César Gutiérrez
Encyclopedia
César Dario Gutiérrez [goo-te-ER-rez] (January 26, 1943 – January 22, 2005), also nicknamed "Cocoa", was a Venezuela
n professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
as a shortstop
for the San Francisco Giants
(1967, 1969) and Detroit Tigers
(1969–1971).
, Falcón State
. He was contracted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
as an amateur free agent
in . After the Pirates released him in , he was signed by the San Francisco Giants before the 1963
season. He played in only 18 games for the Giants in 1967
, and 15 games in 1969
, before being traded to the Detroit Tigers.
Gutiérrez's most productive season came in 1970
, his only season as a regular, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.243), RBI (22), runs
(40), hits
(101), doubles
(11), triples
(6), stolen base
s (4) and games played (135), although he committed 23 errors
, the third highest total in the league.
On June 21, in the second game of a doubleheader
between Detroit and the Cleveland Indians
, Gutiérrez had seven hits
in seven at bats including a triple
, to set an American League
mark (and tie a major league record) for hits in a game without making an out
. The Tigers won 9–8 in twelve innings. Gutiérrez's batting average
went up 31 points that day, from .218 to .249. In 1971
Gutiérrez played 40 games as an utility player
, retiring at the end of the season.
, accumulating 128 hits
in 545 at bats for a .235 career batting average along with 0 home runs and 26 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .953 fielding percentage
. He later became a manager
in the Mexican League, and served as a coach
and scout
with several teams.
Gutiérrez died in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela
, four days short of his 62nd birthday.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1967, 1969) and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(1969–1971).
Major League career
Gutiérrez was born in CoroSanta Ana de Coro
Coro is the capital of Falcón State and the oldest city in the west of Venezuela.-History:The city was founded on July 26, 1527 by Spanish colonists. The name "Coro" is believed to be an indigenous word meaning "wind".The city had a turbulent history in colonial times and suffered a number of...
, Falcón State
Falcón
Falcón State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Coro.-Demographics and geography:Falcón State covers a total surface area of 24,800 km² and, in 2010, had an estimated population of 950,057. The Paraguaná Peninsula is connected to the rest of the...
. He was contracted by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
as an amateur free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in . After the Pirates released him in , he was signed by the San Francisco Giants before the 1963
1963 San Francisco Giants season
- Offseason :* November 30, 1962: Manny Mota and Dick LeMay were traded by the Giants to the Houston Colt .45s for Joey Amalfitano.* December 15, 1962: Stu Miller, Mike McCormick, and John Orsino were traded by the Giants to the Baltimore Orioles for Jack Fisher, Jimmie Coker and Billy Hoeft.-...
season. He played in only 18 games for the Giants in 1967
1967 San Francisco Giants season
The 1967 San Francisco Giants season saw the Giants finish in second place in the National League with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses, 10½ games behind the NL and World Series champion St...
, and 15 games in 1969
1969 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants season was the franchise's 87th season and 12th season in San Francisco. The team finished second in the newly-established National League West with a record of 90-72, 3 games behind the Atlanta Braves.- Offseason :...
, before being traded to the Detroit Tigers.
Gutiérrez's most productive season came in 1970
1970 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fourth in the American League East with a record of 79-83, 29 games behind the Baltimore Orioles.- Offseason :...
, his only season as a regular, when he posted career-highs in batting average (.243), RBI (22), runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(40), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(101), doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(11), triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(6), stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s (4) and games played (135), although he committed 23 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
, the third highest total in the league.
On June 21, in the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
between Detroit and the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Gutiérrez had seven hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in seven at bats including a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, to set an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
mark (and tie a major league record) for hits in a game without making an out
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
. The Tigers won 9–8 in twelve innings. Gutiérrez's batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
went up 31 points that day, from .218 to .249. In 1971
1971 Detroit Tigers season
The 1971 Detroit Tigers finished in second place in the American League East with a 91-71 record, 12 games behind the Orioles. They outscored their opponents 701 to 645...
Gutiérrez played 40 games as an utility player
Utility player
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades. Sports in which the term is often used include association football , baseball, rugby, rugby league, water polo and softball....
, retiring at the end of the season.
Career statistics
In a four year career, Gutiérrez played in 223 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 128 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 545 at bats for a .235 career batting average along with 0 home runs and 26 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .953 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. He later became a manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in the Mexican League, and served as a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
with several teams.
Gutiérrez died in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
, four days short of his 62nd birthday.
See also
External links
- Baseball Library - bibliography and profile
- Baseball Library: 1970 Detroit Tigers