| David Concepción | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Shortstop | |
| Born: (1948-06-17)June 17, 1948 (age 77) Ocumare de la Costa, Venezuela | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 6, 1970, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 15, 1988, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Hits | 2,326 |
| Home runs | 101 |
| Runs batted in | 950 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Venezuelan | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2003 |
David Ismael Concepción Benitez (born June 17, 1948) is aVenezuelan former professionalbaseball player andmanager. He played his entire career inMajor League Baseball as ashortstop for theCincinnati Reds dynasty that won fourNational League pennants and twoWorld Series championships between1970 and1976.
A nine-time All-Star player, Concepción earned fiveGold Glove Awards as he teamed withJoe Morgan for one of the best middle-infield combinations of their era.[1] He also won twoSilver Slugger Awards and was named the MVP of the1982 All-Star Game. In 2000, Concepción was inducted into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and in 2007, the team retired Concepción's uniform #13.[1][2]
Concepción was born in Ocumare de la Costa,Aragua State,Venezuela, the son of a truck driver[3] and his wife, Ernestina.[4] He attended Agustin Codazzi High School. After high school, he worked as a bank teller[5] and played part-time for the localTigres de Aragua baseball team. His coach,Wilfredo Calviño, was also a Cincinnati Reds' scout, and Calviño signed Concepción to a Reds' contract in 1967.[3]
Following the steps of his childhood heroesChico Carrasquel andLuis Aparicio, Jr., Concepción, originally drafted as a pitcher, came out of Venezuela to become one of the Reds' and the National League's greatest all-time shortstops. He made his big-league debut at the age of 21 on April 6, 1970, starting at shortstop and going 0-for-4 as the Reds defeated theMontreal Expos, 5–1.[6] He went 0-for-4 again the next day against theLos Angeles Dodgers before getting his first hit on April 8, a seventh-inning double off Dodgers pitcher (and future Reds teammate)Fred Norman.[7]
In his first three seasons, Reds managerSparky Anderson played him part-time, sharing duties withWoody Woodward andDarrel Chaney. In one of those appearances, in 1971, he was the only team member to reach base safely when the Reds wereno-hit by thePhiladelphia Phillies'Rick Wise; a sixth-inning walk spoiled what would have been aperfect game. In 1973, Concepción blossomed, both at bat and in the field, being named the starting shortstop. On May 9, in a Reds 9–7 victory over thePhiladelphia Phillies,Johnny Bench hit threehome runs and drove in seven runs against pitcherSteve Carlton. It was the second time that Bench smashed three homers against Carlton in a game. However, a Concepción two-run tie-breaker homer in the ninth, offBarry Lersch, was the game-winner. Concepción had been named to the NLAll-Star team, but on July 22, two days before the game he dislocated his knee and broke his leg (sliding into third base after moving from first base withDenis Menke base hit against the Expos in the bottom of the seventh inning at Riverfront, fracturing the fibula of left leg) and missed the second half of the year. At this time, he wasbatting .287, with 8 home runs, 46RBI, 39runs, 18doubles, threetriples and 22stolen bases.
Concepción returned in 1974 and played 160 games. He enjoyed his best overall season, batting .281, with 14 home runs and 82 RBI, as well as winning his first of fiveGold Glove Awards.
By 1975, Concepción joinedPete Rose,Johnny Bench,Joe Morgan,Tony Pérez,Ken Griffey, Sr.,George Foster andCésar Gerónimo in the famous "Great Eight" starting lineup ofThe Big Red Machine that would help the Reds win the next twoWorld Series titles. Even after Concepción had established himself in the major leagues as a star shortstop, he continued to play winter ball in Venezuela, helping to improve his batting. After his .274, 5, 49 totals in the 1975 Major League season, Concepción posted marks of: .281, 9, 69 (1976); .271, 8, 64 (1977); .301, 6, 67 (1978); .281, 16, 84 (1979); .260, 5, 77 (1980); .306, 5, 67 (1981); and .287, 5, 53 (1982).
On July 13, 1982, the first All-Star Game outside of the United States was held atMontreal'sOlympic Stadium. Concepción hit a two-run homer to help the National League to a 4–1 win (the NL's 11th straight victory and 19th in the last 20 contests). Concepción was named the game'sMost Valuable Player.
Later in his career, Concepción worked with Tony Pérez and perfected the one-bounce throw to first base. Concepción was the first shortstop to use this method to take advantage of the smooth artificial turf atRiverfront Stadium and other parks in the National League.
Hampered by age, an elbow injury and shoulder surgery in 1982, Concepción had consecutive sub-par seasons from 1983 to 1984. GroomingBarry Larkin as his successor, he became a dependable handyman at all four infield positions. He was replaced by Larkin in 1986, only 44 games away fromLarry Bowa's NL record for shortstops.
In 1988, which would be his 19th and final season with the Reds, manager Pete Rose sent Concepción in to pitch 1.1 innings inDodger Stadium late in a blow-out game. He gave up two hits, no runs, and struck out one batter. The Reds released Concepción after the 1988 season. He attempted a 20th Major League season in 1989, trying out for theCalifornia Angels,[8] but he failed to make the roster and retired from playing at the age of 40.[3]
Concepcion ranks second in Cincinnati Reds history in career games played and at-bats; third in hits, doubles and stolen bases; and fifth in runs scored and total bases.[1] He and his successor at shortstopBarry Larkin share the franchise record with 19 seasons played in a Reds uniform.[1]
After retiring in 1989, he served as manager of theTigres de Aragua in theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League.
Concepción resides with his wife, Delia, in Urbanizacion El Castaño, a community inMaracay, Venezuela[9] at the base of the mountains nearHenri Pittier National Park. They have three grown children, sons David Alejandro and David Eduardo, and daughter Daneska.[3] Concepción owns a farm as well as a trucking business.[4]
On August 25, 2007, the Cincinnati Reds held apre-game ceremony to retire Concepción's number 13.
Joining him were several other all-time Reds greats whose numbers were retired, including former teammates Tony Pérez, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and manager Sparky Anderson as well as former teammates Ken Griffey and George Foster. Concepción has said that he originally chose that number to honor his mother, Ernestina, who was born in 1913.[10] It was the first occasion in Major League history that the number 13 was retired by a team.
His number 13 was also retired by the Venezuelan team for which he played 20 years of winter ball, Tigres de Aragua of Maracay.[4] In 2014, he was named vice president of the club.[9] He is a member of the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame.[4]
In 2014, Concepción returned to Cincinnati to serve as grand marshal of the annual opening day Findlay Market Parade, and later he and his successor at shortstop for the Reds, Barry Larkin, threw the ceremonial first pitches prior to the Reds' season opener.[9]
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