Luis A. Durango (born April 23, 1986) is a Panamanian 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 ...

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 ...

. He played in

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) for 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 (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

and was also a member of the

Panama national baseball team The Panama national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de Panamá'') is the baseball team that represents Panama at an international level. Along with Nicaragua, they are considered to be the best baseball team in Central America, and ...

. Durango was born in

Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

. In 2006, he was clocked at 3.4 seconds from home plate to first base on a

bunt Bunt may refer to: * Bunt (community), an elite social group from Karnataka, India * Bunt (baseball), a batting technique in baseball * Bunt (sail), a part of a ship's sail * Bunt Island, island in Antarctica * The Bunt, nickname of the Buntingfo ...

. Durango made his professional debut that same year, playing for the

Rookie-level affiliate. He was named an

Arizona League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it ...

All–Star for his performances that season. He spent all of 2007 with the

Eugene Emeralds The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their ...

of the

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Basebal ...

in Low-A, later being named the Co–

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

of the league. In 2008, he split time between Class-A, with the

Fort Wayne Wizards A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, and High-A, with the

Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park s ...

, before being added to the Padres'

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

after the season. Durango began 2009 with the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded ...

in Double-A, but ended up working his way up to the majors, making his debut with the Padres on September 15. He recorded his first career hit the following day. He split 2010 between Triple-A

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

and the Padres, playing in a combined 134 games. To begin 2011, Durango played for the Padres new Triple-A affiliate in

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

before being

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the play ...

in late June. He was later claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros, but was later designated for assignment again.

Professional career

San Diego Padres

He made his minor league baseball debut in 2006, and spent the year with the

Padres, hitting for a .378

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average i ...

and

stealing Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for som ...

17 bases in 39 games.Luis Durango
'' Baseball-Reference.com'' His batting average was the highest of any hitter in at the Rookie-level. He was named to the Arizona League All–Star team after the season, along with teammates

Cedric Hunter Cedric R. Hunter (born January 16, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he was a 6'0" (183 cm) 180 lb (82 kg) point guard and played collegiately at the University of Kansas. Hun ...

and Rayner Contreras. After the season, the Padres reportedly considered Durango to be one of the better prospects in their organization. In 2007, Durango spent the year with the Eugene Emeralds, playing in 69 games, hitting .367 with 17 stolen bases. He also hit two

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

, one of which was a walk-off against the

Yakima Bears The Yakima Bears were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Yakima, Washington. The Bears competed at the Class A Short Season level as members of the Northwest League from 1990 to 2012. Following the 2012 season ...

on July 7. During the year, he had a 19-game hitting streak that was broken up on August 2, against the

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their h ...

. He was named Co–

of the Northwest League after the season. Following the season, Durango joined the Tigres de Cartagena of the

Colombian Professional Baseball League The Colombian Professional Baseball League ( es, Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano, links=no or LPB), is a professional baseball league based in Colombia. It is a five-team winter league that plays during the Major League Baseball offseaso ...

for the upcoming season, which plays during the MLB off-season. In Cartagena, he was named to the All–Star team. Durango started the 2008 season with the

of the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...

, playing in 93 games for the club and hitting .305 with 14 steals. He remained with Fort Wayne until August 12, when he was called up to the

, San Diego's High–A affiliate. In his second game with the Storm, he tallied three hits, helping the team to a 16–4 win over the

Inland Empire 66ers The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. The 66ers are based in San Bernardino, California, and play at San Manuel Stadium. Franchi ...

. He finished the year with a .431 batting average in 17 games with the Storm. Following the season, he joined the Algodoneros de Guasave of the

Mexican Pacific League The Mexican Pacific League (), known as Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico for sponsorship reasons or simply LMP for its acronym in Spanish, is a professional baseball winter league based in Northern Mexico. The ten-team regular season schedule run ...

after Kit Pellow, a

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the major ...

, was kicked off the team. He hit his first home run for Guasave on December 6, helping them to a 3–2 win. Three days later, the Padres added him to their

, in order to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. Prior to the 2009 season, Grady Fuson, the Padres vice president of scouting and player development, said about Durango, "He's our little

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, Chic ...

. He can absolutely fly. And he's really mastered, in the last couple of years, the ability to get the bat on the ball and keep it out of the air." Durango began the season with the Double-A

. At the All–Star break, he was batting .319, with a league leading 26 steals, 43 walks, and 46 runs. He was named a starter for the All–Star game. Durango also represented Team World at the

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National Le ...

, going 1–for–2 with one stolen base. On August 19, the managers of the teams in the Texas League named him the fastest baserunner in the league for the season. He was called up by the Padres on September 14, making his debut the next day as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, American ...

against the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. ...

, going 0–for–1. The next day, he recorded three hits, two of which were bunt singles, and also stole his first base in the Major leagues. After the game, Diamondbacks

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

Miguel Montero said about Durango, "He

urango Urango is a surname. Notable people with this surname include: * Geena Urango (born 1989), a Mexican-American volleyball player * Juan Urango Juan Fernando Urango Rivas (born October 4, 1980), best known as Juan Urango, is a Colombian former p ...

played the game with us however he wanted to. He never hit the ball out of the infield and got three hits. I know he's fast and has good speed, but we should have played him a little better." On October 4, 2009, Durango got a bunt hit in the bottom of the 7th against future Hall of Famer

Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...

