César Tovar
Encyclopedia
César Leonardo Tovar nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuela
n professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
for the Minnesota Twins
(1965–72), Philadelphia Phillies
(1973
), Texas Rangers
(1974
-1975
), Oakland Athletics
(1975
-1976
) and New York Yankees
(1976
). Tovar was a right-handed batter capable of playing various defensive positions
on the field. He was the second player in major league history to play all nine positions during a single game.
, Venezuela
. He was signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs (Reds) in as an 18 year old international free agent. He was then assigned to the Geneva Redlegs in the D-league New York-Penn League where he hit .252 in 87 games. He then batted .298, .338, and .329 in his next three pro seasons as he moved up the Reds' minor league system. He was promoted to Triple-A in 1963 and hit .297 with 115 runs while showing good speed and excellent gap power (41 doubles, 9 triples and 17 stolen bases in 152 games), but was blocked in Cincinnati by both a young Pete Rose
at second base and veteran all-star center fielder Vada Pinson
. Remaining at Triple-A in 1964, he slumped, hitting .275 with a .379 slugging percentage.
However he got his chance to play when the Reds traded Tovar to the Minnesota Twins for the young southpaw, Gerry Arrigo
. After going north with the team in 1965
, Tovar made his major league debut on April 12. However he would soon be sent back to AAA Denver and after hitting .328, he would receive a September call-up and see action in a total of 18 games in the season. However, Tovar would be left off the post-season roster and would watch the Twins' six-game World Series
loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers
from home.
Starting in 1966
, the Twins would make ample use of Tovar's ability to play a variety of positions. In 1967
, he would divide his fielding season between third base
(70 games), center field
(64), second base
(36), left field
(10), shortstop
(9) and right field
(5), setting an American League
record of 164 games played
(the Twins had two tie games in the 1967 season) and leading the league with 726 plate appearance
s and 649 at-bats
. He was also among the top 10 batters in runs, hits, doubles
, triples
, stolen base
s, on base percentage
, hit by pitch
and sacrifice hit
s. At the end of the season, the Triple Crown
Boston Red Sox
outfielder Carl Yastrzemski
received all but one vote for the American League Most Valuable Player Award
; the lone dissenting ballot (cast by Minneapolis Star sports writer Max Nichols) was marked in favor of Tovar and he would finish 7th in the MVP voting.
On September 22, 1968
, Tovar became the second player after Bert Campaneris
(Kansas City Athletics
, 1965
) to play all nine fielding positions in a game. The two were later joined by Scott Sheldon
(Texas Rangers, 2000
) and Shane Halter
(Detroit Tigers
, 2000
) as the only four players in MLB history to have accomplished the feat. Tovar started the game on the mound against Oakland and pitched
one scoreless inning in which he struck out Reggie Jackson
. As fate would have it, the first batter he faced was Campaneris.
On May 18, , Tovar combined with Rod Carew
to set a major league record for most steals
by a club in one inning
with five. In the third inning against a Detroit
battery of Mickey Lolich
and Bill Freehan
, Tovar stole third base and home
. Carew followed by stealing second base, third base and home. The two steals of home in the same inning also tied a record.
In 1970
, Tovar ended the season with a .300 batting average, ranked third in the league in total hits with 195, and second in runs scored with 120. As he improved at the plate, he also moved less around the diamond - playing primarily center field in 1970, left field in 1971, and right field in 1972. He improved his hitting through 1971
, when he hit for a .311 batting average
and led the league with 204 hits. In , SPORT magazine
polled major league players to identify the game's most competitive player. Pete Rose won; the runners-up were Frank Robinson
, Bob Gibson
, and César Tovar. On September 19, 1972
, Tovar belted a walk-off home run
to hit for the cycle. Only four other players in major league baseball history have completed a cycle with a game-ending homer: Ken Boyer
, George Brett
, Dwight Evans
and Carlos González
.
After a subpar season in 1972, the Twins traded Tovar on November 30 to the Philadelphia Phillies for first baseman/outfielder Joe Lis and pitchers Ken Reynolds
and Ken Sanders
. Tovar would then spend the 1973 season platooning
with a young Mike Schmidt
at third base. After being purchased by the Texas Rangers in December 1973, Tovar had a brief resurgence in 1974 as the leadoff hitter for Billy Martin
, his Twins manager in 1970, hitting .292 with a .354 on-base percentage. The Rangers would sell Tovar to the Oakland A's in August 1975 and he would spend his last two seasons as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement for the A's and New York Yankees and retired following the end of the 1976 season.
with 1546 hits
in 5569 at bats for a .278 batting average along with 46 home run
s, 435 RBI, 834 runs, 253 doubles, 55 triples, 226 stolen bases and a .335 on base percentage
.
