Omar Enrique Vizquel González (; born April 24, 1967), nicknamed "Little O", is a
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
n former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
. During his 24-year
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) career, Vizquel played for the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
,
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
,
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
,
Texas Rangers,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
, and
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
. In Venezuela he played for
Leones del Caracas
The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...
. From 2014 to 2017, he was the
Detroit Tigers' first-base, infield and baserunning coach. He was manager for the
Toros de Tijuana of the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
.
Widely considered one of baseball's all-time best fielding shortstops, Vizquel won 11
Gold Glove Awards
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
, including nine consecutive from 1993 to 2001. Among shortstops, his .985
fielding percentage is tied for highest all-time, he is the all-time leader in games played, and the all-time leader in
double plays turned. Vizquel tied
Cal Ripken Jr.'s
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
record for most consecutive games at shortstop without an error (95, between September 26, 1999, and July 21, 2000), since surpassed.
Vizquel ranked as the all-time hits leader among players from Venezuela (2,877; 44th
all-time) until May 12, 2021, when he was surpassed by
Miguel Cabrera
José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since his debut in 2003 he has been a two-t ...
. Vizquel has third-most hits all time among shortstops, behind
Derek Jeter and
Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...
. Vizquel is also the career sacrifice hits leader of the
live-ball era.
At the time of his retirement, Vizquel was the oldest position player in the Major Leagues, and the only active position player with service time in the 1980s. The other was long time starting pitcher Jamie Moyer. He is one of only
29 players in baseball history to play in Major League games in four decades, and the only one who played shortstop. On May 7, 2012, Vizquel became the oldest player to play at shortstop in Major League history, surpassing
Bobby Wallace, who played 12 games with the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
at the age of 44 in 1918.
Vizquel was the last active player in any of the major North American professional sports leagues to have played in the 1980s.
Starting in 2020, various allegations of domestic abuse and sexual assault emerged against him.
Professional career
Seattle Mariners
Vizquel started his career with the
Leones del Caracas
The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...
of the
Venezuelan Winter League together with
Tony Armas
Antonio Rafael Armas Machado (born July 2, 1953) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1976 to 1989. He is the father of pitcher Tony Armas Jr. and the older brother o ...
,
Bo Díaz
Baudilio José Díaz Seijas (March 23, 1953 – November 23, 1990) was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently with the Cleveland Indians where he rose to prominence ...
and
Andrés Galarraga
Andrés José Padovani Galarraga (; born June 18, 1961) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball first baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos (– and ), St. Louis Cardinals (), Colorado Rockies (–), At ...
. He learned to switch hit from
Bill Plummer who managed Vizquel with the Leones del Caracas, in 1986–87 and 1988–89, and coached and managed the Mariners. Originally signed by the Mariners as a
non-drafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 1984, Vizquel made his Major League debut on April 3, 1989. Batting ninth in the lineup, he went 0-for-3 while making five assists, a double play and an error in a 3–2 loss to the
Oakland Athletics. Three nights later, he collected his first career hit in the third inning against
Storm Davis with a single, later scoring on a
Darnell Coles
Darnell Coles (born June 2, 1962) is an American professional baseball player and current hitting coach for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball primarily as a third baseman an ...
double, although the Mariners lost 11–3 to the Athletics.
Cleveland Indians
At the end of the 1993 season, Vizquel was traded by the Mariners to the Indians for
Félix Fermín,
Reggie Jefferson, and cash. During Vizquel's career in Cleveland, the Indians made it to the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
twice, losing to the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...
in
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
and to the
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The fran ...
in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
. Vizquel is a lifetime .250 hitter in 57 postseason games.
Vizquel won nine consecutive Gold Gloves with the Mariners and Indians, starting with his first in 1993 with Seattle and continuing until 2001.
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
broke Vizquel's streak and won the award in 2002. Vizquel won two additional Gold Gloves in 2005 and 2006 with the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...
.
