With extraordinary grace, Roberto Alomar was as much an artist as he was a baseball player. The Puerto Rican licked attention with his defensive touches, provided key ball touches and had precise footwork at second base, a position he defended for 17 seasons in the majors.
Much of the education Alomar received was thanks to his father, Santos Alomar, a former infielder and coach, and his brother Sandy Jr., who was called up to six All-Star Games as a catcher. At the end of it all, Roberto’s ability on defense was unique.
Here is a summary of the 10 moments of the Hall of Fame career:
1. A man of autumn
October 16-23, 1993
The baseball world was aware of Alomar’s abilities before his Major League debut with the Padres at age 20. But he exposed his talent to the public during the 1993 World Series. The Puerto Rican hit .480 (25-12) in Toronto’s six-game win over Philadelphia, driving in six runs and scoring five. His OPS was 1,159.
2. What a change!
December 5, 1990
Alomar was part of a four-player trade between the Padres and Blue Jays that came to fruition at the 1990 Winter Meetings. San Diego sent him and Joe Carter to Toronto in exchange for infielder Tony Fernandez and first baseman Fred McGriff. The trade benefited everyone: Alomar had five consecutive All-Star calls with Toronto, Carter hit a historic home run to win the 1993 World Series, Toronto re-acquired Fernández in time to make it part of that title, and McGriff hit 30. or more home runs in his first two full seasons with San Diego.
3. Tile forever
1991-1995
Alomar’s career took off after the aforementioned change. He and Carter won World Series rings in consecutive years (1992-1993). Having first reached star level in 1990, Alomar was called up to the next 11 Mid-Season Classics. Though he later played for the Indians, Orioles, White Sox, Mets and Diamonbacks, he remained a Blue Jay at heart. Toronto retired its 12 jersey after entering the Hall of Fame in 2011.
4. Gold defense
1991-1996, 1998-2001
Alomar won 11 Gold Gloves for his excellence on defense. He had a streak of 104 straight games without making a mistake in middle school in 1995, setting an American League record.
5. Timely gunner
October 11, 1992
Alomar had respectable power and finished his career with 210 home runs in the regular season. But in one game in particular, he accomplished one of his most memorable feats for Toronto. He hit a two-run homer in the ninth off the mighty Dennis Eckersley of the Athletics, which served to tie Game 4 of the American League Championship Series 6-6. Toronto ended up winning in 11 innings to take a 3-1 series lead, which they would end up winning. He was the MVP of the series.
6. Count on him
1991-1993, 1996-1997, 1999-2001
Alomar responded in situations of urgency. He hit .313 with 33 RBIs in 58 career postseason games.
7. Tremendous combination (twice)
1996-1998, 1999-2001
His stint in free agency led him to a three-year stint between Baltimore and Cleveland, where he teamed up with two of the best shortstop in history: Cal Ripken Jr. and Omar Vizquel of Venezuela. Along with each, Alomar was twice in the top five in double plays completed as a second baseman.
8. Highlighted between the stars
July 7, 1998
Alomar was impressive in the AL’s 13-8 win over the Nationwide at Coors Field, taking home the Most Valuable Player award. He went 4-for-3 with a home run in the seventh off San Diego’s Trevor Hoffman and stole a base.
9. A luxury second baseman
1988-2004
Alomar is among the all-time leaders in middleweight in several categories, including games (2,322), doubles (497), hits (2,687), runs (1,486), assists (6,524) and double plays (1,407). As a switch hitter, he finished his career hitting .300.
10. Undeniable legacy
2010-2011
He was eight votes short of induction into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The percentage he received (73.7%) was the highest for a player who did not reach the minimum of 75%. It was speculated that the Puerto Rican was punished for having been involved in the incident where he spat at umpire John Hirschbeck. Alomar entered Cooperstown the following year, receiving 90% of the vote. (GG) (Taken from MLB.com)