Omar Vizquel
Encyclopedia
Omar Enrique Vizquel González (oˈmar βisˈkel; born April 24, 1967 in Caracas
, Venezuela
), nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuela
n Major League Baseball
shortstop
and third baseman
. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners
(1989–1993), the Cleveland Indians
(1994–2004), the San Francisco Giants
(2005–2008), the Texas Rangers
(2009) and the Chicago White Sox
(2010–2011). In Venezuela he played with the team Leones del Caracas
.
Vizquel is considered one of baseball's all-time best fielding shortstops, winning nine consecutive Gold Gloves
(1993–2001) and two more in 2005 and 2006. He tied Cal Ripken's AL
record, since surpassed, for most consecutive games at shortstop without an error (95 between September 26, 1999 and July 21, 2000). Currently, his .985 career fielding percentage
is the highest of all-time for a shortstop in Major League history. On May 25, 2008, Vizquel became the all-time leader in games played at shortstop, passing Luis Aparicio
. Vizquel is the all-time leader in double plays made while playing shortstop. He has the most hits recorded by any player from Venezuela (2,841; 45th all-time, as of October 28, 2011), surpassing Aparicio's record of 2,677 on June 25, 2009. On May 24, 2010, Vizquel became the shortstop with the second most hits all time, behind Derek Jeter
. Vizquel is the sacrifice hit leader of the live-ball era
. Currently, Vizquel is the oldest position player in the Major Leagues, and the second-oldest active player overall behind pitcher Tim Wakefield
(pitcher Jamie Moyer
is currently a free agent, but he is not officially retired as of 2011). As of 2011, he is the only active player with service time in the 1980s. Vizquel is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to play in Major League games in four decades.
of the Venezuelan Winter League together with Tony Armas
, Bo Díaz
and Andrés Galarraga
. Originally signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent
in 1984, Vizquel made his Major League debut on April 3, 1989.
At the end of the 1993 season, Vizquel was traded by the Mariners to the Indians for Félix Fermín
, Reggie Jefferson
, and cash.
After joining the Indians, Vizquel became a stronger, more competent hitter. On the field, Vizquel and second baseman Roberto Alomar
were recognized as one of the top all time defensive duos.
During Vizquel's career in Cleveland, the Indians made it to the World Series
twice, losing to the Atlanta Braves
in 1995 and to the Florida Marlins
in 1997. Vizquel is a lifetime .250 hitter in 57 postseason games.
Vizquel won nine consecutive Gold Gloves with the Mariners and Indians, starting with his first in 1993 with Seattle and continuing until 2001. Alex Rodriguez broke Vizquel's streak and won the award in 2002. Vizquel won an additional two Gold Gloves in 2005 and 2006 with the San Francisco Giants.
In 1999, Vizquel hit over .300 and scored 100 runs for the first time in his career, finishing the season with a .333 batting average and 112 runs scored for an Indians team that scored a league-leading 1,009 runs. Vizquel hit second in the line-up between lead-off man Kenny Lofton
and third-place hitter Roberto Alomar
in the most productive offensive line-up in Cleveland baseball history.
On August 5, 2001, Vizquel hit a 3-run triple in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners to tie the game 14-14, erasing an earlier 14-2 deficit midway through the seventh inning. The Indians went on to win 15-14 in 11 innings. It was tied for the largest comeback in history. Vizquel continued to reach career highs in 2002 hitting 14 homers and 72 RBI, but his success was interrupted by the need for surgery on his right knee. He tied the 2002 All-Star Game
7-7 with an RBI triple in the eighth inning. As a result of his knee injury in 2002 and a follow-up operation, he appeared in only 64 games in 2003, but in one of those games on May 27, 2003, Vizquel had a straight steal of home against the Detroit Tigers
. This caught Tigers pitcher Steve Avery
by so much surprise that Vizquel made it home without a throw, which is extremely rare. Vizquel returned in 2004 to hit .291 in 148 games. At the end of the season, Vizquel was signed by the Giants as a free agent
. As of the end of the 2010 season, at the age of 43 in a 22-year Major League career, Vizquel has a .273 lifetime batting average with 2799 hits, 1012 walks, 400 stolen bases and 1414 runs.
