuck Tanner the fact Wood and Bahnsen as teammates had both lost 20 games, something that had not occurred in the American League since 1930, Tanner had praise for his pitchers: “They volunteered to work on short rest. They did it for the good of the team. They should be commended—and don’t forget, they wouldn’t have lost all those games if we hadn’t been crippled by injuries.”7

The 1973 White Sox also had problems off the field. Bahnsen, along with teammates Rick Reichardt and Mike Andrews, had not signed contracts as the season started and were playing under renewal contracts, an option previously untested. If they were not signed by the end of the season, they would become free agents, but Bahnsen finally came to terms on June 19.8

Some of Bahnsen’s successes could be adventures. On June 21, two days after the end of his contract hassle, he pitched a remarkable game—a twelve-hit shutout over the champion Oakland A’s. Impressed with Bahnsen’s tenacity, Chuck Tanner referred to him in a Sporting News interview as a “bulldog” whose shutout was “one of the most courageous performances I’ve ever seen.” From the other dugout, Sporting News writer Edgar Munzel could overhear A’s manager Dick Williams muttering to himself, “A twelve hit shutout! A twelve hit shutout!”

Over the years, Bahnsen’s WHIP continued to rise as he regularly gave up more than a hit an inning. His strikeout rate dropped below five per nine innings. The man once described as “The Bahnsen Burner” was now being called “Stanley Struggle,” a tribute to his tendency to get himself into a jam, then work out of it. But there were notable exceptions to the struggle as Bahnsen occasionally flirted with no-hitters. The closest he came was on August 21, 1973, when, facing the Cleveland Indians, Bahnsen got two outs in the ninth inning before Walt Williams hit a single under third baseman Bill Melton’s glove. Bahnsen came close to pitching a perfect game when he retired the first 23 Minnesota Twins on May 15, 1974, then yielded a solid hit to Bobby Darwin.

Reflecting on the hit by Williams, Bahnsen recalled “I made a good pitch on him. It was a side- arm slider down and away. He got on top of the ball and made it spin under Bill’s glove.” As to Darwin: “He missed first base as he was running. We almost got him there on the relay back to the infield. I’ve always thought how bizarre it would have been if we were able to throw him out and then I get them out in the ninth for a perfect game.”

The 1974 season ended Bahnsen’s status as part of a three-man rotation—the White Sox went with a different arrangement featuring only Wood on short rest in 1975.9 Bahnsen was in the rotation on regular rest until June 15, with the White Sox in last place, Bahnsen was traded with pitcher Skip Pitlock to the Oakland A’s for pitcher Dave Hamilton and outfielder Chet Lemon.

The A’s were seeking their fourth consecutive World Series championship. They had a powerful batting order and two mainstays in the pitching rotation, Vida Blue and Ken Holtzman. Owner Charlie Finley was hoping that Bahnsen would augment the duo. Bahnsen got 16 starts with Oakland and finished 6-7. Boston swept the A’s in the ALCS, but Bahnsen did not see action.

The following season, 1976, was transitional for Bahnsen, now 31. The A’s began using him as a long reliever and spot starter. The A’s were also in transition as a team; Finley went into 1977 dumping salaries, breaking up his perennial champions. When Bahnsen gave up 15 earned runs in his first 22 innings at the start of the season, he was gone by May 22—traded to the NL Montreal Expos for outfielder-first baseman Mike Jorgenson. Bahnsen joined the Expos’ starting rotation, going 8-9 in 22 starts over the rest of 1977.

Bahnsen had benefited both financially and professionally from his stay in Oakland. Charlie Finley had, perhaps uncharacteristically, signed him to a four-year contract. And Oakland A’s pitching coach Wes Stock refined Bahnsen‘s approach. In October 2012 Bahnsen remembered, “Wes convinced me that in Oakland I could get hitters out by throwing a four-seam fastball an inch or two off the plate when ahead in the count, which led to a lot of long fly balls for outs in center field in Oakland.”

The Montreal Expos of the late 1970s were the opposite of Bahnsen’s former team, the A’s. As an expansion team they had never won their division and had to fight for fan attention once hockey season started. But now, with proven winner Dick Williams as manager and a group of talented young position players, things were looking up. Where did Bahnsen fit in? The Expos had not had a solid closer in 1977. The job was open for 1978, the Expos considered Bahnsen a possibility, and he had the job as the team left spring camp.

Bahnsen entered in the ninth on April 8 with a one-run lead over the Mets and a man on base, got the second out of the inning, then yielded a walk-off home run to Ed Kranepool. The Expos continued to use Bahnsen to close for the short-term and he converted his next five save opportunities. But Dick Williams was looking for an alternative, and on May 20 the Expos acquired reliever Mike Garman from the Dodgers. Garman took over as closer; Bahnsen became a middle reliever and earned only two more saves over the rest of the season.

For 1979, Dick Williams had yet another closer, Elias Sosa. Bahnsen, now 34, teamed up with 39-year-old lefthander Woody Fryman to create a formidable set up duo for Sosa.

From 1979 through 1981, Bahnsen provided veteran leadership and quality innings for a young Montreal team that was always in the hunt for the National League pennant. Bahnsen appeared in 137 games over those three seasons, recording 12 wins and ten saves, and making the last three starts of his major league career in 1981. To his young teammates, he was neither the “Burner” nor the “Struggle,” but rather the experienced veteran who had once shared a locker room with Mickey Mantle and Elston Howard. Speaking about pressure on his younger teammates during the 1980 pennant race, Stan remarked to Sporting News writer Ian McDonald “Some of the guys will be answering the telephones when they aren’t ringing.”

Bahnsen encountered some pressure himself on October 4, 1980, when he faced Mike Schmidt with Pete Rose on first base in the eleventh inning of a 4-4 tie, the next-to-last game of the season, with the division pennant on the line. He had always pitched fairly well against Schmidt, allowing only five singles in 20 at bats. But Schmidt homered off a Bahnsen fastball for a 6-4 lead, and ultimately the National League East flag. Alain Usereau described what happened in The Expos in Their Prime—Dick Williams did not want to walk Schmidt and move Rose into scoring position. Catcher Gary Carter had called for a breaking ball, but Bahnsen shook it off, believing it was what Schmidt would expect.

Over the 1980-81 offseason the Expos thought enough of Bahnsen to re-sign him, at age 36, to a three-year, $1 million contract He appeared in 25 games as Montreal finally reached the strike-split postseason, winning the National East Division over the Phillies before losing to the Dodgers in the NLCS. Bahnsen made one relief appearance in the division series, pitching one and a third inning in a 6-5 loss.

The following spring, the Expos released Bahnsen despite the two years remaining on his contract.10 He caught on briefly with the California Angels, and then the Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia sent him to Oklahoma City (American Association, AAA), then released him on November 4, 1982. He came back for 25 innings with the Phillies’ Pacific Coast League Portland affiliate in 1983.11

Reflecting on his years in Organized Baseball and the teams he played for, Bahnsen said, “I enjoyed the 1972 White Sox. That group of players was a-laugh-a-minute but on the field they were dead serious. Unfortunately there were no wild cards in those days or in my opinion we could have won it all. And I was on five great Expo teams.”

But Stan Bahnsen still wasn’t done playing baseball. Speaking of his release by the Phillies, he commented, “It wasn’t because I couldn’t pitch, my arm was fine. It was my legs that were shot, I was having all kinds of trouble with them.” Back home in Pompano Beach, he hooked up with the short-lived Florida Senior League, and pitched on weekends for retired Orioles manager Earl Weaver’s Gold Coast Suns during the 1989 season. When that team folded after a year he was 1-2 for the 1990 Daytona Beach Explorers. And then Europe came calling. Bahnsen met a hardware manufacturer from Holland who owned a team located in Haarlem. Bahnsen’s ethnic roots were Danish and Northern German, and he accepted an invitation to be a player/coach at age 48. He pitched in about a dozen games for Haarlem, recalling his fastball still hopping at 85 mph. “Baseball is more laid back there. The teams play two times a week. There’s talent there, but they’re not used to a heavy schedule of games,” he remembered.

Since his retirement from baseball, Bahnsen has had a second career as a promoter in the ocean cruise industry. He has been affiliated with MSC Cruises, developing baseball-oriented programs for the company through which passengers get the opportunity to meet and socialize with former major league ballplayers, including Bahnsen. This entrepreneurial trait is not new to Bahnsen. When he was with the Yankees, he was associated in a promotional firm with other New York professional athletes including Spider Lockhart of the football Giants and Dave DeBusschere of the Knicks. He has also been an instructor at youth baseball camps and did pregame radio for the Yankees’ former Florida State League club in Fort Lauderdale.

As of this writing (2013), Bahnsen has been married to the former Cynthia Wentworth, a comptroller for the Deerfield Wyndham Beach Resort, for over ten years. “She’s a joy to share my life with and enjoys everything I’m involved in. But she‘s a Red Sox fan; I tell people we have a mixed marriage!” He has a son by a previous marriage—Brent, a former high school ballplayer, assists Bahnsen with his promotions and cruises.

Last revised: July 1, 2013

Sources

Robert W. Cohen, The Lean Years of the Yankees, 1965-1975 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 2004).

Bill James and Rob Neyer, The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers (New York: Fireside Books, 2004).

Richard C. Lindberg, Stealing First in a Two-Team Town (Champaign, IL: Sagamore Publishing, 1994).

Richard C. Lindberg, Total White Sox (Chicago: Triumph Books, 2006).

Phil Pepe, Talkin’ Baseball, An Oral History of Baseball in the 1970s (New York: Ballantine Books, 1998).

Alain Usereau, The Expos in Their Prime, The Short-Lived Glory of Montreal’s Team, 1977-1984 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishing, 2013).

Des Moines Sunday Register, August 1, 2009.

The Sporting News, Numerous issues, July 1966, through January 1981.

Baseball-Reference.com

FlyingSock.com

Retrosheet.org

Alain Usereau’s recorded interview with Stan Bahnsen at the June 2012 Montreal Expos’ reunion; Acknowledgment: Alain Usereau.

Author’s telephone interview and e-mail correspondence with Stan Bahnsen, October 2012, March 2013.

Notes

After that fine rookie season in 2004, Bay had four more good-to-excellent years with the bat, with just one down year out of five. Alas, his career was cut short by two concussions suffered in collisions with the outfield wall in 2010 and 2012. He was out of baseball after 2013.

Jason Raymond Bay was born September 20, 1978, in Trail, British Columbia. His parents were David and Kelly Bay.1 David worked at Teck Cominco, a zinc smelting and gold mining company, while Kelly worked for the Canadian government.2 He also has a sister, Lauren Bay (b. 1981), a former professional softball player who pitched for Canada in the 2004 Summer Olympics.34 “My sister got the arm in the family,” Bay said. “How about that? She’s a world-class left-handed pitcher.”5

As one article from 2004 noted, “The Bay children benefited from excellent bloodlines. Their great uncle on their mother’s side, Gerry Moro, represented Canada in the 1964 and 1972 Olympics as a pole vaulter and decathlete. A great uncle on their father’s side played minor league baseball in the 1950s.”6

Young Jason grew up playing hockey — little surprise for a Canadian — but eventually quit in order to focus on baseball. At 12, he represented Canada by playing for the Trail Little League team in the 1990 Little League World Series, which finished in third place.7

Bay played college baseball at Gonzaga University, not too far over the border from his hometown in British Columbia. He earned first-team All-West Coast Conference honors as a junior and senior, and led the West Coast Conference in batting in 2000 with a .388 average.89 During his summers in college, he played for the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Baseball League.10

Bay was chosen in the 2000 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos with the fifth pick of the 22nd round, No. 645 overall. “You could stream [the draft] from the internet,” Bay said. “That was like one of the first years that they had done it. I was listening pick by pick. My dad took the day off work and we listened together. It wasn’t like it is a lot more today with the parties and hoopla, for me anyway… Coming from a small town in Canada, it was big news. Whether it was the first round or last round, just getting drafted was big news.”11

Over two minor-league seasons split among Class A Short Season, Class A, and High A, he hit .312 with 180 hits, 16 home runs, and 83 runs batted in. He won the Low-A Midwest League batting title in 2001 after hitting .362 in 87 games.12 Prior to the 2002 season he was traded along with Jimmy Serrano to the New York Mets for Lou Collier. He was traded again in July, this time going to the San Diego Padres along with Josh Reynolds and Bobby Jones in exchange for Jason Middlebrook and Steve Reed. He finished the season with the Padres’ Double-A affiliate, the Mobile BayBears, racking up 17 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 127 hits in 126 games.

Bay started the 2003 season with the Triple-A Portland Beavers, but got called up to make his major-league debut on May 23 against the Arizona Diamondbacks after Mark Kotsay got injured.13 Bay started the game in center field, batted seventh, and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run.

His first big-league stint did not last long, however. In just his third game with the Padres, he was hit by a pitch from Elmer Dessens of the Arizona Diamondbacks,14 fracturing his right wrist. When his injury healed he was back in the minors, and in August he was traded with Oliver Perez and a player to be named later (which became Cory Stewart) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Brian Giles. He joined the Pirates’ big-league club immediately and stayed with them for the rest of the year, hitting .291 over 27 games.

Bay had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in the offseason and did not take the field for the Pirates until May 2004, but he quickly began to make a difference in the Pittsburgh lineup.15 He hit .300 in the month of May on his way to a .282 overall mark for the season, with 26 home runs, 82 RBI, 24 doubles, and 116 hits. Those numbers earned him the 2004 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award, beating out Khalil Greene and Akinori Otsuka. “It means the world to me,” Bay said. Asked about how it felt to be the first Pirate to win the award, a team with past players such as Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Barry Bonds, he said: “You walk into the locker room and you see all those jerseys hanging up, it’s kind of amazing it never happened.”16

That was not the only milestone Bay celebrated that month. Two days before winning Rookie of the Year, he married his college sweetheart, Kristen Beaulaurier, in Seattle. “I never got down on one knee,” he said about how his proposal went down. “And she still busts my chops to this day. I was looking around for something in my luggage. I said, ‘I think you know what I’m doing. I think she said, ‘About time’ instead of ‘Yes.’”17

There was no sophomore slump for Bay the following year, 2005. He played in all 162 games and slashed .306/.402/.559. His batting average fell below .250 only once all season; after April 20, it never dipped below .273. On top of all that he had 32 homers, 101 RBIs, and a career high 183 hits, making him by far the Pirates’ most productive hitter.

“I’ve finally had an opportunity to come to the park and be able to play every day, to get into a routine, to be in one spot the entire year,” said Bay. “I’m pleased that it’s gone well so fast. Rookie of the Year. All-Star Game. It’s been gratifying, knowing you can do it when maybe some people didn’t think you could do it. It’s been gratifying for me to show that my rookie year wasn’t just one great year. I hope there are even better ones to come.”18

Bay earned his first All-Star Game selection that year and also appeared in the Home Run Derby, but was eliminated after failing to hit any homers in the first round. That winter, Bay and the Pirates agreed on a four-year contract worth $18.25 million.19

“The Pirates have been burned in the past by some contracts that didn’t pan out, and they were probably a little more apprehensive than some teams to do this,” Bay said. “I think that’s why I’m so grateful — to know this is the first long-term deal that’s been done by the Pirates in quite a few years. They didn’t have to do anything, but I think the way I was going gave them the confidence that, hopefully, I was going to get better and that, in the long run, it was going to be a little bit cheaper. I still don’t really fully comprehend it.”20

In March of 2006, Bay represented his native Canada in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. “I’m standing on the railing, watching, watching, watching — I rarely get emotional, and I jumped the railing like a Little Leaguer,” Bay said. “I went, ‘Wow, it’s March 8, and it’s too early for this.’ But you can’t simulate it, you can’t prepare someone for that, and I just want to experience that here [in Pittsburgh].”21

Bay went 5-for-11 with five runs in the first round, with Canada going 2-1, but they were eliminated by a tiebreaker. He carried that offensive production into the regular season, hitting 35 home runs and 109 RBIs on his way to earning his second-straight All-Star Game appearance. That November, he had surgery to fix a problem in his left knee that had nagged him throughout the season.22 The procedure took 10 minutes and he was able to walk out of the hospital.23

When the 2007 season started, Bay struggled a bit out of the gate with only five home runs and 29 RBIs through May 24, well below his pace from previous years. “It’s not like I feel overmatched,” Bay said. “It’s more like a feeling where you’re 0-2 before you get in the box, where there’s no rhythm with the count or anything about the at-bat. Even from game to game … I go out there and get three hits and think, ‘Oh, I’m back.’ And I go out the next day feeling like I haven’t gotten a hit in two months.”24

He managed to get things back on the right track for a while — staying above .300 from May 27 through June 7 — but by July 20, he was at .246. “I want to turn it around,” Bay said. “I’d love to see it happen. But everyone’s looking for some overnight answer. How do you do that? How do you just flip the wall switch? That’s the tough part. Here we are, after all this time, still trying to find that.”25 Unfortunately, the rest of the season went no better for Bay. Following the All-Star break he hit eight home runs and had just 28 RBIs. He finished the year with a .247 average and a .418 slugging percentage, the first time in his career he failed to slug at least .500.

