Álvaro Espinoza
Álvaro Espinoza | |
---|---|
Valencia, Carabobo State, Venezuela | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 14, 1984, for the Minnesota Twins | |
Last MLB appearance | |
July 12, 1997, for the Seattle Mariners | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .254 |
Home runs | 22 |
Runs batted in | 201 |
Teams | |
Member of the Caribbean | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 2014 |
Álvaro Alberto Espinoza Ramírez [es-pe-noh'-zah] (born February 19, 1962) is a Venezuelan former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed.
Early life
Born in
Playing career
As a young prospect, Espinoza was let go by the
Although a free swinger, Espinoza was a good bat handler and contact hitter. His game was to simply put the ball in play and not try to hit for power. As a baserunner, he had average speed.
Probably, he was not among the most gifted athletes ever to play shortstop, but he positioned himself extremely well and got to many balls that might have eluded some flashier shortstops. A sure-handed fielder, he had a strong throwing arm and found many ways to turn a double play, as well as his concentration and knowledge of the game were his main assets.
In a 12-season career, Espinoza hit a .254
Espinoza's was one of New York Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard's favorite names to announce.[1]
He was also noted for his bubble gum hat antics, as well as other practical jokes he and teammate Wayne Kirby used to play on the 1995 Cleveland Indians.
Coaching career
Following his playing career after the 1997 season, Espinoza turned to coaching. In 1998, he worked with the
Hired by the
In 2002, Espinoza was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates and then named their infield Instructor in 2004.
Milestone
Espinoza,
See also
References
- ^ Curry, Jack (April 13, 2000). "Yankees Notebook – An Especially Warm Reception for the Low-Profile Stottlemyre". New York Times. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
- ^ "The Ballplayers - Alvaro Espinoza | BaseballLibrary.com". www.baseballlibrary.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Retrosheet
- Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
- MLB page
- The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia – Gary Gillette, Peter Gammons, Pete Palmer. Publisher: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Format: Paperback, 1824pp. Language: English. ISBN 1-4027-4771-3