The Eastern Stars
Page 24
Rufino Linares
Rufino de la Cruz Linares was born on February 28, 1951, in Quisqueya. He played mostly outfield and left field. He debuted in the major leagues on April 10, 1981, for the Atlanta Braves and played his final game on October 6, 1985, for the California Angels. He played a total of four seasons in the major leagues: three with the Braves and one with the Angels. He died on May 16, 1998.
1982
Julio Franco
Julio César Franco was born on August 23, 1958, in Consuelo. He debuted in the major leagues on April 23, 1982, for the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed him as a free agent on April 23, 1978.
Julio Franco had one of the longest careers in major-league history, spanning twenty-five years from April 1982 until September 2007, when he retired at age forty-nine. He maintained an impressive career batting average of .298, getting a hit one out of every three times at bat for twenty-five years. There were many years in which he had a batting average of .300 or above: 1986 (.306), 1987 (.319), 1988 (.303), 1989 (.316), 1991 (.341), and 1994 (.319). His total of 2,586 hits was the highest of any Dominican major-league player.
Franco mostly played shortstop and second base, but he also played first base, third base, left field, outfield, and right field, and he was also a designated hitter. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians on December 9, 1982, and then traded to the Texas Rangers on December 6, 1988. The Chicago White Sox signed him as a free agent on December 15, 1993, and the Indians signed him as a free agent on December 7, 1995. The Milwaukee Brewers signed him as a free agent on August 13, 1997, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on February 19, 1999. On August 31, 2001, the Atlanta Braves purchased him from the Mexico City Tigers. The Braves signed him as a free agent on January 8, 2003, on January 12, 2004, and on December 9, 2004. The New York Mets signed him as a free agent on December 12, 2005, and then the Braves signed him as a free agent on July 18, 2007. He finished out his 2007 season playing for the Braves. In 1990 he was named Most Valuable Player.
Franco was the oldest regular-position (everyday) player in major-league history. From 2004 until his retirement he was the oldest player in baseball and made age records on a regular basis: the oldest player ever to hit a home run, the oldest player to hit a grand slam, the oldest player ever to hit two home runs in the same game, and the oldest to steal two bases in the same game.
Alejandro Sánchez
Alejandro Pimental Sánchez was born on February 14, 1959, in San Pedro de Macorís. The Phillies signed him in 1978. He played outfield, right field, left field, and center field, and was a designated hitter. He debuted in the major leagues on September 6, 1982, for the Philadelphia Phillies and played his final game on May 16, 1987, playing a total of six seasons in the majors. He played for the Phillies from 1982 to 1983. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants on March 24, 1984, to the Detroit Tigers on April 5, 1985, and to the Minnesota Twins on January 16, 1986. He became a free agent on October 15, 1986, and then played for the Oakland Athletics in 1987.
1983
Juan Samuel
Juan Milton Samuel was born on December 9, 1960, in Barrio Restauración. The Phillies signed him on April 29, 1980. He played second base, center field, first base, right field, left field, and third base, and was a designated hitter, but he played mostly second base, with a total of 1,190 games at that position. He debuted in the major leagues on August 24, 1983, for the Philadelphia Phillies and played his final game on September 26, 1998, for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was traded to the New York Mets on June 18, 1989, to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 20, 1989, and to the Kansas City Royals on September 8, 1995. He was signed as a free agent by the Royals on August 6, 1992, by the Cincinnati Reds on December 11, 1992, by the Detroit Tigers on February 14, 1994, and by the Blue Jays, the team with which he finished out his major-league career, on January 16, 1996. In his first four seasons, he was the first player in history to reach double-digit home runs, stolen bases, doubles, and triples. He played a total of sixteen seasons in the major leagues, collecting 161 home runs, 287 doubles, 102 triples, and 703 RBIs, and stealing 396 bases. He was the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1984 and 1987. He holds the major-league record for most at-bats by a right-handed hitter in a season. He also tied the major-league record for consecutive strikeouts—four—which is shared by Hack Wilson and Vince DiMaggio.