Bay experienced a bit of a turnaround at the beginning of 2008, hitting .284 with 16 home runs at the end of June. But his time with the Pirates was running out. At the July 31 trade deadline, “3:59 and seconds,” as Pirates general manager Neal Huntington called it, Bay was traded to the Boston Red Sox as part of a three-team deal involving the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Pirates received four prospects — Andy LaRoche, Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen, and Bryan Morris — while the Dodgers obtained Manny Ramirez from Boston.26

Upon joining the Red Sox, Bay hit .293 with nine homers and 37 RBIs over 49 games. He also got his first taste of the playoffs and did not disappoint. He batted .412 with a pair of home runs in the ALDS, in which Boston defeated the Los Angeles Angels, followed by a .292 average in the ALCS, in which the Tampa Bay Rays eliminated the Red Sox in seven games. “I come from Pittsburgh after six years, and all of a sudden there’s no grace period. Overnight, I’m in a pennant race,” Bay said. “And getting traded for Manny didn’t make it any easier, although I was so engulfed in everything else, it wasn’t even an issue. That first week is a blur. There was definitely a 24-hour culture shock.”27 Bay finished 2008 with a combined slash of .286/.373/.522 with 31 home runs and 101 RBI over 155 games.

In March 2009, Bay again represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic. He went 2-for-4 with two RBIs over two games, but Canada went winless and was eliminated during round play. When the big-league season started, his first full season in the American League, it turned out to be a strong year for Bay. He had a team-best 36 home runs and 119 RBIs, earning him his third All-Star Game selection and his first Silver Slugger Award. “People always ask, ‘Is it tough to play here?’” Bay said about playing in Boston. “In some aspects, with the external stuff, it’s a little different, but what people don’t realize is that all that stuff aside, it’s a fairly easy environment hitting-wise to thrive in. You look up and down that lineup, I don’t think I’m the guy, I’m just one of the guys and I think that helps me out a little bit.”28

In addition to the awards he received for his play on the field, he also had a reason to celebrate off the field. On July 2, he was naturalized as an American citizen during a ceremony at Boston’s Faneuil Hall.29 He helped lead the Red Sox to 95 wins that season, good for second place in the AL East and a wild card berth, but they were swept in the ALDS by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

In November 2009, Bay became a free agent for the first time in his career. He was among the most coveted outfielders on the market that offseason, with the others being Matt Holliday, Mike Cameron, and Marlon Byrd.30 A number of teams were interested in Bay, including the Red Sox, who offered him $60 million over four years, but he turned it down because Boston wouldn’t add a fifth year to the deal. He ultimately agreed to a four-year contract for $66 million with the New York Mets, which included a vesting option for the fifth year with the potential for him to earn $80 million in total. The move was seen as a major offensive gain for the Mets, a team that had hit the fewest home runs in the National League in 2009.31

“I like the camaraderie,” Bay said about joining the Mets clubhouse. “A lot of people tried to paint a grim picture. I haven’t seen any of it.”32

“He’s just a guy that goes out and quietly plays like a superstar,” said David Wright, Mets third baseman and future captain, about Bay. “He goes about his business without a lot of flash, but he’s one of the best run producers in the game.”33

Regarding his role with the Mets, Bay said, “My job is to drive in runs and get on base. That’s what I was brought in for, and what I’d like to do.”34 Unfortunately, those numbers just weren’t there for Bay. He started slowly and through June, he was on pace for just 12 home runs and 75 RBIs for the year, which would’ve been the worst stats of his career. Granted, the Mets offense as a whole wasn’t making much noise; they would finish the season in the bottom five in the NL for batting average, hits, home runs, and RBIs.

Still, at the end of June they found themselves 10 games above .500 and just 1½ games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. Nearly a month later, however, on July 27, the Mets found themselves 6½ games back — and suddenly without Bay, who had suffered a devastating injury against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

On Friday, July 23, on the bottom of the second inning, Bay collided with the outfield wall after catching a fly ball hit by the Dodgers’ Jamey Carroll. He was slow to get up, but remained in the game, and later hit a bases-clearing double in the top of the eighth to extend the Mets’ lead to 6-1, the final score. He also played the final two games in the series on Saturday and Sunday, going 2-for-9 with a walk and a run.

Bay first reported possible concussion symptoms to team doctors on the plane ride back to New York on Sunday night.35 The Mets were off on Monday and he saw a doctor on Tuesday as the team was starting a home series against the St. Louis Cardinals, at which point manager Jerry Manuel was informed of the situation.36 Bay was taken out of the lineup for a couple of days to see if the symptoms would subside.37 “This has never happened; this is uncharted for me,” Bay said about the injury.38

The symptoms persisted, however, and Bay was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 30. A couple of weeks later he was still experiencing headaches, and he ended up being sidelined for the rest of the year.39 His final stat line for the season was a .259 average, six home runs, and 47 RBIs over 95 games. “I just had a bad year. I was the first to admit it as I was living it, and I’ll be the first to admit it looking back on it,” Bay said about his struggles in 2010. “For whatever reason, I never got in a rhythm at the plate, and I felt like I was swimming upstream all year trying to catch up. The next thing you know it’s July and you’re like, ‘Wow, I haven’t been able to piece anything together.’ The question is, what did you learn from it? I feel like I learned a lot.”40

Going into 2011, having recovered from his concussion, Bay had a positive outlook. “I’m back to doing what I’ve always done. But I’m focusing on doing it better,” he said.41 He hit another snag, however, when he injured his ribcage during batting practice on March 29, causing him to start the season on the disabled list. He finally made it to the lineup on April 21, going 1-for-4 with a double and two runs in a 9-1 victory over the Houston Astros.42

However, 2011 was another lackluster season for Bay. He hit 12 home runs and drove in 57, both career lows for seasons in which he played in at least 100 games. Those numbers also included a 29-game stretch without a homer and just 10 multi-RBI games. He slashed .245/.329/.374, only his second time batting below .250 and his first year slugging below .400. “All those years I did well, I never worried about what I was doing,” Bay said. “There were good days, and there were bad days, and that was that. But I never analyzed. [The past two years], I over-analyzed everything. I was trying to make everything perfect. My hands here, my feet here; I wasn’t really a hitter. I was trying to make myself into a robot.”43

Teammate David Wright said the pressure of playing in New York may have had an impact on Bay’s performance. “It’s tough when you sign as a big free agent, and the town you happen to come to is New York,” Wright observed. “In Jason’s case, the team was struggling. We signed him, and all of a sudden he is supposed to come in and be a difference maker. So he put an incredible amount of pressure on himself.”44

It was also a lost year for the Mets overall. They went 77-85 and finished fourth in the NL East.

Bay spent the following offseason working on his hitting with his former Pirates coach Don Long. “I’m scrapping everything, and I’m just going to swing. I’m just going to stand up there, hold the bat and swing,” Bay said about his new mindset at the plate. “Can I hit 30 home runs? I 100% think it’s possible. No question.”45

Over his first 15 games to start the 2012 season, Bay hit .240 (12-for-50), with 3 homers, 5 RBIs, and 17 strikeouts. During the 15th game, on April 23, he got hurt while trying to field a fly ball from the San Francisco Giants’ Gregor Blanco. The ball fell out of Bay’s glove and he landed hard on the ground. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list the following day after an MRI confirmed he had a broken rib.46 “It’s extremely frustrating,” Bay said. “There’s really no other way to put it… All I can do is try and look forward and try and build off of the momentum.”47

He ended up missing 42 games, not returning to the lineup until June 8. He went 2-for-25 over the next seven games, and got injured again on June 15. This time, it was a second concussion he sustained after crashing into the outfield wall during a game against the Cincinnati Reds.

“I know how he feels,” said Mets catcher Josh Thole, who also suffered multiple concussions throughout his career. “I know exactly what he’s doing right now. He’s probably passed out in his bed, just in the dark. Any time the light shines in your eyes, the noise, you get that — it’s the worst. I feel for him.”48

“Jason Bay is a fine baseball player,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “Jason Bay is one of the finest people I’ve ever had on one of my teams. And I just hope he gets out of this and recovers, because I’m pretty concerned about it right now.”49

It was another 24 games before Bay was back on the field. By the time he finally returned on July 17, the Mets were seven games back in the division, a margin they would never reduce. They would finish the season 74-88, in fourth place once again. Over his final 48 games, Bay hit just .151 with four home runs and 14 RBIs.

In November, Bay and the Mets reached an agreement to terminate his contract a year early, but the team would still pay him the $21 million owed to him over the next two years. “Jason has a tremendous work ethic. There was never any question about it. Unfortunately, the results weren’t there and we are in a results-oriented business,” general manager Sandy Alderson said in a statement.50

“I still feel I have plenty to give to this game and that I can play baseball at a high level. But after serious consideration, both sides agree that we would benefit from a fresh start,” Bay said in a statement. “I’m excited to keep playing and have no intention of just walking away… I enjoyed my time in New York. I have no regrets in signing with the Mets, other than that I wasn’t able to play to the level that the team, the fans and I all expected and that we weren’t able to win more games. I move on with nothing but an appreciation for the organization and its fans and best wishes to all my teammates there.”51

Bay was not without a team for long, signing a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners in December. “Wherever I ended up was going to be a fresh start and the chance to do it here in my backyard, so to speak, will be nice,” said Bay, alluding to his origins in nearby British Columbia. “That’s all I was looking for. It didn’t work out for whatever reason and it was kind of a mutual split. I want to start fresh and wipe the slate clean and that’s what I get to do here.”52

As a result of his past injury history, the Mariners had Bay examined by two team doctors and neurosurgeon to confirm that he had fully recovered from his previous concussions.53 At 34 years old, he was the third-oldest player on the Mariners’ Opening Day roster, with only Raul Ibañez and Endy Chavez born before him. “I don’t feel like I’m that old, but I guess I am around here,” Bay said.54

Bay started the 2013 season as the Mariners’ primary left fielder, but he hit just .204 with 11 homers and 20 RBIs over 68 games. He was designated for assignment on July 29 and released on August 6. He retired that offseason, ending his career in the major leagues. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .266 with 222 home runs and 1,200 hits.

In 2015, Bay was inducted into the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor for his play at Gonzaga from 1999 to 2000. He was the first Bulldogs baseball player inducted into the WCC Hall of Honor. “Without Gonzaga, I wouldn’t be here,” Bay said during his acceptance speech at the ceremony. “I’m a quintessential example of what college athletics can do for a person. I’m extremely proud of where I’m from and I’m extremely proud to be a part of the Gonzaga community, which is the highest compliment I can get.”55

In 2019, Bay was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame along with former pitcher Ryan Dempster, coach Rob Thomson, and executive Gord Ash. His 222 career homers are fifth-most among Canadian-born players and he is one of 13 Canadians with at least 1,000 hits in the majors. He also remains the only Canadian to win the Rookie of the Year Award. “It was a very pleasant and somewhat unexpected surprise to get that call from the Canadian Hall of Fame,” said Bay. “I’m proud and honored to be recognized with great people who have helped build baseball in Canada in various ways, to the elite level it has become.”56

Also in 2019, residents of Bay’s hometown of Trail, British Columbia, began efforts to name the baseball field at local Butler Park after him. “He was absolutely flattered to have his name added to Butler Park,” said Lou DeRosa, one of the project leaders. “He’s very appreciative and very humble.”57 However, the Jason Bay Field Project was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a 2021 wind storm that downed trees and light standards in the park.58 After a five-year wait, the project was completed on April 5, 2024, when a maroon sign with “Jason Bay Field” in cursive script was installed atop the scoreboard.59

Bay and his wife Kristen live in Seattle with their three children: Addison (b. 2006), Evelyn (b. 2008), and Garrett (b. 2011).60, 61 Since his playing days, he spends time coaching his kids in baseball and soccer. “I’m just a dad with some time on his hands,” said Bay.62

Unfortunately for Bay, many baseball fans, and Mets fans in particular, will remember him as a player who got injured too often and didn’t produce enough when he was actually on the field. “I got banged up a little bit,” Bay said. “Not an excuse, just the reality and that didn’t help. I don’t think that was the No. 1 reason, I just think I couldn’t really get on track. I couldn’t just move forward. I was always stuck in one gear and I couldn’t get going.”63

Looking back on his career as a whole, Bay said: “In baseball, the window is so short. I would just hate to have a mark on me for my effort. It would irk me to no end if someone said, ‘Yeah he was decent, but he was lazy.’ Or, ‘He didn’t respect the game.’ Because I can control that. … My motivation was never status. It was never money. My motivation was just progressing in life. … If you find the answer to that mystery, let me know. And then I’ll know.”64

Last revised: February 4, 2021

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and Joe DeSantis and fact-checked by Mark Sternman.

Notes

1 Jim Bailey, “Jason Bay returns to Trail, baseball card signing at Smokies game,” BC Local News, December 31, 2019.

2 Joe Starkey, “Tough love helped Pirates’ Bay travel unlikely ‘Trail’ from British Columbia to major leagues,” TribLive.com, August 1, 2004.

3 https://okstate.com/news/2003/4/19/Lauren_Bay.aspx

4 Porter, 2008.

5 Dejan Kovacevic, “Bay’s backward step a multi-part mystery,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 6, 2007.

6 Joe Starkey, “Tough love helped Pirates’ Bay travel unlikely ‘Trail’ from British Columbia to major leagues,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 1, 2004.

7 Matt Porter, “The Jason Bay file: (More than) 30 things to know about the newest Sox slugger,” Boston.com, July 31, 2008.

8 Porter, “The Jason Bay file.”

9 John Sickels, “Pirates prospect Jason Bay,” ESPN.com, January 30, 2004.

10 Porter, 2008.

11 Mark Fischer, “Ex-Met bust Jason Bay recalls his draft experience in return to New York,” New York Daily News, June 10, 2016.

12 USA Today Sports Weekly, June 4-10, 2003.

13 USA Today Sports Weekly, June 4-10, 2003.

14 Albany Times Union, May 27, 2003.

15 Sickels, 2004.

16 Chuck Johnson, “Pirates’ Bay, Athletics’ Crosby receive rookie of year honors,” USA Today, November 9, 2004.

17 Steve Serby, “Serby’s Sunday Q&A With Jason Bay,” New York Post, March 28, 2010.

18 Dejan Kovacevic, “No sophomore jinx for Pirates’ Bay,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 16, 2005.

19 Jason Meyer, “Pirates intend to use Bay as franchise’s cornerstone,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 18, 2005.

20 Meyer, 2005.

21 “Bay has admirer in Gretzky,” Associated Press, March 28, 2006.

22 Kovacevic, 2007.

23 Porter, 2008.

24 Kovacevic, 2007.

25 Kovacevic, 2007.

26 Dejan Kovacevic, “Pirates wait until final minute to trade Bay,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 1, 2008.

27 John Tomase, “Recalling Jason Bay’s best days,” Boston Herald, July 9, 2013.

28 Shi Davidi, “A hot bat in Boston; Jason Bay thrives on high expectations with Red Sox,” The Canadian Press, June 1, 2019.

29 “Bay to become U.S. citizen,” Associated Press, July 2, 2009.

30 Tim Dierkes, “2010 Top 50 Free Agents,” MLB Trade Rumors, November 9, 2009.

31 David Waldstein, “Mets and Bay Agree on a Contract,” New York Times, December 29, 2009.

32 Serby, 2010.

33 David Waldstein, “A Standout Player Who Is Happy Blending In,” New York Times, March 29, 2010.

34 Serby, 2010.

35 Joe Lapointe, “Concussion Symptoms Developed Late for Bay,” New York Times, July 27, 2010.

36 Lapointe, 2010.

37 Lapointe, 2010.

38 Lapointe, 2010.

39 Bob Klapisch, “Bay is poster child for Mets’ downfall,” FOX Sports, August 9, 2010.

40 Jerry Crasnick, “Jason Bay Eyeing Far Better Times in ’11,” ESPN.com, January 31, 2011.

41 Crasnick, 2011.

42 “Mets’ Bay Scratched With Injury, Could Land On DL,” Associated Press, March 29, 2011.

43 Andy Martino, “Bay: I Ain’t Done… Yet,” New York Daily News, February 12, 2012.

44 Martino, 2012.

45 Martino, 2012.

46 Brendan Prunty, “Mets place Jason Bay on 15-day disabled list with fractured rib,” NJ.com, April 24, 2012.

47 Prunty, 2012.

48 Tim Rohan, “Jason Bay Hurt as Mets Fall to Reds,” New York Times, June 15, 2012.

49 Rohan, 2012.

50 “Mets, Jason Bay terminate contract a year early,” Associated Press, November 7, 2012.

51 Associated Press, 2012.

52 Tim Booth, “Jason Bay hoping for a fresh start in Seattle,” Associated Press, December 10, 2012.

53 Booth, 2012.

54 Booth, 2012.

55 “Jason Bay inducted into WCC Hall of Honor,” GoZags.com, March 7, 2015.

56 http://baseballhalloffame.ca/blog/2019/02/05/bay-dempster-thomson-and-ash-to-be-inducted-into-canadian-baseball-hall-of-fame/

57 Bailey, 2019.

58 https://www.trail.ca/en/play/jason-bay-field-project.asp

59 Jim Bailey, “Jason Bay’s baseball legacy lives on at East Trail park,” Trail Times, April 18, 2024, https://www.trailtimes.ca/news/jason-bays-baseball-legacy-lives-on-at-east-trail-park-7346533

60 Bailey, 2019.

61 David Waldstein, “Jason Bay Returns to Mets After Birth of Third Child,” New York Times, May 5, 2011.

62 Ryan Collingwood, “Gonzaga alum and MLB All-Star Jason Bay enjoying retirement,” The Spokesman Review, July 4, 2018.

63 Booth, 2012.

64 Martino, 2012.

Possessing a rare combination of power and speed, Beltrán is one of only five players to date to exceed 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases.1 Across his 20-year career, during which he played for seven different teams, Beltrán was a nine-time All-Star. He also won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. At the time he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026, his 435 home runs ranked fourth all-time among switch-hitters.2

Despite a confrontation or two with the front office, Beltrán was highly regarded by both teammates and management. He was a student of the game, helpful to younger players, and thought to have a future as a manager. But in his final season, Beltrán led the Houston Astros in an illicit sign-stealing scheme that helped them win the 2017 World Series and, at least temporarily, branded Beltrán and his teammates as cheaters.