In 1999, Vizquel hit over .300 and scored 100 runs for the first time in his career, finishing the season with a .333 batting average and 112 runs scored for an Indians team that scored a league-leading 1,009 runs. Vizquel hit second in the line-up between lead-off man
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th amon ...
and third-place hitter
Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez (; ; born February 5, 1968)
is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, and Arizon ...
in the most productive offensive line-up in Cleveland baseball history. This line-up also included power hitters
Jim Thome
James Howard Thome (; born August 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball corner infielder and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). He played for six different teams during the ...
and
Manny Ramirez.
On August 5, 2001, Vizquel hit a three-run triple in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners to tie the game 14–14, capping a comeback from a 14–2 deficit. The Indians went on to win 15–14 in 11 innings, tying the record for the largest comeback win in history. Vizquel reached career highs in 2002 hitting 14 homers and 72 RBI, but his success was interrupted by the need for surgery on his right knee. He tied the
2002 All-Star Game 7–7 with an RBI triple in the eighth inning. As a result of his knee injury in 2002 and a follow-up operation, he appeared in only 64 games in 2003. In a game on May 27, 2003, Vizquel had a straight steal of home against the
Detroit Tigers. He caught Tigers pitcher
Steve Avery by surprise and made it home without a throw. Vizquel returned in 2004 to hit .291 in 148 games. At the end of the season, Vizquel was signed by the Giants as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
.
San Francisco Giants
On June 23, 2007, the
Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum was founded in San Francisco, California on October 24, 1998, by Amaury Pi-Gonzalez Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is a Spanish language Major League Baseball announcer. He is the only major league baseball announcer to h ...
Hall of Fame inducted Vizquel, along with former Giants
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...
Matty Alou
Mateo "Matty" Rojas Alou (December 22, 1938 – November 3, 2011) was a Dominican former professional baseball player and manager. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1974. He also played in Nippon Professiona ...
, into its Hall of Fame during an on-field,
pre-game ceremony
A pre-game ceremony or pre-match ceremony is an on-field ceremony occurring before a sporting event. Such ceremonies may celebrate a past event, honour a retiring athlete, commemorate a deceased athlete, or promote a cause.
Celebrating past event ...
. For the 13th and final time, Vizquel finished in the top ten in sacrifice hits, having 14 to finish 2nd along with
John Maine
John Kevin Maine (born May 8, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted and threw right-handed.
Early life and co ...
behind
Juan Pierre
Juan D'Vaughn Pierre (born August 14, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000–2013 for the Colorado Rockies, Florida/Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ch ...
.
Vizquel underwent
arthroscopic
Arthroscopy (also called arthroscopic or keyhole surgery) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage is performed using an arthroscope, an endoscope that is inserted into the j ...
knee surgery on February 27, 2008. He started the 2008 season on the
disabled list and played in his first game on May 10. Vizquel stole home for the second time in his career against
Oakland Athletics pitcher
Greg Smith on June 13.
Vizquel won the
Hutch Award
The Hutch Award is given annually to an active Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire" of Fred Hutchinson, by persevering through adversity. The award was created in 1965 in honor of Hu ...
and the
Willie Mac Award, and was a finalist for the
Heart & Hustle Award. Only two other players,
Dave Dravecky
David Francis Dravecky (born February 14, 1956) is an American former professional baseball player, a motivational speaker, and an author. He played Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres (1982–87) and San Francisco Giants (1987–89). ...
and
Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio (; born December 14, 1965) is an American former second baseman, outfielder and catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career from 1988 through 2007 for the Houston Astros. A seven-time National League (NL) All ...
, have won more than one of these awards, although
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey (January 10, 1938 – October 31, 2018), nicknamed "Stretch", "Mac" and "Willie Mac", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1959 to 1980, most notably as a mem ...
himself won the Hutch Award before having the Willie Mac Award named for him.
Vizquel was
Greg Maddux's 3000th strikeout victim on July 26, 2005.
