Luis Vizcaíno

“Vizcaíno did an unheralded role that in some ways can be not recognizable, but valuable nevertheless.”

– Don Cooper, Vizcaíno’s pitching coach, on his role on the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox.1

Luis Vizcaíno pitched 11 seasons as a reliever in the major leagues with eight teams, including the 2005 World Series champion Chicago White Sox. A workhorse, Vizcaíno achieved six straight seasons of at least 65 appearances and 62 innings pitched. He was a hard-throwing righty who depended on his fastball and slider. He is also one of just a handful of pitchers in baseball history (minimum 500 innings pitched) to have a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in his career. Vizcaíno was primary a seventh- and eighth-inning set-up reliever, holding batters to a .234 batting average over that time, and more than doubling his strikeout-to-walk totals in those innings (380/189).

Vizcaíno was born on August 6, 1974, in Baní, Peravia, Dominican Republic, to Juanita Vizcaíno. While information on his father was not found, Luis was the fourth of eight children. Vizcaíno played on the Bali Little League team with future major leaguers Mario Encarnación and Miguel Tejada, the future MVP and six-time All-Star.2 Baní is described as “a long trip over bumpy roads to the major leagues” by Mark Saxon of the Oakland Tribune, yet the out-of-the-way spot has yielded a bumper crop of major-league talent. In addition to Vizcaíno’s Little League teammates, José Bautista, Manny Aybar, and Timo Pérez (his teammate on the ’05 White Sox) are three notable major leaguers from Baní.3

Vizcaíno, Tejada, and Encarnación were three skinny kids who made the journey from Little League to the Oakland A’s Dominican summer league. “Vizcaíno was the skinniest of all,” A’s director of player development Keith Lieppman said, “just almost like a pencil.” Luis signed as a nondrafted free agent on December 9, 1994, through Oakland scout Santiago Villalona.4

Vizcaíno spent 1995 in the Dominican League, going 10-2 with a 2.27 ERA. He pitched in 1996 in the Arizona Rookie League, going 6-3 with a 4.07 ERA. In 1997 he went 1-6 with a 7.93 ERA for Southern Oregon in the short-season Northwest League and finished with Modesto in the California League (Advanced A ball), where he was 0-3 with a 13.19 ERA. Vizcaíno began the 1998 season with Modesto (6-3, 2.74 ERA) and finished with seven games at Huntsville in the Double-A Southern League (3-2, 4.66 ERA). Vizcaíno started 59 games in his minor-league career, using his hero as inspiration “I’ve always looked up to Pedro Martinez,” Vizcaíno said of his role model. “He is always consistent when he pitches. I like his toughness, too. He’s always going after the hitters. The way he pitches motivates me when I go out to pitch.”5 He would never start a game in the major leagues.

Familysearch.com records list Vizcaíno marrying Zoila Esmeralda Pimentel Alvarez in December of 1998.6

Vizcaíno began the 1999 season with Midland in the Double-A Texas League (8-7 with a 5.85 ERA in 25 games) and was the pitcher of the week in July with 12 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in two starts.7 He did not have long to savor it, however, as he was promoted to Oakland to make his major-league debut. The A’s had traded starting pitcher Kenny Rogers and needed another arm in the bullpen. “I was a little nervous,” he admitted. “The ambience was very different, incredible.”8

On July 23 the Royals scorched the visiting Athletics for 10 runs in the first four innings and Vizcaíno entered in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded and the A’s trailing, 10-6. He retired Carlos Beltrán on a grounder to second to get out of the jam. He finished the game, allowing two runs in 3⅓ innings, including a home run to Johnny Damon. “Not nervous,” Vizcaíno affirmed.9 It was his only big-league appearance of the year.