Tony Fernández
Octavio Antonio Castro Fernández was born on June 30, 1962, in Barrio Restauración. The Blue Jays signed him on April 24, 1979. He debuted in the major leagues on September 2, 1983, for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1990 he was traded to the Padres, then traded to the Mets in 1992, to the Reds as a free agent in March 1994, to the Yankees in December 1994, to the Indians in 1996, back to the Blue Jays in 1997, and to the Brewers in February 2001; he played his final game for the Brewers, on October 7, 2001. He played shortstop as well as a smaller number of games as a second baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter. For four consecutive seasons, from 1986 to 1989, he received a Gold Glove and was the American League’s Most Valuable Player. In his seventeen seasons in the major leagues, he hit 414 doubles and 92 triples, had 844 RBIs, and stole 246 bases.
1984
Ramón Romero
Ramón de los Santos Romero was born on January 8, 1959, in Barrio Restauración. A left-handed pitcher, he was signed by the Cleveland Indians on October 1, 1976. He debuted on September 18, 1984, with the Cleveland Indians, and played his final game on September 21, 1985, with the Indians. He had a career 6.28 ERA.
1985
Mariano Duncan
Mariano Nalasco Duncan was born on March 13, 1963, in Angelina. He played mostly second base but also shortstop, outfield, left field, third base, first base, and right field, and was a designated hitter. The Dodgers signed him on January 7, 1982, and he debuted in the major leagues on April 9, 1985, for the Dodgers. He stole 38 bases his rookie year. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him as a free agent on April 14, 1995. The New York Yankees signed him as a free agent on December 11, 1995, and they then traded him to the Blue Jays on July 29, 1997. He played his final game on September 17, 1997, for the Blue Jays, for a total of twelve seasons in the major leagues. His batting average was .306 in 1990 and .340 in 1996. He had 233 doubles, 491 RBIs, and 174 stolen bases. After his playing career ended, Duncan became a coach for the L.A. Dodgers.
Manny Lee
Manuel Lora Lee was born on June 17, 1965, in Villa Magdalena. The Mets signed him on May 10, 1982, and he debuted in the major leagues on April 10, 1985, for the Toronto Blue Jays. At ages nineteen and twenty (in 1985 and 1986) he was the youngest player in the American League.
During his eleven-season major-league career, he played shortstop in 522 games, second base in 358 games, third base in 32 games, and right field in 1 game, and was a designated hitter in 25 games. He played his final game on April 26, 1995, for the St. Louis Cardinals.
1986
Juan Castillo
Juan Bryas Castillo was born on January 25, 1962, in Placer Bonito. He was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers on October 11, 1979, and debuted in the major leagues on April 12, 1986, for the Brewers. He played second base, shortstop, third base, and left field, and also was a designated hitter, but was primarily a second baseman, playing a total of 135 games at second base. Castillo played his final game on April 17, 1989. He played for the Brewers for his entire four-season major-league career.
Balvino Galvez
Balvino Jerez Galvez was born on March 31, 1964, in Batey Monte Cristi. He was a right-handed pitcher signed by the Dodgers on September 10, 1981. He debuted in the major leagues on May 7, 1986, for the Dodgers and pitched his final game on October 5, 1986, playing only one season and pitching only 10 games in the major leagues, with an ERA of 3.92. Despite his good year, he was sent down to the minors, then had a stormy but illustrious career in Japanese baseball. In 2001 Galvez was about to go back to the majors to play for the Pirates when he got into an
argument with the pitching coach in spring training, walked off the field, and went back to the Dominican Republic without talking to anyone. He was immediately released, and his career ended.
1988
Ravelo Manzanillo
Ravelo Manzanillo was born on October 17, 1963, in Placer Bonito. He was a left-handed pitcher. He debuted in the major leagues on September 25, 1988, for the Chicago White Sox and played for them until 1994, when the Pirates signed him as a free agent. He spent his final two seasons, 1994 and 1995, playing for the Pirates. Manzanillo played his final game on May 9, 1995, for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His career ERA was 4.43.
