Bárbaro Garbey ( ; born December 4, 1956) is a Cuban former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water ...

and minor league coach. Garbey played in the

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In bat and ball games ...

, at

first First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and third bases, and also served as

designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...

Playing career

Garbey defected from Cuba in the

Mariel boatlift The Mariel boatlift () was a mass emigration of Cubans who traveled from Cuba's Mariel Harbor to the United States between April 15 and October 31, 1980. The term "" is used to refer to these refugees in both Spanish and English. While the ex ...

in 1980. He was signed by the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

as an amateur

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager 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 a contract at present ...

that year. He reached the majors in 1984 with the Tigers, spending two years with them, and earning team Rookie of the Year honors in 1984, before moving to the Texas Rangers (1988). He was a member of the Tigers team that defeated the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

in the

1984 World Series The 1984 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1984 season. The 81st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the Nationa ...

. As a newcomer in 1984, Garbey participated in 110 games, showcasing his versatility by playing at first base, second base, third base, designated hitter, and across all outfield positions. Garbey hit .287 and had more RBIs (52) than several of Detroit's starters, including Howard Johnson, Larry Herndon, and

Dave Bergman David Bruce Bergman (June 6, 1953 – February 2, 2015) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, designated hitter and left fielder who played between 1975 and 1992. Early life Born in Evanston, Illinois, Bergman was an alumnus of M ...

. In 1983, Bárbaro was suspended for attacking a fan after a 10-inning game against Louisville.

Coaching career

Since retiring, Garbey has found steady work coaching in the minor leagues. He spent two seasons (2014-15) as the

hitting coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisi ...

for the

Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Pe ...

, and then became a roving instructor for the Cardinals' farm system. Garbey was named as the hitting coach for the rookie level

Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...

in 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

organization for the 2018 season. Garbey was named as the hitting coach for the

GCL Braves The Florida Complex League Braves are an American baseball team. They are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. Prior to 2021, the team was known as the Gulf Coast Lea ...

in the

organization for the 2019 season. He left the organization in 2020.

Broadcasting career

In 2023, Garbey was hired as a home game

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...

for the

Detroit Tigers Radio Network The Detroit Tigers Radio Network is an American radio network composed of 49 radio stations which carry English-language coverage of the Detroit Tigers, a professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB). Detroit's WXYT-FM (97.1 ...

's Spanish-language broadcast.

References

External links

1956 births Living people Major League Baseball players from Cuba 20th-century Cuban sportsmen Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Defecting Cuban baseball players Detroit Tigers players Texas Rangers players Lakeland Tigers players Birmingham Barons players Evansville Triplets players Oklahoma City 89ers players Jacksonville Expos players Albuquerque Dukes players Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball third basemen Major League Baseball designated hitters Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Tigres del México players Petroleros de Minatitlán players Leones de Yucatán players Minor league baseball coaches Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico Baseball players from Santiago de Cuba {{Cuba-baseball-first-baseman-stub

Playing career

Coaching career

Broadcasting career

See also

References

External links