| Vladimir Guerrero | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Guerrero with the Los Angeles Angels in 2007 | |
| Right fielder /Designated hitter | |
| Born: (1975-02-09)February 9, 1975 (age 50) Nizao, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 19, 1996, for the Montreal Expos | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 2011, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .318 |
| Hits | 2,590 |
| Home runs | 449 |
| Runs batted in | 1,496 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2018 |
| Vote | 92.9% (second ballot) |
Vladimir Guerrero Alvino[a] (born February 9, 1975), nicknamed "Vlad the Impaler",[1] is a Dominican former professionalbaseball player who spent 16 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as aright fielder anddesignated hitter. He played for theMontreal Expos (1996–2003),Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004–2009),Texas Rangers (2010), andBaltimore Orioles (2011).[2]
A nine-timeAll-Star, Guerrero was widely recognized for his impressive offensive production—regularly hitting for power and average—as well as his defensive range and strong throwing arm.[3] In 2004, he was voted theAmerican League (AL)Most Valuable Player (MVP). Guerrero helped lead the Angels to fiveAL West championships between 2004 and 2009 and was voted one of the most feared hitters in baseball in a 2008 poll of all 30 major leaguemanagers.[4]
Regarded as the game's premier "bad-ball hitter", Guerrero consistently hit balls thrown well outside thestrike zone, a skill evident on August 14, 2009, when he hit a pitch after it bounced in front ofhome plate.[5] With his aggressive batting style, he hit more than 30home runs (HR) in each of 8 seasons and surpassed 100runs batted in (RBI) 10 times, though he had just 2 seasons with at least 65walks.[2] In the first pitch of an at-bat, Guerrero hit 126 home runs and put 1,780 balls in play.[6]
On September 26, 2011, Guerrero surpassedJulio Franco as the all-time MLB leader for hits by a Dominican player, a record since broken byAdrián Beltré in 2014. In2018, Guerrero was inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame.[7] In 2021, Guerrero and his sonVladimir Jr. became the second father-son duo in MLB history to each have a 40-home run season in their careers, joiningCecil andPrince Fielder.[8] His .318 career batting average is the highest of any player who primarily played in the 21st century.
Guerrero was raised inDon Gregorio, Dominican Republic, in a house made of mud and brick and apalm-leaf roof. Guerrero's mother, Altagracia, made money sellingfood on the street untilHurricane David ravaged the country in 1979. After the hurricane, his mother traveled between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in order to find work, while Guerrero and his siblings were in the care of a great aunt.[9]
One of nine children, Guerrero is the younger brother of ex-major leaguerWilton Guerrero of theMontreal Expos, where the two were teammates for several seasons.[10] Guerrero and his brothers played baseball using makeshiftgloves assembled from milk cartons and socks filled with plastic bags asbaseballs. Guerrero did not own a real baseball glove until he was 15 years old, when he received one from his older brother, a minor leaguer.[9] Guerrero's brothers, Eleazar and Julio Cesar, played in thefarm systems of theBoston Red Sox andLos Angeles Dodgers, respectively.[9] Guerrero is also the cousin of minor leaguers Armando Guerrero[11] and Cristian Guerrero, and the uncle of major leaguerGabriel Guerrero.[12]
As a teenager, Guerrero worked out for the Dodgers at their baseball complex in the Dominican Republic but he was ultimately sent home after eight months without a contract.[9] In 1993, scoutArturo DeFreites convinced theMontreal Expos to sign Guerrero for $2,100 (equivalent to $4,600 in 2024).[9] During the process he lied about his age, claiming to be born February 9, 1976. It was not until March 2009 that he inadvertently revealed that he was born in 1975.[13]
Guerrero was signed by theMontreal Expos as anunsigned amateur free agent, on March 1, 1993. He advanced quickly through the Expos'Minor League Baseball (MiLB)farm system, making his MLB debut on September 19, 1996. That night, Guerrero went 1-for-5 at the plate; his first big leaguehit, asingle tocenter field, came againstAtlanta Bravesstarting pitcherSteve Avery, in the top of the fourthinning, atAtlanta–Fulton County Stadium.[14] Two nights later, on September 21, 1996, BravescloserMark Wohlers yielded Guerrero's first careerhome run (HR) — a ninth-inning blast that capped Montreal's scoring, in a 5–4 loss. That contest is also significant, in that it marks Guerrero's first multi-hit game.[15]
Guerrero was criticized during his first full season, in 1997 (he had played only nine games, in 1996), for being too aggressive at the plate. Nonetheless, he put up solid numbers for arookie, batting .302, with 11 home runs and 40runs batted in (RBI), in just 325at bats (AB).
