Vladimir Guerrero
Encyclopedia : V : VL : VLA : Vladimir Guerrero
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| Position | Right Field |
| Team | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim |
| Years of Experience | 10 years |
| Age | 30 |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb. |
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| College | N/A |
| 2005 Salary | ,500,000 |
| Place of Birth | Nizao Bani, Dominican Republic |
| Selection | Amateur free agent, 1993 |
| Drafted by | Montreal Expos |
| Major League Debut | September 19, 1996 |
Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Nizao, Dominican Republic is a Major League Baseball player currently with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is widely recognized as one of the best all-around players in the Majors because he regularly hits for power and a high average, steals bases, has a reputation of having one of the strongest outfield arms in baseball (however his career fielding percentage of .961 is considered to be the reason why he's not considered a good defensive player). Vlad is also regarded as an excellent "bad ball hitter" for his successful attempts to hit balls thrown outside of the strike zone.
His nickname among peers and commentators is "Vladdy" (or "Big Daddy Vladdy"). Another popular nickname of his is "Vlad the Impaler."
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 one motivating factor for choosing the Angels over other teams.
Early career
Vladimir was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent in 1993 and eventually made his Major League debut on September 19, 1996.
Vladimir was criticized during his rookie season of 1997 for being too aggressive at the plate. Nonetheless, he put up solid numbers, batting .302 with 11 HRs and 40 RBIs in just 325 at-bats.
Best years
Premature scorn for Vladdy'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 and, as of the end of 2005, has never struck out 100 times in a single season. Vladimir batted .324 with 38 HRs and 109 RBIs in 1998 and posted similar or slightly improved numbers through the 2002 season. Vladimir also developed a running game, stealing 37 bases in 2001 and 40 in 2002. He narrowly missed entering the 40/40 club that season, hitting 39 home runs.Vladimir's 2003 season was shortened due to injury. In limited at-bats, he hit .330 with 25 HRs and 79 RBIs. Because of the injury, some in the media thought him to be a risky signing, since one never knows how well a player will recover. (E.g., Ken Griffey, Jr. has had a string of injuries since joining the Reds, and has not put up the kind of numbers that he did when with the Mariners. Yet he still commands a high salary.)
In 2004 Guerrero returned to form, hitting .337 with 39 home runs and 126 RBI's. He was named the American League MVP. Mike Scioscia, the Angels manager, said that Guerrero "really carried us on his back" in the last month, as the Angels overtook first place from the faltering Oakland A's, who finished one game behind in the standings. Vladimir 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 A.L. Wild Card.) The Angels won the west again in 2005 with Vlad batting .317 with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs in only 520 at bats. In the ALDS win against the Yankees, he hit .333. But in the ALCS, he hit a mere .050.
Accomplishments
- American League MVP (2004)
- 7-time All-Star (1999-2002, 2004-06)
- Finished 4th in National League MVP voting (2002)
- Finished 6th in National League MVP voting (2000)
- Hit 30+ home runs and stole 30+ bases (2001, 2002) (see 30-30 club)
- Fell one home run short of being the 4th member of the 40-40 Club (2002)
- Hit for the cycle (2003)
- Member of Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team
- Named to the Dominican Republic's roster for the inaugural World Baseball Classic, although he eventually withdrew due to the tragic death of his cousins in a car accident right before the tournament.
- As of May 24, 2006, holds an active 42-game hitting streak against the Texas Rangers (in 42 games he has ever faced them), one of the longest streaks one player has hit in consecutive games against one team and the longest such streak since divisional play began in 1969.
- One of only twelve players to hit 300 home runs before age 30 (Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews, Harmon Killebrew, Mel Ott, Frank Robinson, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey, Jr., Juan Gonzalez, and Andruw Jones)
He has provided several job opportunities in his hometown in Dominican Republic through his business ventures: cement-block factory, a propane distributorship, a supermarket,a livestock and vegetable farms and a women's clothing store.
Vladimir featured in a PEPSI ads with the Yankee's third baseman A-Rod in 2005.
Vladdy also picked up his 1000th career RBI on July 15, 2006 at home against the Devil Rays.
Career Statistics (as of July 17, 2006)
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP +--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+1996 20 MON NL 9 27 2 5 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 .185 .185 .296 8 0 0 0 0 1 1997 21 MON NL 90 325 44 98 22 2 11 40 3 4 19 39 .302 .350 .483 157 0 3 2 7 11 1998 22 MON NL 159 623 108 202 37 7 38 109 11 9 42 95 .324 .371 .589 367 0 5 13 7 15 1999 23 MON NL 160 610 102 193 37 5 42 131 14 7 55 62 .316 .378 .600 366 0 2 14 7 18 2000 24 MON NL 154 571 101 197 28 11 44 123 9 10 58 74 .345 .410 .664 379 0 4 23 8 15 2001 25 MON NL 159 599 107 184 45 4 34 108 37 16 60 88 .307 .377 .566 339 0 3 24 9 24 2002 26 MON NL 161 614 106 206 37 2 39 111 40 20 84 70 .336 .417 .593 364 0 5 32 6 20 2003 27 MON NL 112 394 71 130 20 3 25 79 9 5 63 53 .330 .426 .586 231 0 4 22 6 18 2004 28 ANA AL 156 612 124 206 39 2 39 126 15 3 52 74 .337 .391 .598 366 0 8 14 8 19 2005 29 LAA AL 141 520 95 165 29 2 32 108 13 1 61 48 .317 .394 .565 294 0 5 26 8 17 2006 30 LAA AL 91 354 50 111 16 0 20 70 6 1 22 44 .314 .353 .528 187 0 4 8 2 9+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+11 Seasons 1391 5249 910 1697 310 38 325 1006 157 76 516 650 .323 .388 .583 3058 0 43 178 68 166
Teams
- Montreal Expos (1996-2003)
- Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels (2004-Present)
See also
External links
- [Baseball-Reference.com] - career statistics and analysis
- [Vladimir Guerrero] at ESPN.com
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