Vizcaino finished the season with seven games at Vancouver of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Over the winter, A’s GM Billy Beane considered Vizcaíno “un-trade able,” along with pitchers Mark Mulder and Barry Zito. Beane unsuccessfully sought Angels center fielder Jim Edmonds because Beane refused to part with Vizcaíno. His arm was “electric,” in the opinion of manager Art Howe. “This guy throws bullets,” catcher A.J. Hinch said.10

In 2000 Vizcaíno joined the A’s spring training in Arizona and showed promise. At the same time, wrote Howard Bryant in the San Jose Mercury News, “Vizcaíno says life is lonely as all of his family (including his wife, Esmeralda) resides in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but seeing himself in the major leagues eases his troubles. ‘I’m close,’ he said of his prospects. ‘I have more confidence in my control, and confidence is everything.’”11

Vizcaíno’s confidence paid off and he won a job in the A’s bullpen with a shiny spring 2.03 ERA.12 He threw 8⅓ innings with 9 strikeouts and 4 walks before being optioned to Sacramento.13 He was recalled in early May but was not as effective, allowing nine earned runs in 10 innings. He made just two more appearances for Oakland in June and finished the season in Sacramento (6-2 for the River Cats in 33 games, 5.03 ERA with five saves). Vizcaíno finished 0-1 in 12 appearances with a 7.45 ERA in his rookie season with the A’s.

Vizcaíno dominated in spring training 2001 (a scoreless streak of 10⅔ innings) but began the season in Sacramento.14 He was recalled in mid-April and threw six innings of relief with a 6.00 ERA. He returned to Sacramento as the A’s called up submarine specialist Chad Bradford.15 Vizcaíno served as the closer for the River Cats, compiling seven saves and a 2.14 ERA.

He returned to Oakland on July 15 and was thrust into an immediate closer situation when Jason Isringhausen needed a day off. With the A’s leading Colorado, 6-3, in the top of the ninth and a runner at first, Vizcaíno retired the side, with two strikeouts to earn his first save.16 He had a stellar month of August, allowing only two earned runs in 11⅓ innings (ERA 1.59, WHIP 0.706) with opponents batting just .135 against him. Vizcaíno celebrated his first major-league victory on August 6 in Detroit. He entered a pressure-cooked eighth inning with runners on second and third and the game tied, 3-3. He struck out Shane Halter to end the threat and the A’s went on to victory. “I think it’s a very important thing for me, because it shows they have confidence going to me,” Vizcaíno said.17 He faltered down the stretch, allowing nine runs and 19 hits in 8⅔ innings with a 9.35 ERA as opponents batted .432 against him. He finished 2-1 with a high 4.66 ERA. Oakland (102-60) won the wild card but lost to the Yankees in the AL Division Series.

The A’s young right-hander was not as young as they thought. Vizcaíno revealed he was 26, not 24 as reported in their media guide. Stricter rules on providing birth certificates for international players, a post-9/11 immigration enforcement, was responsible for the revelation. It mattered little to the A’s. “It doesn’t change the fact he throws 96 MPH,” A’s assistant GM Paul DePodesta said.18

The A’s were more concerned with Vizcaino’s inconsistent arm than the candles on his birthday cake. In 59⅓ innings in his Oakland career, his ERA was 5.61 with a very high 1.55 WHIP. Vizcaíno was out of minor-league options, so in March, he was traded to Texas for pitcher Justin Duchscherer.19 “Luis has an outstanding arm,” Beane said, “but it doesn’t do us any good if he’s not going to make our club. If we had exposed him to waivers, somebody would have taken him.”20 Vizcaíno’s chances with the Rangers were just as precarious, so they traded him to Milwaukee for reliever Jesús Peña.

Vizcaíno became a reliable reliever for the Brewers right from the start, often serving as Mike DeJean’s set-up man. Through May 10, he had struck out 21 batters in 22⅔ innings, was 2-1 with one save, four holds, a 2.38 ERA, and a .188 batting average against him. He had 10 scoreless appearances between April 17 and May 4. Pitching coach Dave Stewart was credited with adjusting Vizcaíno’s grip on his slider, making him more effective.21 Vizcaíno struck out the side four different times that season and was unscored upon in 11 July appearances (0.750 WHIP). After a strong August (2.45 ERA in 11 appearances), he ran out of gas, likely due to tying with Ray King for most appearances (76). While his overall numbers were impressive (2.99 ERA, 1.045 WHIP, opponents batting .192), Vizcaíno was most impressive in the clutch. With runners in scoring position and two outs, opponents batted a paltry .087 against him (4-for-46). The solid effort was lost in the Brewers’ franchise-worst 56-106 record (excluding strike and pandemic-shortened seasons).