1989
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta Sosa was born on November 12, 1968, in Consuelo. The Texas Rangers signed him on July 30, 1985, and he debuted in the major leagues on June 16, 1989, for the Texas Rangers. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox, then to the Cubs on March 30, 1992, and to the Baltimore Orioles on February 2, 2005. The Rangers signed him as a free agent on January 30, 2007, and he retired at the end of the season, although he still held out hopes for a comeback.
Sosa played mostly outfield and also was a designated hitter. In 1993 he scored more than 30 home runs and stole more than 30 bases, breaking the 30-30 record. In 1998 he was awarded the titles of National League Most Valuable Player and Major League Player of the Year. In 1998 he and Mark McGwire competed for the National League home-run title. Although Sosa’s sixty-second home run in September was hit after McGwire’s, enabling McGwire to win the contest—and Sosa’s 66 home runs that season fell short of McGwire’s 70—Sosa went on to be the only batter in history to hit 60 or more home runs for three consecutive seasons. On June 20, 2007, in his last season, Sosa became one of only five players to hit 600 home runs.
José Canó
Joselito Soriano Canó was born on March 7, 1962, in Boca del Soco. A right-handed pitcher, he was signed by the New York Yankees on March 10, 1980; the Yankees released him on August 6, 1980. The Atlanta Braves signed him as a free agent on December 1, 1981, and released him on June 4, 1982, and again in 1983 and 1985. The Astros signed him as a free agent on April 15, 1987, and he debuted in the major leagues on August 28, 1989, for the Houston Astros, playing his final game on September 30, 1989. In his only major-league season, Canó pitched in six games, starting twice, with a 1-1 win-loss record and an ERA of 5.09.
Juan “Tito” Bell
Juan Mathey Bell was born on March 29, 1964, in Los Cuatro Caminos, San Pedro de Macorís: he was the brother of George Bell. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him as a free agent on September 1, 1984, but then traded him to the Baltimore Orioles on December 4, 1988. He debuted in the major leagues on September 6, 1989, for the Baltimore Orioles. On August 11, 1992, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. After playing for the Phillies, he spent his final two seasons playing for the Montreal Expos and the Boston Red Sox. His major-league career consisted of seven seasons. Bell played his final game on August 25, 1995, for the Boston Red Sox. He played mostly second base, but also shortstop, outfield, third base, right field, center field, and left field, and was a designated hitter.
1990
José Offerman
José Antonio Dono Offerman was born on November 8, 1968, in Barrio Blanco, San Pedro de Macorís. A switch-hitter and right-handed thrower, he was signed by the Dodgers on July 24, 1986. He debuted in the major leagues on August 19, 1990, for the Dodgers. He has played shortstop, second base, first base, outfield, left field, right field, and center field, and is a designated hitter. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals on December 17, 1995. The Boston Red Sox signed him as a free agent on November 16, 1988. A conditional deal sent him to the Seattle Mariners on August 8, 2002. The Montreal Expos signed him as a free agent on February 26, 2003, and released him on April 1, 2003. The Minnesota Twins signed him as a free agent on February 6, 2004. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him as a free agent on January 19, 2005, and released him on May 20, 2005. The New York Mets signed him as a free agent on June 8, 2005. In 1996, he had a .303 batting average, and in 1998 he had a .315 batting average.
Victor Rosario
Victor Manuel Rivera Rosario was born on August 26, 1966, in Callejón Ortiz in San Pedro. The Boston Red Sox signed him on December 5, 1983, but traded him to the Atlanta Braves, the team on which he debuted in the major leagues on September 6, 1990. He played shortstop and second base for the Braves for one season and played his final game on October 3 of that same year.
Andrés Santana
Andrés Confesor Belonis Santana was born on February 5, 1968, in Quisqueya. The San Francisco Giants signed him as a free agent in 1985. A shortstop, he debuted in the major leagues on September 16, 1990, for the Giants and played the final game of his one-season career on October 3, 1990.