Guerrero led all big league outfielders inerrors, in 1997 (12; tied), 1998 (17), 1999 (19), 2000 (10; tied), and 2001 (12; tied). He also led all NL outfielders in errors in 2002 (10), and led all AL outfielders in 2006 (11), and 2007 (nine).[16]
Scorn for Guerrero's free-swinging ways changed into admiration, in 1998. While he continued to swing at pitches that were clearlyballs, he also continued to hit them with authority. In one instance, Guerrero got a base hit off a pitch that bounced before arriving at home plate. His superior hand-eye coordination and prodigious strength allowed him to be unusually aggressive at the plate, but still put up high batting averages year after year. Despite Guerrero's freeswinging style, he never struck out 100 times in a season.
Guerrero batted .324, with 38 home runs, and 109 RBI, in 1998. Before the end of the 1998 season, he agreed to a $28 million deal.[17] Guerrero represented the Expos at the 1999 All-Star Game. During the 1999 season, he maintained a 31-gamehitting streak‚ the longest in the majors in 12 years.[18] Guerrero finished 1999 with 131 RBI, and in 2000, he hit 44 home runs; both figures are career highs.
On July 7, 2001, Guerrero threw outAlberto Castillo in one of the best throws in MLB history.[19] After abase hit by Toronto, Castillo, then a baserunner on second base, saw an opportunity to score a run, as the batter had hit the ball well into deep right field. Guerrero caught the ball off a bounce and threw it to hiscatcher, who caught it squarely. Castillo was tagged out short of home plate.[20] The throw's distance has been estimated to have been roughly three hundred feet, with its vertical arch peaking at merely 21 feet.[21]
Guerrero posted similar or slightly improved numbers through the 2002 season. He had also developed a running game, stealing 37 bases in 2001. Guerrero also hit 34 home runs, joining the30–30 club for the first time in his career and leading the major leagues inpower-speed number (35.4).[22]
In 2002, Guerrero led the National League with 206 base hits and 364total bases. He also stole a career-high 40 bases and fell one home run short of becoming the fourth member of the40–40 club. He became the first player in major league history to hit 30 home runs, steal 40 bases, and hit above .330 in one season. However, Guerrero led the majors in timescaught stealing (20).
Guerrero's 2003 season was shortened due to a back injury. In 394 at-bats, he hit .330, with 25 home runs and 79 RBIs. Because of the injury, some in the media thought signing him would be a risk. While Guerrero was playing injured, though, he still managed tohit for the cycle, on September 14, 2003. He would be the final Expo to hit for the cycle before their relocation to Washington after the 2004 season.
Throughout his career, Guerrero set single season Expos records inbatting average,slugging,on-base plus slugging (OPS), home runs, RBI,total bases (TB),hits,extra base hits (XBH),TOB,IBB, as well as several other records. He is the all time Expos career leader in batting (.323), homers (234), slugging (.588), and OPS (.978).[23] Guerrero won theMontreal Expos Player of the Year award in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002.
Guerrero was afree agent for the first time after the 2003 season, and signed a five-year, $70 million deal that included a mutual $15 million option for a sixth year with theAnaheim Angels on January 14, 2004, after being courted by several teams. The owner of the Angels,Arte Moreno, was the firstHispanic and Latino American controlling owner of a Major League ball club, and Guerrero cited Moreno's heritage as a motivating factor for choosing the Angels over other teams.[24]
During his first season with Angels, Guerrero led his club, and in some cases the American League (AL), in several offensive categories, including 124 runs (set new club record and led the AL), 13 outfield assists (Tied for 1st in AL), 366 total bases (tied club record and led AL), and a season ending batting average of .337 (3rd in AL). He was the second player in club history with .300/30/100 numbers. Among AL leaders, he finished in the top 10 of 20 major offensive categories,which led to Guerrero being voted the Gene Autry Trophy (Team MVP) by his teammates. Making his fifth MLB All-Star game appearance in July, he led AL outfielders with 3,024,870 votes and was the first Angel outfielder to be a starter since Reggie Jackson in 1984.