Vizcaíno’s 2003 season went in the opposite direction right from the start. He allowed eight earned runs in his first 2⅔ innings. Through May 9, he was 0-2 in 12 innings with three blown saves and a 12.00 ERA with opponents batting .364. Maybe it was all the innings in 2002, his arm slot angle, or various other theories that were offered. There were no answers.22 Vizcaino recovered to have respectable numbers in August-September (3.00 ERA). “I try to look at each day as a new day,” he said optimistically.23 He surrendered 16 home runs in 62 innings compared with six in 81⅓ in 2002. He finished with a 6.39 ERA but still led the team with 75 appearances. The Brewers set a franchise record for home runs allowed with 219 (surpassed in 2019). The Brewers re-signed him to a one-year contract for $550,000.24

Vizcaíno found his groove again as the primary set-up man for closer Danny Kolb, lowering his ERA to 3.75 with opponents batting .228. He again led the Brewers in appearances (73) and dominated June and September, allowing just five earned runs in 23⅔ innings combined. Vizcaíno was highly effective vs. lefties, who batted a lowly .163 against him (21-for-129).

The Brewers floundered again at 67-94 with an offense ranked last in batting average. During the winter meetings, they acquired power hitter Carlos Lee from the Chicago White Sox for Vizcaíno, outfielder Scott Podsednik (major leagues’ stolen-base leader), and a player to be named later (Travis Hinton) in a deal White Sox beat reporter Scott Merkin would later call the best winter meetings deal in White Sox history.25 The White Sox avoided arbitration with Vizcaíno and signed him to a one-year contract for $1.3 million.26

Vizcaíno stumbled out of the gate, producing gaudy numbers of 17 earned runs, 29 hits, and 11 walks in his first 23⅔ innings through the end of May (6.46 ERA). Numbers can be deceiving, however. In his second appearance of the season, Vizcaíno “took one for the team” in a blowout loss to Cleveland. White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper later called Vizcaíno an “unsung hero” for throwing 60 pitches while surrendering six runs in an 11-5 loss in 11 innings. “We had nobody else left to use one day,” recalled Cooper. “This guy had a role that he picked up all of the loose innings, and he picked it up well. He pitched if we were up by a lot, down by a lot or had to finish out a game. He did not [complain] or moan at all. He kept everything, in my mind, in order to where we would have our better guys always available.”27 These are moments worth remembering, particularly on a championship team.

Vizcaíno’s early struggles didn’t do great harm to the White Sox, who had built a five-game lead in the AL Central Division. That lead would grow to 10½ games at the end of June as Vizcaíno started to find his role in the White Sox bullpen. He had six consecutive scoreless appearances from May 27 to June 13, then again June 24 to July 8. In July he allowed just two earned runs in 15 innings with a 1.20 ERA. “I’ve been pitching more,” Vizcaíno said. “I’d like to pitch every day. I’ve never had a sore arm. More pitching means more concentration. I’m pitching more inside now. Lots of fastballs. Not as many sliders.”28

Vizcaíno had solid months of August and September (3.12 ERA in 17⅓ innings) while holding batters to a .230 BA. The White Sox slumped and their once 15-game lead in the Central Division dwindled to 1½ on September 24. They held off a pesky Cleveland club, however, by six games and secured their first playoff berth in five years. Vizcaíno filled many roles in a crowded White Sox bullpen. His 65 appearances (3.73 ERA) were surrounded by a formidable pen of Neal Cotts (69 appearances, 1.94 ERA), Cliff Politte (68, 2.00), and Damaso Marte (66, 3.77) supporting closer Dustin Hermanson (34 saves, 2.04). Rookie Bobby Jenks (2.75 ERA) eventually became the team’s closer. Vizcaíno threw 48 innings 7 through 9 and 13 innings 4 through 6, showing his flexibility. Manager Ozzie Guillén’s staff tied for first in the AL in ERA (3.61), complete games (9), and saves (54).