Vizquel underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on February 27, 2008. He started the 2008 season on the disabled list
and played in his first game on May 10. Vizquel again stole home against Oakland Athletics
pitcher, Greg Smith
, on June 13.
On June 23, 2007 the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
Hall of Fame inducted Vizquel, along with former Giants outfielder
Matty Alou
, into its Hall of Fame during an on-field, pre-game ceremony.
Vizquel won the Hutch Award
and the Willie Mac Award
, and was a finalist for the Heart & Hustle Award
. Only two other players, Dave Dravecky
and Craig Biggio
, have won more than one of these awards, although Willie McCovey
himself won the Hutch Award before having the Willie Mac Award named for him.
On January 21, 2009, Vizquel signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers
and made the team's major league roster. He served mainly as a backup middle infielder.
On November 23, 2009, Vizquel agreed to a one year contract with the Chicago White Sox worth $1.4 million. After making the deal official, former shortstop and White Sox legend Luis Aparicio
asked that his number 11 be temporarily "unretired" for Vizquel during the 2010 season, mostly due to the fact that White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen
- like Vizquel and Aparicio, a Venezulean shortstop - had rights to #13, the number Vizquel has worn through his career.
On May 25, 2010, Vizquel became the shortstop with the second most hits all time, behind Derek Jeter
. One month later on June 25, he hit his first home run of 2010 putting him on the short list of players who have hit home runs in four different decades (with Ted Williams
, Willie McCovey
, and Rickey Henderson
). On November 2, 2010, Vizquel signed a 1 year deal to remain in Chicago. On April 3, 2011, Vizquel got a single for his 2,800th career hit. On April 10, 2011, the wind
blew away a fan's Stetson
hat and Vizquel caught it. He then tried it on before turning it over to event security
. During his time with the White Sox, Vizquel has claimed to enjoy playing in Chicago very much.
Despite being well into his 40's, Vizquel is still regarded as one of the better defensive shortstops in the game and seen by his White Sox teammates as one of the most physically fit.
. In 2002, following the publication of his autobiography, Omar! My Life On and Off the Field, Vizquel criticized Mesa's performance in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series
:
On June 12, 2002, Mesa hit Vizquel with a pitch in the ninth inning. Mesa was not ejected and finished the game. They did not face each other again until 2006; by then, Vizquel was with the San Francisco Giants and Mesa was playing for the Colorado Rockies
. When Vizquel came to bat against Mesa in Denver on April 22, Mesa hit him again. Meeting three more times in 2006, however, Vizquel escaped being hit by his former teammate, with two groundouts and an RBI single. Vizquel batted .333 (7-for-21) against Mesa before Mesa's retirement in 2007.
Vizquel is active in community service, having served as an honorary spokesperson for "Young Audiences", an arts education organization in Cleveland, and "Schools Now", which raises funds through the sale of entertainment booklets. Following the 1999 Vargas mudslide
disaster that killed 25,000 in his native Venezuela, Vizquel volunteered for the relief effort and helped raise over $500,000 for the cause. Vizquel has held various charitable events in downtown Cleveland such as Tribe Jam, where he and some other teammates get together with each other or with retired singers and sing some of their favorite songs.
His 2002 autobiography, Omar!: My Life on and Off the Field, which he co-wrote with Bob Dyer, spent four weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List
. It was released in paperback in 2003.
Vizquel is referenced in an episode of The Simpsons
entitled "Bart's Friend Falls in Love
" (May 1992). In the episode, Bart takes a distracted Milhouse's
Carl Yastrzemski
baseball card in exchange for one of Vizquel with the head cut out. This is ironic, as, due to Vizquel's lack of success to that point, it is implied that Vizquel is a terrible player, and thus, the deal is equally terrible.
Vizquel is married to Nicole. The couple has a son, Nicholas Enrique, and an adopted daughter, Caylee Rae. He is currently separated from his wife, due to his not being faithful. The separation is not currently legal.
Caracas
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...
), nicknamed "Little O", is a 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...
n 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...
and third baseman
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...
. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
(1989–1993), 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...
(1994–2004), 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....
(2005–2008), the 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...
(2009) and 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...
(2010–2011). In Venezuela he played with the team Leones del Caracas
Leones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
.