1991
Tony Eusebio
Raul Antonio Bare Eusebio was born on April 27, 1967, in Los Llanos, San Pedro de Macorís. The Astros signed him on May 30, 1995. He played all nine seasons of his career with the Astros as a backup catcher. He debuted in the major leagues on August 8, 1991, for the Astros and played his final game on October 7, 2001. He had 241 RBIs. Although his batting average for his career was only .275, his postseason batting average from 1997 to 2001 was .375. In 2000 he had a record 24-game hitting streak, although, because he was not a regular player, it took him 51 days to accomplish this.
Esteban Beltré
Esteban Valera Beltré was born on December 26, 1967, in Quisqueya. The Montreal Expos signed him on May 9, 1984, and he debuted in the major leagues on September 3, 1991, for the Chicago White Sox. He played shortstop, second base, and third base, and was a designated hitter. He played his final game on June 5, 1996, for the Boston Red Sox.
Luis Mercedes
Luis Roberto Santana Mercedes was born on February 15, 1968, in Miramar. The Orioles signed him on February 16, 1987, but then traded him to the Giants on April 29, 1993. He played right field, left field, and center field, and was a designated hitter. He debuted in the major leagues on September 8, 1991, for the Baltimore Orioles and played his final game on September 23, 1993. He played a total of three seasons in the major leagues, his first two on the Orioles and his last one on both the Baltimore Orioles and the San Francisco Giants.
Josias Manzanillo
Josias Adams Manzanillo was born on October 16, 1967, in Placer Bonito, the brother of Ravelo Manzanillo. A right-handed pitcher, he was signed by the Red Sox on January 10, 1983, and debuted in the major leagues for the Red Sox on October 5, 1991. The Kansas City Royals signed him as a free agent on April 3, 1992, the Milwaukee Brewers signed him as a free agent on November 20, 1992, the Seattle Mariners signed him as a free agent on December 21, 1996, the Houston Astros signed him as a free agent on July 27, 1997, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed him as a free agent on December 18, 1997, the New York Mets signed him as a free agent on July 3, 1998, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him as a free agent on February 9, 2000, the Cincinnati Reds signed him as a free agent on January 22, 2003, and finally the Florida Marlins signed him as a free agent on May 6, 2004. He ended his career playing for the Florida Marlins and played his final game on September 22, 2004. In his eleven-year career he had a 4.71 ERA, pitching 300 strikeouts.
1992
Juan Guerrero
Juan Antonio Guerrero was born on February 1, 1967, near the Porvenir sugar mill. He primarily played shortstop but also played third base, left field, and second base. He debuted in the major leagues on April 9, 1992, for the Houston Astros, playing with them until the final game of his one-season major-league career, on October 3, 1992.
Ben Rivera
Bienvenido Santana Rivera was born on January 11, 1968, in San Pedro de Macorís. A right-handed pitcher, he was signed by the Braves in 1986. He debuted in the major leagues for the Braves on April 9, 1992. On May 28, 1992, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, ending his three-season career with the Phillies on July 31, 1994. He had a career ERA of 4.52.
; Manny Alexander
Manny de Jesús Alexander was born on March 20, 1971, in Restauración. He played mostly shortstop but also second base, third base, outfield, left field, right field, and first base, and also was a designated hitter. The Baltimore Orioles signed him on February 4, 1988, and he debuted in the major leagues for the Orioles on September 18, 1992, at age twenty-one, the youngest player in the American League in 1992. He was traded to the New York Mets on March 22, 1997, given to the Chicago Cubs as part of a deal on August 14, 1997, and traded to the Boston Red Sox on December 12, 1999. The Seattle Mariners signed him as a free agent on February 18, 2001, and the New York Yankees signed him as a free agent on February 4, 2002. The Milwaukee Brewers purchased him on August 10, 2002, and the Texas Rangers signed him as a free agent on November 15, 2004. He was then traded to the San Diego Padres on August 31, 2005. In 2007 he was released by the Padres during spring training.