George Lauzerique
Encyclopedia
George Albert Lauzerique (Born: July 22, 1947 in Havana, Cuba) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball
pitcher who played for four years from 1967 to 1970 for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics
and the Milwaukee Brewers
.
. He didn't spend much time in the minors-but he did well while there. In 1967 with the Birmingham A's
of the Southern League
, he went 13 and 4 with a 2.30 ERA. He even tossed a seven inning perfect game at one point that year.
He ended up making his big league debut on September 17, 1967, at the age of 19. He pitched seven solid innings against the California Angels
, surrendering just four hits. He ended up receiving the loss though, as the Angels beat the Athletics 3 to 2. His ERA in that game was 3.86.
He was able to bring his season ERA down to 2.25 after giving up only one run in the final nine innings he pitched that year. In three at bats that year, he collected zero hits.
and the Detroit Tigers
13 to 0. Lauzerique did not give up a single run, although he did throw one wild pitch and walk a batter.
He collected the first two hits of his career in his first game of the 1969 season: facing the Cleveland Indians
in the second game of a doubleheader
, he went 2 for 4 with one run scored. His first hit came off Mike Paul
and his second came off Stan Williams
. Oddly, those were the only two hits of his entire season - he would end up going 0 for 16 the rest of the year.
That game was also his best pitching-wise that season and possibly of his entire career. In a complete game, he allowed seven hits, walked only one batter, struck out 11, and gave up only one run for the win.
His final big league game came on May 28 of that year.
On December 7, 1969, he was traded from the Athletics with Ted Kubiak
to the Seattle Pilots
for Diego Segui
and Ray Oyler
.
. He gave up, on average, one home run every five innings that season, surrendering seven in 35 innings of work. He overall record was 1 and 2.
Although his 1970 season was rather unimpressive, it did have a couple bright spots. For one, he did complete a game that year-on April 17 against the Chicago White Sox
-allowing nine hits in nine innings of work but still getting the win.
And, like 1969, he collected two hits in one game, with those being the only two hits of his season. In the second inning of the game—off pitcher Gerry Arrigo
--he hit a single. The next hit in the game would end up being the most noteworthy hit of his career: in the fifth inning off pitcher Tommie Sisk
, he hit a three run home run which scored Phil Roof
, Russ Snyder
and himself. Overall in that game, he went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 4 RBI. The Brewers beat the White Sox 16 to 2.
On October 20 of that year, he was traded with minor leaguer Jesse Huggins and Jerry McNertney
to the St. Louis Cardinals
for Carl Taylor and Jim Ellis
. Obviously he never played with the Cardinals in the Majors.
As a batter, he hit .121, collecting four hits in 33 at-bats. He walked zero times, struck out 10 times, scored three times and hit one home run. He drove in four RBI
.
He was a perfect fielder, committing zero errors for a 1.000 fielding percentage
.
He wore two numbers in his career: 28 with the Athletics and 49 with the Brewers.
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...
pitcher who played for four years from 1967 to 1970 for the Kansas City/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....
and the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
1967
Standing at 6'1" tall and weighing 180 pounds, Lauzerique was drafted by the Athletics in the 10th round (199th overall) of the 1965 draft1965 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1965 Major League Baseball Draft is the first year in which a draft took place for Major League Baseball.In Major League Baseball's first Free Agent Amateur Draft, the Kansas City Athletics selected Arizona State sophomore Rick Monday as the number one pick...
. He didn't spend much time in the minors-but he did well while there. In 1967 with the Birmingham A's
Birmingham A's
The Birmingham A's was a former minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team was named for its major league affiliate, the Kansas City Athletics, later the Oakland Athletics, and played for nine seasons from to in the Double-A Southern League....
of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, he went 13 and 4 with a 2.30 ERA. He even tossed a seven inning perfect game at one point that year.
He ended up making his big league debut on September 17, 1967, at the age of 19. He pitched seven solid innings against the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, surrendering just four hits. He ended up receiving the loss though, as the Angels beat the Athletics 3 to 2. His ERA in that game was 3.86.
He was able to bring his season ERA down to 2.25 after giving up only one run in the final nine innings he pitched that year. In three at bats that year, he collected zero hits.
1968
In 1968, Lauzerique appeared in only one major league game. On September 15, he pitched one inning in a game that would see the Athletics lose to Bill FreehanBill 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...
and the 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...