*****

Carlos Iván Beltrán Valdés was born on April 24, 1977, in Manatí, a city west of San Juan on Puerto Rico’s north shore. He grew up there with his father, Wilfredo, who worked at a pharmaceutical company, and his mother, Carmen (nicknamed “Mimín”). The family also included older brother Nino and younger twin sisters Marie Liz and Liz Marie, who both became volleyball stars.3

After distinguishing himself at Fernando Callejo High School, Beltrán was taken in the second round of the 1995 draft by the Kansas City Royals. He reminded their scouts of former Royals center fielder Amos Otis, who won three Gold Gloves in the early 1970s.4

That summer, the Royals sent Beltrán to the Gulf Coast League (Rookie), where he won the Rookie of the Year Award despite an unimpressive .660 OPS5 and no home runs. Hitting coach Jeff Garber said, “[Beltrán] started slowly …, but at the end of the year he was one of two players who could have been MVP.”6

During the winter of 1995-96, Beltrán played in the Puerto Rican Winter League, getting into three games for the Arecibo Lobos. He played in five more seasons at home, from 1997-98 through 2001-02, batting .270 with 23 homers in 161 games.

In the summer of 1996 Beltrán played with the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts (Midwest League) and Spokane Indians (Northwest League). While at Lansing, Beltrán collided with a teammate, causing a right-knee injury that required surgery.7 The knee would hamper Beltrán his entire career.

Before the season, Beltrán – a natural right-handed batter (and thrower) – and the Royals agreed that he should try switch-hitting. At Spokane, he hit three homers in one day – all while batting lefthanded. His power, though still modest, had improved.8

In 1997, while he was playing for Class A+ Wilmington (Delaware) in the Carolina League, the News Journal called Beltrán the best center fielder in the league.9 He hit 11 home runs but batted only .229. Though Beltrán had started to show flashes of power, he was still a weak enough hitter to be called “an outright disappointment.”10

After starting the 1998 season at Wilmington, Beltrán was promoted to the Double-A Wichita Wranglers of the Texas League. In a flash, he became a better hitter. He batted .352, had an OPS of 1.114, and hit 14 home runs in 47 games. “It takes time for players to develop,” said Royals general manager Herk Robinson. “But then, for some of them, a light just turns on.”11 Consequently, Beltrán was named Royals minor league player of the year.12 Skipping Triple A, he debuted with Kansas City on September 14 and started their final 13 games in center field.

Early in the 1999 season, to relieve pressure on Beltrán, Royals manager Tony Muser told him not to worry about his hitting as long as he played great defense and hustled.13 That, Beltrán did. He played 156 graceful games in center field and led AL centerfielders in assists with 16. In one game Beltrán made two leaping catches, one of which saved a home run, and threw out a runner at home.14

His offense wasn’t bad either. Beltrán became only the second rookie (after Fred Lynn, 1975) in nearly 50 years to score and drive in at least 100 runs. Like Lynn, Beltrán won the AL Rookie of the Year Award.

On November 6, 1999, Beltrán married Jessica Lugo, with whom he had attended high school.15

Beltrán had a great spring training in 2000, hitting .386 with five homers.16 But he aimed to further improve his defense. Although he’d played well the previous season, saving 20 runs above the average fielder, he’d also made 12 errors. “My goal this year is [to win] a Gold Glove,” said Beltrán. “I know I can get better.”17

However, Beltrán hurt his right knee while stretching before the game on July 3. When the injury was diagnosed as a bone bruise, he was expected to miss only two games.18 Instead, he missed two months, during which he refused the Royals’ request to go to their rehabilitation center in St. Petersburg, Florida.19 Beltrán didn’t want to leave his family and thought he could rehab just as well in Kansas City. Consequently, the team tried to suspend him without pay, only to reverse their decision after the players association filed a grievance which could have led to Beltrán being declared a free agent.   Beltrán’s antics caused clubhouse problems, as catcher Gregg Zaun complained, “I did my time on the DL and I went to Florida like I was told… If you’re going to be a team member, you’ve got to follow the rules like everybody else.”20

Before he was injured, Beltrán was batting .247 with only 6 homers in 76 games. His OPS of .694 was almost 100 points below the American League average and he was called the most disappointing player in the AL.21 When he returned he was even worse, hitting only one home run with an OPS of .600 in 22 September games.

Writers portrayed Beltrán as having shaky confidence – the slightest slump would have him terrified of losing his job, muttering that he’d be demoted, and falling into a downward spiral of self-doubt.22

In 2001 Beltrán left behind the negativity and insecurity of the previous season. He had played his way back into form – both physically and mentally – in winter ball, which included a trip to the 2001 Caribbean Series.23 Although a natural introvert, he came to spring training more relaxed and outgoing.24 Muser asked Beltrán what he would change after his struggles the previous season. “If I get off to a bad start,” Beltrán said, “I won’t panic.”25

Entering 2001, Beltrán set lofty goals: a .300 batting average, 100 runs scored, 100 RBIs, 20 home runs, and 30 stolen bases. Before the last game of the season, he had reached all but one. Three RBIs short of 100 with two outs in the ninth inning, Beltrán hit a grand slam, raising his total to 101.26 He would exceed all those milestones – except batting average – in each of the next three seasons.

The next year, when Beltrán was thrown out on May 18, 2002, it ended a streak of 27 consecutive successful steals – part of a longer run of 60 stolen bases in 61 attempts.27

With two years between their young star and free agency, the Royals offered him a three-year contract for between $25 and $30 million. Beltrán’s agent, Scott Boras, countered by proposing an eight-year deal for $120-160 million.28 Another sticking point was Beltrán’s desire to play on a winning team, and having finished 107 games below .500 through his five full seasons, the Royals were certainly not winners.29 With money and winning standing in the way, the Royals and Beltrán were unlikely to strike a deal. “The Royals need to do what’s best for the organization,” Beltrán commented. “If trading me is best, that’s what they need to do.”30

In 2003 Beltrán stole 40 bases for the first time and became only the seventh player31 to bat at least .300 with at least 20 homers, 100 runs scored, 100 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases in a season. By then, he was considered by some the most complete player in baseball.32

Beltrán showed off his baserunning ability in his team’s September 4 game against Arizona. The Royals were trailing 5-4 with the bases empty and one out in the ninth when Beltrán walked and stole both second and third base. Then, on a fly ball to shallow right, he tagged and scored. Royals general manager Allard Baird observed, “You know how when your big brother comes to play baseball in the backyard and does whatever he wants? That’s how Carlos looked. Like he was playing with boys.”33

Beltrán started 2004 with a bang, winning the AL Player of the Month Award for April and continuing to price himself out of the Royals’ market. He made it clear he wouldn’t give Kansas City a home-town discount. “Would you take less money?” he asked and answered. “Me neither.”34 Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star lamented the Royals’ status as a small-market team: “Baseball’s economics virtually exclude the Royals, limited by small market realities, from making a competitive bid to sign the player who might be the best all-around talent in franchise history.”35

On June 24, the Royals took Beltrán’s advice and traded him to the Houston Astros. In the three-way deal, the Royals got John Buck from the Astros, and Mark Teahen and Mike Wood from the Oakland A’s.

Excited about his fresh start, Beltrán reported to Houston the next day. In 90 games for the Astros, he hit 23 homers and stole 28 bases without being caught. In fifth place in the NL Central when Beltrán was acquired, the Astros won 28 of their final 35 games and made the playoffs as the wild card team.

The Astros beat Atlanta in the NLDS, then lost to St. Louis in the NLCS. In one of the most spectacular postseasons ever, Beltrán went 20-for-46 (.435), had eight home runs (as of 2024, still tied for second-most ever in a single postseason),36 21 runs scored (still tied for most ever), and an OPS of 1.557 (still the third-highest ever with 30 or more plate appearances).37 Hall-of-Fame teammate Craig Biggio said, “Every ball he hit was hard … It was one of the most incredible hitting experiences I’ve seen in my life for that time of year.”38

Overall, Beltrán hit 38 home runs and stole 42 bases in the regular season, just two homers shy of becoming only the fourth player (along with José Canseco, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez) to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season.39

On January 13, 2005, Beltrán parlayed his heroics into a seven-year contract from the New York Mets worth $119 million. The Astros reportedly offered five years plus an option, totaling up to $84 million,40 but would not give Beltrán the no-trade clause he desired.41 His first choice was reportedly the New York Yankees, but they refused to match the Mets’ offer.42

Beltrán started the 2005 season well and was hitting .302/.819 (batting average/OPS)43 on May 21. But that same day he aggravated his right quadriceps,44 and in his next 28 games, batted just .189/.615. He was better in July, but after going 0-for-6 on August 2, Beltrán’s overall numbers dropped to .263/.740 with just 12 homers and 56 RBIs. Consequently, he was booed by fans who, after his fabulous playoff run, expected more.45 Referring to a previous Mets free-agent failure, Mike Lupica of the Daily News called Beltrán “a thinner Mo Vaughn.”46

But he bounced back in 2006 with the best season of his entire career, setting career highs in runs scored (127), RBIs (116), homers (41), OPS (.982), walks (95), and WAR47 (8.2) – second-most in the majors behind Albert Pujols (8.5). He made the All-Star team, won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards, and finished fourth in voting for MVP.48

Helped by the addition of Carlos Delgado’s 38 home runs and 114 RBIs, the Mets won 97 games and the NL East title – the only time Beltrán reached the playoffs as a Met. After sweeping the Dodgers in the NLDS, the Mets met the Cardinals in the NLCS. Beltrán was terrific in that series, with an OPS of 1.054 and three homers, including a two-run shot which accounted for the only runs of Game One, and two homers in the Game Four win.

In Game Seven, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Mets down by two, Beltrán came to bat with the bases loaded. With the team’s best player at the plate, fans’ and teammates’ hopes were high. But hopes were dashed when Adam Wainwright snapped off a two-strike curve and Beltrán struck out looking. Unfairly, that is probably how most Mets fans remember him.49 George Vecsey of the New York Times later wrote, “The poor man has become the symbol of failed expectations.”50

The 2007 and 2008 seasons were similar for Beltrán personally and the Mets as a team. Both years he drove in 112 runs, won a Gold Glove Award, and had nearly the same OPS+51. In 2007 the Mets suffered an epic September collapse, blowing a seven-game lead by losing 12 of their final 17 games. In 2008 they blew a 3½-game lead by losing 10 of their final 17. Later in his career Beltrán said, “After [2006], I thought we would be in the playoffs many more times. Unfortunately, something that I have no explanation for happened… It was terrible.”52

Following the games of May 5, 2009, Beltrán led the NL in batting average (.404) and on-base percentage (.504). The next day he said, “I think this is the first year I’ve been here that I’ve been completely healthy … nothing hurts.”53

He should have knocked on wood. Over the next few weeks, Beltrán again developed pain in his troublesome right knee. An MRI revealed a deep bone bruise.54 A cortisone shot made the knee temporarily feel better, but over the next month it worsened, and Beltrán went on the disabled list on June 22.55 It was thought he would miss two weeks, but it turned out to be more than two months. He played only 81 games in 2009, but was terrific when healthy, posting a batting average and OPS of .325 and .915, respectively.

While sidelined, Beltrán traveled to Toronto to be treated by Dr. Tony Galea, who had performed legal platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for high-profile athletes such as Tiger Woods. Galea was later charged with five felonies, but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of transporting human growth hormone (HGH) into the US.56 After being questioned by FBI agents, Beltrán said, “[Galea] didn’t inject anything [into me] with HGH or anything like that. I have nothing to worry about, nothing to hide.”57 But, why Beltrán felt the need to see a Canadian doctor, let alone a shady one, for a common procedure like PRP remains mysterious.58

After experiencing setbacks during offseason workouts, on January 13, 2010, Beltrán underwent arthroscopic surgery59 on his right knee. Mets brass was left “stunned and furious” after finding out.60 The Mets claimed Beltrán ignored the team’s request for a second opinion. Beltrán said he informed general manager Omar Minaya of the planned surgery and that Minaya said nothing about postponing it and wished him well.61 The incident caused no contractual repercussions, but left strained feelings on both sides.

Initial reports indicated that Beltrán would be able to start “baseball activities” in about three months, though one uninvolved doctor said the recovery for a professional athlete from arthroscopic surgery could be as little as three to four weeks.62 But Beltrán did not return until July 15, six months after the operation, missing the Mets’ first 88 games. After the surgery, Beltrán began wearing a knee brace and stole only 26 bases in his final eight seasons. 

After playing only center field since 2010, Beltrán switched to right in 2011. In a New Yorker magazine article in May, Mets owner Fred Wilpon said of himself, “We had some schmuck in New York who paid [Beltrán $119 million] based on that one series (2004 playoffs). [Now] he’s 65 to 70 percent of what he once was.”63 Wilpon later apologized. Asked if he felt appreciated, Beltrán said, “From my teammates, I have to say yes. From other people, I don’t know.” 64

Through July 26, 2011, Beltrán was hitting .289/.904 with 30 doubles and 15 home runs, had played in all but five games, and made the All-Star Team. But the Mets apparently thought the 179 games he missed the previous two years were more relevant. With no plans to retain Beltrán after his contract expired at season’s end, on July 28, the Mets traded the balky-kneed 34-year-old, along with cash, to the San Francisco Giants for Zack Wheeler.

Management and players alike were disappointed the productive and popular Beltrán was traded. Rookie manager Terry Collins, grateful for Beltrán’s work with young players, said, “He made life simple.” “He’s just a complete individual,” said R.A. Dickey. “Not only on the field, but off.”65

Since Beltrán’s contract contained a no-trade clause, he was able to force a deal to a contending team.66 The Giants, leading the NL West by three games, fit the criterion. Beltrán batted

.323/.920, but the team went 26-32 after he arrived and failed to make the playoffs.

The Giants did not offer Beltrán a second contract, citing a lack of funds.67 (Though strapped for cash, San Francisco won the following year’s World Series.) On December 23, Beltrán signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals for $13 million per year.

Also in 2011, Beltrán established a baseball academy in Puerto Rico to help high school students develop their baseball and academic skills and make it easier for Latino players to transition to America. Beltrán spoke no English when he arrived in the U.S. in 1995. He said, “Imagine – how can you communicate with a coach? It was hard. If a kid is not prepared mentally, [he] is not going to make it.”68 Proud of his school, he beamed, “knowing I’m going to impact so many kids in a positive way. It feels like winning the lottery.”69 As of 2024, the school was still helping young players develop and assimilate.

Beltrán had remarkably similar seasons in 2012 and 2013, with nearly the same on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+. He had more home runs, RBIs, and walks in 2012, but a higher batting average in 2013. Both seasons, he led the Cardinals in home runs and was named to the All-Star team.

After the games of June 25, 2012, Beltrán was batting .313/.992 and leading the NL in home runs and RBIs. He was the main cog in a humming Cardinals offense, and the great Pujols, who left via free agency the previous fall, was hardly missed.70

The Cardinals won 12 of their last 16 to finish 88-74 and reach the playoffs as the second wild card. They beat the Braves in the wild-card game and the Nationals in the NLDS, but lost to the eventual World Series champion Giants in the NLCS. Typically excellent, Beltrán batted .357 with an OPS of 1.154.

In 2013 the Cardinals won 97 games, won the NL Central, and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL playoffs, but lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Beltrán wasn’t his usual fantastic playoff self, but wasn’t bad either. He may have been hampered as he played through an injury suffered in Game One of the World Series when he banged into the right-field wall in Boston while robbing David Ortiz of a grand slam.71

“There’s not one person in the clubhouse – position players and pitchers – that doesn’t look up to [Beltrán],” said teammate Joe Kelly. “Someday … he might be a manager. I think he’d be very, very, very good at that.”72

Beltrán and his wife started a scholarship fund for college-bound Hispanic students in the St. Louis area. For that and other philanthropy, Beltrán received the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award, “bestowed annually to the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”73

With younger players needing playing time, the Cardinals offered Beltrán a contract for just one year at $14 million. He rejected it, signing a three-year, $45 million deal with the Yankees – the team for which he’d wanted to play after leaving Houston nine years earlier.

Beltrán had a poor season (for him) in 2014 (OPS .703) but improved each year with the Yankees. He saved his best for last in 2016, when he hit .304/.890, led the team in home runs – though he played only 99 games – and was probably the Yankees’ best player.74

Unluckily for Beltrán, he was a Yankee during one of the team’s poorest three-year spans since the early 1990s. They made the playoffs only once (2015) and then were shut out by the Astros in the Wild Card Game.

On August 1, 2016, the Yankees traded Beltrán to the Texas Rangers for Nick Green, Erik Swanson, and Dillon Tate. The Rangers led the AL West and looked to bolster themselves for the stretch run. Beltrán endured an 0-for-32 slump in late August but bounced back to hit .333 with 20 RBIs in his final 30 games as he transitioned from right field to DH. The Rangers won the West with an AL-high 99 wins but were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.

On December 5, Beltrán was signed by the Astros to a one-year contract worth $16 million. He played 129 games in 2017, mostly as DH. Houston took the lead in the AL West on April 14 and never relinquished it, winning the division by 21 games. The Astros defeated the Red Sox and Yankees in the ALDS and ALCS, respectively, and the Dodgers in the World Series, the first championship for both Beltrán and the club.