Vizquel is considered one of baseball's all-time best fielding shortstops, winning nine consecutive Gold Gloves
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
(1993–2001) and two more in 2005 and 2006. He tied Cal Ripken's AL
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, since surpassed, for most consecutive games at shortstop without an error (95 between September 26, 1999 and July 21, 2000). Currently, his .985 career 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...
is the highest of all-time for a shortstop in Major League history. On May 25, 2008, Vizquel became the all-time leader in games played at shortstop, passing Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
. Vizquel is the all-time leader in double plays made while playing shortstop. He has the most hits recorded by any player from Venezuela (2,841; 45th all-time, as of October 28, 2011), surpassing Aparicio's record of 2,677 on June 25, 2009. On May 24, 2010, Vizquel became the shortstop with the second most hits all time, behind Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
. Vizquel is the sacrifice hit leader of the live-ball era
Live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
. Currently, Vizquel is the oldest position player in the Major Leagues, and the second-oldest active player overall behind pitcher Tim Wakefield
Tim Wakefield
Timothy Stephen Wakefield is an American professional baseball pitcher. Wakefield began pitching with the Red Sox in 1995, making him the longest-serving player currently on the team. Wakefield is also the oldest current active player in the majors, and one of two active knuckleballers, the other...
(pitcher Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer
Jamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
is currently a free agent, but he is not officially retired as of 2011). As of 2011, he is the only active player with service time in the 1980s. Vizquel is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to play in Major League games in four decades.
Career
Vizquel started his career with the Leones del CaracasLeones del Caracas
The Leones del Caracas is a Venezuelan baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Since its inception, the team has played in the Estadio Universitario in Caracas...
of the Venezuelan Winter League together with Tony Armas
Tony Armas
Antonio Rafael Armas Machado is a former Venezuelan professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He was one of the top sluggers in the American League in the early 1980s. Twice Armas led the league in home runs, and led all of Major League Baseball in RBIs in...
, Bo Díaz
Bo Diaz
Baudilio José Díaz Seijas was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds between and...
and Andrés Galarraga
Andrés Galarraga
Andrés José Padovani Galarraga is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Montreal Expos , St. Louis Cardinals , Colorado Rockies , Atlanta Braves , Texas Rangers , San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels...
. Originally signed by the Mariners as a non-drafted 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 1984, Vizquel made his Major League debut on April 3, 1989.
At the end of the 1993 season, Vizquel was traded by the Mariners to the Indians for Félix Fermín
Felix Fermin
Félix José Fermín Minaya is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Cleveland Indians , Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs ....
, Reggie Jefferson
Reggie Jefferson
Reginald Jirod Jefferson is a former designated hitter who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox. He played from to . He was traded in the winter of by Cleveland to Seattle for speedy shortstop Omar Vizquel...
, and cash.
After joining the Indians, Vizquel became a stronger, more competent hitter. On the field, Vizquel and second baseman Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
were recognized as one of the top all time defensive duos.
During Vizquel's career in Cleveland, the Indians made it to the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
twice, losing to the 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....
in 1995 and to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in 1997. Vizquel is a lifetime .250 hitter in 57 postseason games.
Vizquel won nine consecutive Gold Gloves with the Mariners and Indians, starting with his first in 1993 with Seattle and continuing until 2001. Alex Rodriguez broke Vizquel's streak and won the award in 2002. Vizquel won an additional two Gold Gloves in 2005 and 2006 with the San Francisco Giants.
In 1999, Vizquel hit over .300 and scored 100 runs for the first time in his career, finishing the season with a .333 batting average and 112 runs scored for an Indians team that scored a league-leading 1,009 runs. Vizquel hit second in the line-up between lead-off man Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
and third-place hitter Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez is a former Major League Baseball player , regarded by many as one of the best second basemen in MLB history. During his career he won more Gold Gloves than any other second baseman in history, and also won the second-most Silver Slugger Awards for a second...
in the most productive offensive line-up in Cleveland baseball history.