Tovar is regarded as the all-time American League
leader in breaking up no-hit
attempts with five. On April 30, , Tovar's single was the only hit against the Washington Senators
' Barry Moore. On August 10, , Mike Cuellar
of the Baltimore Orioles
extended his streak of consecutive batters retired to 35 before surrendering a ninth-inning single to Tovar, which also broke up Cuellar's bid for a no-hitter. Earlier in the season (May 15), he broke up the no-hit bid of another Baltimore pitcher, Dave McNally
. Tovar was responsible for spoiling two other no-hitters during his career: against the Washington's Dick Bosman
(August 13) and the Yankees' Jim "Catfish" Hunter
(May 31).
for the Caracas Metropolitanos and hit .285 for manager Jim Busby
. In August 1990, he managed the Venezuelan team to a 1-7 last place finish in the Baseball World Cup
, which was held in Edmonton
, Alberta
, Canada
.
César Tovar died on July 14, 1994 of pancreatic cancer
in Caracas, Venezuelan Capital District
, Venezuela, at 54 years of age. Tovar was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
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...
for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1965–72), Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1973
1973 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1973 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 91st season in the history of the franchise. The team, managed by Danny Ozark, played their third season at Veterans Stadium and finished last in the National League East, 11½ games behind the Mets.- Offseason :...
), Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1974
1974 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing second in the American League West with a record of 84 wins and 76 losses . It would be only the second time in franchise history that the club finished over .500 and the first since the club relocated to Arlington, Texas...
-1975
1975 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing 3rd in the American League West with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses.- Offseason :...
), Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1975
1975 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics' 1975 season involved the A's finishing first in the American League West with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses. They went on to play the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 American League Championship Series, losing in three straight games....
-1976
1976 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's finishing second in the American League West with a record of 87 wins and 74 losses, 2½ games behind the Kansas City Royals, meaning that the A's failed to make the playoffs for the first time since...
) and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1976
1976 New York Yankees season
The 1976 New York Yankees season was the 74th season for the Yankees in New York, and the 76th season overall for the franchise. The team finished with a record of 97-62, finishing 10½ games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles to win their first American League East title.In the ALCS, the Yankees...
). Tovar was a right-handed batter capable of playing various defensive positions
Baseball positions
There are 9 fielding positions in baseball. Each position conventionally has an associated number which is used to score putouts...
on the field. He was the second player in major league history to play all nine positions during a single game.
Major League career
Cesar Tovar was born in CaracasCaracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
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...
. He was signed by the Cincinnati Redlegs (Reds) in as an 18 year old international free agent. He was then assigned to the Geneva Redlegs in the D-league New York-Penn League where he hit .252 in 87 games. He then batted .298, .338, and .329 in his next three pro seasons as he moved up the Reds' minor league system. He was promoted to Triple-A in 1963 and hit .297 with 115 runs while showing good speed and excellent gap power (41 doubles, 9 triples and 17 stolen bases in 152 games), but was blocked in Cincinnati by both a young Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
at second base and veteran all-star center fielder Vada Pinson
Vada Pinson
Vada Edward Pinson, Jr. was an American center fielder and coach in Major League Baseball. Pinson played in the major leagues for 18 years, from 1958 through 1975, and his greatest seasons were with the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds, for whom he played from 1958–68.Pinson combined power, speed and...
. Remaining at Triple-A in 1964, he slumped, hitting .275 with a .379 slugging percentage.
However he got his chance to play when the Reds traded Tovar to the Minnesota Twins for the young southpaw, Gerry Arrigo
Gerry Arrigo
Gerald William Arrigo is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Before the season, Arrigo was signed as an amateur free agent by the Chicago White Sox, but was promptly drafted away from them by the Minnesota Twins in the 1960 first-year draft....
. After going north with the team in 1965
1965 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins won the 1965 American League pennant with a 102-60 record. It was the team's first pennant since moving to Minnesota, and the 102 wins was a team record.- Regular season :...