After a regular season during which he was poor offensively (OPS+ 81), Beltrán was little help in the postseason, going 3-for-20 with no homers and one RBI. Seeing the end of the road, Beltrán retired on November 13.75 Shortly thereafter, he interviewed for the job as Yankees manager for 2018 but lost out to Aaron Boone.76

In 2019 Beltrán served as special advisor to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. Some thought the move was made to enhance the team’s chances of signing free agent Manny Machado, who was represented by the same agent as Beltrán.77  That December, Beltrán was hired as manager of the Mets.78

The month before, November 2019, in an article in The Athletic, former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers claimed the 2017 Astros had illicitly stolen signs between the opposition’s catchers and pitchers.79 On January 14, 2020, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a report that verified Fiers’ allegations, and led to the suspensions of Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch, along with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who had been an Astros coach in 2017.

Beltrán, the only player named in Manfred’s report, was found to be one of the “driving force[s]” behind the sign-stealing scheme. 80 Because of his status as a 20-year veteran and potential Hall of Famer, Beltrán had become the team’s dominant voice in the clubhouse and earned the nickname El Jefe (The Boss). When teammates asked Beltrán to end the spying, one player lamented, “He disregarded [our requests] and steamrolled everybody.”81

Fans and opponents, particularly the Yankees and Dodgers, whom the Astros had defeated in the ALCS and World Series, felt the Astros had cheated to become World Champions.

Although their title was not taken away, it was severely tarnished. Cashman later said, “The only thing that stopped us was something ugly and horrific.”82

Beltrán was subsequently fired by the Mets without ever managing a game.83

Beltrán spent two years away from baseball before landing a job in 2022 as a game analyst on the Yankees’ YES network (evidently the team had sufficiently forgiven him).84 However, poor reviews led to the inexperienced Beltrán being pulled from telecasts and relegated to the studio.85 In February 2023 he became special assistant to the Mets general manager and, as of 2025, to their president of baseball operations David Stearns.

*****

Beltrán’s skills were well above average in all facets of the game. He was an excellent baserunner and, before he hurt his knee, a prolific base stealer. He stole 312 in all, and, as of 2024, was the all-time leader in stolen base percentage (86.4%) among players with at least 200 attempts.86 A terrific defender with an exceptional arm, Beltrán gunned down 10 or more baserunners in eight seasons, and prevented the third-most runs (72) of any outfielder from 1999-2008, behind only Andruw Jones (170) and Ichiro Suzuki (92). That 10-year period culminated in Beltrán winning three consecutive Gold Glove Awards.

Beltrán’s main blemish was that he was not an all-time great hitter, though he was superb in the postseason. A career .279 hitter in the regular season, he achieved a .300 or better batting average only three times.87 His lifetime OPS+ (119) ranked number 19288  as of 2024 – the same as Richie Hebner, Sal Bando, and Mark Grace.

However, by combining speed, power, and a long career, Beltrán put himself in elite company. He is one of only four players to accumulate more than 1,500 runs, 1,500 RBIs, 400 home runs, and 300 stolen bases.89 The others are Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Willie Mays.

Among center fielders, Beltrán ranks eighth in career WAR (70). All those ahead of him – and several behind – are in the Hall of Fame. In 2026, in his fourth year of eligibility, Beltrán joined their ranks after receiving 84.2% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. 

Last revised: January 20, 2026

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and David Bilmes and fact-checked by Steve Ferenchick.

Photo credits: MLB.com, SABR-Rucker Archive.

Sources 

In addition to sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted baseball-reference.com. Thanks also to SABR member Jorge Colón Delgado for Puerto Rican statistics.

Notes

1 The other four are Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays, and Andre Dawson.

2 Mickey Mantle had 536, Eddie Murray, 504, and Chipper Jones, 468.

3 Dick Kaegel, “Home Base,” Kansas City Star, February 3, 2002: C1.

4 Joe Posnanski, “Royals Hope Beltrán is Overnight Sensation,” Kansas City Star, April 4, 1999: J11.

5 OPS is short for On-base percentage Plus Slugging percentage (OBP+SLG). It has become a popular statistic for evaluating batting performance because it correlates well with team runs scored and is easy to calculate. So, .700 to.799 would be below average to above average, .800 to .899, above average to excellent, greater than .900, excellent to elite. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/ops-baseball-meaning-stat-slugging-base- percentage/889639770cdb3b2ac7316521.

6 Chris Derrick, “Indians Are Well-Armed, But Lacking in Catchers,” Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington), June 15, 1996: C1.

7 Derrick, “Beltrán, Spokane Put Clamps on Everett,” Spokesman-Review, June 21, 1996: C1.

8 La Velle E. Neal III, “Beltrán Switches on the Power,” Kansas City Star, July 28, 1996: B-5.

9 Jack Ireland, “Blue Rocks Report Card,” News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware), September 3, 1997: C5.

10 Posnanski, “Royals Hope Beltrán is Overnight Sensation,” Kansas City Star, April 4, 1999: J11.

11 Posnanski, “Royals Hope Beltrán is Overnight Sensation.”

12 Randy Covitz, “Dos Carlos,” Kansas City Star, May 25, 1999: C1.

13 Posnanski, “Royals Hope Beltrán is Overnight Sensation.”

14 Dutton, “Monty Injured in Return,” Kansas City Star, August 11, 1999: D4.

15 Dick Kaegel, “Dissatisfied, With a Smile,” Kansas City Star, March 11, 2000: C1.

16 Kaegel, “Beltrán Takes the Burden off His Back,” Kansas City Star, February 25, 2001: C1.

17 Kaegel, “Dissatisfied, With a Smile.”

18 Steve Rock, “Suppan Sent to Bullpen,” Kansas City Star, July 4, 2000: C4.

19 Dutton, “Beltrán Returns to Rehab,” Kansas City Star, August 25, 2000: D6.

20 Kaegel, “Players to Meet Beltrán,” Kansas City Star, August 7, 2000: D6.

21 Rock, “Extra Innings: In the Doghouse,” Kansas City Star, July 13, 2000: D5.

22 Posnanski, “Right Can Still Be Wrong in Beltrán’s Situation,” Kansas City Star, August 6, 2000: C1.

23 Javier Maymi, “Beltrán spent winter playing with Puerto Rican club,” ESPN.com, February 3, 2001. https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2001/0202/1058778.html

24 Kaegel, “Beltrán Takes the Burden off His Back,” Kansas City Star, February 25, 2001: C1.

25 Kaegel, “Home Base,” Kansas City Star, February 3, 2002: C1.

26 Kaegel, “Home Base.”

27 Dutton, “Beltrán Streak Ends,” Kansas City Star, May 19, 2002: C4.

28 Dutton, “Contract Talks Prompt KC to Consider Trade,” Kansas City Star, December 13, 2002: C1.

29 Wright Thompson, “Winning Over Beltrán,” Kansas City Star, May 20, 2003: C1.

30 Posnanski, “Beltrán Set on Short Term,” Kansas City Star, January 22, 2003: D1.

31 The other six were Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, Vlad Guerrero, Alphonso Soriano, and Joe Morgan.

32 Posnanski, “Our Glimpse at Greatness,” Kansas City Star, September 24, 2003: D1.

33 Posnanski, “Our Glimpse at Greatness.”

34 Dutton, “Over & Out,” Kansas City Star, April 4, 2004: G8.

35 Dutton, “Over & Out.”

36 Andrew Simon, “Players With the Most HR in a Postseason,” MLB.com, October 30, 2024. https://www.mlb.com/news/record-for-most-home-runs-in-a-single-postseason Last accessed December 4, 2024.

37 Thirty or more plate appearances.

38 https://www.mlb.com/news/carlos-Beltrán-s-2004-october-still-a-wonder-c212093354 Last accessed November 17, 2023.

39 The 40-40 Club has since welcomed three more members, Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ronald Acuña, Jr. (2023), and Shohei Ohtani (2024), who is also the inaugural member of the 50-50 Club.

40 Peter Botte, “The Bel of the Ball,” Daily News, (New York, New York), January 2, 2005: 61.

41 Mike Lupica, “Met Run Begins,” Daily News, January 10, 2005: 50.

42 Ebenezer Samuel, “Beltrán Subway Switch,” Daily News, May 20, 2011: 66.

43 For readers more comfortable with traditional batting average and those who prefer the more descriptive OPS.

44 Rubin, “Strains Pain Kaz & Carlos,” Daily News, May 22, 2005: 66.

45 Darren Everson, “Boobirds Back for More,” Daily News, August 4, 2005: 70.

46 Lupica, “Shooting from the Lip,” Daily News, September 11, 2005: 63.

47 WAR measures a player’s value in all facets of the game by deciphering how many more wins he’s worth than a player just good enough to play in the majors. Piper Slowinski, “What Is WAR,” February 15, 2010. Last accessed April 30, 2024. https://library.fangraphs.com/misc/war/

48 Ryan Howard won the NL MVP in 2006 on the strength of 58 home runs and 149 RBIs, despite accumulating 3 fewer WAR (5.2) than Pujols and Beltrán.

49 Andy Martino, “Meet Beltrán in St. Louis,” Daily News, December 23, 2011: 74.

50 Derrick Goold, “Curve in the Road,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 2011: S26.

51 OPS+ is defined by baseball-reference.com as 100*(OBP/league OBP + SLG/league SLG -1) adjusted to the player’s ballpark. (It is NOT 100 times the ratio of a player’s OPS to league OPS (100*OPS/league OPS)). OPS+ is a more meaningful statistic than OPS because it correlates well to runs produced per plate appearance (PA) and, as such, indicates the player’s percentage of runs produced per PA above or below league average (an OPS+ of 150 indicates 50 percent above average, 90 indicates 10 percent below). Because OPS+ is normalized to the particular season’s league average, there is no advantage gained in high-scoring eras or vice-versa, so it can be used to compare players from different eras. It also removes the advantage of playing in a hitter’s park and vice versa. https://library.fangraphs.com/offense/ops/

52 Martino, “The Last Stand,” Daily News, March 6, 2011: 46.

53 Botte, “Free of Knee and Leg Troubles, Carlos Tears up NL Pitching,” Daily News, May 7, 2009: 62.

54 Adam Rubin, “Santos Brings Home a Winner,” Daily News, May 30, 2009: 35.

55 Rubin, “Put Beltrán on DL, Deck Cards,” Daily News, May 26, 2009: 42.

56 Mike Fish, “Anthony Galea Receives No Jail Time,” ESPN, December 16, 2011.https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/7360176/anthony-galea-canadian-doctor-gets-no-jail-time-1-year-supervised- release (last accessed December 9, 2023).

57 Teri Thompson, et al, “Carlos World in Spin,” Daily News, March 3, 2010: 52.

58 Christian Red, “Expert: Procedure is Nothing Bloody Special,” Daily News, March 3, 2010: 54.

59 Anthony McCarron, “Set to Miss Opener after Knee Scope,” Daily News, January 14, 2010: 63.

60 Peter Botte and Anthony McCarron, “Carlos Says GM Knew in Advance,” Daily News, January 15, 2010: 73.

61 Jon Harper, “Sudden Move Another Shock to Met System,” Daily News, January 14, 2010: 63.

62 McCarron, “Plans Might Not Center on Fill-In,” Daily News, January 15, 2010: 72.

63 Martino, “Fred Dances on His Stars,” Daily News, May 24, 2011: 52.

64 Martino, “Wilpon Apologizes to Beltrán, Reyes,” Daily News, May 25, 2011: 60.

65 Martino, “Sandy Agrees to get Minor-League Hurler,” Daily News, July 28, 2011: 61.

66 Jesse Spector, “Beltrán Contends Giants Are Good Fit,” Daily News, June 29, 2011: 68.

67 Andrew Baggerly, “’Ironclad’ Budget Forces Sabean to Stop,” Oakland Tribune, December 8, 2011: C5.

68 Martino, “The Last Stand,” Daily News, March 6, 2011: 46.

69 Goold, “Beltrán Steps Up,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 20, 2012: A01.

70 Bernie Miklasz, “Birds Could Use Beltrán Revival,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 2, 2012: C1.

71 Joe Strauss, “Hard Knocks,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 24, 2013: W4.

72 Mark Feinsand, “Nothing Will Stop Beltrán from Ring,” Daily News, October 26, 2013: 39.

73 2024 Roberto Clemente Award, MLB.com. https://www.mlb.com/community/roberto-clemente-award Last accessed December 14, 2024.

74 Feinsand, “Yanks Clean House,” Daily News, August 2, 2016: 41.

75 Jose de Jesus Ortiz, “Beltrán Made Big Difference,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 15, 2019: B1.

76 Mike Mazzeo, “Passing on Beltrán a Mistake Yankees May Come to Regret,” Daily News, December 2, 2017: 33.

77 Staff, “Report: Beltrán to Yanks as Advisor,” Daily News, December 19, 2018: 39.

78 Deesha Thosar, “Players Kinda Guy,” Daily News, November 5, 2019: 55.

79 Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich, “The Astros Stole Signs Electronically in 2017 – Part of a Much Broader Issue for MLB,” The Athletic, November 12, 2019. https://theathletic.com/1363451/2019/11/12/the-astros-stole-signs- electronically-in-2017-part-of-a-much-broader-issue-for-major-league-baseball/

80 Rosenthal and Drellich, “Details Emerge About Carlos Beltrán’s Role in the 2017 Astros Clubhouse and Sign Stealing Scheme,” The Athletic, February 11, 2020. https://theathletic.com/1600638/2020/02/11/details- emerge-about-carlos-Beltráns-role-in-the-2017-astros-clubhouse-and-the-teams-sign-stealing-scheme/

81 Rosenthal and Drellich, “Details Emerge About Carlos Beltrán’s Role in the 2017 Astros Clubhouse and Sign Stealing Scheme.”

82 Neil Best, “Beltrán Can’t Shake Off Sign-Stealing Scandal,” Newsday, April 4, 2022: A42.

83 Thosar, “Beltrán and Mets Part Ways Over His Role in Houston’s Sign-Stealing Scandal,” Daily News, January 17, 2020: 41.

84 Best, “Beltrán Can’t Shake Off Sign-Stealing Scandal.”

85 Bob Raissman, “Selling the Stench,” Daily News, (New York, New York), February 26, 2023: 63.

86 Career Leaders & Records for SB%, BaseballReference.com. At least 200 attempts from 1901 through 2024. https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/stolen_base_perc_career.shtml

87 Seasons in which he qualified for the batting title (502 or more plate appearances).

88 Among those who played the bulk of their careers after 1901.

89 While interesting and informative, such statistics come with a caveat: Beltrán just exceeds the chosen minimums; whereas each of the other three players amassed more than 600 home runs, 1,900 runs, and 2,000 RBIs.

Johnny Lee Bench was born on December 7, 1947, in Oklahoma City, the son of Ted, a truck driver, and Katy Bench. The family moved a few times in the area but eventually settled in Binger, about 60 miles west of Oklahoma City, when John was about 5. He had two older brothers, Teddy and William, and a younger sister, Marilyn. It was in Binger that John remembered first playing ball, using, as many kids from his generation recall, balls and bats kept together with electrical tape. Ted had been a ballplayer, playing in high school and in the US Army, but by the time World War II ended he was too old. Instead, he poured his dreams into his three boys, all of whom played organized ball in the area. Ted started a boys’ team when Johnny was 6, buying the uniforms and driving the team to games in his truck. Johnny played catcher right away. “My father said catching was the quickest way to the big leagues, because that’s what they wanted,” Bench recalled.1

Bench remembered being inspired watching fellow Oklahoman Mickey Mantle on television as a kid. Mantle was from Commerce, nearly 300 miles away, but his rise to stardom helped plant a seed of possibility in the youngster’s head. By the second grade Bench was telling his teacher that he was going to be a major-league ballplayer, and within a few years he was practicing his autograph to prepare for his future. He played catcher and pitcher throughout his youth in organized leagues, from Little League through American Legion. While starring in both basketball and baseball at Binger High School (he was All-State in each sport), and excelling academically (valedictorian in his class of 21), he did a lot of hunting and worked hard—picking cotton, working in the peanut fields, and mowing lawns. His high-school years were also marred by a tragic accident—a bus carrying his baseball team lost its brakes and rolled down a 50-foot ravine, killing two of Bench’s friends and teammates. Bench was knocked unconscious but otherwise escaped physical harm. The details of the event remained with him for many years, however.2

In June 1965, in baseball’s first free-agent draft for amateurs, the Cincinnati Reds selected Bench in the second round, the 36th overall pick. Bench briefly considered attending college on a baseball/basketball scholarship, but instead signed with Cincinnati scout Tony Robello for $6,000 plus college tuition. Bench was assigned to Tampa of the Florida State League, where he played with Bernie Carbo and Hal McRae. He hit .248 with two home runs, but drew good reviews for his defense. The next spring he trained with the Reds, also in Tampa, and the 18-year-old was confident. “To tell the truth,” he recalled, “I wasn’t overwhelmed.”3 While some youngsters take years to feel comfortable with their major-league teammates, Bench immediately felt, and acted, like a leader.