On August 5, 2001, Vizquel hit a 3-run triple in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners to tie the game 14-14, erasing an earlier 14-2 deficit midway through the seventh inning. The Indians went on to win 15-14 in 11 innings. It was tied for the largest comeback in history. Vizquel continued to reach career highs in 2002 hitting 14 homers and 72 RBI, but his success was interrupted by the need for surgery on his right knee. He tied the 2002 All-Star Game
2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 73rd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the home of...
7-7 with an RBI triple in the eighth inning. As a result of his knee injury in 2002 and a follow-up operation, he appeared in only 64 games in 2003, but in one of those games on May 27, 2003, Vizquel had a straight steal of home against 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...
. This caught Tigers pitcher Steve Avery
Steve Avery
Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
by so much surprise that Vizquel made it home without a throw, which is extremely rare. Vizquel returned in 2004 to hit .291 in 148 games. At the end of the season, Vizquel was signed by the Giants as a 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....
. As of the end of the 2010 season, at the age of 43 in a 22-year Major League career, Vizquel has a .273 lifetime batting average with 2799 hits, 1012 walks, 400 stolen bases and 1414 runs.
Vizquel underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on February 27, 2008. He started the 2008 season on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
and played in his first game on May 10. Vizquel again stole home against 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....
pitcher, Greg Smith
Greg Smith (pitcher)
Gregory Thomas Smith is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Baseball career:Smith attended Louisiana State University, where he played for the LSU Tigers baseball team...
, on June 13.
On June 23, 2007 the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, Inc., was founded in San Francisco, California, in June 1999 by its founder Mr.Gabriel "Tito" Avila, Jr., as a way to honor the greatest Hispanic baseball players of all time. The organization is a not-for-profit institution...
Hall of Fame inducted Vizquel, along with former Giants outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Matty Alou
Matty Alou
Mateo Rojas "Matty" Alou was a Dominican outfielder who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics , New York Yankees and San Diego Padres...
, into its Hall of Fame during an on-field, pre-game ceremony.
Vizquel won the Hutch Award
Hutch Award
The Hutch Award is given annually to an active Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Fred Hutchinson...
and the 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...
, and was a finalist for the Heart & Hustle Award
Heart & Hustle Award
The Heart & Hustle Award is given out annually by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association to a current player who not only excels on the field, but also "best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game."...
. Only two other players, Dave Dravecky
Dave Dravecky
David Francis Dravecky is a Christian motivational speaker, author, and former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants...
and Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, catcher, and outfielder. He played his entire 20-year baseball career with the Houston Astros . He ranks 21st all-time with 3,060 career hits, and is the ninth player in the 3000 hit club to get all his hits with the same team. He...
, have won more than one of these awards, although Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
himself won the Hutch Award before having the Willie Mac Award named for him.
On January 21, 2009, Vizquel signed a minor league contract with the 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...
and made the team's major league roster. He served mainly as a backup middle infielder.
On November 23, 2009, Vizquel agreed to a one year contract with the Chicago White Sox worth $1.4 million. After making the deal official, former shortstop and White Sox legend Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
asked that his number 11 be temporarily "unretired" for Vizquel during the 2010 season, mostly due to the fact that White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José "Ozzie" Guillén Barrios is a Venezuelan-American former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Miami Marlins. He managed the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011 before asking for his release at the end of the 2011 season....
- like Vizquel and Aparicio, a Venezulean shortstop - had rights to #13, the number Vizquel has worn through his career.
On May 25, 2010, Vizquel became the shortstop with the second most hits all time, behind Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
. One month later on June 25, he hit his first home run of 2010 putting him on the short list of players who have hit home runs in four different decades (with Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
, and Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
). On November 2, 2010, Vizquel signed a 1 year deal to remain in Chicago. On April 3, 2011, Vizquel got a single for his 2,800th career hit. On April 10, 2011, the wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
blew away a fan's Stetson
Stetson
Stetsons are the brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri.Stetson eventually became the world’s largest hat maker, producing over 3.3 million hats a year in a factory spread over . Today Stetson remains a family-owned concern...
hat and Vizquel caught it. He then tried it on before turning it over to event security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
. During his time with the White Sox, Vizquel has claimed to enjoy playing in Chicago very much.
Despite being well into his 40's, Vizquel is still regarded as one of the better defensive shortstops in the game and seen by his White Sox teammates as one of the most physically fit.
Feud with Jose Mesa
A long-running and well-publicized feud erupted between Vizquel and former teammate and friend José MesaJosé Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. His nickname was "Joe Table," the literal translation of his name in the English language....
. In 2002, following the publication of his autobiography, Omar! My Life On and Off the Field, Vizquel criticized Mesa's performance in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
:
"The eyes of the world were focused on every move we made. Unfortunately, Jose's own eyes were vacant. Completely empty. Nobody home. You could almost see right through him. Not long after I looked into his vacant eyes, he blew the save and the Marlins tied the game."Mesa reacted furiously, pledging to hit Vizquel upon every subsequent opportunity:
"Even my little boy told me to get him. If I face him 10 more times, I'll hit him 10 times. I want to kill him."
On June 12, 2002, Mesa hit Vizquel with a pitch in the ninth inning. Mesa was not ejected and finished the game. They did not face each other again until 2006; by then, Vizquel was with the San Francisco Giants and Mesa was playing for the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. When Vizquel came to bat against Mesa in Denver on April 22, Mesa hit him again. Meeting three more times in 2006, however, Vizquel escaped being hit by his former teammate, with two groundouts and an RBI single. Vizquel batted .333 (7-for-21) against Mesa before Mesa's retirement in 2007.
Personal
1999 Vargas mudslide
The 1999 Vargas tragedy was a disaster that struck the Vargas State of Venezuela in December 1999, when the torrential rains and the flash floods and debris flows that followed on 14–16 December killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes, and led to the complete collapse of...
disaster that killed 25,000 in his native Venezuela, Vizquel volunteered for the relief effort and helped raise over $500,000 for the cause. Vizquel has held various charitable events in downtown Cleveland such as Tribe Jam, where he and some other teammates get together with each other or with retired singers and sing some of their favorite songs.
His 2002 autobiography, Omar!: My Life on and Off the Field, which he co-wrote with Bob Dyer, spent four weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
. It was released in paperback in 2003.
Vizquel is referenced in an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
entitled "Bart's Friend Falls in Love
Bart's Friend Falls in Love
"Bart's Friend Falls in Love" is the twenty-third episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 1992. In the episode, Bart's best friend Milhouse falls in love with the new girl in school, Samantha Stankey. Milhouse and Samantha spend...
" (May 1992). In the episode, Bart takes a distracted Milhouse's
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
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...
baseball card in exchange for one of Vizquel with the head cut out. This is ironic, as, due to Vizquel's lack of success to that point, it is implied that Vizquel is a terrible player, and thus, the deal is equally terrible.
Vizquel is married to Nicole. The couple has a son, Nicholas Enrique, and an adopted daughter, Caylee Rae. He is currently separated from his wife, due to his not being faithful. The separation is not currently legal.
Defense
- All-time leader in double plays made while playing shortstop
- 11-time Gold Glove recipient
- Oldest shortstop recipient of the Gold Glove (age 38 in 2005, and again at age 39 in 2006)
- Highest career fielding percentage by a shortstop (0.9846) with at least 1,000 games played
- Lowest number of errors in a season by a shortstop (tie) (3 in the 2000 season)
- 6th in assists all-time, 3rd in assists at SS all-time
Offense
- All-time leader in hits by a player from Venezuela
- The 47th major league player to reach 2800 career hits (April 3, 2011)
- Third-most hits by an active (roster) player behind Derek JeterDerek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
and Ivan RodriguezIván RodríguezIván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
, was the category leader for the 2008 and a portion of the 2009 seasons, 47th all-time - Most singles by an active (roster) player, 20th all-time
- Most at-bats by an active (roster) player, 19th all-time
- Fifth all-time in sacrifice hits plus sacrifice flies behind behind Eddie CollinsEddie CollinsEdward Trowbridge Collins, Sr. , nicknamed "Cocky", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, manager and executive...
, Jake DaubertJake DaubertJacob Ellsworth Daubert was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Superbas and Cincinnati Reds. His career lasted from 1910 until his death in 1924....
, Stuffy McInnisStuffy McInnisJohn Phalen "Stuffy" McInnis was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball.McInnis gained his nickname as a youngster in the Boston suburban leagues, where his spectacular playing brought shouts of "that's the stuff, kid".From 1909-27, McInnis played for the Philadelphia Athletics ,...