. It was the last hit Johnson would give up in his career. In 129 games with San Antonio, he hit .281 with 44 stolen bases and 81 walks, while he had six hits in 14 at–bats with San Diego.Luis Durango
Baseball-Reference.com. Durango played with the Tigres de Licey of the

Dominican Winter League Dominican may refer to: * Someone or something from or related to the Dominican Republic ( , stress on the "mi"), on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean ** People of the Dominican Republic ** Demographics of the Domi ...

after the season. Durango spent

Spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

2010 with the Padres, before being sent down to Triple-A

on March 29. He was called up on May 25, replacing Luis Perdomo on the active roster. In his first game back with San Diego, he dropped fly ball from

Skip Schumaker Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker ( ; born February 3, 1980) is an American professional baseball player, coach and manager, who is the manager of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was an outfielder and second baseman for the S ...

before throwing out

Jon Jay Jonathan Henry Jay (born March 15, 1985) is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder who is the first base coach for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego ...

at home plate later in the game. He went 1–for–5 batting in the league off spot. On June 2, after playing six games and hitting .385 with two

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

, he was

optioned In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...

back to Portland with Scott Hairston taking his spot on the roster. The Padres called him back up on July 16, after they placed Mike Adams on the disabled list, but he was sent back down a week later. For the third time that season, San Diego called Durango up to the major leagues on August 21, however, he was sent back down again a week later. Once Portland's season was over, he was recalled by the Padres. In 106 games with Portland, Durango hit .300 with 42 runs scored and 35 stolen bases. In just 48 at–bats, he hit .250 with five stolen bases and eight runs scored. Following the season, he joined the

Bravos de Margarita The Bravos de Margarita (''Margarita Braves'') are a professional baseball team who plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League since the 2007-08 season. The team was founded in 1991 as the ''Petroleros de Cabimas'' (''Cabimas Oilers'') ...

of the

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

, but injured his wrist in early December. Durango started off the 2011 season with the newly relocated

Tucson Padres The Tucson Padres were a minor league baseball team representing Tucson, Arizona in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). They were the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team moved to Tucson from Portland, Oregon for the 2011 season. I ...

, hitting for a .243 batting average with 10 stolen bases in 61 games before he was designated for assignment on June 21, making room for Josh Spence on the 40-man roster.

Houston Astros

Durango was claimed off waivers by the

on June 29, and assigned to the Triple-A

Oklahoma City RedHawks Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, ...

. After the trades of

Hunter Pence Hunter Andrew Pence (born April 13, 1983), nicknamed "The Reverend", is an American former professional baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Fra ...

and

Michael Bourn Michael Ray Bourn (born December 27, 1982) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Baltimore Orioles ...

, the Astros recalled Durango from Triple-A on July 31. In 25 games with the RedHawks, he collected 22 hits for a .278 batting average and stole 13 bases. He made his Astros debut on August 1 against the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, going 0–for–2 with a

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ov ...

. The following game, he got his first hit for the Astros, driving in a run. He was optioned back to Triple-A on August 3. On August 5, to make room for J. B. Shuck on the 40-man roster, Durango was designated for assignment by the Astros. After he cleared waivers, he was outrighted back to Triple-A. He became a free agent at season's end.

Atlanta Braves

Durango signed a minor league contract with 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 B ...

on November 22, 2011. He also received an invitation to spring training.

Kansas City Royals

On November 9, 2012, he signed a minor league contract with the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...

. He was released on April 1, 2013.

Chicago White Sox

Durango signed a minor league contract with 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 ...

on April 3 and began the 2013 season with the Triple-A

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...

. He was released on May 11, 2013.

Cincinnati Reds

On May 13, 2013, Durango signed a minor league contract with the

organization. On June 28, 2013, Durango was released.

Rojos del Águila de Veracruz

On July 6, 2013, Durango signed with the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz 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 2014, he played with the Los Diablos de Hermosillo in the Northern Mexico League.

Olmecas de Tabasco

On February 7, 2015, Durango signed with the

Olmecas de Tabasco The Olmecas de Tabasco (English: Tabasco Olmecs) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. Their home ballpark is the Estadio Centenario 27 de Febrero. The Olmecas won their only Mexica ...

in the

. He completed the season with a .304 batting average, 35 stolen bases and won the Golden Glove Award ending the season with a .995 percentage in the Outfield. On April 12, 2016, Durango was released by the Olmecas de Tabasco.

Sioux City Explorers

On March 1, 2018, Durango signed with the

Sioux City Explorers The Sioux City Explorers are a professional minor league baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are members American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. S ...

of the independent American Association.

Quebec Capitales

On January 17, 2019, Durango was traded to the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League.

International career

On January 19, 2009, Durango was added to Panama's provisional roster for the

2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international baseball competition. It began on 5 9 and finished 5 26. Unlike in 2006, when the round-robin format of the first two rounds led to some eliminations being decided by run-difference t ...

. He was eventually named to Panama's final roster. He saw limited action for Panama in the tournament, tallying just three hits in five at-bats, with two of those hits coming in Panama's 9–0 loss to the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

on March 9. In 2019, he was selected for Panama at the 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durango, Luis 1986 births Living people Algodoneros de Guasave players Arizona League Padres players Bravos de Margarita players Caribes de Anzoátegui players Charlotte Knights players Eugene Emeralds players Fort Wayne Wizards players Gigantes del Cibao players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Gwinnett Braves players Houston Astros players Lake Elsinore Storm players Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball players from Panama Mexican League baseball center fielders Mexican League baseball left fielders Oklahoma City RedHawks players Olmecas de Tabasco players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Mexico Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the United States Pensacola Blue Wahoos players Portland Beavers players Rojos del Águila de Veracruz players San Antonio Missions players San Diego Padres players Sioux City Explorers players Sportspeople from Panama City Tomateros de Culiacán players Tucson Padres players Universidad de Carabobo players Venezuelan Summer League Red Sox/Padres players Yaquis de Obregón players 2009 World Baseball Classic players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Expatriate baseball players in Colombia Panamanian expatriate sportspeople in Colombia