The offense was not spectacular, but gritty, led by Podsednik’s 59 steals, .351 on-base percentage, and solid defensive play in left field which earned him an All-Star selection and MVP votes. They swept the Red Sox in the Division Series and won their first pennant since 1959 with a League Championship Series win in five games over the Angels. The White Sox swept the Astros for their first World Series championship since 1917. Vizcaíno threw a scoreless 10th inning in Game Three of the World Series, which Chicago won in the 14th inning. This was his only postseason appearance for the White Sox. But Cooper remembered Vizcaíno for “an unheralded role that in some ways can be not recognizable, but valuable nevertheless.”29 He will forever be a significant piece of Chicago White Sox history.

Vizcaíno moved on to his fourth team in eight years when, on December 20, the White Sox dealt him, pitcher Orlando Hernández, and outfielder Chris Young to Arizona for pitcher Javier Vázquez. The Diamondbacks gave Vizcaíno a one-year contract for $1.77 million, avoiding arbitration.30

Vizcaíno had another solid year in the bullpen. Through the end of May, his ERA was 2.73 and he limited batters to a .213 batting average. In July and August he held batters to a minuscule .164 BA with a 2.11 ERA. He held lefties to .164 (17-for-104) and led his team in appearances (70). His strikeout percentage (26.5) was the highest of his career and he limited all batters to a meager .215 average. Vizcaíno finished 4-6 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.224 WHIP with 72 strikeouts against 29 walks for the fourth-place Diamondbacks (76-86).

Vizcaíno was on the move again as the Diamondbacks reacquired future Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson from the Yankees on January 9, 2007. Going to New York with Vizcaíno were infielder Alberto González and pitchers Steven Jackson and Ross Ohlendorf. He would be in the mix of set-up men for Mariano Rivera. Vizcaíno struggled, carrying a 7.27 ERA through the end of May with an astounding 20 walks to 13 strikeouts. He was seen taking out his frustrations on a water cooler after a bad night. The suspicion was his arm angle was again the culprit as his slider was flat. “We all expect more from him,” manager Joe Torre said, “and he expects more from himself. That’s where the frustration comes in. We’ll keep working on it until we get it.”31

Vizcaíno became more efficient in June, July, and August, with a 1.31 ERA over 41⅓ innings, going 6-1 with nine holds and a .182 batting average. He had a string of 12 consecutive scoreless appearances in June and 11 in July. September was a different story. Vizcaíno was up to 68 appearances at that point. He was pounded for nine earned runs in eight innings with a 10.13 ERA, opponents batting .417 off him. Vizcaíno simply said, “I pitched too much.”32

Nevertheless, Vizcaíno was on the Yankees’ postseason roster and made one appearance in the Division Series against Cleveland. He entered Game Two in the 11th inning of a 1-1 tie. This is the infamous game at Jacobs Field in which earlier Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain was seemingly attacked by the flying insects known as midges. Luis walked Kenny Lofton and allowed a single to Franklin Gutierrez. Casey Blake sacrificed the runners to second and third which prompted an intentional walk to Grady Sizemore. Vizcaíno forced Asdrúbal Cabrera on a popout, but Travis Hafner singled to right to give Cleveland the win and a 2-0 lead in the Series. Cleveland went on to win the series, three games to one. “I want to throw my best pitch,” Vizcaíno said, “and he was able to get a hit. It’s tough.”33

