| Matty Alou | |
|---|---|
 Alou in 1971 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born:(1938-12-22)December 22, 1938 Haina, Dominican Republic | |
| Died: November 3, 2011(2011-11-03) (aged 72) Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| Professional debut | |
| MLB: September 26, 1960, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| NPB: July 26, 1974, for the Taiheiyo Club Lions | |
| Last appearance | |
| MLB: June 21, 1974, for the San Diego Padres | |
| NPB: September 5, 1976, for the Taiheiyo Club Lions | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .307 |
| Home runs | 31 |
| Runs batted in | 427 |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .283 |
| Home runs | 14 |
| Runs batted in | 75 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Mateo "Matty" Rojas Alou (December 22, 1938 – November 3, 2011)[1] was aDominican professionalbaseball player andmanager.[2] He played as anoutfielder inMajor League Baseball from 1960 to 1974. He also played inNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with theTaiheiyo Club Lions from 1974 through 1976.[3] Alou was a two-time All-Star and the 1966National League batting champion.[2]
Alou was the middle of a trio ofbaseball-playing brothers that included the olderFelipe and youngerJesús.[4] They were the first set of threesiblings to all bat in the same half-inning in the majors (September 10),[5] and play together in the same outfield (on September 15),[6] accomplishing both with the Giants in1963. The latter achievement happened in the last two innings of a 13–5 win over thePittsburgh Pirates atForbes Field, with starting right fielder Felipe first moving to left in the seventh inning when Jesús entered the game in right and then to center in the eighth when Matty was inserted in left.[7] Matty had been teammates with Felipe during the prior three campaigns, and was likewise with Jesús for the following two. Matty and Felipe later reunited with the Yankees in 1973.[8]
Alou's best years as a player were spent with the Pirates, where he won theNational League (NL)batting title in1966 and was a two-timeAll-Star in1968 and1969. He was a member of aWorld Series Champion with the Athletics in 1972 and a NLpennant winner with the Giants in1962.
Alou was born inHaina,Dominican Republic. He was a platoon player for the Giants for several years and was mostly unremarkable. His finest moment in San Francisco came in1962 when his pinch-hit bunt single in the final game of a three-game tie-breaking playoff against theLos Angeles Dodgers began the rally that won the game and the pennant for the Giants. Hebatted .333 in the Giants' losing effort against the Yankees in the1962 World Series. While he was primarily an outfielder, Alou also appeared in one game in 1965 as apitcher, pitching two scoreless innings.[9]
After being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates before the1966 season Alou received instruction from expert hitting instructorHarry "the Hat" Walker that helped turn him into a high-average contact hitter. This earned him a starting job as an integral member of a Pirates team which included future Baseball Hall of Fame membersRoberto Clemente,Bill Mazeroski andWillie Stargell. The Pirates fought theLos Angeles Dodgers andSan Francisco Giants in a tight pennant race and were in first place on September 10, before they faltered to finish the season in third place for a second consecutive year.[10] Alou won the 1966 NL batting title with a .342 average, with his brother Felipe finishing second, and finished in the top five in hitting four more times - in1967–1969,1971.
His contract was sold by theSt. Louis Cardinals to theSan Diego Padres on October 24, 1973,[11]
In 1969 Alou led the major leagues in at-bats (698), doubles (41), and hits (231). His 231 hits in 1969 remain the highest total by any National League player sinceJoe Medwick's 237 in 1937.[12]
After leaving the Major Leagues following the1974 season, he played three seasons inJapan (Taiheiyo Club Lions) and managed in theDominican Professional Baseball League.
On June 23,2007, theHispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame inducted Alou into their Hall of Fame during an on-field,pre-game ceremony at AT&T Park before a game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees.
Alou died inSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic as the result of diabetic complications, according to his former Dominican team,Leones del Escogido.The Giants confirmed Alou had had variety of health issues for several years.[13]
Alou was honored in New York City by the naming of Matty Alou Way in Upper Manhattan'sInwood Hill Park neighborhood in October 2015.[14]
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