Guerrero continued his offensive dominance in September, earning American League Player of the Month after batting .371 with 24 runs scored, six doubles, a triple, 10 home runs and 23 RBI. Guerrero was clutch down the stretch. Over the final seven games of the season, his 10 runs, six home runs and 11 RBI helped the Angels overcome a 3-game deficit, which ultimately led to an American League West Division Crown.
Down the stretch of the2004 MLB season, Guerrero was impressive.Mike Scioscia, the Angels manager, said that Guerrero "really carried us on his back" in the last month of the season, as the Angels overtook first place from the falteringOakland Athletics who finished the season one game behind in the standings. Guerrero leading the Angels to their first Western Division title since 1986 (The Angels won the2002 World Series as theAmerican LeagueWild Card). These late-season heroics led to Guerrero being chosen as the second Angel to win the ALMVP in franchise history. He finished with 354 points, 100 more than second-place finisher Gary Sheffield.
In the opening best-of-5 round of the playoffs, the Angels were swept by theBoston Red Sox, and Guerrero had an odd batting line: just a .167 average, but six RBIs in three games. He would also have a grand slam in Game 3.
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The Angels won the Western Division again in 2005, with Guerrero batting .317 with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs in 520 at bats. Late in the season, Guerrero became the 12th player to hit his 300th home run before the age of 30 (along withHank Aaron,Jimmie Foxx,Mickey Mantle,Eddie Mathews,Harmon Killebrew,Mel Ott,Frank Robinson,Alex Rodriguez,Ken Griffey Jr.,Juan González, andAndruw Jones, who achieved the mark about the same time as Guerrero).
Guerrero had an up-and-down 2005 postseason, batting .389 inALDS victory over theNew York Yankees, but just .050 in theALCS against the eventual world championChicago White Sox. He fared better in a national TV ad forPepsi with theYankees' third basemanAlex Rodriguez; the two engaged in a personal home run competition that ended up with the moon being broken. Guerrero also appeared at Game Four of the 2005 World Series, where he was introduced as a member of Major League Baseball'sLatino Legends Team.
Guerrero recorded his 1,000th career RBI on July 15, 2006, at home against theTampa Bay Devil Rays.
Making his 8thMajor League Baseball All-Star Game appearance, Guerrero subsequently won his first careerHome Run Derby in the2007 season, highlighted by a 503-foot (153 m) home run. He is the third Angel to win the Derby (afterWally Joyner in 1986, andGarret Anderson in 2003). Guerrero was chosen for the All-Star Game in each of his first four seasons with the Angels (2004–2007).
Guerrero and the Angels exercised their mutual option and Guerrero remained with the team for a sixth year in 2009. Guerrero's stellar fielding talent dwindled in the later 2000s due to age and injuries, prompting the long-timeoutfielder to be reassigned as adesignated hitter at the start of the2009 season.[25]
In 2009, Guerrero was named number 37 on theSporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball. A panel of 100 baseball people, many of them members of theBaseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards, was polled to arrive at the list.[26]
On August 10, Guerrero hit his 400th career home run offTampa Bay RayspitcherRuss Springer.[27] On August 26, he recorded his 1,000th careerhit as an Angel, asingle offDetroit Tigers pitcherEdwin Jackson. This hit made Guerrero only the fourth player (followingFrank Robinson,Dave Winfield, andFred McGriff) to record 1,000 hits as both a National League playerand as an American League player.[28]
On October 11, in the ninth inning, Guerrero delivered a two-run single, offJonathan Papelbon of theBoston Red Sox, scoringBobby Abreu andChone Figgins. The clutch base knock gave the Angels a 7–6 lead and eventually the win to finally advance to the ALCS, beating the Red Sox for the first time ever in the postseason.[29]
2009 was the first time that Guerrero had abatting average below .300 (.295), anOPS below .800 (.794), or adoubles total less than 20 (16).
On January 11, 2010, Guerrero signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with incentives and a 2011 option with theTexas Rangers.
He broke up a no-hitter byShaun Marcum in the seventh inning of theOpening Day game against theToronto Blue Jays on April 5, 2010.[30]On May 6, 2010, Guerrero hit two home runs versus theKansas City Royals to secure a 13–12 win. On May 13, 2010, Guerrero's walk off line drive to left field won the final game of a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics in the bottom of the 12th. On May 25, 2010, he hit two more home runs to secure another win over theKansas City Royals. On June 30, 2010, against his former team, theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Guerrero hit two home runs and went 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs.