Reds manager Don Heffner considered keeping the 18-year-old Bench in 1966, but instead sent him to Hampton, Virginia, to play for the Peninsula Grays in the Single-A Carolina League. All he did there was win the league Player of the Year award, hitting .294 with 22 home runs before being called up to Triple-A Buffalo. Before he left, the Peninsula club retired his uniform number 8. Bench’s stay in Buffalo was not so kind—in his very first inning for the club he took a foul tip on his right thumb and broke it, ending his season. What’s more, on his long drive back to Binger, driving a 1965 Ford Fairlane he had bought with his bonus money, he collided with a drunk driver and wound up in the hospital. Again, as in the bus crash in high school, Bench felt lucky to escape, only having to endure 27 stitches in his scalp.

Still just 19, Bench returned to Buffalo in 1967 and starred, hitting .259 with 23 home runs and playing great defense. Buffalo was a veteran team, filled with former major leaguers in their 30s. Bench later credited the veterans on the club for being supportive and not resentful of his future and promise. Steve Boros, who roomed with Bench, was particularly helpful, teaching the youngster how to focus on the game with all the distractions available to a young man away from home.4 After the season Bench was named the Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News.

The Reds promoted Bench in late August, and he started 26 games down the stretch for a team out of contention. He got his first hit off the Phillies’ Chris Short on August 30, and his first home run off the Braves’ Jim Britton in Atlanta on September 20. Bench did not hit well that month (.163 and the one homer) but the Reds saw enough to make a commitment, trading two-time Gold Glove and three-time All-Star catcher Johnny Edwards (just 29 years old) to St. Louis to clear the way for the 20-year-old Bench. In March 1968 he was one of five young players featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, beneath the headline “The Best Rookies of 1968.”5

Bench’s rise to stardom was rapid. After playing briefly in two early season contests, he got his first start on April 17 and stayed in the lineup for 81 straight games. In all, he caught 154 games, a record for a rookie catcher, and hit .272 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs. These were excellent numbers in 1968, when the league average was .243. Bench’s power numbers led all league catchers, and his 40 doubles were third in the league for all players. Though he started slowly, by September he was batting fourth for the team that scored the most runs in the league. Bench was selected to his first All-Star Game, catching the ninth inning of the National League’s 1-0 victory in Houston’s Astrodome, and was named the NL Rookie of the Year after the season.

It was for his defense that Bench garnered his most praise. Of his throwing arm, which would keep would-be base stealers honest for the next decade, Roy Blount, Jr. wrote, “It is about the size of a good healthy leg, and it works like a recoilless rifle.”6 Bench had grown to 6-feet-1 and 200 pounds, but he seemed both larger and more agile. He had huge hands—he could palm a basketball in high school, and could hold seven baseballs in his throwing hand (a feat he was often called on to perform for the cameras). He caught one-handed, one of the first catchers to do so, with his right hand resting behind his back to protect it from foul tips—Bench had broken his thumb in Buffalo in 1966, after all. He used a hinged catcher’s mitt, rather than the prevalent circular “pillow” style, allowing him to better make plays on bunts or on plays at the plate. After Bench took a high throw and tagged out a Chicago runner in his rookie year, Cubs manager Leo Durocher exclaimed, “I still don’t believe it. I have never seen that play executed so precisely.”7 Herman Franks, the Giants’ manager (and former major league receiver), saw Bench make a similar play against his club, and said afterwards that Bench was the “best catcher I’ve seen in 20 years.”8 It was no surprise when he became the first rookie catcher to win a Gold Glove for his defense.

Along with his great catching, Bench stood out for his confident leadership at a young age. The Reds pitchers marveled at how great a game he could call, how well he knew the league’s hitters so quickly. In 1967, during his late-season call up, the 19-year-old went out into the infield and told veteran shortstop Leo Cardenas to reposition himself for the upcoming batter. Cardenas screamed at his catcher and did not move, but this did not change Bench’s belief that he had acted properly. In his rookie year he would often go out the mound and tell the pitcher to bear down, or throw harder, or not be afraid to throw the curve to the next hitter. The 20-year-old once deigned to instruct Jim Maloney, the team’s star pitcher, who stared at him in disbelief. Manager Dave Bristol waved Bench back to the plate, then smiled and told the pitcher, “You know, he’s right.” Maloney soon came around. “So help me, this kid coaches me. And I like it. … When you’re in a big sweat and nervous, he can calm you down more ways than I have ever seen.”9

One of the best players in the game as a rookie, Bench got better still. His world-class defense remained stellar, as he won Gold Gloves in his first ten seasons and became arguably the greatest defensive catcher in history. In 1969 he hit 26 home runs, drove in 90 runs, and batted .293, establishing himself as the best-hitting catcher in the game. He started his first All-Star Game, hitting a long home run and a single, before getting robbed of a second home run by Carl Yastrzemski’s leaping grab over the left-field fence at Washington’s RFK Stadium. The Reds rode their great hitting into the NL West race before ending in third place, four games behind the Atlanta Braves.

After the season the Reds hired Sparky Anderson as manager, promoted a few key rookies, and became a juggernaut. The 1970 club had a ten-game lead in mid-June and never looked back, finishing with 102 wins and an easy division title. Bench led the way with an astonishing season, topping the league with 45 home runs and 148 RBIs and easily capturing the league MVP award. Although the season ended in disappointment in a five-game World Series loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Johnny Bench had become as big as baseball star as there was—a 22-year-old seemingly without weakness on the field, and a handsome and articulate person off the field. Not surprisingly, he was besieged with endorsement opportunities and banquet invitations. He went to Vietnam with Bob Hope and the USO, golfed with Arnold Palmer, talked and sang on talk shows, appeared in the television program Mission Impossible, and began hosting his own weekly television show in Cincinnati. As Bench later put it, “My push for visibility during the offseason, even at age twenty-two, was intentional.”10

After a heavy workload in Bench’s first two seasons, Anderson began “resting” him by playing him at other positions for entire games or for partial games—in 1970 he started games at first base and all three outfield positions, a total of 22 games. His biggest offensive performance of 1970 came in a July 26 game at the new Riverfront Stadium in which he played left field: 4-for-5, including three home runs, all off Cardinals pitcher Steve Carlton. Throughout the remainder of his prime catching years, Bench generally started 20 or 30 games at other positions, keeping his bat in the lineup while giving his legs a bit of a rest.

The 1971 season was a bump in the road for the Reds (who fell to fourth place) and for Bench (who hit just .238 with 27 homers). The team played without an injured Bobby Tolan all year and also had off-years from Tony Perez and several other players, and Bench’s drop of 87 RBIs (from 148 to 61) is telling both for Bench’s performance and the fewer baserunners ahead of him. He still won his usual Gold Glove, and hit a long home run off Vida Blue in the All-Star Game at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium. But for Bench, it was a humbling season.

Fortified by the acquisition of second baseman Joe Morgan and others in the offseason, Bench and the Reds stormed back in 1972, winning the division by 10½ games and returning to the postseason. In the bottom of the ninth inning of the decisive Game Five of the NLCS, Bench’s dramatic lead-off home run to right field against Pittsburgh’s Dave Guisti tied the contest before the Reds plated another run to win the NL pennant. Bench led the way with a league-leading 40 home runs and 125 RBIs, while also drawing 100 walks, for a club that lost a seven-game World Series to the Oakland Athletics. The most memorable image of Bench from that Fall Classic is one he would like to forget. In the top of the eighth inning of Game Three in Oakland, Bench was facing Rollie Fingers with runners on second and third and one out. The Reds were leading 1-0 in the game, but trailing in the series, 2-0. When the count reached 3 and 2, Oakland manager Dick Williams came out to the mound and pointed to Bench and first base, a clear signal that he wanted to walk the slugger. The A’s catcher, Gene Tenace, after returning from the conference on the mound stood to receive an intentional ball, then slyly resumed his position as Fingers threw a slider on the outside corner that Bench took with his bat on his shoulder. A memorable moment, but Bench could take solace that the Reds held on to win the game.

Late in the 1972 season a routine physical examination turned up a growth on Bench’s lung that the doctors could not identify. Telling only close friends and the Reds management, Bench played the end of the season and the postseason with understandable worry hanging over his head. He finally had an operation on December 9. The surgeon had to make a 12-inch incision under his right arm and break a rib, finally extracting a benign lesion that Bench likely got from breathing an airborne fungus. After several weeks of pain from the operation, Bench went to spring training fully healed.

The next two seasons were excellent ones for Bench and the Reds, though the club began to get a reputation as a great team that could not finish it off in October. The 1973 club won 99 games, the most in baseball, yet lost the playoff series to a New York Mets team with 82 wins. The next year they won 98 games, but lost the NL West to the Dodgers. Bench contributed 25 home runs and 104 RBIs to the 1973 club, then 33 and 129 in 1974, his third time leading the league in RBIs.

The Reds finally broke through with their long-expected championship in 1975, winning 108 games (the most in the NL in 66 years) and defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the playoffs and the Boston Red Sox in a dramatic seven-game World Series. Bench hit a big double to start a decisive rally in the ninth inning of Game Two and homered off Rick Wise to begin the Cincinnati scoring in Game Three, but all that took a back seat when he embraced Will McEnaney, a famous image captured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, after the final out in the final game. Personally, it was a difficult year despite his success. He hurt his shoulder in a collision at home plate in April and hit well through a lot of pain (28 home runs, 110 RBIs, .283 average), before battling the flu through most of the postseason.

Bench’s off-field life also became very public during the year. He had always had a very active social life, a very eligible bachelor regularly photographed with models and actresses. This ended before the 1975 season when he married Vicki Lynne Chesser, who had been Miss South Carolina and a runner-up in the 1970 Miss USA pageant. Bench saw her in a toothpaste commercial and called her up for a date. The two knew each other for four days when Bench proposed, and seven weeks when they married. By the end of the 1975 season they were separated, and divorced quickly. The two had a large, public wedding, and details of their rocky relationship inevitably found their way into the tabloids as well. Bench soon returned to his bachelor ways. “There used to be a lot of beautiful women down at the ballpark,” said a friend. “Now, they’re going to be back.”11 Bench remained single for the rest of his playing career.

The next season was another great one for the Reds, and Bench’s life off the field was less stressful, but he battled cramps in his back that affected his swing and his throwing. His 135 games were then a career low, and he slumped to hit .234 with just 74 RBIs for a great offensive team. After what might have been his worst regular season, Bench tacked on his greatest postseason, hitting .444 with three home runs as the Reds swept the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees in seven total games. “When Johnny Bench was born,” Sparky Anderson told the press in the raucous clubhouse after the World Series, “I believe God came down and touched his mother on the forehead and said, ‘I’m going to give you a son who will be one of the greatest baseball players ever seen.’ ” For Bench, after his down season, the feeling was even better than 1975; he called it a “personal triumph.”12

Bench had his last big season in 1977, bouncing back to hit 31 home runs, drive home 109 runs, and bat .275, while capturing his tenth consecutive Gold Glove. The Reds fell to 88 wins and second place in the NL West, and the Big Red Machine began to fade away. Tony Perez was traded after the 1976 season, and within a few years Sparky Anderson, Pete Rose, and Joe Morgan were wearing different uniforms. Only Bench stayed on, signing a five-year contract at $400,000 per year after the 1977 season. It was big money for the time, but he could have gotten more had he signed elsewhere.

At the end of the 1977 season the 29-year-old Bench had played ten years and many historians had concluded that he was the greatest catcher ever. He had had a couple of “off” years, slumps he attributed to catching every day. During his career he broke six bones in each foot from foul tips, twice broke his thumb, and also battled problems with his back and shoulder from collisions. After his playing career he had left and right hip replacements, injuries he dated back to his bus and car accidents as a teenager. Bench knew the price he paid, but took pride in his reputation for playing with pain. “Are there times I wish I hadn’t caught? Sure. But then I wouldn’t have been Johnny Bench.”13

Bench remained a star for a few more years, though minor injuries kept him out of the lineup or at other positions more and more. He played in just 120 games (with 96 starts at catcher) in 1978, though he continued to hit well (23 home runs). He played a bit more in 1979 (130 games) for new manager John McNamara, and drove in 80 runs. The revamped Reds’ surprising division title brought Bench to the postseason for the sixth and final time, and he finished 3-for-12 with a home run in the three-game NLCS sweep by the Pirates. Bench played in ten postseason series and hit at least one home run in nine of them.

After one final season as a fine-hitting catcher (24 home runs in 114 games), Bench played the infield for the rest of his career. He played first base and battled injuries during the strike-shortened 1981 season, then finished up with two forgettable years as a mediocre third baseman. As he might have said, he was no longer Johnny Bench. He announced his retirement from the game during the 1983 season, and spent the rest of the summer playing to cheers at all the different National League parks. In his final at-bat, on September 29, 1983, he stroked a pinch-hit two-run single off the Giants’ Mark Calvert before the home crowd at Riverfront Stadium. Gary Redus pinch-ran, and Bench’s magnificent career was over.

In the ensuing years, Bench remained a public figure around baseball. He broadcast games on radio and television, and in the 1980s hosted The Baseball Bunch, a syndicated TV show in which a group of boys and girls learned the finer points of the game from Bench and other current or former players. He became a regular public speaker and was often called upon by the Reds or Major League Baseball to speak at a ceremony to honor an old teammate or a new ballpark. An avid and excellent golfer, he participated in many celebrity events during his career, and in senior tour events once he turned 50 years old.

As of 2012 Bench was married to his fourth wife, the former Lauren Biachaai. Bench’s son Bobby was born in 1989 and graduated from Boston University, and Johnny and Lauren had two sons, Justin and Joshua.

Bench was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, receiving 96 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility. He had made the Reds’ Hall of Fame in 1986, when the club permanently retired his uniform number 5. He was named to Major League Baseball’s All-Century team as the top-ranking catcher, and many organizations have named him baseball’s best-ever catcher. Since 2000 the Johnny Bench Award has been presented after the conclusion of the College World Series to honor the top Division I Baseball catcher. In 2008 the Reds honored him again, with a bronze statue outside the new Great American Ballpark. Fittingly, the statue shows Bench in full gear throwing out a runner with his powerful right arm.

No one has ever done it better.

Last revised: May 1, 2014

This biography is included in the book “The Great Eight: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds” (University of Nebraska Press, 2014), edited by Mark Armour. For more information, or to purchase the book from University of Nebraska Press, click here.

Notes

During the middle of the 20th century, Black, along with Joe Page, Jim Konstanty, and Hoyt Wilhelm, helped define the importance of relief pitching as a specialty. Managers and fans began to recognize relievers’ value to teams rather than view them as failed starting pitchers.

Black was born on February 8, 1924 in Plainfield, New Jersey, an industrial and residential city of 30,000 people, 13 miles from Newark. He grew up in a racially mixed working class neighborhood with white friends in school and in the community, including in his athletic activities. He was the third of six children born to Joseph Black and Martha Watkins Black. His father, a skilled mechanic, had to resort to menial part-time jobs until he found a job in 1937 with the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration. His mother took in laundry and worked as a cook and housekeeper for white families. Starting at nine years old, Joe took odd jobs to help the family. He and his siblings wore hand-me-down clothes, but were never hungry. His parents were religious, strict and demanded respectful behavior. Joe’s mother never got past third grade and could barely read or write, but insisted that her children do well in school. “Ain’t nobody better than you,” she asserted. Black and other low-income students “made a determination to prove that we were not dumb despite the fact that we were poor.”3

Some Plainfield police officers provided Black and his friends with equipment and uniforms and taught them how to play team baseball.4 By the time he reached Plainfield High School (PHS), Black was an outstanding athlete and excellent student. He played on the football and basketball teams and played first base, third base, left field, and catcher for the baseball team, but did not pitch.5 He was named PHS’s outstanding athlete for the 1941-42 school year.6

Black was fortunate that Plainfield had many amateur and semi-pro sports leagues that supplemented his high school athletic activities on weekends and during summers. Some of these team rosters included former and current minor league, college, and Negro League players. He pitched and played catcher, infield, and outfield — often playing multiple positions in one game.

As he was nearing his high school graduation in 1942, his dream of playing in the majors was shattered.

“I was batting .400 when I was a senior in high school. The scouts were talking to other people, but they didn’t speak to me. I said, ‘Hey, I am the captain of the team. I out-hit them all — why don’t you sign me?’ A scout said, ‘Because you are colored, and they don’t play baseball in the big leagues.’” As Black recalled, “I got mad and hateful. I had a scrapbook of ballplayers, and I tore up all of their pictures — they were all white. The one picture that I didn’t tear was Hank Greenberg, my idol. He was big and hit home runs, and that’s what I wanted to do. My mother said, ‘Son, you can’t be mad.’ I said, ‘But mama, white people won’t let me play!’”7

During the summer after his 1942 high school graduation, Black kept up his frenetic pace. He played on several teams in different local leagues, including the Plainfield Black Yankees, for whom he pitched and played in the infield.8 Simultaneously, he worked nights in a factory.9 In a game on May 31, Black played second base and hit two home runs.10 Two weeks later, Black pitched, played second base, had two hits, and scored three runs.11 A week later, the Plainfield Courier-News reported that “Big Joe Black, pitcher, infield, outfielder, and catcher, depending on the needs of his team, took a turn on the mound Sunday afternoon and entered baseball’s mythical hall of fame by hanging up a no-hit, no-run game at the expense of the Bound Brook Indians, 12-0, at Cedarbrook Park.”12 That summer he also pitched for the Abbond-Royal team, a business-sponsored club in the Plainfield area Twilight League.

Black received a partial football scholarship at Morgan State College [now University], a historically black institution in Baltimore, beginning in September 1942. Growing up in Plainfield, Black had felt the stings of prejudice and discrimination, but moving to Baltimore, a legally segregated city, was a different experience.