Texas Rangers
On January 21, 2009, Vizquel signed a minor league contract with the
Texas Rangers and made the team's major league roster. He served mainly as a backup middle infielder. In 62 games with the Rangers, he had 47 hits, 17 runs, 14 RBIs with a .266 batting average and a .660 OPS to go with 27 strikeouts and 13 walks. In each of the three positions (shortstop, third base, second base) he played with the team, he made no errors. He played 27 games at shortstop for 196.2 innings, making 32 putouts and 76 assists with 22 double plays turned; he appeared in 20 games at third base for 101 innings, having five putouts and 22 assists, while making 23 putouts and 49 assists at second base.
Chicago White Sox
On November 23, 2009, Vizquel agreed to a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox worth $1.4 million. After making the deal official, former shortstop and White Sox legend (and fellow Venezuelan)
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...
asked that his number 11 be temporarily "unretired" for Vizquel during the 2010 season, mostly due to the fact that White Sox manager
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...
— like Vizquel and Aparicio, a Venezuelan shortstop — had rights to #13, the number Vizquel has worn through his career.
On May 25, 2010, Vizquel became the shortstop with the third most hits all time, behind
Derek Jeter and
Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...
. On June 25, he hit his first home run of 2010, putting him on the short list of players who have hit home runs in four different decades (with
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1 ...
,
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey (January 10, 1938 – October 31, 2018), nicknamed "Stretch", "Mac" and "Willie Mac", was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1959 to 1980, most notably as a mem ...
, and
Rickey Henderson). On November 2, 2010, Vizquel signed a one-year deal to remain in Chicago. On April 3, 2011, Vizquel hit a single for his 2,800th career hit. Despite being well into his forties, Vizquel was still regarded as one of the better defensive shortstops in the game and seen by his former White Sox teammates as one of the most physically fit.
Toronto Blue Jays
Vizquel signed a one-year minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for the 2012 season. He made the team out of spring training, and made his first appearance on Opening Day, against his former club, the Cleveland Indians. His first start came on April 22, against the
Kansas City Royals. Vizquel was ejected from a game against the
Texas Rangers on May 1, arguing with the home plate umpire from the bench. Vizquel jokingly danced to mock the umpire before exiting the dugout. Vizquel hinted at retirement upon the conclusion of the
2012 season. Despite being 45 years of age and appearing in only five games at that point in the season with the Blue Jays, he stated, "I feel excited about coming to the ballpark. Maybe not every day, because there are going to be some days you're going to be sore. But I still feel I want to be here. I want to compete."
In a game against the
Detroit Tigers on July 27, Vizquel hit his first two extra-base hits of the season, a double and triple. Vizquel became the third oldest player to hit a triple (behind
Julio Franco and
Nick Altrock) and became the oldest player in major league history to hit a double and a triple in the same game.
In the first game of a day-night doubleheader against the New York Yankees on September 19, Vizquel recorded his 2,874th career hit, passing
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
for 41st all-time.
In the final game of the 2012 season,
Brett Lawrie
Brett Russell Lawrie (born January 18, 1990) is a Canadian former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago White Sox.
Amateur career
While playing hi ...
wore a #17 jersey as opposed to his usual #13. This allowed Vizquel to wear #13 (the number he wore through most of his career) when he played his final game on October 3, 2012. Vizquel went 1-for-3, hitting a single in his last at bat, the 2,877th hit of his career moving him ahead of
Mel Ott
Melvin Thomas Ott (March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958), nicknamed "Master Melvin", was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Giants, from through .
He batted left-handed an ...
for 40th position on the all-time hits list. Vizquel retired after the season and was the last position player born in the 1960s, as well as the last to play in the 1980s, to retire.
Coaching
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
On January 30, 2013, Vizquel was hired by the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...
to become a co-infield coach with
Bobby Knoop, to replace
Dick Schofield, whose contract was not renewed for 2013.
