Andrés Galarraga

Infobox MLB retired
name=Andrés Galarraga

---

position=First baseman
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1961|6|18
Caracas, Venezuela
debutdate=August 23
debutyear=by|1985
debutteam=Montreal Expos
finaldate=October 3
finalyear=by|2004
finalteam=Anaheim Angels
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.288
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=399
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=1,425
teams=
* Montreal Expos (by|1985-by|1991)
* St. Louis Cardinals (by|1992)
* Colorado Rockies (by|1993-by|1997)
* Atlanta Braves (by|1998-by|2000)
* Texas Rangers (by|2001)
* San Francisco Giants (by|2001)
* Montreal Expos (by|2002)
* San Francisco Giants (by|2003)
* Anaheim Angels (by|2004)
highlights=
* 5x All-Star selection (1988, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000)
* 2x Gold Glove Award winner (1989, 1990)
* 2x Silver Slugger Award winner (1988, 1996)
* 2000 NL Comeback Player of the Year

Andrés José Padovani Galarraga (pronEng|ˌɡæləˌɹɑɡə in English and IPA|/ɡalaˈraɡa/ in Spanish), (born June 18, 1961 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Montreal Expos (by|1985–by|1991 and by|2002), St. Louis Cardinals (by|1992), Colorado Rockies (by|1993–by|1997), Atlanta Braves (by|1998–by|2000), Texas Rangers (by|2001), San Francisco Giants (2001 and by|2003) and Anaheim Angels (by|2004). He batted and threw right-handed.

At six-foot-three and 235 pounds (1.91 m, 117 kg), Galarraga began his professional career in Venezuela at the age of 16. Despite several injuries that plagued Galarraga throughout his career, he was a very popular player both for his achievements on the field, and for his big and bright smile. He was nicknamed The Big Cat ("El Gran Gato") for his extraordinary quickness at first base in spite of his big frame. Galarraga was a five time All-Star, won two National League Gold Glove Awards and two NL Silver Slugger awards, and won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award after his successful return to baseball following cancer treatment.

Career

Venezuelan Winter League

Galarraga was signed by the Leones del Caracas club as a catcher and third baseman. He made his debut in the by|1978–by|1979 season. Some of the players he had as teammates included big-leaguers Tony Armas, Bo Diaz, Manny Trillo, Gonzalo Márquez and Leo Hernández. Galarraga originally started as a utility player, but three seasons later he became the regular first baseman of the team. At the recommendation of team manager Felipe Alou, he was signed by the Expos in 1979. At that time, some MLB scouts thought that the 17-year-old power-hitting prodigy was too overweight to play professionally.

Minor leagues

In the minors, Galarraga played for West Palm Beach (1979, by|1982–by|1983), Calgary (1979–by|1980), Jamestown (by|1981), Jacksonville (by|1984) and Indianapolis (1985).

Galarraga earned the Montreal job by being named Double-A Southern League MVP for Jacksonville in 1984, with .289 batting average, 27 home runs and 87 RBI. He also led the league in total bases (271), slugging percentage (.508), intentional base on balls (10), hit by pitches (9), and in double plays (130) and total chances (1428) on first base. Prior to his majors promotion, he hit .269, 25, 85 with Indianapolis in 121 games, being named "Rookie of the Year" in the Triple-A International League.

Expos 1985-1991

The Big Cat made his debut with Montreal on August 23, 1985. That year Galarraga struggled, hitting .187 (14-for-75) with two homers and four RBI in 24 games. He had a promising start in by|1986, but it was halted when he suffered a knee injury. Galarraga had eight home runs and was leading all NL rookies in runs batted in (25) when he suffered the knee injury. Galarraga received arthroscopic surgery on the knee on July 10. He was activated one month later, only to be re-injured the following day after pulling muscles in his rib cage. He returned to action in September, ending with .271, 10 HR, and 42 RBI in 105 games.

