| Gonzalo Márquez | |
|---|---|
| First baseman/Outfielder | |
| Born:(1940-03-31)March 31, 1940 Carúpano,Sucre State,Venezuela | |
| Died: December 19, 1984(1984-12-19) (aged 44) La Victoria, Aragua,Venezuela | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 11, 1972, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 5, 1974, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .235 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 10 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Member of the Venezuelan | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2008 |
Gonzalo Enrique Márquez Moya (March 31, 1940 – December 19, 1984) was aVenezuelan professionalbaseball player. He played as afirst baseman inMajor League Baseball for theOakland Athletics (1972–73) andChicago Cubs (1973–74). Although baseball references during his career (and afterwards) showed the year of his birth as 1946, his birth certificate showed the true year to be 1940. Márquez presented an ID that showed 1946 when he turned professional.[1]
Márquez was a left-handed batter,hitting .235 (27-for-115) with onehome run, 10runs batted in, nineruns, threedoubles and onestolen base in 76 games. However, his skill as a contact hitter was visible in the postseason. In eight playoff and World Series games in 1972, he hit 5-for-8 for a .625 BA with two RBIs and one run scored. He's still well remembered by the Oakland fans for his contribution off the bench.
Marquez was also known as a fine fielder at first base. On May 5, 1973, against theCleveland Indians, he became the last left-handed player to be listed in the lineup card as a second baseman in a major-league game.[2] He did not appear in the field at second, though.
Márquez enjoyed a long career at home in theVenezuelan Winter League, nearly all of it with theLeones del Caracas club. He compiled a record of .288 with 16 homers and 295 RBI in 833 games, from 1965 to 1984. In the1970 Caribbean Series, he led all players with a .440 batting average and 4 stolen bases, to help theNavegantes del Magallanes win the series, marking the first time a Venezuelan team had taken the title.
Gonzalo Márquez was killed in a car accident as he was returning home from a baseball game in Valencia with two of his sons. He and the boys stopped for a roast pork sandwich at a nationally known roadside eatery, but another car prevented them from leaving the parking lot. Once Marquez did get back out onto the road, a drunk driver struck his car. Marquez died (though the two boys survived).