Detroit Tigers
On November 18, 2013, the
Detroit Tigers named Vizquel as their new first-base coach, replacing
Rafael Belliard
Rafael Leonidas Belliard Matias (born October 24, 1961) is a retired professional baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1982 to 1998 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves. He was a member of Atlanta's 1995 W ...
. Under manager
Brad Ausmus, Vizquel also served as the Tigers infield and baserunning instructor. Following the dismissal of Ausmus after the
2017 season, Vizquel interviewed for the vacant manager's position, but was passed over in favor of
Ron Gardenhire.
Chicago White Sox
In November 2017 Vizquel returned to the White Sox organization to manage their Class A-Advanced team, the
Winston-Salem Dash
The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games a ...
. In December 2018 Vizquel was promoted to manage the White Sox' Class AA team, the
Birmingham Barons. In 2019 Vizquel was let go by the Barons after an incident between him and a male employee which resulted in an MLB investigation.
Toros de Tijuana
On December 2, 2019, Vizquel was named as the new manager for the
Toros de Tijuana of the
Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
. In July 2021, Vizquel left the team.
Personal life
Vizquel is active in community service, having served as an honorary spokesperson for "Young Audiences", an arts education organization in Cleveland, and "Schools Now", which raises funds through the sale of entertainment booklets. Following the
1999 Vargas mudslide disaster that killed 25,000 in his native Venezuela, Vizquel volunteered for the relief effort and helped raise over $500,000 for the cause. Vizquel has held various charitable events in downtown Cleveland such as Tribe Jam, where he and some other teammates get together with each other or with retired singers and sing some of their favorite songs.
His 2002 autobiography, ''Omar!: My Life on and Off the Field'', which he co-wrote with Bob Dyer, spent four weeks on the
''New York Times'' Best Seller List. It was released in paperback in 2003.
Vizquel married Nicole Tonkin, a Seattle native, in 1992. They later divorced, and Vizquel married Blanca Garcia in July 2014.
Feud with José Mesa
A long-running and well-publicized feud erupted between Vizquel and former teammate and friend
José Mesa
José Ramón Nova Mesa (; born May 22, 1966) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 through 2007. He played for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners ...
. In 2002, following the publication of his autobiography, ''Omar! My Life On and Off the Field'', Vizquel criticized Mesa's performance in Game 7 of the
1997 World Series
The 1997 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1997 season. The 93rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National L ...
:
"The eyes of the world were focused on every move we made. Unfortunately, Jose's own eyes were vacant. Completely empty. Nobody home. You could almost see right through him. Not long after I looked into his vacant eyes, he blew the save and the Marlins tied the game."
Mesa reacted furiously, pledging to hit Vizquel upon every subsequent opportunity:
"Even my little boy told me to get him. If I face him 10 more times, I'll hit him 10 times. I want to kill him."
On June 12, 2002, Mesa hit Vizquel with a pitch in the ninth inning. Mesa was not ejected and finished the game. They did not face each other again until 2006; by then, Vizquel was with the San Francisco Giants and Mesa was playing for the
Colorado Rockies. When Vizquel came to bat against Mesa in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
on April 22, Mesa hit him again. Meeting three more times in 2006, however, Vizquel escaped being hit by his former teammate, with two groundouts and an RBI single. Vizquel batted .333 (7-for-21) against Mesa before Mesa's retirement in 2007.
Domestic abuse allegations
On December 16, 2020, ''
The Athletic
''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports website that provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories from top professional and college sports ...
'' reported that Vizquel's wife Blanca (who was filing for divorce) alleged that he physically abused her in 2011 (which was before their marriage) and in 2016. Blanca previously made the allegation in an Instagram live video on October 7, 2020. According to ''The Athletic'', in 2016, Vizquel was charged with fourth-degree domestic assault after an incident at their Seattle-area home in Sammamish, Washington. Blanca told police that her husband pushed her during an argument, causing her to fall and suffer an injury to her shin and multiple broken fingernails. Charges were later dropped at her request. She claimed in the article that Vizquel coerced her into signing the letter and threatened her with financial retribution. ''The Athletic'' also mentioned an incident in December 2011, when Vizquel allegedly strangled his wife during an argument at her sister's home in Alabama. He denied the allegation and claimed that Blanca scratched him, which she denies. The couple ultimately filed a successful joint motion to dismiss charges.