& Willie KeelerWillie KeelerWilliam Henry Keeler in Brooklyn, New York, nicknamed "Wee Willie", was a right fielder in professional baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas in the National League, and the New York Highlanders in the American League.- Biography :Keeler's...
(sacrifice flies were separated out into their own statistical category in 1954) - All-time leader in sacrifice hits in the live-ball eraLive-ball eraThe live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in , following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball...
(nearly twice the second active player), 4 time league leader (1997, 1999, 2004 & 2005) - Likely 5th to 7th all-time in sacrifice hits after accounting for the 1954 statistical change (40th all-time without adjustment)
- Second-most sacrifice flies by an active (roster) player behind Alex RodriguezAlex RodriguezAlexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
, 50th all time (tie) - Third most stolen bases by an active (roster) player behind Juan PierreJuan PierreJuan D'Vaughn Pierre is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws left-handed....
and Carl CrawfordCarl CrawfordCarl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
, 68th all-time - American League record holder (tie) for most hits in a nine inning game: Vizquel hit six on August 31, 2004
- Second-most hits-while-playing-shortstop (behind Derek JeterDerek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
) - Fourth-most runs-while-playing-shortstop all-time (behind Herman Long, Derek JeterDerek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
and Bill DahlenBill DahlenWilliam Frederick Dahlen , nicknamed "Bad Bill" for his ferocious temperament, was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for four National League teams from to...
) - Seventh-most stolen-bases-while-playing-shortstop all-time (behind Bert CampanerisBert CampanerisDagoberto 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...
, Ozzie SmithOzzie SmithOsborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
, Herman Long, Luis AparicioLuis AparicioLuis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, Honus WagnerHonus Wagner-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
, and Bill DahlenBill DahlenWilliam Frederick Dahlen , nicknamed "Bad Bill" for his ferocious temperament, was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball for four National League teams from to...
) - Most seasons by active player as a batting title qualifier with isolated power (extra bases per at-bat) under .100, with 12.
Overall
- All-time leader in games played at shortstop
- Most games played by an active (roster) player, 14th all-time
- 3-time All-Star (19981998 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 69th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 7, 1998 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, the home of the...
, 19991999 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 70th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
& 20022002 Major League Baseball All-Star GameThe 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 73rd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the home of...
) - Won 2 American League Championships (with Cleveland, 19951995 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
, 19971997 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
) - Won 6 American League Central Division Championships (with Cleveland, 1995-99, 2001)
- Won the Hutch AwardHutch AwardThe Hutch Award is given annually to an active Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Fred Hutchinson...
(1996), the only non-American player ever to do so - Won the Willie Mac AwardWillie Mac AwardThe 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...
(2006) for spirit and leadership - Finalist for the Heart & Hustle AwardHeart & Hustle AwardThe Heart & Hustle Award is given out annually by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association to a current player who not only excels on the field, but also "best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game."...
(2007) for embodying "the values, spirit and tradition of the game" - Captain of Venezuelan World Baseball Classic teamVenezuela national baseball teamThe Venezuela national baseball team is the national team of Venezuela. They are currently ranked seventh in the world by the International Baseball Federation.-World Baseball Classic:...
(2006) - Member of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of FameHispanic Heritage Baseball MuseumThe Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, Inc., was founded in San Francisco, California, in June 1999 by its founder Mr.Gabriel "Tito" Avila, Jr., as a way to honor the greatest Hispanic baseball players of all time. The organization is a not-for-profit institution...
See also
- List of NL Gold Glove winners at shortstop
- List of Gold Glove middle infield duos
- List of MLB players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
Sources
- "Vizquel an artist at work" by Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports, May 24, 2006
- "Older players make final bids for Hall of Fame" by Mel Antonen, USA TODAY, July 27, 2006
- "Last call for the Hall" by Gary Kaufman, Salon.com, July 26, 2000
- "ALL SYSTEMS O!" by Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer, September 26, 2004
- Omar Vizquel and Bob Dyer (2002). Omar!: My Life on and Off the Field. Gray & Company Publishers. ISBN 9781886228559
- Hits/runs/games-while-playing-shortstop calculated using statistics at BaseballReference.com