The Eastern Stars Part 11

Julio Franco

Julio Cesar Franco was born on August 23, 1958, in Consuelo. He debuted in the major leagues on April 23, 1982, for the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed him as a free agent on April 23, 1978.

Julio Franco had one of the longest careers in major-league history, spanning twenty-five years from April 1982 until September 2007, when he retired at age forty-nine. He maintained an impressive career batting average of .298, getting a hit one out of every three times at bat for twenty-five years. There were many years in which he had a batting average of .300 or above: 1986 (.306), 1987 (.319), 1988 (.303), 1989 (.316), 1991 (.341), and 1994 (.319). His total of 2,586 hits was the highest of any Dominican major-league player.

Franco mostly played shortstop and second base, but he also played first base, third base, left field, outfield, and right field, and he was also a designated hitter. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians on December 9, 1982, and then traded to the Texas Rangers on December 6, 1988. The Chicago White Sox signed him as a free agent on December 15, 1993, and the Indians signed him as a free agent on December 7, 1995. The Milwaukee Brewers signed him as a free agent on August 13, 1997, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on February 19, 1999. On August 31, 2001, the Atlanta Braves purchased him from the Mexico City Tigers. The Braves signed him as a free agent on January 8, 2003, on January 12, 2004, and on December 9, 2004. The New York Mets signed him as a free agent on December 12, 2005, and then the Braves signed him as a free agent on July 18, 2007. He finished out his 2007 season playing for the Braves. In 1990 he was named Most Valuable Player.

Franco was the oldest regular-position (everyday) player in major-league history. From 2004 until his retirement he was the oldest player in baseball and made age records on a regular basis: the oldest player ever to hit a home run, the oldest player to hit a grand slam, the oldest player ever to hit two home runs in the same game, and the oldest to steal two bases in the same game.

Alejandro Snchez

Alejandro Pimental Snchez was born on February 14, 1959, in San Pedro de Macors. The Phillies signed him in 1978. He played outfield, right field, left field, and center field, and was a designated hitter. He debuted in the major leagues on September 6, 1982, for the Philadelphia Phillies and played his final game on May 16, 1987, playing a total of six seasons in the majors. He played for the Phillies from 1982 to 1983. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants on March 24, 1984, to the Detroit Tigers on April 5, 1985, and to the Minnesota Twins on January 16, 1986. He became a free agent on October 15, 1986, and then played for the Oakland Athletics in 1987.

1983.

Juan Samuel

Juan Milton Samuel was born on December 9, 1960, in Barrio Restauracin. The Phillies signed him on April 29, 1980. He played second base, center field, first base, right field, left field, and third base, and was a designated hitter, but he played mostly second base, with a total of 1,190 games at that position. He debuted in the major leagues on August 24, 1983, for the Philadelphia Phillies and played his final game on September 26, 1998, for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was traded to the New York Mets on June 18, 1989, to the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 20, 1989, and to the Kansas City Royals on September 8, 1995. He was signed as a free agent by the Royals on August 6, 1992, by the Cincinnati Reds on December 11, 1992, by the Detroit Tigers on February 14, 1994, and by the Blue Jays, the team with which he finished out his major-league career, on January 16, 1996. In his first four seasons, he was the first player in history to reach double-digit home runs, stolen bases, doubles, and triples. He played a total of sixteen seasons in the major leagues, collecting 161 home runs, 287 doubles, 102 triples, and 703 RBIs, and stealing 396 bases. He was the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1984 and 1987. He holds the major-league record for most at-bats by a right-handed hitter in a season. He also tied the major-league record for consecutive strikeouts-four-which is shared by Hack Wilson and Vince DiMaggio.

Tony Fernndez

Octavio Antonio Castro Fernndez was born on June 30, 1962, in Barrio Restauracin. The Blue Jays signed him on April 24, 1979. He debuted in the major leagues on September 2, 1983, for the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1990 he was traded to the Padres, then traded to the Mets in 1992, to the Reds as a free agent in March 1994, to the Yankees in December 1994, to the Indians in 1996, back to the Blue Jays in 1997, and to the Brewers in February 2001; he played his final game for the Brewers, on October 7, 2001. He played shortstop as well as a smaller number of games as a second baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter. For four consecutive seasons, from 1986 to 1989, he received a Gold Glove and was the American League's Most Valuable Player. In his seventeen seasons in the major leagues, he hit 414 doubles and 92 triples, had 844 RBIs, and stole 246 bases.

1984.

Ramn Romero

Ramn de los Santos Romero was born on January 8, 1959, in Barrio Restauracin. A left-handed pitcher, he was signed by the Cleveland Indians on October 1, 1976. He debuted on September 18, 1984, with the Cleveland Indians, and played his final game on September 21, 1985, with the Indians. He had a career 6.28 ERA.

1985.