In a statement, Vizquel strongly denied the allegations against him. MLB is currently investigating the situation.
Sexual harassment lawsuit
''The Athletic'' reported on August 7, 2021, that Vizquel has been named in a civil action alleging sexual harassment of a batboy with
autism for the
Birmingham Barons, the AA
Minor League Baseball affiliate of the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
. According to the report, the batboy claimed in his complaint that Vizquel targeted him because of a disability the batboy suffers. ''The Athletic'' further reports that the lawsuit was filed in
federal district court
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...
in
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
and that it is based on the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
Records and accomplishments
Fielding
*All-time leader in double plays made while playing shortstop
*11-time Gold Glove recipient
*Oldest shortstop recipient of the Gold Glove (age 38 in 2005, and again at age 39 in 2006)
*Highest career fielding percentage by a shortstop (0.9846) with at least 1,000 games played
*Lowest number of errors in a season by a shortstop (tie) (3 in the 2000 season)
*6th in assists all-time, 3rd in assists at SS all-time
Offense
*At retirement was the all-time leader in hits by a player from Venezuela
*The 47th major league player to reach 2,800 career hits (April 3, 2011)
*At retirement was the second-most hits by an active (roster) player behind
Derek Jeter, was the category leader for the 2008 and a portion of the 2009 seasons, 47th all-time
*At retirement had the most singles by an active (roster) player, 20th all-time
*At retirement had the most at-bats by an active (roster) player, 19th all-time
*Fifth all-time in sacrifice hits plus sacrifice flies behind
Eddie Collins,
Jake Daubert
Jacob Ellsworth Daubert (April 7, 1884 – October 9, 1924) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Superbas and Cincinnati Reds. His career lasted from 1910 until his death in 1924.
Daubert was recogni ...
,
Stuffy McInnis
John Phalen "Stuffy" McInnis (September 19, 1890 – February 16, 1960) was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. McInnis gained his nickname as a youngster in the Boston suburban leagues, where his spectacular playing brought ...
and
Willie Keeler
William Henry Keeler (March 3, 1872 – January 1, 1923), nicknamed "Wee Willie" because of his small stature, was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1892 to 1910, primarily for the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn ...
*All-time leader in sacrifice hits in the
live-ball era, and four-time league leader (1997, 1999, 2004 & 2005)
*Likely 5th to 7th all-time in sacrifice hits after accounting for the 1954 statistical change (40th all-time without adjustment)
*At retirement, had the second-most sacrifice flies by an active (roster) player behind
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
, 50th all-time (tie)
*At retirement had the third most stolen bases by an active (roster) player behind
Juan Pierre
Juan D'Vaughn Pierre (born August 14, 1977) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000–2013 for the Colorado Rockies, Florida/Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Ch ...
and
Carl Crawford, 68th all-time
*American League record holder (tie) for most hits in a nine-inning game: Vizquel hit six on August 31, 2004
*Second-most hits while playing shortstop (behind
Derek Jeter)
*Fourth-most runs while playing shortstop all-time (behind
Herman Long,
Derek Jeter and
Bill Dahlen)
*Seventh-most stolen bases while playing shortstop all-time (behind
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is a Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams, primarily the Kansas City / ...
,
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball, winning the National ...
,
Herman Long,
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...
,
Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...
, and
Bill Dahlen)
*At retirement had most seasons by active player as a batting title qualifier with isolated power (extra bases per at-bat) under .100, with 12
*44th all-time in
career hits (2,877)
Overall
*1st all time in games played at shortstop
*At retirement had played the most games by an active (roster) player, 14th all-time
*3-time All-Star (
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
,
1999 &
2002)
*Won 2 American League Championships (with Cleveland,
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
,
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
)
*Won 6 American League Central Division Championships (with Cleveland, 1995–99, 2001)
*Won the
Hutch Award
The Hutch Award is given annually to an active Major League Baseball (MLB) player who "best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire" of Fred Hutchinson, by persevering through adversity. The award was created in 1965 in honor of Hu ...