Guerrero wound up appearing in 152 games with a batting average of .300, 29 home runs and 115 RBIs. He earned aSilver Slugger Award in the regular season for a Texas Rangers club that wound up winning itsdivision and ultimately,the first pennant in Rangers history. He also won theEdgar Martínez Award and earned his ninth invitation to the All-Star Game.[2] On October 22, 2010, Guerrero drove in 3 runs during game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees, capturing the first American League pennant for the Texas Rangers.[31] In the2010 World Series, facing theSan Francisco Giants, Guerrero was the starting right fielder for Game 1 in San Francisco. He didn't play in Game 2 but when the series went back to Texas, he played as the designated hitter. He batted .071 with just one hit while driving in two runs as the Rangers lost the series in five games.[32] On November 3, the Rangers declined to pick up Guerrero's 2011 option making him a free agent.
Guerrero signed a one-year, $8 millioncontract with theBaltimore Orioles on February 18, 2011.[33] He became the all-time MLB hits leader amongDominican-born players when hesingled offJosh Beckett in the sixthinning of a 6–3 victory over theBoston Red Sox atCamden Yards on September 26, 2011.[34] In 2011, Guerrero hit .290, his lowest batting average since his rookie year with theMontreal Expos in 1996. He also had 13 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 163 base hits for the Orioles.
Guerrero remained unsigned by any team going into the2012 Major League Baseball season, leading to much speculation about his potential retirement, though Guerrero insisted that he would not retire.[35] On May 10, 2012, Guerrero signed a minor league contract with theToronto Blue Jays.[36] During his first game for the Class-ADunedin Blue Jays on Sunday May 27, 2012, Guerrero hit a home run.[37] Guerrero played in 4 games for Dunedin, with 9 hits in 20 at bats, including 4 home runs and was then promoted to the Triple-ALas Vegas 51s. With the 51s he played in 8 games, with 10 hits in 33 at-bats (.303 avg). He asked for, and was granted, his release on June 12, 2012.[38]
He started playing in the Dominican Professional Baseball League with the San Pedro de Macorís teamEstrellas Orientales. On November 4, 2012, Guerrero came back to theLiga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana withTigres del Licey.[39] He played only eight games with Tigres logging a batting average of .188 without a home run. On November 20, 2012, Guerrero quit the team after he was informed by team management that he would be used only as a pinch hitter.[40]
On April 4, 2013, Guerrero signed with theLong Island Ducks of theAtlantic League.[41] He informed the team that he had family issues to attend to and would not be joining them to start the season. He never appeared with the team in the 2013 season.
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On March 31, 2014, Guerrero signed a one-day contract with theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim and officially retired from professional baseball.[42] Having played his last game in 2011, he became eligible for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017 and was inducted in 2018 along withChipper Jones,Jim Thome, andTrevor Hoffman, earning 92.9% of the vote.[43] Guerrero is the first member of the Hall to be depicted with an Angels cap, even though he appeared in more games (1004-846) and played in more seasons (8-6) as a Montreal Expo.
In 2,147 games over 16 seasons, Guerrero posted a .318batting average (2,590 for 8,155) with 1,328runs, 477doubles, 46triples, 449home runs, 1,496RBI, 181stolen bases, 737bases on balls, .379on-base percentage, and .553slugging percentage. Defensively, he finished his career with a .963fielding percentage. In 44 postseason games, he hit .263 (45-for-171) with 17 runs, seven doubles, two home runs, 20 RBI, two stolen bases, and 14 walks.[2]
Guerrero batted without wearingbatting gloves, a custom rarely seen in modern baseball. In an interview withYahoo! Sports, he attributed this to helping his grandfather pull cows home barehanded as a young boy in the Dominican Republic.[44] To improve his grip on the bat, Guerrero coated his helmet withpine tar and rubbed his helmet before going to the on-deck circle. As the season progressed, his batting helmet would become covered in the substance.[45][46]
Guerrero batted over .300 from 1997 to 2008. He drove in over 100 runs every season between 1998 and 2007, except for 2003. Along with his 2004 MVP season, he finished 6th (2000), 4th (2002), 3rd (2005), 9th (2006), and 3rd (2007) in MVP voting.[2]
In 2008, Guerrero swung at a higher percentage of pitches outside the strike zone, 45.5%, than any other hitter in major league baseball up to that time.[47] This resulted in significantly fewer balls taken by Guerrero compared to other batters of his caliber, although did reduce the percentage of strikes Guerrero took.[48]