Overshadowed by some teammates, Galarraga survived a tough rookie year and quietly enjoyed a consistently strong by|1987 season. He hit .305, 13 HR, 90 RBI, finishing second in the league in doubles (40). Despite his size, he displayed solid defense, being adept at scooping throws out of the dirt and excellent quickness turning the 3-6-3 double play. Cardinals' manager Whitey Herzog called him "the best-fielding right-handed first baseman I've seen since Gil Hodges."

In by|1988, Galarraga emerged from the shadows to become the best player on the Expos. He had an MVP-type season with a .302 batting average, 99 runs, 92 RBI, and 29 home runs. He also led the league in hits (184) and doubles (42), and earned an All-Star berth for the first time in his career. by|1989 was a rough season however. Galarraga became a target of Montreal fans' frustration when he tailed off after the All-Star game. That year he led the league in strikeouts (158), dropping his production to .257, 23 HR, and 85 RBI. He fell five RBI short of becoming the first Expo to string together three straight seasons with 90 or more runs batted in. Despite the rough season, Galarraga blasted his first grand slam, stole home for the first time in his career, and was rewarded with a Gold Glove Award for his stellar play at first base.

Galarraga's by|1990 season had Expos mumbling that the team should lower its expectations for the slick-fielding first baseman. For the second consecutive season, the Big Cat failed to repeat the standards he set in his first two full seasons. He hit .256 with 20 home runs and 87 RBI, almost a mirror image of his previous season. For the third consecutive year, he led the league in strikeouts. Smart pitchers exploited his impatience at the plate and didn't give him good pitches to hit. Even without any improvement with the bat, Galarraga continued to make tremendous contributions on the field, scooping up infielder's errant throws, starting 3-6-3 double plays, and winning his second Gold Glove. That season he also had a six-RBI game, two four-RBI games, and hit his first career inside-the-park homer.

Slowed by injuries, Galarraga struggled through the worst offensive season of his career in 1991. Disabled with a strained left hamstring between May and July, he later had arthroscopic surgery to repair damage to undersurface of his left kneecap. Montreal missed his glove as much as his bat, committing 43 infield errors in 53 games without him. That season, Galarraga hit .219, 9 HR, and 33 RBI in 107 games. He stole home for the second time in his career and hit his 100th career home run. At the end of the season, he was traded to the Cardinals.

Cardinals: 1992

Galarraga had a second chance with St. Louis. Early in the year however, a pitch broke his wrist and he didn't recover until July. He batted .296 after the All-Star break and hit all ten of his homers after July 1 for a .497 second-half slugging percentage. He finished with a .243 BA and 39 RBI, but made a good impression on Cardinals batting coach Don Baylor. When Baylor became the first Rockies manager in the off-season, he recommended that Colorado take a chance on Galarraga and sign him as a free agent. The Big Cat was given new life for his career.

Rockies: 1993-1997

In a 1993 season full of remarkable individual achievements, Galarraga showed he was an accomplished hitter, and flirted with the .400 mark for much of the season. His final .370 BA was an amazing 127-point increase over his previous year mark. He led National League batters in batting average, and it was the highest average by a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio batted .381 in by|1939.

Despite missing 42 games with assorted injuries, The Big Cat compiled 56 multi-hit games to lead the league. He added 22 homers, 98 RBI, 71 runs, 35 doubles, four triples, a .403 on base percentage, and his .602 slugging percentage was second in the league. His .370 mark also is highest average ever by a Hispanic American player, while becoming the first player on an expansion team as well as the first Venezuelan to win a batting title. Tony Gwynn hit .358 to finish as runner-up in the title race.

Galarraga's improvement began when Baylor drastically opened up his stance to make him quicker on inside pitches. The new stance also helped Galarraga generate more power to the opposite field. At the same time, facing the pitcher with two eyes gave him a better view at pitches, lowering his strikeout rate and making him much more consistent at the plate with better contact. Galarraga finished 10th in the MVP selection, but won "The Sporting News" Comeback Player of the Year Award. After the season, and for third time, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.

In the strike shortened by|1994 season, Galarraga set a new National League record in April by driving in 30 runs in a month. He seemed to be on his way to a terrific year again, but he fractured his right hand on July 28. At the time of his injury, Colorado had climbed to within a half-game of the first place Dodgers. Without him however, the Rockies went 3-10 the rest of the way. Galarraga paced the club with 31 homers (fifth in the league), and batted .319 with 85 RBI.

