Mauro Alexis Gómez Acosta (born September 7, 1984) is a Dominican former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

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 majori ...

. He played in

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 ...

(MLB) for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

and in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Hanshin Tigers The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, next to their main stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium. The Tigers are owned by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., ...

Career

Texas Rangers

Gómez signed with the Texas Rangers as an international

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 ...

on March 24, 2003. In 2004, he made his professional debut in the

Rookie-level Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...

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 fo ...

with the

Arizona League Rangers The Arizona Complex League Rangers are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Texas Rangers, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. The team is composed m ...

. After returning to the Arizona League in 2005, the Rangers promoted Gómez to the

Bakersfield Blaze The Bakersfield Blaze were a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California. They played in the California League at the Class A-Advanced level, hosting home games at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Opened in 1941, the stadium is well known for facing ...

of the

High-A High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leagu ...

in 2006. He played for the

Clinton LumberKings The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest Leag ...

of the

Single-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...

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 reorganizat ...

in 2007. Gómez played for the Blaze in 2008 and 2009.

Atlanta Braves

Granted free agency after the 2009 season, Gómez signed 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

. In 2010, Gómez played for the

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they were referred to locally, were a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson, from 2005 to 2024. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and competed in ...

of the Double-A Southern League. In 2011, he played for the

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...

of the Triple-A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

. After the season, he became a free agent.

Boston Red Sox

After the 2011 season, Gómez signed with the

, and began the 2012 season with the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

of the International League. He set a PawSox record with 24 home runs in a season that year. On May 13, 2012, Gómez was called up to the Red Sox when

Darnell McDonald Darnell Tyrone McDonald (born November 17, 1978) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 2004 and 2013 for the Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, ...

went on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

, and after

Jacoby Ellsbury Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...

was moved to the 60-day disabled list. Gómez made his Major League debut that afternoon as a defensive substitution at first base for

Adrián González Adrián González Savín (born May 8, 1982), also known by his nicknames "A-Gon" and "Titán", is a Mexican-American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, ...

and struck out in his only plate appearance. He was optioned to Pawtucket on May 20 after making two pinch-hit appearances. On July 4, the day after being recalled for the second time in 2012, Gómez recorded his first major league hit against the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

. On July 6, he recorded his first major league run batted in against the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. He was optioned July 14, only to be called up four days later after an injury to

David Ortiz David Américo Ortiz Arias (born November 18, 1975), nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican Americans, Dominican-American former professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1997 ...

then optioned the next day to accommodate the return of

Dustin Pedroia Any addition of 2018 will be reverted. Only players who were on a winning team's active roster during a World Series are listed as "World Series champions" in this context. Note that this is the same criterion as is used by Baseball-reference.com ...

. Despite his ups and downs, Gómez was among the leaders in several categories in the

. He then rejoined the Red Sox in mid-August. On August 28, Gómez was named International League MVP and post season All-Star after hitting a .310 average in 100 games with Pawtucket, with 59 of his 120 hits going for extra bases. He also tied for second with 24 home runs, while leading the league in slugging percentage (.589) and ranking fourth in RBI (74) and total bases (228). On March 31, 2013, Gómez was

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 pla ...

by the Red Sox.

Toronto Blue Jays

On April 8, 2013, he was claimed by the

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) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

, and assigned to their Triple-A affiliate

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

. He was designated for assignment on September 3.

Washington Nationals

On September 5, 2013, Gómez was claimed off waivers by the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. He was released on November 14 without playing a game in the Washington organization. Gómez was released to sign with

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, by his request.

Hanshin Tigers

Gómez signed with the

on November 18, 2013, and was assigned the jersey number 5. Due to unfortunate circumstances however, he had a somewhat delayed introduction to Japan. He was scheduled miss to the first few days of spring camp in order to be with his family for the birth of his daughter. His arrival was further delayed when his child fell ill and was in the hospital a few days. Gómez made his NPB debut on the March 28 opening night, going 2-for-4, with two RBI. Gómez put to rest any concerns on whether he could make a smooth transition by hitting .327 with four homers and 33 RBI in his first month. He then went on to reach base at least once in each of the first 27 games of the season, breaking the franchise record of 24 that had been held by

Yutaka Wada is a retired Japanese baseball player for the Hanshin Tigers. He previously worked as a hitting coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guidin ...

, the Tigers’ current manager, since 1997. Gómez hit a brief slump during mid-season, but returned to his slugging ways in August, leading the Tigers with 25 doubles, 19 home runs, 83 RBI and a .506 slugging percentage. Together with

Matt Murton Matthew Henry Murton (born October 3, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and Colorado Rockies. Murton also played in Nippon Professional ...

, the Hanshin's clean-up duo started growing beards in June reviving memories of famously bearded Hanshin legend

Randy Bass Randy William Bass (born March 13, 1954) is an American politician and former baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and served in the Oklahoma Senate. Bass made his MLB debut in 1977, p ...

, who led the team to its only

Japan Series The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series between the winning cl ...

title in 1985. Gómez said once he has hit 20 home runs, perhaps he’ll shave off the beard. In the September 20 game against Chunichi, Gómez scored 2 singles and a solo homer, and became the first foreign player in franchise history to record over 100 RBI in their first year in the NPB. He is 17th foreign player in NPB history to record 100 or more RBI in his first year in the NPB, first since Tony Blanco notched 110 in 2009. He joined Bass (134 in 1985, 109 in 1986),

George Arias George Alberto Arias (born March 12, 1972) is an American former baseball player in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. Career Arias was drafted by the California Angels in the seventh round of the 1993 Major League Basebal ...

(107 in 2003), and

Craig Brazell Craig Walter Brazell (born May 10, 1980) is an American former professional baseball player, where he played as a first baseman. Early life Brazell attended Jefferson Davis High School (Montgomery, Alabama), Jefferson Davis High School in Montgo ...

(117 in 2010) as the only foreign Hanshin players to notch 100 or more RBI in a season. He finished the season with 109 runs including 26 homers, and won the RBI title and Best Nine Award in his first NPB season. Gómez played a key role as the Tiger's clean-up hitter during the postseason

Climax Series The is the current annual playoff system implemented by Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). It determines which team from the Central League (CL) and from the Pacific League (PL) will advance to compete for the championship in the Japan ...

against their archrivals

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They h ...

. Out of the 22 runs scored during the series, he drove in 8 - including a 2-run homer in his first at-bat at Tokyo Dome, and set a new Central League record for Climax Series RBI. He helped secure the Tigers a spot in the Japan Series, their first participation since 2005. Gómez's performances were worse in the following two seasons, and on November 15, 2016, he was released by the club. On January 25, 2017, Gómez had contract negotiations with the

Samsung Lions The Samsung Lions () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in the southeastern city of Daegu and are members of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Daegu Samsung Lions Park. They have won the Korean Cha ...

of the

KBO League The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most success ...

, but the club refused to close the deal after Gómez failed his medical test with problems regarding his knees.

References

External links

NPB stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomez, Mauro 1984 births Living people Arizona League Rangers players Bakersfield Blaze players Boston Red Sox players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Clinton LumberKings players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Japan Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Gwinnett Braves players Hanshin Tigers players International League MVP award winners Major League Baseball first basemen Major League Baseball third basemen Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Mississippi Braves players Nippon Professional Baseball first basemen Pawtucket Red Sox players Baseball players from Baní