Mike de la Hoz
Encyclopedia
Miguel Angel de la Hoz Piloto (born October 2, 1938 in Havana
, Cuba
) is a former Major League Baseball
infielder
. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians
as an amateur free agent before the 1958 season, and played for the Indians (1960-1963), Milwaukee Braves
(1964-1965), Atlanta Braves
(1966-1967), and Cincinnati Reds
(1969). He was a valuable utility player
, a slightly below average fielder with a decent bat.
De la Hoz started a career high 43 games in 1960, his rookie
season, and 214 in all, with 83 coming at third base
, 70 at second base
, 60 at shortstop
, and 1 in left field
. He did his best work at second base, fielding .972 in 119 appearances. He was used often as a pinch hitter
throughout his career.
One game for which de la Hoz is well remembered took place on July 8, 1965 while playing for the Milwaukee Braves. He hit a pinch home run
in the bottom of the 8th inning
against Dave Giusti
of the Houston Astros
, tied the game in the bottom of the 9th with an RBI single off Jim Owens
, and singled and scored against Ron Taylor
in the bottom of the 12th as the Braves won, 9-8.
De la Hoz's career batting totals for 494 games include 280 hits
, 25 home run
s, 115 runs batted in, 116 runs scored
, a .251 batting average
, and a slugging percentage of .365.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
) is a former 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...
infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
. He was signed by 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...
as an amateur free agent before the 1958 season, and played for the Indians (1960-1963), Milwaukee Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1964-1965), Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1966-1967), and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1969). He was a valuable 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....
, a slightly below average fielder with a decent bat.
De la Hoz started a career high 43 games in 1960, his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season, and 214 in all, with 83 coming at 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 at 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...
, 60 at 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...
, and 1 in 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...
. He did his best work at second base, fielding .972 in 119 appearances. He was used often as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
throughout his career.
One game for which de la Hoz is well remembered took place on July 8, 1965 while playing for the Milwaukee Braves. He hit a pinch 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...
in the bottom of the 8th inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
against Dave Giusti
Dave Giusti
David John Giusti, Jr., is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1962 to 1977....
of 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...
, tied the game in the bottom of the 9th with an RBI single off Jim Owens
Jim Owens (baseball)
James Philip Owens , nicknamed "Bear," is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from to with the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros. He was 5'11" tall and he weighed 190 pounds.Originally signed by the Phillies in , he played in the minors until...
, and singled and scored against Ron Taylor
Ron Taylor (baseball)
Ronald Wesley Taylor is a former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of 11 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Diego Padres. Taylor was a member of two World Series-winning teams: the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals and the...
in the bottom of the 12th as the Braves won, 9-8.
De la Hoz's career batting totals for 494 games include 280 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....
, 25 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, 115 runs batted in, 116 runs scored
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...
, a .251 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 a slugging percentage of .365.