(1996), the only non-American player ever to do so
*Won the
Willie Mac Award (2006) for spirit and leadership
*Finalist for the
Heart & Hustle Award (2007) for embodying "the values, spirit and tradition of the game"
*Captain of
Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team (2006)
*Member of the
Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame
*Inducted into the
Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame (2014)
*Selected as one of the 4 greatest Indians in franchise history for the 2015 All Star Game's "Franchise 4"(2015)
Vizquel has appeared on balloting for the
National Baseball Hall of Fame since
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, when he received 37.0% of the vote, well short of the 75% required for election, but well above the 5% minimum required to remain on the ballot. His support increased to 52.6% in 2020 before going down to 49.1% in the
2021 ballot and then cratering to 23.9% in the
2022 ballot, his fifth year on the ballot. A player may appear on the ballot a maximum of ten times.
See also
*
Cleveland Indians award winners and league leaders
*
List of Gold Glove middle infield duos
*
List of Major League Baseball career assists leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career games played leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball career singles leaders
In baseball, a Single (baseball), single is the most common type of hit (baseball), base hit, accomplished through the act of a batting (baseball), batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball (thus becoming a runner) and getting to fi ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 7.01 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules, a runner acqu ...
*
List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
From 1939 to 2019, 397 Venezuelan baseball players born in Venezuela have played in Major League Baseball. This list shows players who appeared in at least one game in MLB, including number indicating order of arrival, name of player, position, s ...
*
List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades
*
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
In baseball, a hit is credited to a batter when he reaches first base – or any subsequent base – safely after hitting a fair ball, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice. One hundred seventeen different players have record ...
*
Seattle Mariners award winners and league leaders
Notes
Sources
"Vizquel an artist at work"by
Jeff Passan
Jeffrey Scott Passan (born September 21, 1980) is an American baseball columnist with ESPN and author of ''New York Times'' Best Seller ''The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports''. He is also co-author ...
, ''Yahoo! Sports'', May 24, 2006.
"Older players make final bids for Hall of Fame"by Mel Antonen, ''USA TODAY'', July 27, 2006.
"Last call for the Hall"by Gary Kaufman, ''Salon.com'', July 26, 2000.
by Bill Livingston, ''The Plain Dealer'', September 26, 2004.
*Omar Vizquel and Bob Dyer (2002). ''Omar!: My Life on and Off the Field''. Gray & Company Publishers. .
*Hits/runs/games-while-playing-shortstop calculated using statistics at BaseballReference.com.
References
External links
Reaches 2500 hits— Vizquel's painted guitar photos
Article mentioning MLB record of the fewest errors by a shortstop in a seasonA sample chapter from the book ''Omar!'' by Omar Vizquel and Bob Dyer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vizquel, Omar
1967 births
Living people
American League All-Stars
Bellingham Mariners players
Butte Copper Kings players
Calgary Cannons players
Charlotte Knights players
Chicago White Sox players
Cleveland Indians players
Detroit Tigers coaches
Fresno Grizzlies players
Gold Glove Award winners
Lake County Captains players
Leones del Caracas players
Major League Baseball first base coaches
Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
Major League Baseball shortstops
Baseball players from Caracas
Salinas Spurs players
San Bernardino Spirit players
San Francisco Giants players
San Jose Giants players
Seattle Mariners players
Texas Rangers players
Toronto Blue Jays players
Venezuela national baseball team managers
Venezuelan baseball coaches
Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Canada
Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States
Vermont Mariners players
Wausau Timbers players
World Baseball Classic managers
World Baseball Classic players of Venezuela
2006 World Baseball Classic players
People charged with assault