13 to 0. Lauzerique did not give up a single run, although he did throw one wild pitch and walk a batter.
1969
In his final season with the Oakland Athletics, Lauzerique was the sixth most used starter (in terms of total amount of starts) on the team. He appeared in 19 games total, starting eight of them and complete one of his starts. In 61+ innings of work, he surrendered 14 home runs, walked 27 and struck out 39. Overall, his ERA 4.70, and his record was 3 and 4.He collected the first two hits of his career in his first game of the 1969 season: facing 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...
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...
, he went 2 for 4 with one run scored. His first hit came off Mike Paul
Mike Paul
Michael George Paul is a former left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1968 to 1974 for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs....
and his second came off Stan Williams
Stan Williams (baseball)
Stanley Wilson Williams , nicknamed "Big Daddy" and "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball starting and relief pitcher who threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , St...
. Oddly, those were the only two hits of his entire season - he would end up going 0 for 16 the rest of the year.
That game was also his best pitching-wise that season and possibly of his entire career. In a complete game, he allowed seven hits, walked only one batter, struck out 11, and gave up only one run for the win.
His final big league game came on May 28 of that year.
On December 7, 1969, he was traded from the Athletics with Ted Kubiak
Ted Kubiak
Theodore Rodger Kubiak is a former switch-hitting infielder for the Kansas City Athletics, the Oakland Athletics, the Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Texas Rangers, and the San Diego Padres. He was a member of the Oakland Athletics teams that won three World Series in a row...
to the Seattle Pilots
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Diego Segui
Diego Seguí
Diego Pablo Seguí González is a Cuban former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was known for his forkball.During a 16-year baseball career, Seguí played for the Kansas City Athletics , Washington Senators , Oakland Athletics , Seattle Pilots , Boston Red Sox , and Seattle Mariners . He batted and...
and Ray Oyler
Ray Oyler
Raymond Francis Oyler was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He played for the Detroit Tigers , Seattle Pilots , and California Angels...
.
1970
1970 would end up being Lauzerique's final season in the big leagues. With the Brewers that season, he had the highest ERA among all pitchers on the team with 10 or more innings of work, posting a 6.94 earned run averageEarned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. He gave up, on average, one home run every five innings that season, surrendering seven in 35 innings of work. He overall record was 1 and 2.
Although his 1970 season was rather unimpressive, it did have a couple bright spots. For one, he did complete a game that year-on April 17 against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
-allowing nine hits in nine innings of work but still getting the win.
And, like 1969, he collected two hits in one game, with those being the only two hits of his season. In the second inning of the game—off pitcher 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....
--he hit a single. The next hit in the game would end up being the most noteworthy hit of his career: in the fifth inning off pitcher Tommie Sisk
Tommie Sisk
Tommie Wayne Sisk is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1962 to 1970 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox....
, he hit a three run home run which scored Phil Roof
Phil Roof
Phillip Anthony Roof is an American former professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball in and from to , most notably for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and the Minnesota Twins...
, Russ Snyder
Russ Snyder
Russell Henry Snyder was an outfielder for the Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers ....
and himself. Overall in that game, he went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and 4 RBI. The Brewers beat the White Sox 16 to 2.
On October 20 of that year, he was traded with minor leaguer Jesse Huggins and Jerry McNertney
Jerry McNertney
Gerald Edward McNertney is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He stood 6'1" and weighed 190 pounds in his playing days....
to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
for Carl Taylor and Jim Ellis
Jim Ellis (baseball)
James Russell Ellis is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in 1967 and 1969 for the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals....
. Obviously he never played with the Cardinals in the Majors.
Career totals
Overall, Lauzerique had a four and eight record with a 5.00 ERA in his career. Of the 34 games he appeared in, he started 14 of them and completed two of his starts. In 113+ innings of work, he allowed 110 hits (including 23 home runs), 63 runs (all of them earned). He walked 48 batters, struck out 73, and hit four.As a batter, he hit .121, collecting four hits in 33 at-bats. He walked zero times, struck out 10 times, scored three times and hit one home run. He drove in four RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
He was a perfect fielder, committing zero errors for a 1.000 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 wore two numbers in his career: 28 with the Athletics and 49 with the Brewers.