Vladimir Guerrero

Infobox MLB player
name=Vladimir Guerrero


width=300
position=Right fielder
team=Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
number=27
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1976|2|9
birthplace=city-state|Nizao|Dominican Republic
debutdate=September 19
debutyear=1996
debutteam=Montreal Expos
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.323
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=2,136
stat3label=Home runs
stat3value=392
stat4label=Runs batted in
stat4value=1268
stat5label=OPS
stat5value=.963
stat6label=Stolen bases
stat6value=173
awards=
* All-Star (NL): by|1999-by|2002, (AL): by|2004-by|2007
*by|2004 American League MVP
*by|1999, by|2000, by|2002 NL Silver Slugger (OF)
*by|2004-by|2007 AL Silver Slugger (OF)
*by|2007 Home Run Derby winner
teams=
*Montreal Expos (by|1996-by|2003)
*Anaheim Angels/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (by|2004-present)

Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Don Gregorio, Nizao, Dominican Republic), (known in his native Dominican Republic as Miquéas (Spanish for Micah), is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In mlby|2004, he was voted the American League MVP.

An eight-time All-Star, he is widely recognized as one of the best all-around players in Major League Baseball because he regularly hits for power, has a high average and is credited with one of the strongest outfield arms in baseball. Guerrero is also regarded as the game's premier "bad ball hitter" for his ability to crush balls thrown outside of the strike zone.

Veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer described Guerrero's style: "I say this respectfully: he's a freak. He's a very good hitter without a strike zone. He can hit the ball in, hit the ball off the plate away, hit the ball up and go get the ball that's down. He covers the plate, and beyond."

Early years and family

One of nine children, Guerrero is the younger brother of major leaguer Wilton Guerrero, who also played with the Montreal Expos. He is also the cousin of current minor leaguer Cristian Guerrero of the Harrisburg Senators.

His 6'2" frame, strong arm, and unusual ability to hit balls out of the strike zone drew attention at a Dodgers training camp. After injuring his hamstring running out a double, Vladimir allegedly hit a home run in his next at-bat to avoid having to run the bases. Due to his leg condition, Guerrero only received a 30-day contract. But he grew frustrated with the structure of the Dodgers camp, and left. Guerrero soon caught on with the Montreal Expos, and batted .333 in his first full minor league season. In 1996, while advancing from Single-A to Double-AA, Guerrero batted .360 with 24 home runs and 96 RBI. His September callup was unproductive, although he hit his first major league home run.

Years with the Expos

Guerrero was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent from the Harrisburg Senators in 1993 and eventually made his major league debut on September 19, 1996.

Vladimir was criticized during his first season in 1997 (he'd played 9 games in 1996) for being too aggressive at the plate. Nonetheless, he put up solid numbers for a rookie, batting .302 with 11 HRs and 40 RBI in just 325 at-bats.

Scorn for Guerrero's free-swinging ways changed into admiration in 1998. While he continued to swing at pitches that were clearly balls, he also continued to hit them with authority. In one instance, Guerrero got a base hit off a pitch that bounced before arriving at home plate. Guerrero's superior hand-eye coordination and prodigious strength allowed him to be unusually aggressive at the plate, but still put up high batting averages year after year. Despite his freeswinging style, Guerrero has never struck out 100 times in any season.

Guerrero batted .324 with 38 HRs and 109 RBIs in 1998, and fans took notice; Guerrero represented the Expos at the 1999 All-Star Game. He finished 1999 with 131 RBI, and in 2000, he hit 44 home runs; both figures remain his career highs.

He posted similar or slightly improved numbers through the 2002 season. He also developed a running game, stealing 37 bases in 2001. In 2002, he stole a career-high 40 bases, and fell one home run short of becoming the fourth member of the "40-40 Club." However, he hit 30+ home runs and stole 30+ bases in both 2001 and 2002 (see 30-30 club).

Guerrero's 2003 season was shortened due to a back injury. In 394 at-bats, he hit .330 with 25 HRs and 79 RBIs. Because of the injury, some in the media thought signing him would be a risk.

