Sixto Lezcano
Encyclopedia
Sixto Joaquin Lezcano Curras (born November 28, 1953 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico
) is a retired baseball
player who played for 12 seasons as an outfielder
in the Major Leagues
between 1974 and 1985. He played for 5 different teams in the Majors and won a Gold Glove during his career.
Lezcano was originally signed as an amateur in 1970 by the Milwaukee Brewers
. After spending four seasons in their minor league system, Lezcano reached the big leagues for the first time in 1974. He became the Brewers' starting right fielder in 1975, a job he would hold for the next 6 seasons. He showed a particularly strong throwing arm in right field, and led American League outfielders in assist
s in 1978.
His best offensive numbers came in 1979, when he finished among the top 10 in the AL in batting average
and home run
s, and finished with the third-highest slugging percentage in the American League. That season, he was honored for his defensive skills with the only Gold Glove of his major league career.
While with the Brewers, he became the only player in Major League Baseball history to hit a grand slam
on Opening Day
twice, doing so in both 1978 and 1980.
After the 1980 season, he was part of a blockbuster 7-player trade with the St. Louis Cardinals
, being one of four players traded in exchange for Rollie Fingers
, Pete Vuckovich
, and Ted Simmons
. He wasn't able to consistently crack the starting lineup in St. Louis, and batted .266 with the Cardinals in 1981.
He was involved in another major trade after the 1981 season, being traded to the San Diego Padres
with Garry Templeton
for Ozzie Smith
. He hit well in his first year with the Padres, and was among the top 10 in the NL in on base percentage
. However, his numbers fell off with the Padres in the 1983 season, and he lost his job in right field to a young Tony Gwynn
. He was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
late in the year in exchange for 4 players to be named later
.
Lezcano joined a Phillies team which would go on to win the National League
pennant in 1983. He platoon
ed with Joe Lefebvre
during the postseason, and homered off Rick Honeycutt
during the NLCS
. He had one base hit in eight at-bats in the Phillies' World Series
loss.
He continued to platoon with Philadelphia in 1984 before leaving the team as a free agent. He signed for the Pittsburgh Pirates
in 1985 and served as one of the team's pinch hitter
s. The Pirates released him in spring training
before the 1986 season, which would end his Major League career. In 1987 he joined Japanese team Taiyō Whales
but he wasn't successful in Japan
.
His cousin, Carlos Lezcano
, played for two seasons in the Major Leagues.
Lezcano is presently the batting coach for the Danville Braves
(the Rookie league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
).
Lezcano was mentioned by name in the song "Sixto (That's Who the Happy People Know)".
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta, and Florida. Arecibo is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo...
) is a retired 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 who played for 12 seasons as an 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...
in the Major Leagues
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...
between 1974 and 1985. He played for 5 different teams in the Majors and won a Gold Glove during his career.
Lezcano was originally signed as an amateur in 1970 by 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...
. After spending four seasons in their minor league system, Lezcano reached the big leagues for the first time in 1974. He became the Brewers' starting right fielder in 1975, a job he would hold for the next 6 seasons. He showed a particularly strong throwing arm in right field, and led American League outfielders in assist
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
s in 1978.
His best offensive numbers came in 1979, when he finished among the top 10 in the AL in 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 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, and finished with the third-highest slugging percentage in the American League. That season, he was honored for his defensive skills with the only Gold Glove of his major league career.
While with the Brewers, he became the only player in Major League Baseball history to hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
on Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
twice, doing so in both 1978 and 1980.
After the 1980 season, he was part of a blockbuster 7-player trade 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...
, being one of four players traded in exchange for Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
, Pete Vuckovich
Pete Vuckovich
Peter Dennis Vuckovich is a retired American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who came across as an intimidating presence on the mound with his 6'4" 220 lb frame and Fu Manchu moustache. Vuckovich was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1974...
, and Ted Simmons
Ted Simmons
Ted Lyle Simmons is an American former professional baseball player and coach. A switch-hitter, Simmons was a catcher for most of his Major League Baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals , the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves...
. He wasn't able to consistently crack the starting lineup in St. Louis, and batted .266 with the Cardinals in 1981.
He was involved in another major trade after the 1981 season, being traded to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
with Garry Templeton
Garry Templeton
Garry Lewis Templeton, nicknamed "Jumpsteady", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets from 1976 to 1991...
for Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne 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...
. He hit well in his first year with the Padres, and was among the top 10 in the NL in 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...
. However, his numbers fell off with the Padres in the 1983 season, and he lost his job in right field to a young Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
. He was eventually traded to the 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...
late in the year in exchange for 4 players to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
.
Lezcano joined a Phillies team which would go on to win the 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 in 1983. He platoon
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...
ed with Joe Lefebvre
Joe Lefebvre
Joseph Henry Lefebvre is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees , San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies , primarily as an outfielder...
during the postseason, and homered off Rick Honeycutt
Rick Honeycutt
Frederick Wayne "Rick" Honeycutt is the current pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Honeycutt was a left-handed pitcher for 21 years from 1977 to 1997. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals...
during the NLCS
1983 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series was a best-of-five matchup between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Phillies...
. He had one base hit in eight at-bats in the Phillies' World Series
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
loss.
He continued to platoon with Philadelphia in 1984 before leaving the team as a free agent. He signed for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in 1985 and served as one of the team's 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...
s. The Pirates released him in spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
before the 1986 season, which would end his Major League career. In 1987 he joined Japanese team Taiyō Whales
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
but he wasn't successful in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
His cousin, Carlos Lezcano
Carlos Lezcano
Carlos Manuel Lezcano , is a former professional baseball player who played outfielder in the Major Leagues from to for the Chicago Cubs. He is currently the manager of the Lake Elsinore Storm, a minor league affiliate of the San Diego Padres.He was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.-External links:...
, played for two seasons in the Major Leagues.
Lezcano is presently the batting coach for the Danville Braves
Danville Braves
The Danville Braves are a minor league baseball team in Danville, Virginia, USA. They are an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and have been a farm team of the Atlanta Braves since 1993. The Braves play home games at American Legion Post 325 Field...
(the Rookie league affiliate of 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....
).
Lezcano was mentioned by name in the song "Sixto (That's Who the Happy People Know)".