As he recalled, “You would go into a store to try on a pair of shoes, and you couldn’t try them on. You couldn’t try a coat on. You bought stuff, but you couldn’t bring it back—whether it fits or not.”13

In college, he learned about Black history; that gave him a new-found pride in his race.14 He joined Omega Psi Phi fraternity and made lasting friendships.

Although Morgan State did not have a baseball team, Black was still a three-sport athlete in college — playing end and defensive back for the football team, center on the basketball team, and competing in the high jump and hurdles on the track team.

In the summer of 1943, after his freshman year, Black and his college friend Cal Irvin (brother of future New York Giants star Monte Irvin) went to a Negro League game between the Baltimore Elite Giants and the Newark Eagles at Bugle Field. Vernon Green, the Elite Giants’ business manager, overheard Black boasting that he was as good or better than some of the players on the field. Green arranged for Black to try out for the team. He played several games at shortstop, hit poorly, and asked the manager to give him a chance to pitch.15 The official Negro League record book lists Black as having pitched in two games for the Elite Giants that season.16

Black joined the Army Medical Corps on August 17, 1943.17 He served for 2 ½ years in the Army during World War 2, until March 1946.18 “Sixteen months after I was drafted before I touched a rifle. I pitched a lot,” he told Roger Kahn.19

At the Veterans Administration Hospital at Stewart Field air force base on Long Island, he was assigned to an all-black unit in the Physiotherapy Department, trained to work with shell-shocked soldiers suffering from various mental disorders.20 While stationed in Long Island during football season, he played with the Carters football team in Plainfield’s semi-pro league on weekends.21 During baseball season, he played for the Elite Giants during weekend passes and furloughs, pitching nine games in 1944 (3-3) and one game in 1945 (0-1). In 1945, after a seven month stint at Camp Barkeley in Texas, his battalion was moved to Missouri’s Camp Crowder.22 The Stewart Field Panthers were racially integrated but Camp Crowder was segregated. However, the military brass made an exception for Black, allowing him to pitch for the otherwise all-white baseball team.23 The coach, Tommy Bridges, an All-Star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, helped Black improve this pitching.24 When the team went on road trips to play other military teams or college teams, Black had to stay in the bus while his white teammates ate at Southern segregated restaurants. When Camp Crowder’s basketball season came around, however, Black was back on an all-black team.25

Black was 21 years old and still in the Army, when, in October 1945, Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson. ”I started dreaming,” Black recalled. “And that’s what happened to most of the guys in the Negro Leagues. You forgot your age. You said, ‘If Jackie makes it, I can make it.”’26

A month after his Army discharge in March 1946, Black was back with the Elite Giants for whom he played that season. He returned to Morgan State for his sophomore year (playing football and basketball) and returned to the Elite Giants during the summer of 1947. That fall, a few months into his junior year, Black left Morgan State to accept an $800 month offer to pitch in the Venezuela winter league for the Magallanes team.27 He started 10 games, finished six, relieved in seven more, pitched 94 innings, won four games, and lost seven.28 Black spent several winters playing in winter leagues in Mexico, Venezuela, and Cuba.

In March 1948, he rejoined the Elite Giants and played with them each spring and summer until 1950, winning 45 games and losing 37. In 1946 and 1947 he led the Negro National League in games pitched (20 and 26, respectively), but his best years were 1948 through 1950, when he was 10-5, 11-7 and 8-3, as a starting pitcher. He pitched in the 1947, 1948, and 1950 All-Star East-West games at the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, and Comiskey Park, respectively, and helped the Elite Giants win the 1949 Negro League National Championship.29

During the 1949-50 off-season, he returned to Morgan State to take courses toward his degree in psychology and physical education. After graduating in 1950, at 26, Black pitched for the Elite Giants during the summer, then joined a barnstorming team of Black players led by Luke Easter. In the fall, Black joined the Cienfuegos Elefantes in the integrated Cuban winter leagues.

While in Cuba in 1950, Black met Fidel Castro, then a young lawyer and budding politician. Castro often attended winter league games. In addition, Black played a one-on-one basketball game with the future “jefe.” Castro corresponded with Black when Black was with the Dodgers in 1952.30

In 1951, the Dodgers purchased his and Jim Gilliam’s contracts from the Elite Giants for $11,000.31

The Dodgers sent Black to their Triple-A teams in Montreal and St. Paul, where he posted a combined 11-12 record with a 3.28 ERA.32

During the winter he returned to Cuba to play for the Cienfuegos team. Ray Noble (a Cuban catcher for the New York Giants), and Cienfuegos manager Billy Herman helped Black improve his control and set batters up. “It was there,” Black recalled, “that I truly learned to combine the mental and physical aspects of pitching.”33

In Cuba, Black pitched 163 innings in 27 games, leading the league in ERA (2.42) and games won (15), while losing six games.34

Black’s time in Cuba opened his eyes “to recognize that all societies don’t use skin pigmentation as an evaluation tool.”35 Even in Montreal and St. Paul — far from the American South — Black confronted racism, including the N-word and other slurs, much more from opposing teams’ players than from the fans.36

Black pitched 170 innings in the minors and another 163 innings in Cuba, so his arm was sore when he showed up at the Dodgers’ Vero Beach spring training camp in 1952.37 He didn’t tell anyone. He had neither a contract nor a place on the roster.

The team’s spring training facility, Dodgertown, was integrated. Black and white players slept, ate, and practiced together in the compound. It had its own swimming pool, basketball court, pool tables, and occasional movie nights. But the world immediately outside Dodgertown was segregated. Blacks couldn’t eat in the restaurants or get a haircut and were banned from Vero Beach’s beaches, movie theaters, and golf courses. Laundries wouldn’t take their clothing. When the Dodgers traveled to play exhibition games, black and white players had to stay in separate hotels.38

The Dodgers assigned Black to room with Robinson. When Robinson walked into the room they were sharing in Vero Beach, he asked Black, “Can you fight?” “Yeah,” Black responded. “But we’re not going to fight,” Robinson said. He explained, “We can’t allow those crazy sons of bitches to bother us. We have the ability to play, and we’re going to show them that we’re in baseball to stay.”39 Robinson took the time to “impress upon me the psychological changes that must be endured by the black ballplayers,” Black recalled.40 Robinson had endured racial slurs from fans and opposing players, even years after he’d established himself as a star ballplayer. “I couldn’t have done it,” Black said.41

Rooming with Robinson helped give Black the perspective he needed to channel his anger on the mound. Several white Dodgers extended their hand in friendship to Black, including Preacher Roe, who was the first player to greet him when he arrived at the Vero Beach clubhouse. Roe was an outstanding pitcher who grew up in rural Arkansas, and who, like Black, was one of the few players to have graduated from college.42 Other players helped him adjust to pitching in the majors. Catcher Roy Campanella taught Black not to tax himself too much while warming up before games. He observed that he was “throwing your best pitches before the game.”43

The Dodger rookie would become the 25th person of color to play in the major leagues in the 20th century. He was only the fifth Black pitcher. He was the fifth Black player to wear Dodger Blue.

Manager Chuck Dressen first put Black into a game on May 1 when he started the seventh inning against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He struck out slugger Hank Sauer (that year’s NL MVP), struck out third baseman Randy Jackson, and got catcher Toby Atwell (who was leading the NL in batting) to ground out to second base.44 The game put the Dodgers in first place, ahead of the Giants, where they would remain for the rest of the season.

After his first seven appearances (14 innings), Black’s ERA stood at 0.00. At the All-Star break, Black was 3-0 with five saves in 38 2/3 innings, with a 1.63 ERA. Dressen relied on him more during the second half of the season. Black lifted up the Dodgers to help compensate for the loss of Don Newcombe (who was in the army) and for the injuries to the other pitching mainstays, including Preacher Roe, Carl Erskine, and Ralph Branca. Dressen used Black as a utility reliever. In his 54 relief appearances, he pitched less than two innings 22 times, two innings 17 times, three innings four times, four innings four times, five innings three times, six innings twice, seven innings once, and eight innings once. Eight of his 11 stints pitching four innings or more occurred down the stretch in August and September.45

By the end of the season, he had appeared in 56 games with a 15-4 record and 15 saves. In 142 innings, he struck out 85 batters, walked only 41, and gave up just nine home runs. Black’s 2.15 ERA was the NL’s lowest, but he was eight innings short of the threshold for the title. The winner was another rookie reliever, the Giants’ Hoyt Wilhelm, with a 2.43 ERA in 159 innings.

Black, who stood 6’2” and 220 pounds, with broad shoulders, long arms, and big hands, had only two pitches — a powerful fastball and a “nickel curve,” which broke like a slider. He made up for his limited repertoire by having pinpoint control.46

Toward the end of the season, Black received a letter that included a death threat from someone claiming to be a Giants fan. Black had to endure a police escort to and from the ballpark.47

Throughout the season, Black faced racist catcalls from fans and opposing players. When that happened, Robinson would typically walk to the mound to calm Black down. “Forget it,” he said. “Just pitch.”48 One night after a game with the Cardinals, Stan Musial apologized for his teammates’ racist remarks. “I’m sorry that happened,” Musial said, “but don’t let things like that bother you. You’re a good pitcher.”49 At that time, the Cardinals did not have a single person of color in their entire organization.

Black could intimidate opposing hitters by knocking them down with his fastball. “We’re professionals,” he explained. “If I send a guy into the dirt, it isn’t personal.” But at times he used the knock-down pitch as a weapon against racism. In one game, players on the all-white Cincinnati Reds (they did not integrate until 1954) began singing “Old Black Joe” from the opposing team’s dugout, trying to rattle Black on the mound. “I was seething,” Black recalled. He quickly knocked down several Reds hitters. After that, Black recalled, “The singing came to a halt.”50

Dressen started Black in his two final games of the season, thinking that he might have to use him as a starter in the World Series.

The World Series was between two New York City teams. They were scheduled to play seven games in seven days, with no travel days in between. That shaped Dressen’s decision to start Black in the first game, anticipating that he would pitch the fourth game and, if necessary, the seventh game.

Wrote AP sportswriter Gayle Talbot, “Never before in big league history has a champion of either circuit been forced to undertake such as desperate gamble.”51 New York Times writer John Debringer wrote that Black “found himself cast in as difficult a role as ever was assigned to a rookie.”52

In the opening game, Black threw a six-hitter to beat Allie Reynolds 4-2, making him the first African American pitcher to win a World Series game. 53 Three days later, Black faced Reynolds again in the fourth game at Yankee Stadium. Black gave up only three hits and one run in seven innings. But Reynolds pitched a shutout and defeated the Dodgers 2-0. (Dodgers reliever John Rutherford gave up another run in the eighth inning).54 Strapped for pitching, Dressen called on Black to start the seventh game at Ebbets Field. “Brooklyn’s Hopes for Series Honors Ride on Trusty Arm of Joe Black Today,” read the New York Times headline that morning.55 Black pitched well for three innings, giving up no hits and no runs, but then, in his third start in seven days, he ran out of gas. In both the fourth and fifth innings he surrendered two hits and one run, including a homer by Gene Woodling. In the sixth inning, Black gave up a home run to Mickey Mantle and a single to Johnny Mize. Dressen brought in Roe to relieve Black. Four Yankee pitchers held the Dodgers to two runs for a 4-2 victory and the World Series championship.

Although Black was aggressive on the mound, he had an easy-going personality. He got along well with reporters. The press liked Black because he was smart, articulate, and straightforward with them. New York Times sports columnist Arthur Daley wrote that Black is “far more intelligent than the average ball player, better educated (he’s a graduate of Morgan State College) and has a sharper sense of humor.” Black, he wrote, was “just bursting with class.”56

For the most part, reporters treated him well in their stories. At the end of the pennant race, and after the Sporting News had named him Rookie of the Year, Black sent a bottle of scotch to the scribes who traveled with the Dodgers during the season as a “small token of gratitude for having written so many nice things about me this season.”57

Toward the end of the season, sportswriters debated whether Black or Wilhelm would win the NL’s Rookie of the Year award, selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Wilhelm had a better W-L record (15-3 vs. 15-4), pitched in more games (71 vs. 56), and hurled more innings (159 vs. 141). Black had a better ERA (2.15 to 2.43) and his team won the pennant. Wilhelm’s Giants finished second. Nineteen writers voted for Black; only three voted for Wilhelm.58

Most baseball experts expected the NL MVP award to go either to Black or Robin Roberts. The righty Roberts was 28-7 with 30 complete games with the fourth-place Philadelphia Phillies. 59

But when the BWAA made the announcement on November 21, Hank Sauer, the slugging outfielder for the fifth-place Chicago Cubs, was declared the winner. Sauer tied for the NL lead in homers (37), led the league in RBIs (121), and batted .270.

The selection of Sauer was controversial among sportswriters and fans.60 United Press sportswriter Oscar Fraley observed that “anybody who knows the difference between a bunt and a punt must be completely flabbergasted” by Sauer’s selection.61

Twenty-four baseball writers, three from each National League city, cast ballots.62 Sauer received 226 votes, Roberts 211, and Black 206, followed by Wilhelm (133 votes) and Musial (127 votes). Sauer and Black each got eight first-place votes, followed by Roberts’ seven first-place tallies. (The Dodgers’ Duke Snider earned the one other first-place vote).63

Some writers may have believed that an everyday player, not a pitcher, should get the MVP award.64 Between 1911 (when the award was first bestowed) and 1951, only 12 pitchers, and one reliever (the Phillies’ Jim Konstanty in 1950), had won that prize. Sauer may have prevailed because writers divided their votes between three pitchers — Black, Roberts, and Wilhelm — which allowed Sauer to win the award.65

According to United Press’ Fraley, three of the 24 writers left Black’s name off their ballots entirely and one gave Black a tenth-place vote. Jackie Robinson approached one of those writers and accused him of racism.66

This controversy over whether pitchers should get the MVP over everyday position players led eventually to creation of the Cy Young award for best pitchers in 1956.

Despite starting three World Series games and winning the Rookie of the Year award, Black accepted a contract for only $12,500 for the next season.67

Black players had fewer opportunities to earn extra money from endorsements than their white counterparts. But after his rookie season, Black — a genuine star and photogenic — made money doing ads for Lucky Strike cigarettes (even though he didn’t smoke) and writing a column, sponsored by Lucky Strikes, which ran in black newspapers. In one June 1953 column, Black described how teammates Pee Wee Reese and Robinson approach base stealing, concluding, “Yessir, base stealing adds a lot of enjoyment to a ballgame. Just like Luckies will add a lot of enjoyment to your smoking hours once you’ve made them your steady smoke.”68

Near the end of the baseball season, Dressen told Black that he might need him to become a starting pitcher and that he should add a new pitch to his repertoire. While pitching for Roy Campanella’s all-Black post-season barnstorming team, Black experimented trying to throw a knuckleball, without success. When Black got to Vero Beach for spring training, he tried to learn to pitch a forkball, a change-up, and a sinker, but he couldn’t grip the ball properly because of a deformity he had on his index finger. The Dodger coaches worked with Black to experiment on his stride on the mound, at times urging him to lengthen it and at other times to shorten it. Nothing worked, so Dressen told Black to go back to his former pitching style. But by then Black had forgotten what he’d done to achieve so much success in his rookie year. He couldn’t get his old form back, and each time he took the mound — during spring training and after the season started — he had lost his form and, with it, his confidence.69

In his second season, Black was no longer the domineering pitcher he had been in 1952. He could still throw hard, but his control, timing, and pitching mechanics suffered. His teammates and even players on opposing teams offered advice, but it didn’t help. By July, Dressen no longer trusted Black as the closer. Black pitched in fewer games and clutch situations. Black recalled that “I was not a pitcher. I was a thrower, without control or confidence.”70 The Dodgers won the pennant, but Black’s contribution was nothing like his previous year’s record. He pitched in 34 games and only 71 innings. His W-L record was 6-3, but his ERA skyrocketed to 5.33. He had only five saves. He pitched only one inning during the Yankees-Dodgers six game World Series.

In 1954, the Dodgers’ new manager, Walter Alston, used Black sparingly. By May 26 he had pitched in five games and given up 11 hits, including three homers in seven innings, walked five batters, and struck out three, with a 11.57 ERA.71

On May 30 the Dodgers demoted him to their Montreal AAA team. Soon after arriving in Montreal, the team doctor discovered that Black had torn muscles in his right shoulder. This helped account for the loss of speed on his fastball. For the rest of the season, a doctor gave him weekly cortisone shots to ease the pain. His performance improved. He started 24 games and relieved in seven more. In 185 innings, he struck out 94 batters and walked 61, but allowed 181 hits. He won 12 games, lost 10 games, and finished with a 3.60 ERA.

Black spent the fall barnstorming again with Campanella’s all-stars, showing signs of recovering his rookie year brilliance.72 He pitched 15 innings with a 2.93 ERA, but it didn’t satisfy the Dodger brass. On June 9, they traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Bob Borkowski. That year the Dodgers would win their first World Series, but Black was no longer on the team.

The Reds used him in as both a starter (11 games) and reliever (21 games). He pitched 102 innings, went 5-2, with a 4.22 ERA.

In 1956, manager Birdie Tebbetts used Black exclusively in relief. He accumulated a 3-2 record and 4.52 ERA in 32 outings, but his performance was uneven. He won his last major league game on June 24, going five and two-thirds innings without giving up a hit to beat the Dodgers in relief.

