- Zoilo Versalles
Infobox MLB retired
name=Zoilo Versalles
position=Shortstop
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1939|12|18Vedado ,Cuba
deathdate=death date and age|1995|6|9|1939|12|18
city-state|Bloomington|Minnesota
debutdate=August 1
debutyear=by|1959
debutteam=Washington Senators
finaldate=September 28
finalyear=by|1971
finalteam=Atlanta Braves
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.242
stat2label=Home run s
stat2value=95
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=471
teams=
* Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (by|1959-by|1967)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|1968)
*Cleveland Indians (by|1969)
* Washington Senators (by|1969)
*Atlanta Braves (by|1971)
highlights=
* 2x All-Star selection (1963, 1965)
* 2xGold Glove Award winner (1963, 1965)
* 1965AL MVP Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez (
December 18 1939 –June 9 1995 ) was aCuba nshortstop inMajor League Baseball , considered to be a great fielder, a solid leadoff man, and a brilliant baserunner.Fact|date=September 2008 He was the sparkplug that led the 1965Minnesota Twins to their first World Series. He was voted theAmerican League Most Valuable Player in by|1965.Versalles had a hard time adjusting to life in the U.S., and was eternally homesick for his native Cuba. In 1967 he was traded by Minnesota; leading to his decline as a major talent. From that point, Versalles went from team to team, until he formally retired in 1972. He was born in El
Vedado ,Havana ,Cuba and died inBloomington, Minnesota .Versalles played for the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins from 1959 through 1967, the
Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968, theCleveland Indians and Washington Senators in 1969, and theAtlanta Braves in 1971. During his 1965 MVP season, he led theAmerican League in at-bats, runs scored, doubles and triples. He had abatting average of .252 during his six years with the Twins. Baseball statistician/historianBill James points out that Versalles' MVP season makes him the player with the fewest careerwin shares (134) to win an MVP award.JamesAbstract|pages=pp. 631-632] He had career totals of 1,046 hits, 564 runs, 86 homers, 401 RBI, and 84 stolen bases in 1,065 games. He was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2006.Versalles is the subject of one of the most famous errors in
baseball card history: his 1961Topps card (#21) mistakenly spells his first name as "Zorro ".ee also
*
List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
*List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
*List of Major League Baseball triples champions References
External links
*baseball-reference|id=v/versazo01
* [http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Versalle.Zoilo.Obit.html The Deadball Era]
* [http://www.cooloftheevening.com/zoilo_versalles.htm Biography from author of book on 1965 Minnesota Twins]
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