On June 25, by|1995, Galarraga hit a home run in three consecutive innings to tie an MLB record. He finished the season hitting .280, with 31 homers and 106 RBI. His numbers were helped by the fact that he stayed healthy for the first time in four years. That season, the Rockies had four players with 30 or more home runs, matching the by|1977 Dodgers. Over the next few seasons, Galarraga developed into one of the best RBI-men in baseball, driving in a combined 396 runs between by|1996 and 1998 (106, 150, 140). In the same period, he batted .279, .303 and .318, with 31, 47, and 41 HRs. Some critics argued that his achievements were possible thanks to the thin-air, mile-high, hitter-friendly Coors Field, but Galarraga belted many homers on the road that traveled over 450 feet. During the '97 season, he hit a mammoth home run off Kevin Brown; a grand slam that landed 20 rows deep in the upper deck at Marlins' Pro Player Stadium and was alternately measured at 573 and 529 feet. Previously, he smashed two homers in two games that traveled 455-foot and 451-foot respectively, totaling 1,435 feet, an average of 478 feet each.

The Rockies released him at the end of the season to make room at first base for prospect Todd Helton. As a free agent, Galarraga signed a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Braves: 1998-2000

In his first season in Atlanta, Galarraga silenced his critics. He proved that he could still produce great power numbers in lower altitudes, hitting .305 with 44 home runs and 121 RBI. This made Galarraga the first player in major league history to hit 40 or more homers in a season in consecutive years for two different teams.

During by|1999 spring training, Galarraga developed a sore back. Treatment from trainers included hydrobaths, massages, muscle relaxers and stretching, but would not stop the nagging soreness. He was referred to a medical oncologist at Atlanta for a thorough physical exam and an MRI. When the diagnosis came in, the famous Galarraga smile disappeared. On his second lumbar vertebra in his lower back he had a tumor known as Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of lymphatic cancer. He missed the entire 1999 season while undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Galarraga returned to the field in high spirits and good form after undergoing chemotherapy and a strict workout routine. In his third at-bat of Opening Day in the 2000 season, Galarraga knocked the winning run with a home run and showed his smile again. In April and May, he was tied for first place in home runs in the National League and was batting .300. Galarraga finished his comeback campaign hitting .302 with 28 HRs and 100 RBI, an All-Star Game appearance in front of the home fans at Turner Field, en route to his second National League Comeback Player of the Year Award.

A free agent after the season, Galarraga signed with the Texas Rangers.

Rangers, Giants and Expos: 2001–2003

The change of scenery affected the hot-hitting Galarraga. At 40, he found himself lost in a new league, facing different pitchers, and stuck in a backup position with star Rafael Palmeiro as the incumbent first baseman for the Rangers. Galarraga was used mainly as a DH, pinch-hitter and occasional starter against left-handed pitchers. After he disappointed with a .235 BA, 10 HR, and 34 RBI in 72 games, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants mid-season. For the 2002 season, Galarraga re-signed with the Montreal Expos and played one year with the team. He returned to the Giants in 2003 when he signed a minor league contract before the season. As a part-time player with San Francisco, he batted .301 (82-272) with 12 HRs and 42 RBI.

Angels: 2004

In 2004, Galarraga's cancer relapsed and he underwent two three-week periods of chemotherapy and was hospitalized for 23 days for additional treatment. This was the same Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that sidelined him in 1999, but he beat it for the second time and began play with the Angels' Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake. When rosters were expanded in September, Galarraga came back to the majors. Although he served mostly as a bench player in Anaheim, he was widely regarded in the clubhouse, especially among younger players such as Vladimir Guerrero, for whom he became a voice of experience. Galarraga saw action in a few games, and hit one homer to reach 399 for his career total.