In January 1957, the Redlegs sold Black to the Seattle Rainiers in the Pacific Coast League. During the Rainiers’ spring training in San Bernardino, Black’s arm began hurting. A doctor at the local VA hospital did X-rays. They revealed bone chips in his right elbow and a small crack developing in his humerus, the bone from the shoulder to the elbow. Afraid of being let go, he didn’t tell anyone. Manager Lefty O’Doul used Black as both a starter and reliever. In 23 2/3 innings he gave up 34 hits and 17 runs.73

On May 25, after going 1-1, with a 4.94 ERA, Black was sold to the Tulsa Oilers, a Phillies franchise in the AA Texas League.74 He made his first start on June 4 against Oklahoma City. Black pitched nine innings and left with the score tied 5 to 5. At the end of June, he was put on the disabled list with a sore arm. After a few more so-so outings, Tulsa released him on July 16. By then, he could barely lift his arm.

At the end of July, after serving as a part-time batting practice pitcher with the Dodgers,75 Black contacted Washington Senators manager Cookie Lavagetto, a former Dodger infielder, to ask for a chance. The Senators signed him as a free agent on August 1, making him the team’s first American-born black player.76 (The team had three black Cubans and one black Panamanian before hiring Black).77

Black had lost the velocity on his fastball, and lost his confidence, and players teed off on him. He pitched seven games and 12 2/3 innings for the Senators, giving up 22 hits, losing one game, and ending the season with a 7.11 ERA. His last major league outing was on September 11, 1957 against the Tigers.78 At season’s end, despite his sore arm, he joined barnstorming teams in Panama, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Texas, and the West Coast. In Waco, Black and his black teammates went to a segregated movie theater. To demonstrate the irrationality of racism, Black, speaking Spanish, convinced the theater manager he was Cuban and was allowed to sit in the all-white seating section.79

When he returned his Senators contract unsigned, the team gave him his unconditional release on November 25, 1957. He could not endure more cortisone shots to relieve his pain, but he was unwilling to undergo an operation.80 At 33, his professional baseball career was over.

For the next six years — from 1957 through 1963 — Black taught physical education and coached baseball at the junior high school and high school levels in Plainfield, his hometown. Black’s students were a roughly equal mix of black and white young people, although he was one of the few black teachers in the school district. Black was a popular teacher and a stern disciplinarian, well known for his after-school “happy hour” sessions of tough conditioning exercises and calisthenics for students who did not take his gym classes seriously.

While teaching, he took graduate classes in education at Rutgers University and Seton Hall University, but didn’t complete his master’s degree, as he had hoped to do.81 As a teacher, Black earned about $4200 a year. To make extra money, he worked part-time in a local department store and sold encyclopedias. He occasionally pitched for several local semipro teams and sometimes pitched batting practice for major-league clubs. He organized an integrated barnstorming team, Joe Black’s All-Stars, that played in towns across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.82 He also ran Plainfield’s Optimist Baseball League for 13 to 15 year old boys, insisting that every player, regardless of talent level, play at least two innings each game.83

Black enjoyed teaching, but he had alimony and child support to pay and he was not earning enough to provide for himself and his family. Greyhound threw him a lifeline. He worked for the company from 1963 to 1987, much longer than he played professional baseball.

In 1961, six years after the Montgomery bus boycott, Americans watching television saw black and white civil rights activists being pummeled by white racist thugs as they exited from buses they sought to integrate as part of the Freedom Rides.

As the nation’s best-known bus line, Greyhound became associated with segregation in the eyes of the black community. To address this image problem, Greyhound began a recruitment effort to hire more African American employees, including drivers and sales executives. It also began a series of advertisements showing black and white passengers sitting in the same sections of buses.84

In 1962, Greyhound recruited Black to represent the company to black communities and let them know that Greyhound did not condone racist violence or segregation, or discriminate in hiring black employees.

In September 1963, Black moved to Chicago, home of Greyhound’s headquarters, to become director of special markets. By 1967, he was promoted to vice president of special markets for the parent company, Greyhound Corporation. When Greyhound moved its headquarters to Phoenix in 1971, Black moved there as well.

Black did a great deal of traveling, speaking to community groups, churches, schools, colleges, corporate seminars, and other organizations around the country.

Although his implicit message was that Greyhound was a good corporate citizen, his explicit message was to encourage parents to push their children to do well in school and to tell young people that education and hard work was the path out of poverty and into the middle class.

On behalf of Greyhound, Black developed local Woman of the Year and Father of the Year awards, given to people who helped improve their communities. Black would arrive to deliver a speech and give out the awards. Black also invited black professionals to talk to local young people about their educational and career trajectories. He organized seminars for young people about drug and alcohol abuse. He also helped black people get jobs with Greyhound. He got Greyhound to donate to black colleges and establish college scholarships, purchase goods from minority-owned businesses, and open accounts with local black-owned banks.85 To keep his hand in baseball, he persuaded Greyhound to sponsor an award for the players who led each league in stolen bases. Black presented the award every year.

Black acknowledged that for many years, “I accepted the rewards of the [civil rights] Movement passively, which wasn’t exactly paying one’s dues.” After meeting Martin Luther King he learned “how much greater the Movement is than the individual.” He committed himself “to extend my hand, to help black people understand our responsibilities, within our community, during our quest for equality of opportunity — and to help de-emphasize hate.”86 Black was one of many athletes and entertainers who attended the 1963 March on Washington, and three years later, at the invitation of Rev. Jesse Jackson, he joined pickets in front of Chicago stores that refused to hire or promote black employees. When King was murdered in 1968, Black flew to Atlanta and served as an usher at the funeral at Ebenezer Baptist Church.87

In 1972, after Jackie Robinson had become partly blind and close to death from diabetes, Black pressured Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to honor Robinson for breaking baseball’s color barrier 25 years earlier. Kuhn invited Robinson to throw out the first ball before the second game of the World Series in Cincinnati on October 15. Robinson used the occasion to criticize baseball for its slow racial progress.88 After Robinson died nine days later, Black was one of the six pallbearers at his funeral.89

Between 1969 and 1985, Black wrote a syndicated column, “By the Way,” that was published in Ebony and Jet magazines and about 40 black newspapers, including the Chicago Defender and Pittsburgh Courier. Each column included his photograph and was always signed “Joe Black, Vice President, The Greyhound Corporation.” He also recorded his columns for broadcast on over 50 radio stations serving black listeners.90

In his speeches and columns, Black acknowledged the harsh realities of racism, and expressed support for the civil rights movement in overturning barriers, but he also put much of the onus on the black community.

In 1979, he told a newspaper columnist that his message to black audiences was that “the social revolution is over. We accomplished what we set out to do. Now we must take advantage of each new opportunity that is presented.”91

Black was like a stern parent. He stressed the importance of education, hard work, ambition, respect for women, the responsibilities of black fathers, the problem of street crime and violence within black communities, the need for more black-owned businesses, the centrality of religious faith, the necessity for black Americans to participate in civic and community life, the need for graduates of black colleges to donate to their alma maters to help them thrive, and to take full advantage of the new voting rights laws.

In one column, Black wrote, “Yelling words and mouthing phrases like ‘Black Power,’ ‘Soul,’ or ‘black is beautiful’ can’t erase the problems in the ghetto. What can erase them are the things we can do to help our young people understand the true meaning of ‘intellectual power.’ If they learn, they’ll have a better chance to earn.” He encouraged parents to visit their kids’ schools, talk with the teachers, get involved with the PTA, and participate in neighborhood activities.

As he explained in his autobiography, “The ‘system’ is designed to allow some Black people to ‘escape’ from their socio-economic deprivation. And for reasons, not known to me, I was designated as one of the chosen few.”92 Black’s main message — which both reflected his personal feelings and was in line with the ideology of big corporations like Greyhound — focused on black self-help. He emphasized the importance of “educational preparation, pride, initiative, loyalty, and respect.”93

These values may have reflected mainstream attitudes in the black community, but some black activists believed that Black was “blaming the victim.” He was occasionally labeled an “Uncle Tom” or an “Oreo” (black on the outside, white on the inside).

Black’s educational background, hard work, and high salary didn’t immunize him from the reality of racism. When he interviewed Black for The Boys of Summer, Roger Kahn asked him why he lived on Chicago’s far south side, a predominantly black neighborhood a long way from his job at Greyhound’s downtown headquarters, when he could afford a more fashionable neighborhood. Black explained that he and his wife had once sought to buy a home in a development in the Chicago suburb of Lombard that included a pool, tennis courts, and a community social hall.

The sales manager asked Black where he worked. “The Greyhound Company,” Black answered. “What are you? A driver?” the sales manager asked. After Black handed him a card showing that he was a vice president, the sales manager asked, “What do you make?” Black said he, “Put down in excess of thirty five thousand dollars a year.” The amount put him at the upper end of the middle class. The sales manager asked Black if his job required him to do a lot of traveling and Black explained that he was often on the road. The sales manager said, “Well, you certainly earn enough, but if you travel, I can’t encourage you to buy. We don’t let anyone use the recreation room until they’re eighteen, and some of these seventeen-year olds, pretty husky fellers by the way, are kicking up a fuss. Rebelling. Throwing stones. Acting up. Now, Mr. Black, it certainly would be a terrible thing if these white seventeen-year-olds threw rocks through the window of your thirty-two-thousand dollar house, possibly injuring your wife while you were traveling and not here to protect her.”

Black’s white friends offered to buy one of the houses and then sell it to him — a tactic that was often used by civil rights groups seeking to integrate housing developments. Black refused. “Like hell. Something like that happens to you every day in your life if you’re black.”

As Black told Kahn, “There are plenty of places where, if a black man wants to live there, he has to fight a war.” Black didn’t want to fight a war. As Kahn wrote, “he has adjusted to bigotry, without accepting it.”94

Black had a wide network of friends among celebrities in show business, sports, politics, and business. One was Bill Cosby. In 1991, Cosby invited Black and Frank Robinson to appear on an episode of The Cosby Show, portraying former Negro League players reminiscing about their former teammates and rivals.95

As an expression of their common support for education as a means of upward mobility, Cosby headed a fundraising event in 2006 at Morgan State to raise money for the Joe Black Endowed Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers.96

Black retired from Greyhound in 1987, at age 63, after his daughter Martha Jo graduated from high school.

In 1989, soon after he became Baseball Commissioner, Bart Giamatti hired Black to talk with players about their futures. Black played at a time before the players union had freed players from the reserve clause. This gave rise to sports agents and huge salaries. By 1990, the minimum MLB salary was $100,000; the average was $597,537. The harsh reality was that the average player spent only five years in the big leagues, but few gave much thought to managing their money and planning for life after their playing days were over. Black visited players to discuss these matters, urging them to meet with financial planners to help invest their earnings wisely, and to go back to school in the off-season to complete their educations. But he quickly became discouraged because players showed little interest. “Ninety percent of them don’t think about that. They all think, ‘I’m going to play until the day I die.’”97

If Black couldn’t help contemporary players plan for their futures, he could help former players who were down on their luck. In 1986, a group of former major league players (led by Joe Garagiola and Ralph Branca) created the Baseball Alumni Team (later renamed the Baseball Assistance Team) to identify and help former players who couldn’t pay their rent or mortgage, utility bills, medical bills, or for a proper funeral for a spouse. Black, who became one of BAT’s vice presidents, would hear about an indigent ex-player or his widow and often make a personal visit to assess their situation and offer support. Some of them were players (or their widows) that Black had played with or against. Black drew on his network of retired players, and traveled to spring training camps to raise money for the BAT fund among current players. Some made significant contributions but he was saddened that others with multi-million salaries refused to help.

In 1992, Black urged Commissioner Fay Vincent to compensate living Negro Leaguers, most of whom never got the opportunity to play in the majors. Some also faced hard times. “These men don’t want charity, but they should be included in the Players Association medical plan,” Black said.98 Vincent asked Black and Len Coleman (a former football star at Princeton and former commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs) to recommend a plan. They suggested that those who played in the Negro Leagues before Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947 should be eligible. In 1993, MLB gave 39 Negro League veterans and their spouses lifetime health insurance.

But it took a lawsuit by former Negro League and Boston Braves star Sam Jethroe to force MLB to deal with the problem that most former Negro League players lacked the full four years in the majors required to be eligible for a pension. A federal judge dismissed the suit because the statute of limitations had expired. But Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf convinced other owners to set up a special fund to provide annual payments of $7,500 to $10,000 to 85 former Negro League players who had also played at least one day in the majors. Coleman, by then NL president, appointed Black to chair the committee administering the pension plan, which began in 1997. In 2004, two years after Black died, Commissioner Bud Selig expanded eligibility for the program to 27 other players who spent at least four years in the Negro Leagues but who never played in the majors.99

Black became a well-known figure in Phoenix. He did a lot of charity work in the area, serving on the boards of the local Big Brothers organization, the Salvation Army, the National Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association, and a member of the local Kiwanis Club. He was also in demand as public speaker.

In 1993, soon after MLB awarded Phoenix a new franchise, the new team — the Arizona Diamondbacks — hired Black to serve as its community affairs representative. He was a regular in the Diamondbacks’ dugout during batting practice and in the press box and regularly attended major leagues games around the country.

Black was sitting near the Marlins dugout during seventh game of the 1997 World Series. With the Indians ahead 2-0 in the seventh inning, the Marlins’ Bobby Bonilla was in the on-deck circle, waiting to bat against Cleveland’s rookie pitcher Jaret Wright. The youngster was pitching a one-hitter. Black called Bonilla over and told him about pitching to Mickey Mantle in the seventh game of the 1952 World Series. Black got Mantle out twice by pitching him inside but when Mantle came to bat for the third time in the sixth inning, he adjusted his batting stance by stepping back in the batter’s box. Black didn’t notice and Mantle smashed a home run. Forty-five years later, Black urged Bonilla (4 for 26 in the series), to learn from Mantle’s example. Bonilla followed his advice, stepped back in the batter’s box, and hit a homer. Bonilla glanced over at Black as he rounded third base. The Marlins eventually won the game (and the World Series) in the 11th inning. 100

Many people recounted Black’s generosity. During spring training in 1955, when Black was struggling to maintain his place on the Dodgers’ roster, he befriended Sandy Koufax, then a rookie. Many Dodgers resented Koufax because, as a “bonus baby,” he was guaranteed a place on the roster irrespective of his experience or talent. The fact that he was Jewish compounded their hostility. “I was shunned by every player on the team except one. Joe Black came over to me, put his arm around me, and said, ‘Come on, kid, I’ll show you the ropes.’ We became great friends for life even though Joe was traded to Cincinnati in the middle of the season. He was there for me in my time of need.”101 According to his biographer, “Koufax never forgot Joe Black’s kindness.”102

Deeply religious and a regular church goer, Black didn’t smoke or drink, but when his playing days ended he ate to excess and by his 60s had ballooned to close to 300 pounds. Although he was a public figure with many friends, he described himself as a “homebody” with little appetite for parties and the social whirl.103 Despite his strong belief in family, Black was a failure as a husband. He was married seven times. “My marriages didn’t work because neither party worked hard enough for them to work,” he explained in his autobiography.104

Black had two children — Joe Frank Black (known as Chico), born May 26, 1952, and Martha Jo, born July 5, 1969. He took parenting responsibilities seriously and was a devoted father. When he and Martha Jo’s mother divorced, Black fought for and won custody of his five-year old daughter at a time, 1975, when courts rarely granted custody to fathers. As his daughter wrote in her memoir, Joe Black: More Than A Dodger, Black “went to every PTA meeting. He’d tell my teachers, ‘Hi, I’m Joe Black, I’m Martha Jo’s father. If there’s any problem, you call me.’ My dad was very instrumental in everything that I did. I loved my mother, but my father was a great parent.”105 She recalled, “The best part of my dad was that he raised me as a single parent in Paradise Valley, Arizona.”106 Martha Jo works in marketing for the Chicago White Sox. Joe (Chico) Black works for MAAX Industries in Arizona.

Black was inducted into Morgan State’s Sports Hall of Fame. He received honorary degrees from Shaw College in Detroit (1974), 107 Central States University (1977),108 and Morgan State (1983). 109 In 1981, Black received the Distinguished Broadcaster Award from the Academy of Professional Broadcasters for “influence on the minds and lives of young Black Americans” through the radio broadcasts of his “By the Way” columns.110 In 1987, Coretta Scott King bestowed Black with the Martin Luther King Distinguished Service Award at a ceremony in Atlanta.111 That same year, he was honored by the National Association for Sickle Cell Disease for his work as a board member and for educating the public about the disease.112 In 1991, he delivered the commencement address at Miles College, an historically black institution in Birmingham.113 In 2001, he was inducted into the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame.

Black died of prostate cancer on May 17, 2002 at age 78 at the Life Care Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Memorial services were held in Phoenix and Plainfield, attended by hundreds of friends, family, and former teammates and students. In Plainfield, Barbara Hill sang one of Black’s favorite songs, “If I Can Help Somebody.”114 He wanted his ashes spread on the Plainfield High School baseball field. City officials refused to allow it, but his son Chico visited the diamond and scattered them there anyway.115

The honors continued after he died. Morgan State created the Joe Black Endowed Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers. In 2010, the Washington Nationals created an annual Joe Black Award given to a person or group that promotes baseball in Washington’s inner city. In 2002, the Arizona Fall League, where major league prospects hone their skills, named its annual MVP trophy for Black.116 The Arizona Diamondbacks named a room at Chase Field in his honor. In 2010, the Plainfield school board named the Plainfield High School baseball complex the Joe Black Baseball Field.117

Many writers describe Black as having risen “out of nowhere” to lead the Dodgers to the 1952 pennant. This is misleading. As Black told Roger Kahn, “I couldn’t go into organized ball until Jackie made it and the quotas let me, and if we want to get sad, we can think that I pitched my greatest games in miserable ball parks, in the colored league, with nobody watching.”118

But Black was not resentful. Throughout his life, he expressed appreciation for the opportunities he had to play MLB and to use that experience, plus his college education and hard work, as a springboard for his career as a teacher, in corporate America, and as part of the civil rights movement.