Mariano Duncan

Mariano Nalasco Duncan was born on March 13, 1963, in Angelina. He played mostly second base but also shortstop, outfield, left field, third base, first base, and right field, and was a designated hitter. The Dodgers signed him on January 7, 1982, and he debuted in the major leagues on April 9, 1985, for the Dodgers. He stole 38 bases his rookie year. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him as a free agent on April 14, 1995. The New York Yankees signed him as a free agent on December 11, 1995, and they then traded him to the Blue Jays on July 29, 1997. He played his final game on September 17, 1997, for the Blue Jays, for a total of twelve seasons in the major leagues. His batting average was .306 in 1990 and .340 in 1996. He had 233 doubles, 491 RBIs, and 174 stolen bases. After his playing career ended, Duncan became a coach for the L.A. Dodgers.

Manny Lee

Manuel Lora Lee was born on June 17, 1965, in Villa Magdalena. The Mets signed him on May 10, 1982, and he debuted in the major leagues on April 10, 1985, for the Toronto Blue Jays. At ages nineteen and twenty (in 1985 and 1986) he was the youngest player in the American League.

During his eleven-season major-league career, he played shortstop in 522 games, second base in 358 games, third base in 32 games, and right field in 1 game, and was a designated hitter in 25 games. He played his final game on April 26, 1995, for the St. Louis Cardinals.

1986.

Juan Castillo

Juan Bryas Castillo was born on January 25, 1962, in Placer Bonito. He was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers on October 11, 1979, and debuted in the major leagues on April 12, 1986, for the Brewers. He played second base, shortstop, third base, and left field, and also was a designated hitter, but was primarily a second baseman, playing a total of 135 games at second base. Castillo played his final game on April 17, 1989. He played for the Brewers for his entire four-season major-league career.

Balvino Galvez

Balvino Jerez Galvez was born on March 31, 1964, in Batey Monte Cristi. He was a right-handed pitcher signed by the Dodgers on September 10, 1981. He debuted in the major leagues on May 7, 1986, for the Dodgers and pitched his final game on October 5, 1986, playing only one season and pitching only 10 games in the major leagues, with an ERA of 3.92. Despite his good year, he was sent down to the minors, then had a stormy but ill.u.s.trious career in j.a.panese baseball. In 2001 Galvez was about to go back to the majors to play for the Pirates when he got into an argument with the pitching coach in spring training, walked off the field, and went back to the Dominican Republic without talking to anyone. He was immediately released, and his career ended.

1988.

Ravelo Manzanillo

Ravelo Manzanillo was born on October 17, 1963, in Placer Bonito. He was a left-handed pitcher. He debuted in the major leagues on September 25, 1988, for the Chicago White Sox and played for them until 1994, when the Pirates signed him as a free agent. He spent his final two seasons, 1994 and 1995, playing for the Pirates. Manzanillo played his final game on May 9, 1995, for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His career ERA was 4.43.

1989.

Sammy Sosa

Samuel Peralta Sosa was born on November 12, 1968, in Consuelo. The Texas Rangers signed him on July 30, 1985, and he debuted in the major leagues on June 16, 1989, for the Texas Rangers. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox, then to the Cubs on March 30, 1992, and to the Baltimore Orioles on February 2, 2005. The Rangers signed him as a free agent on January 30, 2007, and he retired at the end of the season, although he still held out hopes for a comeback.

Sosa played mostly outfield and also was a designated hitter. In 1993 he scored more than 30 home runs and stole more than 30 bases, breaking the 30-30 record. In 1998 he was awarded the t.i.tles of National League Most Valuable Player and Major League Player of the Year. In 1998 he and Mark McGwire competed for the National League home-run t.i.tle. Although Sosa's sixty-second home run in September was. .h.i.t after McGwire's, enabling McGwire to win the contest-and Sosa's 66 home runs that season fell short of McGwire's 70-Sosa went on to be the only batter in history to hit 60 or more home runs for three consecutive seasons. On June 20, 2007, in his last season, Sosa became one of only five players to hit 600 home runs.

Jose Can

Joselito Soriano Can was born on March 7, 1962, in Boca del Soco. A right-handed pitcher, he was signed by the New York Yankees on March 10, 1980; the Yankees released him on August 6, 1980. The Atlanta Braves signed him as a free agent on December 1, 1981, and released him on June 4, 1982, and again in 1983 and 1985. The Astros signed him as a free agent on April 15, 1987, and he debuted in the major leagues on August 28, 1989, for the Houston Astros, playing his final game on September 30, 1989. In his only major-league season, Can pitched in six games, starting twice, with a 1-1 win-loss record and an ERA of 5.09.

Juan "t.i.to" Bell

Juan Mathey Bell was born on March 29, 1964, in Los Cuatro Caminos, San Pedro de Macors: he was the brother of George Bell. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him as a free agent on September 1, 1984, but then traded him to the Baltimore Orioles on December 4, 1988. He debuted in the major leagues on September 6, 1989, for the Baltimore Orioles. On August 11, 1992, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. After playing for the Phillies, he spent his final two seasons playing for the Montreal Expos and the Boston Red Sox. His major-league career consisted of seven seasons. Bell played his final game on August 25, 1995, for the Boston Red Sox. He played mostly second base, but also shortstop, outfield, third base, right field, center field, and left field, and was a designated hitter.