Guerrero had a 44-game hitting streak exclusively against the Texas Rangers, from 2004 to 2006, the longest such player-vs.-team streak in MLB history, since 1969.[49] The streak occurred over his first 44 appearances against the Rangers. The streak finally came to an end in August 2006 in a game in which Guerrero was intentionally walked three times, walked four times overall, and finished 0-for-1. He decimated Ranger pitching over the course of his major league career, putting up a career batting line of .395/.461/.661/1.122, with 25 home runs, 34doubles, and 70 RBI, in 108games played.[50] During the 2009 postseason,Cal Ripken Jr. commented during a TBS postgame report that Guerrero was "the best bad-ball hitter I've ever seen". On one occasion in a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Guerrero hit a pitch that bounced in the dirt before home plate. Even more unusual, his bat struck the ground as well before hitting the ball.[5]
Guerrero was named to theDominican Republic's roster for the2006 World Baseball Classic, although he eventually withdrew due to the death of three cousins in a car accident immediately before the tournament.[51]
Guerrero has eight children with five different women.[52]His son,Vladimir Jr., was born inMontreal in 1999[53][54] during the elder Guerrero's time with the Expos.[55] Vladimir Jr. signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 2, 2015, made his major league debut on April 26, 2019, and won the All-Star Game MVP on July 13, 2021.[55][56][57] Another son, Pablo Guerrero, signed with theTexas Rangers as an international free agent in January 2023.[58] Another son, Vladimir Miguel Guerrero, signed with the New York Mets on January 15, 2024.[59]
Guerrero has provided job opportunities in his hometown in theDominican Republic through his business ventures: a concrete-block factory, a propane distribution company, a supermarket, a livestock and vegetable farm, and a women's clothing store.[60]
Vlad Guerrero hits a one-bounce pitch and bloops one into shallow outfield while the Angels score on O's throwing error
On Sunday, Guerrero and Trevor Hoffman will join Alan Trammell, Jack Morris, Chipper Jones and Jim Thome as the 2018 inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Aug 27, 1999 - The Reds defeat the Expos‚ 4-1. In the process, Cincinnati P Ron Villone stops OF Vladimir Guerrero's 31-game hitting streak‚ the longest in the majors in 12 years. Guerrero grounds to short‚ is intentionally walked‚ and fouls out in his 3 at bats.
The latter mark made him only the fourth player ever to record at least 1,000 hits in both the American and National League.
#1. October 11, 2009: ALDS Game 3 (Angels v Red Sox) In 2009, for the fourth time in six years, the Angels were matched up against the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. Many things had transpired in the 5 years and 3 days since the 2004 ALDS ended. The Red Sox won the World Series twice and the Anaheim Angels became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Also, the Angels, having won Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim, had a chance to finally vanquish the BoSox in the playoffs. The Angels entered the top of the 9th in Game 3 down 6-4 with Boston's closer Jonathan Papelbon on the mound. The Red Sox closer got two outs on the first two batters and had an 0-2 count on Eric Aybar. The Angels shortstop, however, managed a single to center field. After a 7-pitch walk to Chone Figgins, Bobby Abreu delivered a run-scoring double. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, Torii Hunter was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Vladimir Guerrero. Papelbon, who had entered the game in the 8th inning, had already thrown 31 pitches. Guerrero, a career .363 hitter when hitting the first pitch, didn't wait beyond #32. Vladdy promptly swatted a first pitch 95 mile per hour fastball into center field for a 2-run, go ahead single. The Angels' 3-game sweep of the BoSox was sweet revenge over the team that had eliminated them in the ALDS matchups of '04, '07 and '08.
While he insisted during the 2012 offseason that he would not retire, he drew little interest as a free agent, ultimately signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays and appeared in just four games before asking for his release.
Aug 5, 2006 - The Rangers finally figure out how to hold Vladimir Guerrero hitless: walk him. He goes 0-for-1 but scores 3 runs on 4 walks as Anaheim wins, 10-3. This snaps Guererro's 44-game hitting streak against Texas extending over the past three seasons he's faced them. He hit in all 18 games in each of the past two seasons, and the first eight of this year.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | National League Player of the Month July 1998 August 1999 April 2000 April 2002 August 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle September 14, 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | American League Player of the Month September 2004 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
