Chico García facts for kids

Vinicio "Chico" García Uzcanga was a talented baseball player and manager from Mexico. He was born on December 24, 1924, in Veracruz, Veracruz. Chico García was mostly known as a second baseman, a key position in baseball's infield.

He played for the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1954 season. Even though his time in MLB was short, Chico García had a very long and successful career in baseball. He played professionally from 1946 to 1970 and then became a manager from 1966 to 1984. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 170 pounds. He batted and threw with his right hand.

Chico García was a strong infielder and a good hitter. He spent nine seasons playing in Triple-A leagues, which are high levels of minor league baseball. He also played one season in Cuban baseball. He was a backup player for the Orioles in the American League. Chico García won four batting titles in different minor leagues, showing how good he was at hitting the ball.

A Career in Baseball

After his playing days, Chico García became a successful manager in Mexico. He managed teams from 1966 to 1984. During this time, he led his teams to win four championship titles! He won with teams like Culiacán, Guasave, and Mochis. He also managed other famous Mexican teams such as Monterrey, Veracruz, and Jalisco.

In 1981, Chico García was honored for his amazing career. He was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a very special award for baseball legends in Mexico.

Chico García was married to Carolyn Foshee, who passed away in 1995. They had two sons, Jerry Vinicio and David, and two daughters, Becky and Carolyn Lee. Chico García passed away on August 17, 2007, in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. He was 82 years old.

Career Highlights

Chico García had many memorable moments in his baseball career:

• In 1949, he led the Arizona-Texas League in several important stats. He had the most runs, hits, and triples. He also had the best batting average at .377.
• In 1963, when he was 38 years old, he won his second batting title in the Mexican League with a .368 average. That year, he also hit a career-high 21 home runs.
• Throughout his minor league career, he played 2,803 games. His overall batting average was an impressive .306.
• As a second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, he played 39 games. His batting average was .113, and he had 5 runs batted in.
• His fielding skills were excellent. He had a fielding percentage of .962, which means he made very few errors.
• He managed the Sultanes de Monterrey team in the Mexican League for 260 games.
• The number he wore for the Sultanes de Monterrey team was retired on June 11, 1999. This is a great honor, meaning no other player on that team can wear his number.
• He played in more All-Star games (14) than any other Sultanes player.
• He is considered the best second baseman in the All-Time players team for the Sultanes de Monterrey.
• With the Sultanes de Monterrey, he was a top scorer four times and led the team in batting three times.
• He was the 14th player from the Sultanes to be inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

Interesting Facts

• In 1946, Chico García was supposed to team up with famous player Vern Stephens to form a double play combination for a team in the Mexican League. However, Stephens decided to return to Major League Baseball instead.
• On November 30, 1963, the Baltimore Orioles signed Chico García from Shreveport in a special draft called the Rule 5 Major League draft.
• After the 1954 season, on October 8, 1954, the Baltimore Orioles traded Chico García to the Brooklyn Dodgers for another player named Ray Moore.