Mets, 2005

Again without a team, the New York Mets invited Galarraga to spring training, not knowing if the 43-year-old would be fit for their roster. Galarraga showed that he had some gas left in the tank offensively by socking 3 home runs, but appeared very tentative on the defensive end. Galarraga eventually retired during spring training on March 29, by|2005, saying it was "the right time to give a younger guy a chance to play." He finished his career with a .288 batting average, 399 HR, and 1,425 RBI. Galarraga was just one home run short of 400 career home runs, ranking #36 all-time at the time of his retirement.

Highlights

* Led National League in Hits (184 in 1988)
* Led National League in Total Bases (329 in 1988)
* Led National League in Doubles (42 in 1988)
* Led National League in Runs Created (113 in 1988)
* Led National League in Extra-Base Hits (79 in 1988)
* Led National League in Batting Average (.370 in 1993)
* Led National League in Home Runs (47 in 1996)
* Twice led National League in RBIs (150 in 1996 and 140 in 1997)
* Ranks 69th on MLB All-Time Total Bases List (4,038)
* Ranks 83rd on MLB All-Time Doubles List (444)
* Ranks 43rd on MLB All-Time Home Run List (399)
* Ranks 57th on MLB All-Time RBI List (1,425)
* Ranks 58th on MLB All-Time Extra-Base Hits List (875)
* Ranks 95th on MLB All-Time Intentional Walks List (106)

Miscellaneous notes

* First Venezuelan-born player to win a batting title.
*Member of the inaugural Colorado Rockies team that began play in Major League Baseball in 1993
* First Rockies' player ever represented at All-Star Game (1993)
* First Rockies' player to have a field refurbished and named in his honor, when "Andres Galarraga Field" opened at the "Denver Boys & Girls Club"
*Rockies' Career Leader in At Bats per Home Runs with 15.5.
*His 150 RBIs in 1996 is also still a single season record for the Rockies. [http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/COL/leaders_bat.shtml]
* Won the three triple crown categories (BA, HR, RBI) although in different seasons
* Set Rockies' record for RBI before the All-Star break (84, 1997)
*Became the first player in history to win two NL Comeback Player of the Year Awards
*Helped the Braves win the NL East in 1998 and 2000, the Giants win the NL West in 2003 and the Angels win the AL West in 2004.
* Honored in the docudrama movie "Galarraga: puro béisbol" ("Galarraga: Nothing But Baseball" - Venezuela, 2000)
* Honored in the book "Andres Galarraga - Real Life Reader Biography", by writer Sue Boulais (2003)
* He is one of three batters that Goose Gossage has admitted to intentionally hit. [ [http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080512&content_id=2687738&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy&partnered=rss_nyy Goose not a fan of Joba's celebrations | yankees.com: News ] ]

Big Cat quotations

* "I don't like the record. You can have it." - After being hit by a pitch for the 21st time, an Atlanta Braves record.

* "I thought when I first heard the word 'cancer' that I was going to die the next day. The next hardest thing then became how to tell my wife and my three daughters" - After the diagnosis.

* "The attention helped. I think the three main pillars of support to me during those painful treatments were my faith in God, my family, and the medicine modern science has today." - Before his treatments were concluded, in late September, 1999.

* "It was very difficult. I had a lot of nausea. But I always was optimistic. ... Thank God it worked, and I feel better than ever." At a news conference in May 2004, after undergoing cancer treatment for a second time.

ee also

*List of athletes on Wheaties boxes
*List of major league players with 2,000 hits
*List of NL Gold Glove Winners at First Base
*List of NL Silver Slugger Winners at First Base
*MLB players who have hit 3 home runs in consecutive innings
*MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
*Major League Baseball titles streaks
*Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
* List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
* List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
* List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
* List of Major League Baseball batting champions
* List of Major League Baseball home run champions
* List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
* Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game

References

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn=1659 |br=g/galaran01 |fangraphs= |cube=g/galaran01
*Andrés Galarraga's career statistics on the [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/art_hr.shtml Baseball Almanac site]
*Andrés Galarraga's bio on the [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/G/Galarraga_Andres.stm Baseball Library site]
* [http://www.stariq.com/pagetemplate/article-printer.asp?pageid=1209 Stars IQ]
* [http://articles.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_9_224/ai_60026772 The Sporting News]