Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar (born February 5, 1968) is a Major League Baseball player and arguably one of the best second basemen to have ever played the game.
Roberto broke into the Major Leagues in 1988 with the San Diego Padres, where he was regarded as an excellent fielder with speed and a solid bat. In 1991 he and Joe Carter were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. It was in Toronto that Roberto developed into a premier offensive second basemen, combining a .300-plus batting average with some pop and a continued threat on the bases. In 1993 Roberto batted .326, third in the league behind teammates John Olerud and Paul Molitor. Roberto was a large part of Toronto's World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.
In 1995 Roberto moved to greener pastures, signing with the Baltimore Orioles at a time when Toronto was moving to rebuild and Baltimore was building towards a championship-calibre team. Roberto would play again in the playoffs in 1996 and 1997 for the Orioles, although the Orioles were defeated in the American League Championship Series in both years.
On September 27, 1996 Roberto gained notoriety when, during a heated argument over a called third strike, he spat in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck. Roberto defended himself by saying Hirschbeck had uttered a racial slur and that Hirschbeck had been bitter ever since his son had died of ALD. Roberto was suspended five games and made to donate $50,000 to ALD research. Alomar and Hirschbeck have since settled their differences, and now consider one another friends off the field.
In 1999 Roberto signed with the Cleveland Indians, joining his brother, Major League catcher Sandy Alomar. It was in Cleveland that Roberto would have two of his finest seasons -- and perhaps two of the finest seasons ever for a second baseman. In 1999 Roberto hit .323 with 24 HRs, 120 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. In 2001 Roberto hit .336 with 20 HRs, 100 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. Cleveland would make the playoffs in both years only to lose in the American League Divisional Series. Roberto finished 3rd in MVP voting in 1999.
On the field, Alomar teamed with shortstop Omar Vizquel one of the most decorated keystone combination of all time. In 2000, with Vizquel committing just 3 errors all season long, the entire infield committed just 34 errors, one more than the record set by the New York Mets a year previous. Vizquel, Alomar and third baseman Travis Fryman won the Gold Glove award that season. Beside this, the Vizquel-Alomar duo won three Gold Gloves, joining a select list of eight shortstop-second baseman duos have won the honor in the same season while playing together.
Up to this point in his career, Alomar established remarkable milestones for a second baseman, including making twelve straight all star teams (1990-2001), winning ten straight gold gloves (1992-2001), batting over .300 nine times (1992-1997, 1999-2001), posting on OBP over .400 five times (1992-93, 1996, 1999, 2001), scoring 100 or more runs six times (1992-93, 1996, 1999-2001), driving in 100 or more runs twice (1999, 2001), stealing 30 or more bases eight times (1989, 1991-93, 1995, 1999-2001), and winning four silver slugger awards (1992, 1996, 1999-2000). There seemed no doubt that his immortality was assured, but then he was traded to the New York Mets before the 2002 season along with Mike Bacsik and Danny Peoples for Matt Lawton, Alex Escobar, Jerrod Riggan, Billy Traber and Earl Snyder.
In 2002, Alomar hit only .266 with 53 RBIs and 73 runs scored while falling apart definsively at second base. Not even a midseason trade back to the American League to the Chicago White Sox part way through 2003 could revive him from his funk. There was more misery ahead with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004, as a broken hand ruined much of his season. On August 5, he returned to the White Sox. It remains to be seen whether Alomar can turn his career back around and whether his complete collapse after years of greatness will deny him what once seemed to be a guaranteed place in the Hall of Fame.
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