, Tovar made his major league debut on April 12. However he would soon be sent back to AAA Denver and after hitting .328, he would receive a September call-up and see action in a total of 18 games in the season. However, Tovar would be left off the post-season roster and would watch the Twins' six-game World Series
1965 World Series
The 1965 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the American League champion Minnesota Twins, who had won their first pennant since 1933 when the team was known as the Washington Senators...
loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
from home.
Starting in 1966
1966 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins finished 89-73, second in the American League. 1,259,374 fans attended Twins games, the second highest total in the American League.-Regular season:...
, the Twins would make ample use of Tovar's ability to play a variety of positions. In 1967
1967 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins finished 91-73, tied for second in the American League with the Detroit Tigers. The Twins had a one-game lead with two games remaining, but lost both games to the Boston Red Sox in the season's final days...
, he would divide his fielding season between third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
(70 games), center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
(64), second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
(36), left field
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
(10), 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...
(9) and right field
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
(5), setting 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...
record of 164 games played
Games 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,...
(the Twins had two tie games in the 1967 season) and leading the league with 726 plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s and 649 at-bats
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
. He was also among the top 10 batters in runs, hits, 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....
, 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....
, 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, on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
, hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
and sacrifice hit
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...
s. At the end of the season, the Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
outfielder Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
received all but one vote for the American League Most Valuable Player Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
; the lone dissenting ballot (cast by Minneapolis Star sports writer Max Nichols) was marked in favor of Tovar and he would finish 7th in the MVP voting.
On September 22, 1968
1968 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins season was a season in American baseball. The team finished 79-83, seventh in the American League.- Offseason :* January 27, 1968: Eric Soderholm was drafted by the Twins in the 1st round of the secondary phase of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft.- Regular season :Leadoff...
, Tovar became the second player after Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
(Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, 1965
1965 Kansas City Athletics season
The Kansas City Athletics season involved the A's finishing 10th in the American League with a record of 59 wins and 103 losses. The paid attendance for the season was 528,344, the lowest in the major leagues...
) to play all nine fielding positions in a game. The two were later joined by Scott Sheldon
Scott Sheldon
Scott Patrick Sheldon is a former Major League Baseball third baseman/shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers...
(Texas Rangers, 2000
2000 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers 2000 season involved the Rangers finishing 4th in the American League west with a record of 71 wins and 91 losses.-Preseason:...
) and Shane Halter
Shane Halter
Shane David Halter is a former Major League Baseball infielder/outfielder and right-handed batter.-High school years:...
(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...
, 2000
2000 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers' 2000 season was a season in American baseball.-Offseason:* November 2, 1999: Juan Gonzalez was traded by the Texas Rangers with Danny Patterson and Gregg Zaun to the Detroit Tigers for Frank Catalanotto, Francisco Cordero, Bill Haselman, Gabe Kapler, Justin Thompson, and Alan...
) as the only four players in MLB history to have accomplished the feat. Tovar started the game on the mound against Oakland and pitched
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
one scoreless inning in which he struck out Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
. As fate would have it, the first batter he faced was Campaneris.
On May 18, , Tovar combined with Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
to set a major league record for most steals
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...
by a club in one inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
with five. In the third inning against a Detroit
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...
battery of Mickey Lolich
Mickey Lolich
Michael Stephen Lolich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1962 until 1979 who played the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers.-Baseball career:...
and Bill Freehan
Bill Freehan
William Ashley Freehan is a former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers...
, Tovar stole third base and home
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
. Carew followed by stealing second base, third base and home. The two steals of home in the same inning also tied a record.
In 1970
1970 Minnesota Twins season
Led by new manager Bill Rigney, the Minnesota Twins won the American League West with a 98-64 record, nine games ahead of the Oakland Athletics. The Twins were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series...
, Tovar ended the season with a .300 batting average, ranked third in the league in total hits with 195, and second in runs scored with 120. As he improved at the plate, he also moved less around the diamond - playing primarily center field in 1970, left field in 1971, and right field in 1972. He improved his hitting through 1971
1971 Minnesota Twins season
The 1971 Minnesota Twins finished 74-86, fifth in the American League West. 940,858 fans attended Twins games, the fifth highest total in the American League, the first time the Twins failed to attract over one million fans since moving to Minnesota....
, when he hit for a .311 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 :...
and led the league with 204 hits. In , SPORT magazine
Sport magazine
SPORT magazine was an American sports magazine. Launched in September 1946 by the New York-based publisher, Macfadden Publications, SPORT pioneered the generous use of color photography – it carried eight full colour plates in its first edition – and almost immediately became half-bible, half-guru...
polled major league players to identify the game's most competitive player. Pete Rose won; the runners-up were Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
, Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
, and César Tovar. On September 19, 1972
1972 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins finished 77-77, third in the American League West.- Offseason :* October 22, 1971: Paul Powell was traded by the Twins to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Bobby Darwin....
, Tovar belted a walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
to hit for the cycle. Only four other players in major league baseball history have completed a cycle with a game-ending homer: Ken Boyer
Ken Boyer
Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
, George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
, Dwight Evans
Dwight Evans
Dwight Michael Evans , nicknamed "Dewey", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball....
and Carlos González
Carlos González (baseball)
Carlos Eduardo González is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.-Minor leagues:...
.
After a subpar season in 1972, the Twins traded Tovar on November 30 to the Philadelphia Phillies for first baseman/outfielder Joe Lis and pitchers Ken Reynolds
Ken Reynolds
Kenneth Lee Reynolds was a baseball player with a six-year career in the MLB spanning the years -, excluding . He played for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres of the National League...
and Ken Sanders
Ken Sanders
For the football player of the same name see Ken Sanders .Kenneth George Sanders is a former professional baseball player...
. Tovar would then spend the 1973 season platooning
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
with a young Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
at third base. After being purchased by the Texas Rangers in December 1973, Tovar had a brief resurgence in 1974 as the leadoff hitter for Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
, his Twins manager in 1970, hitting .292 with a .354 on-base percentage. The Rangers would sell Tovar to the Oakland A's in August 1975 and he would spend his last two seasons as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement for the A's and New York Yankees and retired following the end of the 1976 season.
Career statistics
In his 12-year career, Tovar played in 1448 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,...
with 1546 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 5569 at bats for a .278 batting average along with 46 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 435 RBI, 834 runs, 253 doubles, 55 triples, 226 stolen bases and a .335 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
.
Tovar is regarded as the all-time 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...
leader in breaking up no-hit
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
attempts with five. On April 30, , Tovar's single was the only hit against the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
' Barry Moore. On August 10, , Mike Cuellar
Mike Cuellar
Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana [KWAY-ar] was a Cuban left-handed starting pitcher who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and California Angels...
of the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
extended his streak of consecutive batters retired to 35 before surrendering a ninth-inning single to Tovar, which also broke up Cuellar's bid for a no-hitter. Earlier in the season (May 15), he broke up the no-hit bid of another Baltimore pitcher, Dave McNally
Dave McNally
David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League...
. Tovar was responsible for spoiling two other no-hitters during his career: against the Washington's Dick Bosman
Dick Bosman
Richard Allen Bosman is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Washington Senators , Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics . Bosman started the final game for the expansion Senators and the first game for the Texas Rangers...
(August 13) and the Yankees' Jim "Catfish" Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
(May 31).
Retirement
After retiring from the majors, Tovar returned to his native Venezuela. In 1979, Tovar played in the short-lived Inter-American LeagueInter-American League
The Inter-American League was a high-level circuit in minor league baseball that played only three months before folding during the 1979 season...
for the Caracas Metropolitanos and hit .285 for manager Jim Busby
Jim Busby
James Franklin Busby was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball and right-handed batter who played for the Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox and Houston Colt .45's .Busby was born in Kenedy, Texas, and attended...
. In August 1990, he managed the Venezuelan team to a 1-7 last place finish in the Baseball World Cup
1990 Baseball World Cup
The 1990 Baseball World Cup took place in Canada from August 4 to 19. Cuba defeated Nicaragua in the final to win the tournament.- Final standings :-External links:*...
, which was held in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
César Tovar died on July 14, 1994 of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
in Caracas, Venezuelan Capital District
Venezuelan Capital District
The Capital District of Venezuela is a federal district corresponding to the capital Caracas. It has an area of 433 km² and there is only one administrative division , Libertador, which contains about half City of Caracas. It is the seat of the federal government and the head of the public...
, Venezuela, at 54 years of age. Tovar was inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
Related links
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of players who have hit for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- List of players from Venezuela in Major League Baseball
External links
- Baseball Almanac
- Baseball Library
- Bio from Cool of the Evening: The 1965 Minnesota Twins
- Letter Man at Minnesota, Baseball Digest, July 1967
- The Day César Tovar Played All 9 Positions, Baseball Digest, February 1973
- When César Tovar Played All Nine Positions in One Game, Baseball Digest, December 1998