Catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. had a successful Major League Baseball career. As the son of Sandy Alomar Sr. and the brother of Roberto Alomar, Sandy Alomar Jr. proved to be one of the most knowledgeable baseball players during his 20-year career.
Early Career Success & Struggles
Alomar began his career with the San Diego Padres. With 1987 National League Rookie of the Year, 1989 National League 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 American League Rookie of the Year honors and a 1990 American League Gold Glove.
Alomar was immediately considered one of the cornerstones of the rebuilding Indians franchise, earning All-Star recognition in 1991 and 1992. Unfortunately, injuries began to limit his career. 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, he hit a game-winning home run in a 1995 regular season game. Alomar would get healthy enough to play in the majority of the 1995 Indians’ playoff games and then play 127 regular season games and all 4 playoff games in 1996.
1997 MLB 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 American League 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 third amongst American League catchers with 38 baserunners caught stealing and ranked fourth with 743 putouts. Overall, Alomar received consideration for the 1997 American League 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 in Cleveland, Alomar proved himself as a “hometown hero” (as called by FOX Baseball sportscaster Joe Buck) by hitting the game-winning home run. Leading the American League All-Star Team to victory, he was named MVP of the 1997 MLB All-Star Game.
1997 Cleveland Indians MLB Playoffs & World Series vs. Yankees, Orioles & Marlins
Alomar carried his regular season success into the 1997 playoffs. With the Indians team facing elimination in a playoff matchup versus the rival New York Yankees, he again proved to be a “hometown hero”, hitting a game-tying home run with one out in the 8th inning of Game 4. The Indians then rallied to win Games 4 and 5 versus the Yankees.
Alomar and the Indians continued to make clutch plays in the 1997 playoffs, rallying to beat the Baltimore Orioles in the 1997 American League Championship Series. Then, the Indians came within one inning of winning the 1997 World Series. However, Indians 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, 11th inning Game 7 defeat. Despite the disappointing loss, Alomar and the 1997 Cleveland Indians had an unforgettable season.
Retired Catcher & MLB Coach Sandy Alomar Jr.
Formerly considered one of the cornerstones of the rebuilding Cleveland Indians franchise of the 1990s, Alomar remained a valuable player and leader, serving as a mentor for both young pitchers and young catchers. However, he also continued to battle injuries, playing in only 37 games in 1999. Alomar played his last season for the Indians in 2000, playing 97 games alongside his brother, fellow All-Star and Gold Glove winner Roberto Alomar.
Alomar lasted 7 more seasons in Major League Baseball, 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 Indians’ 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, Sandy Alomar Jr. enters the 2011 Major League Baseball season healthy and fit to help lead the Indians as the first base coach and a manager in training.
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.
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