Luis Zuloaga
Luis Zuloaga | |
---|---|
Died: May 23, 2013 Caracas, Venezuela | (aged 90)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
VPBL debut | |
1946, for the Cervecería Caracas | |
Last VPBL appearance | |
1956, for the Leones del Caracas | |
Career statistics | |
Games pitched | 86 |
Win–loss record | 24–14 |
Earned run average | 3.94 |
Strikeouts | 162 |
Innings pitched | 358+2⁄3 |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Member of the Venezuelan | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 2009 |
Luis Zuloaga (December 31, 1922 – May 23, 2013) was a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher.[1]
Born in
Previously, Zuloaga pitched for the
In addition, Zuloaga represented the Venezuela national team in the Baseball World Cup in 1944 and 1945, leading his team to win Gold medal at both championships.[3] In 1944 he led all pitchers with a 3–0 record and a 0.94 earned run average, and went 4–0 in 1945 to set a tournament all-time record for the most wins, also setting an all-time mark for most consecutive win decisions with his 7–0 undefeated streak at the event.[4][5]
Zuloaga started slowly with Cervecería in his two first seasons, going 0-2 with a 4.37 ERA (1946) and 5-2, 1.91 (1946–1947). His most productive season came in 1947–1948, when he posted a 10-4 record and a 2.51 ERA in 118 innings of work, leading the league in starts (16) while tying with Vargas' Don Newcombe for the most wins and shutouts (3), and ending third in ERA. On the day after Christmas, Zuloaga hurled the first important single game in Venezuelan league history, a one-hit 5–0 masterpiece for Cervecería against Max Surkont and the Patriotas de Venezuela club, during which he permitted a leadoff single, struck out 10, walked two, and did not allowed a runner to reach second base.[6]
After that he was plagued by an assortment of shoulder and elbow injuries and never recovered his old form. He was used sparingly during the next eight seasons, mostly in relief duty, and retired in 1956. He finished with a 24-14 record and a 3.94 ERA in 358+2⁄3 innings pitched during his 11 seasons in the league. Previously, he went 7-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 21 pitching appearances for Cervecería while playing in First Division.[7]
Zuloaga also was a member of three Caracas champion teams. As the league champions, Cervecería represented Venezuela in the inaugural Caribbean Series played in Cuba in 1949. In Game 5, Zuloaga won a complete-game pitching duel against Puerto Rico's Alonzo Perry and the Indios de Mayagüez by a score of 5–3.[8]
He returned to the Series in
In four series appearances, Zuloaga went 1–0 with 11 strikeouts and a 1.69 ERA in 16 innings of work.[9]
Following his playing retirement, Zuloaga joined forces with fellow Venezuelan shortstop Chico Carrasquel and opened Deportes Carrasquel Zuloaga, which became one of the most successful sporting goods retail store in Venezuela.[10]
Besides baseball, Zuloaga participated in numerous activities including
In 2009, Zuloaga gained induction into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum as part of their 7th class.[1] Then, in 2011 the Criollitos de Venezuela organization was inducted in the Venezuelan Sports Hall of Fame.[12]
Luis Zuloaga died in 2013 in Caracas, Venezuela, at the age of 90.[13]
Sources
- ^ a b "Museo de Béisbol de Venezuela – Salón de la Fama". Archived from the original on 2013-12-31.
- ISBN 980-6996-02-X
- ^ Baseball World Cup History
- ISBN 978-0-78-642829-8
- ^ Historia de la Copa Mundial de Béisbol Archived 2011-12-12 at the Wayback Machine (Spanish)
- ISBN 980-0712-47-X
- ^ La Enciclopedia del Béisbol en Venezuela
- ISBN 980-07-2389-7
- ^ a b Serie del Caribe de la Habana a Puerto La Cruz
- ^ Deportes Carrasquel Zuloaga website
- ^ Historia de los Criollitos de Venezuela Archived 2013-08-21 at the Wayback Machine (Spanish)
- ^ Globovisión Deportes – Criollitos de Venezuela al Salón de la Fama del Deporte Archived 2013-06-29 at archive.today (Spanish)
- ^ Luis Zuloaga obituary Archived 2013-07-07 at archive.today (Spanish)
External links
- Luis Zuloaga autobiography (Spanish)
- Pura Pelota (Spanish)