Black touched many lives in many ways. “Baseball was the least of what he did,” said his friend Jerry Reinsdorf.119 “He was a psychologist, a humanist, a businessman and, across his 78 years, a magnificent advertisement for America,” wrote Roger Kahn.120

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Cassidy Lent at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Giamatti Library and Research Center; Martha Jo Black; Larry Treadwell, Lucera Parker, David Alexander, and Paul Baker at Shaw University; Erika Gorder, Dory Devlin, Daniel Villanueva, Betsy Feliciano-Berrios, and Carissa Sestito at Rutgers University; Laurie Pine at Seton Hall University; Gary Fink; E.J. Krieger; Mike Long; Bill Nowlin; Jacob Pomrenke; and Alan Cohen.

This biography was reviewed by Donna Halper and Bruce Harris and fact-checked by Paul Proia.

Sources

In addition to the sources shown in the notes, the author used Baseball-Reference.com and Seamheads.com.

Notes

1 Carl Lundquist, “Dodgers Break Even With Giants on Joe Black’s Pitching,” Knoxville (Tenn.) News- Sentinel, September 9, 1952: 12.

2 Martha Jo Black and Chuck Schoffner, Joe Black: More Than A Dodger (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2015), 4.

3 Joe Black, Ain’t Nobody Better than You (Scottsdale, Arizona: Ironwood Lithographers, 1983), 21.

4 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 28.

5 “Achievement Records Set in PHS Gym,” Plainfield (NJ) Courier News, March 15, 1941: 15.

6 Hugh Delano, “The Inside Track,” Plainfield Courier News, June 17, 1960: 30.

7 Richard Goldstein, “Joe Black, Pitching Pioneer for the Dodgers, Dies at 78,” New York Times, May 18, 2002: A13, https://www.NYTimes.com/2002/05/18/sports/joe-black-pitching-pioneer-for-the-dodgers-dies-at-78.html; Milton Brown, “Gentleman Joe,” The Oracle, Fall 2017: 20, https://oppf12d.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Oracle-Fall-2017.pdf. This article is based on an interview Black did with Brown in 2000.

8 The team took the same name as a team in the Negro Leagues, but it was a different entity.

9 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 29-30.

10 “Black Yankees Trounce Marinos,” Plainfield (NJ) Courier-News, June 1, 1942: 12.

11 “Black Yanks Beat Brunswick Nine,” Plainfield (NJ) Courier-News, July 6, 1942: 13.

12 “Black Pitches No-Hit Game for the Yankees,” Plainfield (NJ) Courier-News, July 13, 1942: 12.

13 Brown, “Gentleman Joe,” 21.

14 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 34-37.

15 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 61-64.

16 Dick Clark and Larry Lester, editors, The Negro Leagues Book (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 1994); and http://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=black01joe; Because Morgan State didn’t have a baseball team, Black did not jeopardize his amateur status, according to the rules of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the athletic conference of historically black colleges.

17 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 39; “Joe Black, PHS Great, Stars with Army Nine,” Plainfield Courier News, August 22, 1944: 11.

18 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 145.

19 Roger Kahn, The Boys of Summer (New York: Harper and Row, 1971), 278.

20 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 41-42.

21 “Saracens to Face Carters A.C. For City Independent Grid Title Thursday at Green Brook,” Plainfield (NJ) Courier-News, November 24, 1943: 13.

22 “Joe Black, PHS Great, Stars with Army Nine,” 11; “Topeka Ball Club at Camp Crowder Sunday,” Neosho (Missouri) Daily Democrat, May 19, 1945: 3.

23 “Joe Black, PHS Great, Stars With Army Nine,” 11.

24 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 71-73.

25 “Star Quintets Play in Crowder Tourney,” Joplin (Missouri) Globe, January 10, 1946: 8A.

26 Goldstein, “Joe Black, Pitching Pioneer”: A13.

27 “Seeks Pro Career,” Plainfield Courier News, November 14, 1947: 23.

28 “Former PHS Star on S. American Nine,” Plainfield Courier News, November 13, 1947: 24.

29 Dick Clark and Larry Lester, 314; Larry Lester, Black Baseball’s National Showcase: The East-West All-Star Game (Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2001), 348-349 and 440.

30 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 75-76; Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 166.

31 Buzzy Bavasi, “The Real Secret of Trading,” Sports Illustrated, June 5, 1967, https://vault.si.com/vault/1967/06/05/the-real-secret-of-trading; https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B/Pblacj103.htm.

32 https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=black-001jos.

33 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 81.

34 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 172.

35 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 82.

36 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 76-79.

37 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 77.

38 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 85; Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 38.

39 Arnold Rampersad, Jackie Robinson: A Biography (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997), 245.

40 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 85; Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 86.

41 Harold Parrott, “Inside Jackie Robinson,” The Sporting News, February 3, 1973: 31-32.

42 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 88-89; Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 41.

43 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 94.

44 Harold Burr, “Dressen Orders Hit Drills For Rusty Flock,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 2, 1952: 16, https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1952/B05010CHN1952.htm.

45 https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1952/Kblacj1030011952.htm.

46 Neil Lanctot, Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011), 183; Gayle Talbot, “Joe Black Key to Dodger Hopes As Series Starts,” Nashville Banner, October 1, 1952: 20.

47 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 114; Black, More Than, 198-202; “Black’s Life Threatened: Dodger Ace Ordered to Stay Away From Polo Grounds,” New York Times, September 5, 1952: 20.

48 Black, More Than, 123.

49 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 104.

50 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 102; Roger Kahn, Into My Own: The Remarkable People and Events That Shaped a Life (New York: St. Martin’s, 2007), 281; Peter Golenbock, Bums: An Oral History of the Brooklyn Dodgers (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1984), 319. In Kahn’s version, Black knocked down two Reds hitters; in Golenbeck’s version, he knocked down seven of them. Black’s daughter Martha Jo discusses Black’s use of the brushback pitch in her biography, Joe Black: More Than a Dodger, on page 154. Black also mentions it in his autobiography, Ain’t Nobody Better Than You on page 102. He is clear that he used the brushback pitch as a weapon. The author has, in the text, quoted Black directly: “The singing came to a halt.”

51 Gayle Tablot, “Rookie Hurler Carries Brooklyn Hopes,” Deseret News and Telegram (Salt Lake City), September 30, 1952: 17.

52 John Drebinger, “Three Dodger Homers Beat Yanks in Series Opener, 4-2,” New York Times, October 2, 1952: 1.

53 https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1952/B10010BRO1952.htm.

54 https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1952/B10040NYA1952.htm.

55 Roscoe McGowen, “Brooklyn’s Hopes for Series Honors Ride on Trusty Arm of Joe Black Today,” New York Times, October 7, 1952: 36.

56 Arthur Daley, “Most Valuable Player?” New York Times, September 14, 1952: 2S.

57 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 135; Roscoe McGowen, “Roberts of Phils Takes 27th Game By Turning Back Dodgers, 9 to 7,” New York Times, September 25, 1952: 39.

58 John Drebinger, “Black of Dodgers and Byrd of Athletics Capture Awards as Rookies of Year,” New York Times, November 22, 1952: 18.

59 Arthur Daley, “Most Valuable Player?” New York Times, September 14, 1952: 2S.

60 Roscoe McGowan, “Dodgers 4-Year Run Paced by Jackie, Peewee,” The Sporting News, December 3, 1952: 15; John Drebinger, “Sauer Chosen Over Roberts and Black As Most Valuable in National League,” New York Times, November 21, 1952: 30; Arthur Daley, “A Question of Value,” New York Times, November 26, 1952: 30; Gayle Talbot, “Eastern Writers Fuming Over West’s Alleged Bloc for Sauer,” Herald News (Passaic, New Jersey), November 21, 1952:14.

61 Oscar Fraley, “‘Halt and Blind’ Picked MVP Awards,” Tucson Daily Citizen, November 22, 1952: 9.

62 https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/1952_National_League_Most_Valuable_Player_Award.

63 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 275.

64 In 1952, the Cy Young Award for best pitcher did not yet exist. It began in 1956.

65 In the AL, Bobby Shantz (24-7, 2.48), the ace of the fourth-place Philadelphia Athletics, captured the MVP. It was the first time since 1938 that both MVP awards went to players whose teams didn’t win the pennant. John Drebinger, “Sauer Chosen Over Roberts and Black as Most Valuable in National League,” 30, https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1952.shtml#NL_ROY_voting_link.

66 Oscar Fraley, “Fraley Sour on Sauer’s Choice as Most Valuable,” Herald-News (Passaic, New Jersey), November 21, 1952: 16; Joe Black, Ain’t Nobody, 118.

67 Kahn, The Boys, 255.

68 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 155-56; here’s an example of Black’s Lucky Strikes column in 1953, http://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lcPCN/sn83045120/1953-07-11/ed-1/seq-5.pdf.

69 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 120-121. Black discussed how he lost confidence after he changed his pitching style in this 2002 videotaped interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwcKjumM8ac.

70 Black, More Than, 296.

71 https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1954/Kblacj1030031954.htm; https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blackjo02.shtml.

72 Roscoe McGowen, “Black and Roebuck of Dodgers Accept Terms for Next Season,” New York Times, January 6, 1955: 32.

73 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 128.

74 “Kretlow, Black Sold By Raniers,” Longview (Washington) Daily News, May 25, 1957: 3; Bruce Brown, “From the Sidelines,” San Bernardino Sun, May 31, 1957: 25.

75 “Joe Black Returns to the Dodgers,” Hartford Courant, June 22, 1957: 13.

76 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 130-131.

77 Rick Swaine, The Integration of Major League Baseball: A Team by Team History (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009), 166-176.

78 https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1957/B09112WS11957.htm.

79 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 133.

80 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 139. From his early youth, after a friend died in the hospital, Black was fearful of doctors and hospitals. He refused to undergo an operation on his pitching arm which might have helped restore his fastball. He failed to get a check-up that might have diagnosed his prostate cancer before it spread too far and eventually killed him.

81 In 1958, Black took a graduate course in Health Education for Teachers at Rutgers University, according to a July 22, 2020 email from Carissa Sestito at Rutgers University. Black took two graduate courses — Educational and Vocational Guidance and Study of the Individual in Personnel and Guidance — at Seton Hall University during the summer of 1960, according to a July 1, 2020 email from Laurie Pine at Seton Hall University.

82 “Black’s Stars Play Tomorrow,” Plainfield Courier News, August 22, 1959: 11; “Joe Black Sparkles for All Star Team,” Plainfield Courier News, May 9, 1960: 24; Hugh Delano, “The Inside Track,” Plainfield Courier News, June 17, 1960: 30.

83 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 152; Jim Peoples, “Black is Still An Optimist in Baseball League and Work,” Plainfield Courier News, June 9, 1960: 32.

84 Edward Reilly, The 1960s: American Popular Culture Through History (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2003), 49.

85 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 261.

86 https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=INR19740504-01.1.2&e= — — — -en-20 — 1 — txt-txIN — — — –.

87 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 185 and 192.

88 Arnold Rampersad, Jackie Robinson: A Biography (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997), 459.

89 Arnold Rampersad, Jackie Robinson: A Biography, 460.

90 Source: Biography of Joe Black on the program for his memorial service in Phoenix in 2002.

91 Bob Quincy, “Fame and Fastball Faded by Message Remains,” Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, November 16, 1979: 12.

92 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 227.

93 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 241.

94 Kahn, The Boys, 265-266.

95 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0547111/.

96 https://vdocuments.mx/alumni-news-fall-2006.html.

97 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 307.

98 Dave Anderson, “Sports of the Times: Here’s a Soda for Buck Leonard,” New York Times, June 1, 1992: C5, https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/01/sports/sports-of-the-times-here-s-a-soda-for-buck-leonard.html.

99 Bill Nowlin, “Sam Jethroe,” SABR biography project, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/5f1c7cf9; N. Jeremi Duru, “Sam Jethroe’s Last Hit,” in Ron Briley, ed., The Politics of Baseball (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2010); N. Jeremi Duru, “Exploring Jethroe’s Injustice: The Impact of an Ex-Ballplayer’s Legal Quest for a Pension on the Movement for Restorative Racial Justice,” University of Cincinnati Law Review, Vol. 76, Spring 2008, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1114209; Larry Moffi and Jonathan Kronstadt, Crossing the Line: Black Major Leaguers, 1947-1959 (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1994); Howard Bryant, Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston (New York: Routledge, 2002); Anderson, “Here’s a Soda;” Brad Snyder, “Jethroe seeks legal victory in bid for baseball pension,” Baltimore Sun, April 22, 1995, https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-04-22-1995112081-story.html; “Lawsuit Dismissed,” New York Times, October 6, 1996: Section 8: 13, https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/06/sports/lawsuit-dismissed.html; Murray Chass, “Pioneer Black Players To Be Granted Pensions,” New York Times, January 20, 1997: C9, https://www.NYTimes.com/1997/01/20/sports/pioneer-black-players-to-be-granted-pensions.html; Ronald Blum, “Negro League Players Gain Pension Eligibility,” Indiana (Pennsylvania) Gazette, January 20, 1997: 17; Philip Dine, “Negro Leaguers Who Played in the Majors Finally Win Pensions,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, January 24, 1997: 31; Jim Auchmutey, “‘He’s Our Jackie’: Sam Jethroe, The First Black Braves Play, at 79 Fights Barriers to a Baseball Pension,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 22, 1997: 85; Richard Goldstein, “Sam Jethroe is Dead at 83; Was Oldest Rookie of the Year,” New York Times, June 19, 2001: A21, https://www.NYTimes.com/2001/06/19/sports/sam-jethroe-is-dead-at-83-was-oldest-rookie-of-the-year.html; Stan Grossfield, “He’s Still Game: At 80, Ex Negro Leaguer Is Raising Five Children and Hoping for a Pension,” Boston Globe, March 31, 2004: 67; Brady Dennis, “Pay is for Player of Bygone Era,” Tampa Bay Times, May 18, 2004: 9; Gregory Lewis, “Negro Leaguers To Get Their Share,” South Florida Sun Sentinel, May 18, 2004: 40; Doug Gladstone, “MLB Isn’t Paying Pensions to Herb Washington and Other Persons of Color,” Bleacher Report, July 17, 2012, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1261542-mlb-isnt-paying-pensions-to-herb-washington-and-other-persons-of-color.

100 https://sabr.org/latest/neyer-joe-black-bobby-bonilla-and-a-little-adjustment/; https://tht.fangraphs.com/winner-takes-all-which-was-the-best-world-series-game-seven/; https://medium.com/the-christian-counterculture/paying-forward-our-mistakes-a5589a1df3a2.

101 Steven Michael Selzer, Meet the Real Joe Black (New York: Universe, Inc., 2010), 152; Jane Leavy, Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy (New York: HarperCollins, 2002), 66-67, 69-70.

102 Leavy, Sandy Koufax, 76.

103 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 231.

104 Black, Ain’t Nobody, 232

105 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 220.

106 Personal email from Martha Jo Black to Peter Dreier, June 1, 2020.

107 “Shaw College to Award Honors to 4,” Detroit Free Press, May 9, 1974: 37. Many articles and profiles of Black say that he received an honorary doctorate from Shaw University, a well-known historically black institution in North Carolina. At my request, Larry Treadwell IV (Shaw University’s Director of Library Services) and Paul Baker (the university archivist) searched but did not find evidence that Black was honored by that institution. Source: Email from Larry Treadwell, August 7, 2020, and phone call with Paul Baker, August 6, 2020.

108 “On Campus,” Pittsburgh Courier, July 16, 1977: 11.

109 https://commencement.morgan.edu/honorary-degrees/.

110 “Joe Black to Receive The Distinguished Broadcaster Award,” Carolina Times, April 18, 1981: 9, https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83045120/1981-04-18/ed-1/seq-9/.

111 “Greyhound Executive Picked for King Award,” Arizona Republic, December 14, 1986: 53.

112 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1987-pt22/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1987-pt22-1-3.pdf.

113 “Cosby Tells Graduates to Advance Civil Rights,” Alabama Journal, May 13, 1991: 2.

114 Kara Richardson, “Mourners in Plainfield Recall Baseball Hero,” Bridgewater Courier News, June 2, 2002: A1; Harry Frezza, “Extraordinary Gathering Bids Farewell to Black,” Bridgewater Courier News, June 2, 2002: E1.

115 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 352.

116 Black and Schoffner, Joe Black, 352.

117 Jeremy Walsh, “Plainfield To Name Baseball Field After Joe Black, The First Black Pitcher to Win a World Series,” (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger, July 15, 2020, https://www.nj.com/news/local/2010/07/plainfield_to_honor_pioneering.html; Jeff Grant, “Plainfield Renames Field for Joe Black,” BCN, September 26, 2010; “Joe Black Ballfield Dedication Tomorrow,” Plainfield Today, September 24, 2010, http://ptoday.blogspot.com/2010/09/joe-black-ballfield-dedication-tomorrow.html.

118 Kahn, The Boys of Summer, 264.

119 Scott Merkin, “Black Was a Giant On and Off the Field,” MLB.Com, February 10, 2011.

120 Roger Kahn, “Hard Thrower, Soft Heart,” Los Angeles Times, May 18, 2002: 90, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-may-18-sp-kahn18-story.html.