Vizcaíno, a free agent, signed a two-year contract in December with the NL champion Colorado Rockies for $7.5 million, the largest contract for a reliever in Rockies history at the time. “There’s no pressure,” he said about the deal. “It’s just baseball.”34 But baseball was rough for him in the 2008 season. In his first appearance, on April 2 at St. Louis, Vizcaíno entered the game in the bottom of the eighth, the Rockies trailing 4-3. He lasted one-third of an inning, allowing four hits, two walks, and four earned runs. After just two appearances, he was on the disabled list with a shoulder issue and didn’t return until early June. He had decent numbers in July and August (3.54 ERA while holding opponents to a .200 BA) but was lit up in September and finished the season 1-2 with a 5.28 ERA. Lefties batted a hefty .372 against him. Vizcaíno was displeased at losing the main bullpen set-up role as manager Clint Hurdle used him in mop-up roles. “I didn’t pitch enough,” he concluded. “That was hard. I like pitching every day. I don’t like going into games that are 10-1 or 11-1. I want to be out there for the close games.”35 To make matters worse, Vizcaíno was arrested for drunk driving in the offseason and his time with the Rockies was over.36 In January 2009 he was traded to the Cubs for pitcher Jason Marquis.

After four scoreless appearances with the Cubs, Vizcaíno was designated for assignment, released, and signed a one-year contract with Cleveland. His first appearance was a disaster on the road in Tampa on May 15. The Indians built a 7-0 lead only to watch the Rays rally and tie the score. He faced just one batter, B.J. Upton, who slammed a walk-off home run for the 8-7 victory. “Vizcaíno threw a fastball that screamed ‘hit me!’ as it arrived down the middle and up at 89 mph,” wrote Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.37 What are the odds such a thing would happen yet again? Yet, it did, in Vizcaíno’s last appearance in a major-league game, on June 19. The Indians again built a 7-0 lead at Wrigley Field, only to see the Cubs rally and tie the game in the eighth inning, 7-7. Vizcaíno pitched the 10th, retiring the first two batters. He walked Alfonso Soriano, who stole second. Ryan Theriot hit a weak grounder that took a weird hop over Victor Martinez at first and Soriano scampered home with the 8-7 win. Vizcaíno suffered losses in both his first and last appearances for Cleveland in come-from-behind 8-7 walk-off losses in which they blew 7-0 leads. He walked off a major-league mound for the final time, finishing 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA for Cleveland.

Over a year later, Vizcaíno signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees in December 2010. However, the contract was voided after Vizcaíno was suspended by Major League Baseball for testing positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, a banned performance-enhancing substance. The 50-game suspension would take effect if Vizcaíno was on a major-league team’s roster, but this never happened.38 In 2014 he signed a minor-league contract with Baltimore but was soon released. Between 2010 and 2015, Vizcaíno pitched for seven teams in the Dominican Winter League, in Mexico, China, and Venezuela.

The author and others tried but were unable to get details about Vizcaíno, his family, early life, and post-retirement – even with the help of the Juan Marichal SABR Chapter in Santo Domingo and FENAPEPRO (National Federation of Professional Baseball Players), we were unable to get more details.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted:

Baseball-Reference.com

“Luis Vizcaíno,” Fangraphs. Retrieved March 2, 2024. fangraphs.com/players/luis-vizcaino/714/stats?position=P

Luis Vizcaíno file, provided by the A. Bartlett Giamatti Research Center, National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Retrosheet.org

Saxon, Mark. “A’s Will Spare No Expense to Keep Reliever Vizcaíno,” Oakland Tribune, April 10, 2000: S-5.

Notes

1 Scott Merkin, “Cooper: Luis Vizcaíno Was ’05 Unsung Hero,” MLB.com, May 28, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2024. mlb.com/news/luis-vizcaino-white-sox-unsung-hero.

2 Jim Van Vliet, “Long Has an Eye for Ball Now That He Dons Glasses,” Sacramento Bee, April 21, 2000: E5.

3 Mark Saxon, “From Bani to the Big Leagues,” Oakland Tribune, March 19, 2000: 6-S.

4 Oakland Athletics 2000 Information Guide, 62.

5 Alex Valdez, “A Few Minutes with Luis Vizcaíno,” Modesto Bee, June 28, 1998: C5.

6 “República Dominicana, Registro Civil, 1801-2010,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6RGQ-VMB9 : Sun Mar 10 13:19:29 UTC 2024). Entry for Luis Vizcaino and Juanita Vizcaino, December 19, 1998.

7 John Erfort, “Rockhounds Take Advantage of Jackson Miscues for Come-From-Behind Victory,” Odessa (Texas) American, July 20, 1999: 3C.

