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In 1997, Sandy Alomar Jr. had a career season, hitting the
game-winning home run in the 1997 All-Star Game.
Current Cleveland Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr.
had a successful career as a Major League catcher. As the son of Sandy Alomar Sr. and the
brother of Roberto Alomar, Sandy Jr. proved to be one of the most
knowledgeable baseball players during his 20-year career.
Cleveland Indians Catcher
Alomar began his career with
the San Diego Padres. With 1987 National
League Rookie of the Year, 1989 NL All-Star, and fellow catcher from
Puerto Rico Benito Santiago starting for San Diego, the Padres traded Alomar with Carlos Baerga and Chris James to the Cleveland Indians for
future All-Star outfielder Joe Carter. Alomar responded by making the 1990 American League All-Star
Team and winning both 1990 AL Rookie of the Year honors and a 1990
AL Gold Glove.
Alomar was immediately considered one of the
cornerstones of the rebuilding Indians franchise. Unfortunately, injuries began to limit his career. He continued
to be popular amongst the players and fans, earning All-Star recognition in
1991 and 1992. However, after playing in
132 games during his rookie season, Alomar played fewer than 90 games
in each season from 1991 through 1995.
However, Alomar began to turn the corner when,
after promising a boy in the hospital that he would hit a home run, hit a
game-winning home run in a 1995 regular season game. He would get healthy enough to play
in the majority of the Indians’ playoff games in 1995 and then play
127 regular season games and all 4 playoff games in 1996.
1997 All-Star
Game MVP: Game Winning Home Run
Entering the 1997 season healthy and
fit, Alomar was prepared to have a career year. He spent much of the year at the top of the
AL in batting average, finishing with a career-high .324 batting
average. He also set
career highs with 21 home runs, 83 runs batted in, 63 runs scored, 146 hits, 37
doubles, 6 sacrifice bunts, 451 at bats, .354 on base percentage, and .545
slugging percentage. Defensively, Alomar ranked first in the AL with only 12 errors as a catcher
while also ranking second in the AL with 84 stolen bases allowed,
third in the AL with 38 baserunners caught stealing, and fourth in the AL with
743 putouts. He also
received consideration for the 1997 AL MVP Award.
In the midst of a career season, Alomar was
selected as an All-Star for the fifth time in his career. In the 7th inning of the 1997
All-Star Game, Alomar proved himself as a “hometown hero” (as called
by FOX Baseball sportscaster Joe Buck) by hitting the game-winning home
run. Leading the AL All-Star Team to victory, he was named All-Star Game MVP.
1997 Playoffs & World Series vs. Yankees, Orioles & Marlins
Alomar carried his regular season success into the playoffs. With his Indians team facing elimination in a matchup versus the rival
New York Yankees, Alomar again proved to be a “hometown hero”,
hitting a game-tying home run with one out in the 8th inning of Game
4. Cleveland then rallied to
win Games 4 and 5.
Alomar and the Indians continued to
make clutch plays in the playoffs, rallying to beat the Baltimore
Orioles in the AL Championship Series. Then, Cleveland came within one
inning of winning the 1997 World Series.
However, pitcher Jose Mesa blew the Game 7 9th inning save and the Indians lost the World Series to the Florida
Marlins with a 3-2 Game 7 defeat.
However, Alomar and the 1997 Indians had an
unforgettable season.
Retired Catcher &
MLB Coach
Formerly considered one of the cornerstones of the
rebuilding Cleveland Indians franchise of the 1990s, Sandy Alomar Jr. remained
a valuable player and leader to the Indians, serving as a
mentor for both young pitchers and young catchers. However, he also continued to battle
injuries. After playing in only 37 games
in 1999, Alomar played in his last season for Cleveland in 2000, playing 97 games alongside his brother, fellow All-Star and Gold Glove
winner Roberto Alomar.
Sandy Jr. lasted 7 more seasons, eclipsing 75 games played only one more time in 2002 while playing
with the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies. He retired after serving as a
backup catcher for the 2007 New York Mets.
Long respected for his knowledge of baseball, Alomar served as a catching instructor for the Mets in 2008 and
2009. Then, Indians Manager
Manny Acta brought the “hometown hero” back to Cleveland, appointing Alomar as the team's first base coach. As Acta said about Alomar,
“He’s a guy who has the potential to do whatever he wants to do in this
game.” After receiving consideration to
become the new Toronto Blue Jays Manager, Alomar enters the 2011 season healthy and fit to help lead the Cleveland
Indians, this time as the Indians’ first base coach.
Sources:
Associated Press.
“Indians name Alomar first-base coach.”
ESPN.com. Updated November 17,
2009. Accessed December 28, 2010.
Baseball-Reference.com.
Accessed December 28, 2010.
Hoynes, Paul.
“Cleveland Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. candidate for
Toronto’s managerial job.” October 19,
2010. Cleveland.com. Accessed December 28, 2010.
Hoynes, Paul.
“Cleveland Indians name Sandy Alomar Jr. first base coach.” November 17, 2009. Cleveland.com. Accessed December 28, 2010.
Tribe ’96: Still
Rockin’ On. Cleveland Indians. Viewed December 24, 2010 on SportsTime Ohio.
Tribe ’97: A Sock-sess
Story. Cleveland Indians. Viewed December 24, 2010 on SportsTime Ohio.