Luis Alomá facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luis Alomá |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: July 23, 1923 Havana, Cuba |
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| Died: April 7, 1997 (aged 73) Park Ridge, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 19, 1950, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 30, 1953, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 18–3 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.44 | ||
| Strikeouts | 115 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Luis Alomá Barba (born July 23, 1923 – died April 7, 1997) was a talented baseball player from Cuba. People often called him "Witto". He was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) and played for the Chicago White Sox from 1950 to 1953. Luis batted and threw with his right hand. He was born in Havana, Cuba. Before joining the White Sox, he also played for teams in the farm systems of the Washington Senators and the Detroit Tigers. His first MLB game was on April 19, 1950, when he was 26 years old. His last game was on August 30, 1953. Luis Alomá passed away in Park Ridge, Illinois, in 1997.
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Luis Alomá's Baseball Journey
Luis Alomá had an interesting journey through professional baseball. He started in the minor leagues, which are like training grounds for players before they reach the big leagues. He played for different teams before making it to Major League Baseball.
Starting with the Washington Senators
In 1944, Luis Alomá began his professional career. He signed with the Washington Senators as a free agent. This means he wasn't drafted but signed directly with the team.
He played for two teams in 1944: the Kingsport Cherokees and the Chattanooga Lookouts. He won 8 games and lost 7, with an ERA of 4.68. ERA measures how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings. A lower ERA is better.
Luis continued playing for the Lookouts for the next two years. In 1945, he had a great season, winning 14 games and losing 9, with a 3.17 ERA. In 1946, he won 16 games and lost 11, with a 3.56 ERA.
In 1947, he split his time between the Lookouts and the Charlotte Hornets. He had a tough time with the Lookouts that year. However, he did much better with the Hornets, winning 8 games and losing 7.
His last year in the Senators' system was 1948. He played for his hometown team, the Havana Cubans. This was his best season in the minor leagues. He won 19 games and lost only 6, with an amazing 1.77 ERA!
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
In 1949, Luis Alomá was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He played for their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons. Triple-A is the highest level of minor league baseball. He finished the season with 10 wins and 9 losses, and a 4.60 ERA. This was his only season with the Tigers' organization.
Joining the Chicago White Sox
Luis was traded again on August 5, 1949. This time, he went from the Tigers to the Chicago White Sox. He didn't play any minor league games for the rest of 1949.
Luis Alomá made his big league debut with the White Sox on April 19, 1950. He was 26 years old. He had a fantastic first season in MLB, winning 7 games and losing only 2. His ERA was 3.80, and he pitched in 42 games, all as a relief pitcher. A relief pitcher comes into the game after the starting pitcher.
In 1951, Luis continued his success in the Major Leagues. He won 6 games and didn't lose any! His ERA was an excellent 1.82 in 25 games. This was his best season in MLB. On June 17, he got to start a game because the White Sox had a very busy schedule. He pitched a complete game shutout against the Philadelphia Athletics. This means he didn't let the other team score any runs! It was the only time he started a game in his career. He is one of only four players ever to throw a shutout in their only career start in the American or National Leagues.
In 1952, he was still with the White Sox. He won 3 games and lost 1, with a 4.28 ERA in 25 games. He also earned a career-high six saves that year. A save is when a relief pitcher finishes a close game without letting the other team tie or win.
His last season in the Major Leagues was 1953. He won 2 games and didn't lose any, with a 4.70 ERA in 24 games. After this, he played one more professional season in 1954 for the Double-A Memphis Chickasaws.
In his four-year Major League career, Luis Alomá had a total of 18 wins and only 3 losses. His career ERA was 3.44, and he had 15 saves in 116 games pitched.