Years with the Angels

Guerrero was a free agent for the first time after the 2003 season, and he signed with the then-Anaheim Angels after being courted by several teams. The owner of the Angels, Arte Moreno, is the first Latino controlling owner of a Major League ballclub, and Guerrero has cited Moreno's Latin heritage as a motivating factor for choosing the Angels over other teams. He currently lives in Anaheim Hills, California.

Down the stretch of the 2004 MLB season, Guerrero was impressive. Mike Scioscia, the Angels manager, said that Guerrero "really carried us on his back" in the last month of the season, as the Angels overtook first place from the faltering Oakland Athletics who finished the season one game behind in the standings. Guerrero hit six home runs in his last six games of the 2004 regular season, leading the Angels to their first Western Division title since 1986 (The Angels won the 2002 World Series as the American League Wild Card). These late-season heroics led to Guerrero being chosen as the 2004 AL MVP. In the opening best-of-5 round of the playoffs, the Angels were swept by the Boston Red Sox, and Guerrero had an odd batting line: just a .167 average, but six RBI in three games.The Angels won the Western Division again in 2005, with Guerrero batting .317 with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs in 520 at bats. Late in the season, Guerrero became the 12th player to hit his 300th home run before the age of 30 (along with Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Harmon Killebrew, Mel Ott, Frank Robinson, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey, Jr., Juan González, and Andruw Jones, who achieved the mark about the same time as Guerrero).

Guerrero had an up-and-down 2005 postseason, batting .333 in ALDS victory over the New York Yankees, but just .050 in the ALCS against the eventual world champion Chicago White Sox. He fared better in a national TV ad for Pepsi with the Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez; the two engaged in a personal home run competition that ended up with the moon being broken. Guerrero also appeared at Game Four of the 2005 World Series, where he was introduced as a member of Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team.

Guerrero recorded his 1000th career RBI on July 15, 2006 at home against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Making his 8th Major League Baseball All-Star game appearance, Guerrero subsequently won his first career Home Run Derby in the 2007 season, highlighted by a 503-foot home run. He is the third Angel to win the Derby (after Wally Joyner in 1986, and Garret Anderson in 2003). Guerrero has been chosen for the All-Star Game every season since signing with the Angels. It has been suggested that Guerrero's signing with the Angels has helped lengthen his career, as many of his early career injuries were attributable to playing on the hard artificial surface at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Batting style

Guerrero bats without wearing batting gloves, a custom rarely seen in modern baseball. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, he attributed this to helping his grandfather pull cows home barehanded as a young boy in the Dominican Republic. To improve his grip on the bat, he coats his helmet with pine tar and simply rubs his helmet before going into the on-deck circle. As the season progresses, his batting helmet becomes covered in the substance. This is particularly noticeable with the bright red helmet of the Angels. Guerrero has batted over .300 in every official season of his career. He has driven in over 100 RBI in every season but 2003. Besides his 2004 MVP, has finished 6th (2000), 4th (2002), 3rd (2005) and 9th (2006) in MVP voting.

He had a 44-game hitting streak exclusively against the Texas Rangers from 2004-2006, the longest such player-vs.-team streak in MLB history. The streak occurred over his first 44 appearances against the Rangers.

His nickname among peers and commentators is "Vladdy." He has also been called "Vlad the Impaler," "Big Daddy Vladdy," "Bad Vlad," "Super Vlad," "Vladiator", and "Vlad Man."

Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler, commenting on Guerrero's personal strike zone, often says "From his nose to his toes, that's how Vladdy goes." Fox announcer Tim McCarver once suggested that "Guerrero's strike zone starts when he gets out of bed in the morning."

Vlad and the Dominican Republic

He was named to the Dominican Republic's roster for the inaugural World Baseball Classic, although he eventually withdrew due to the tragic death of 3 cousins in a car accident right before the tournament. He has provided several job opportunities in his hometown in the Dominican Republic through his business ventures: a cement-block factory, a propane distributorship, a supermarket, a livestock and vegetable farm, and a women's clothing store.

Career statistics

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
* 30-30 club
* Hitting for the cycle
* List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

External links