Jose Uribe
Encyclopedia
José Altagracia González Uribe (January 21, 1959 – December 8, 2006) was a Dominican
Major League Baseball
shortstop
from until . Most of his ten-year career was spent with the San Francisco Giants
. He played for the Giants in the 1989 World Series
against the Oakland Athletics
, which is famous for having been interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake
.
, Uribe was signed by the New York Yankees
in , but was released shortly afterwards without even having played a minor league game with the club. He eventually signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
in , and after four seasons in their farm system, received a September call-up in . In eight games with the Cards, Uribe batted .211 with three runs batted in and four runs scored.
and Gary Rajsich
were dealt to the San Francisco Giants for Jack Clark
. Between the time of the initial trade and his delivery, he changed his name from José González Uribe (Uribe is his mother's maiden name; González is his father's name. See Spanish naming customs) to just José Uribe because, as he put it, "There are too many Gonzálezes in baseball!" Thus, he was humorously referred to as "the player to be named later" and sometimes "the ultimate player to be named later", a quote attributed to coach Rocky Bridges
.
ern Division championship and National League
pennant, leading the league with 85 double play
s in the latter season. In the 1987 National League Championship Series
he had a 2-run single with the bases loaded in the second inning of Game 5, giving the Giants a 4-3 lead. He then stole
third base and scored as the Giants won 6-3 for a 3-2 series lead, though San Francisco went on to lose the final two games. He won the 1988 Willie Mac Award
honoring his spirit and leadership.
Uribe was also a fan favorite at Candlestick Park, where the home crowd had a unique chant for a relatively light-hitting infielder. When he would come to bat, fans on one side of the stadium would shout "OOH!" after which fans on the other side would respond with "REE-bay!". Giants fans would later use the same chant for Juan Uribe
, José's second cousin. He also received the uncommon nickname José "Game Winning" Uribe from ESPN
announcer Chris Berman when the stat known as the "Game Winning RBI" was an official statistic.
After an injury plagued season, Uribe lost his starting job to Royce Clayton
in . He signed with the Houston Astros
as a free agent for , but only appeared in 45 games all season.
Uribe was killed, at age 47, December 8, 2006, in a car crash at about 3:00 a.m. near his hometown of Juan Baron, Palenque
, Dominican Republic. He is survived by his second wife, Wendy Guerrero, with whom he had four children. He was a second cousin of current major league infielder Juan Uribe
.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
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...
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...
from until . Most of his ten-year career was spent with 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....
. He played for the Giants in the 1989 World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
against the 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....
, which is famous for having been interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
.
Minor leagues
Born in San Cristóbal, Dominican RepublicSan Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
San Cristóbal is a municipality and the capital of the San Cristóbal province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : Hato Damas.-Sectors:*5 de abril*Canastica*El Pomier...
, Uribe was signed by the 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...
in , but was released shortly afterwards without even having played a minor league game with the club. He eventually signed with 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...
in , and after four seasons in their farm system, received a September call-up in . In eight games with the Cards, Uribe batted .211 with three runs batted in and four runs scored.
"The ultimate player to be named later"
In February , Uribe, David Green, Dave LaPointDave LaPoint
David Jeffrey LaPoint was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently the manager of the Rockland Boulders, an American professional baseball team based in Pomona, New York and member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball known as the Can-Am League.-Early life and...
and Gary Rajsich
Gary Rajsich
Gary Louis Rajsich is an American Major League Baseball scout and a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of four seasons in the Majors from until , then played three additional seasons for the Chunichi Dragons from until...
were dealt to the San Francisco Giants for Jack Clark
Jack Clark (baseball)
Jack Anthony Clark , also known as "Jack the Ripper," is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1975 through 1992, Clark played for the San Francisco Giants , St. Louis Cardinals , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox...
. Between the time of the initial trade and his delivery, he changed his name from José González Uribe (Uribe is his mother's maiden name; González is his father's name. See Spanish naming customs) to just José Uribe because, as he put it, "There are too many Gonzálezes in baseball!" Thus, he was humorously referred to as "the player to be named later" and sometimes "the ultimate player to be named later", a quote attributed to coach Rocky Bridges
Rocky Bridges
Everett Lamar "Rocky" Bridges is a former utility infielder with an 11-year career in American Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1961. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, and the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland...
.
San Francisco Giants
Uribe was the Giants' principal shortstop for eight seasons, including their National League WestNational League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
ern Division championship and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant, leading the league with 85 double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s in the latter season. In the 1987 National League Championship Series
1987 National League Championship Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 6, 1987 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single...
he had a 2-run single with the bases loaded in the second inning of Game 5, giving the Giants a 4-3 lead. He then stole
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...
third base and scored as the Giants won 6-3 for a 3-2 series lead, though San Francisco went on to lose the final two games. He won the 1988 Willie Mac Award
Willie Mac Award
The Willie Mac Award is named in honor of Willie McCovey. It has been presented annually since 1980. It is awarded to the player on the San Francisco Giants who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership consistently shown by McCovey throughout his long career, voted upon by the players and...
honoring his spirit and leadership.
Uribe was also a fan favorite at Candlestick Park, where the home crowd had a unique chant for a relatively light-hitting infielder. When he would come to bat, fans on one side of the stadium would shout "OOH!" after which fans on the other side would respond with "REE-bay!". Giants fans would later use the same chant for Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe
Juan C. Uribe Tena is a Dominican Republic professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He began his career in 1997 when he was signed to the Colorado Rockies, and played with the team until December 3, 2003 when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox...
, José's second cousin. He also received the uncommon nickname José "Game Winning" Uribe from ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
announcer Chris Berman when the stat known as the "Game Winning RBI" was an official statistic.
After an injury plagued season, Uribe lost his starting job to Royce Clayton
Royce Clayton
Royce Spencer Clayton is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and occasional actor.-Baseball career:Clayton was born in Burbank, California. He was drafted out of St...
in . He signed with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
as a free agent for , but only appeared in 45 games all season.
Personal life
His first wife, Sarah, died at the age of 27 of a heart attack, two days after giving birth to their third child.Uribe was killed, at age 47, December 8, 2006, in a car crash at about 3:00 a.m. near his hometown of Juan Baron, Palenque
Sabana Grande de Palenque
Sabana Grande de Palenque is a municipality of the San Cristóbal province in the Dominican Republic.-History:It was elevated to the category of municipal district of the San Cristóbal municipality on January 1, 1945 and to the category of municipality in 1997 by the Dominican...
, Dominican Republic. He is survived by his second wife, Wendy Guerrero, with whom he had four children. He was a second cousin of current major league infielder Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe
Juan C. Uribe Tena is a Dominican Republic professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He began his career in 1997 when he was signed to the Colorado Rockies, and played with the team until December 3, 2003 when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox...
.