- Freddie Velázquez
Federico Antonio (Velásquez) Velázquez (born
December 6 ,1937 inSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic ) is a formerMajor League Baseball catcher . He was signed by theSan Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent in 1958, and later drafted by theSeattle Pilots from theSan Diego Padres in the 1968 rule V draft (December 2, 1968). He played for the Pilots (1969) andAtlanta Braves (1973).Velázquez played in a total of 21 major league games, and was a starter in 8 of his 16 appearances as a
catcher . Defensively, he handled 66 out of 67 chances successfully for afielding percentage of .985. At the plate he was 10-for-39 (.256) with 5runs batted in .Career highlights include hitting a two-run double off
Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter (April 26, 1969) and going 2-for-3 againstHall of Famer Steve Carlton (July 22, 1973). In addition, he was immortalized in the bookBall Four (see below).Quote
*"Gary (Bell) has come up with a good nickname for Freddie Velázquez. Freddie just sits there in the
bullpen , warming uppitchers , and he never gets into a game and just looks sad. So Gary calls him Poor Devil." --Jim Bouton inBall Four (May 1, 1969)External links
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/v/velazfr01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pvelaf101.htm Retrosheet]
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