8 Howard Bryant, “Vizcaíno Shows Mound of Talent,” San Jose Mercury News, February 29, 2000: 6D.

9 John Hickey, “Stein to Take Starting Role Again for A’s,” Oakland Tribune, July 24, 1999: S-6.

10 Bryant, “Vizcaíno Shows Mound of Talent,”

11 Bryant, “Vizcaíno Shows Mound of Talent,”

12 Mark Saxon, “Valdez Wants to Prove His Big League Worth,” Oakland Tribune, February 24, 2001: S-4.

13 Mark Saxon, “Vizcaíno’s Optioning Back to Triple-A Proves Bittersweet,” Oakland Tribune, April 19, 2000: S-6.

14 Mark Saxon, “10-Run Inning Stuns Mulder,” Oakland Tribune, March 23, 2001: S-6.

15 Mark Saxon, “Oakland Welcomes Bradford,” Oakland Tribune, April 25, 2001: S-3.

16 Mark Saxon, “Vizcaíno’s Save: First of Many?” Oakland Tribune, July 16, 2001: S-6.

17 Mark Saxon, “Vizcaíno Gets 1 Out, First Victory,” Oakland Tribune, August 7, 2001: S-5.

18 Mark Saxon, “Vizcaíno’s True Age: 26, not 24,” Oakland Tribune, February 22, 2002: S-8.

19 Mark Saxon, “A’s Remain Uncertain on Dye’s Availability,” Oakland Tribune, March 19, 2002: S-4.

20 T.R. Sullivan, “Rangers Deal for Oakland Reliever,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 19, 2002: 7D.

21 Michael Cunningham, “Vizcaíno Earns His Keep,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 15, 2002: 5C.

22 Tom Haudricourt, “Vizcaíno a Changed Man,” Sunday Journal Sentinel, May 11, 2003: 7C.

23 Drew Olson, “Vizcaíno’s Back Up to Speed,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 18, 2003: 5C.

24 Tom Haudricourt, “Brewers Re-sign Vizcaíno, Pass on Durocher” Sunday Journal Sentinel, December 21, 2003: 10C.

25 Scott Merkin, “White Sox Top 5 Winter Meetings Deals,” MLB.com, December 7, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2024. mlb.com/news/white-sox-biggest-winter-meetings-moves.

26 “Vizcaíno Gets $1.3 Million from Sox,” Chicago Tribune, January 19, 2005: 4: 5.

27 Merkin, “Cooper: Luis Vizcaíno Was ’05 Unsung Hero.”

28 Bill Jauss, “Relief to Vizcaíno? More Work,” Chicago Tribune, August 3, 2005: 4:3.

29 Merkin, “Cooper: Luis Vizcaíno Was ’05 Unsung Hero.”

30 Associated Press, “Top Pitcher Agrees to 4-year, $19.5 Million Deal,” Tucson Citizen, January 14, 2006: 5C.

31 Anthony Rieber, “Giambi’s Bat Foot: Let’s Go to the Tape,” Newsday (Long Island, New York), May 11, 2007: A77; “Damon Back in as DH; Jason Returns Today,” New York Daily News, May 12, 2007: 45.

32 Troy E. Renck, “Vizcaíno Brings Punch(outs) – Veteran Relief,” Denver Post, February 18, 2008: B-01.

33 Kat O’Brien, “Joba Thrown Off by Bugaboo,” Newsday, October 6, 2007: A38.

34 Renck, “Vizcaíno Brings Punch(outs).”

35 Troy E. Renck, “Trends Show Vizcaíno Will Rebound in ’09,” Denver Post, October 3, 2008: CC-04.

36 Patrick Saunders, “Rockies – Vizcaíno Arrested for Drunken Driving,” Denver Post, October 28, 2008: C-06.

37 Dennis Manoloff, “Comic Relief,” Plain Dealer, May 19, 2009: D1.

38 Associated Press, “Luis Vizcaíno Suspended by MLB,” ESPN, June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2024. espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=6717591.