Frankie Librán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Francisco Librán |
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| Shortstop | |||
| Born: May 6, 1948 Mayagüez, Puerto Rico |
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| Died: May 16, 2013 (aged 65) Mayagüez, Puerto Rico |
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| debut | |||
| September 3, 1969, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1969, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .100 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Francisco Librán Rosas (born May 6, 1948 – died May 16, 2013) was an amazing athlete from Puerto Rico. He was special because he played professionally in three major sports on the island: baseball, basketball, and volleyball! He even played a short time in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an infielder.
People often called him "the most complete Puerto Rican athlete." This was because he was so good at many different sports. Besides baseball, basketball, and volleyball, he also did track and field and played softball.
Contents
A True All-Around Athlete
Growing Up and Starting Sports
Francisco Librán was born in 1948 in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. He grew up in a place called the Franklin D. Roosevelt housing project. He started playing sports when he was just 10 years old. Later, he studied at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. While there, he competed in university sports for the Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico.
His Amazing Sports Journey
Francisco Librán was known for being great at many sports. He played volleyball for the Vaqueros de Bayamón in the Puerto Rico volleyball league. In 1965, he also played basketball for the Atléticos de San Germán in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He was also good at track and field, especially high jump.
Baseball Star
Librán became most famous for his baseball career. He mostly played as a shortstop. But he could also play second base and third base. In 1965, while also playing basketball, he helped his baseball team, the Patrulleros de San Sebastián, win a championship. This was in the Doble A Baseball League in Puerto Rico. He also played for other teams like San Juan, Arecibo, and Caguas in the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball League.
Reaching the Major Leagues
In 1968, the Chicago Cubs team from Major League Baseball signed Librán. He played for their smaller teams (called Class A affiliates) that season. In 1969, he was traded to a new team, the San Diego Padres. He joined the Padres' main roster after September 1 of that year.
Librán made his Major League debut as a shortstop in the 1969 season. In his first game, he didn't get any hits in his two turns at bat. Thirteen days later, he got his only Major League hit! It was an RBI-double, which means he hit the ball for two bases and brought a teammate home to score.
After playing in ten games in the Major Leagues, Librán had a knee injury. He then played for two more years in the minor leagues. He stopped playing professional baseball after the 1971 season. Even with his injury, he kept playing in Puerto Rico for teams like Senadores de San Juan, Lobos de Arecibo, Criollos de Caguas, and Indios de Mayagüez.
After leaving baseball, Librán played softball for Mayagüez from 1977 to 1987.
Life After Sports
After his sports career, Francisco Librán finished his college studies in education. He then worked for 23 years for the Puerto Rico Department of Housing in Mayagüez.
Francisco Librán passed away on May 16, 2013, due to health problems. He is remembered as a truly versatile and talented athlete. He is survived by his two daughters, Yeidie J. Librán and Yara E. Librán.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico
