Omar Vizquel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Omar Vizquel
Vizquel with the San Francisco Giants in 2005
Shortstop
Born: (1967-04-24) April 24, 1967 (age 58) Caracas, Venezuela
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
debut
April 3, 1989, for the Seattle Mariners
Last appearance
October 3, 2012, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
Batting average	.272
Hits	2,877
Home runs	80
Runs batted in	951
Teams
As player Seattle Mariners (1989–1993) Cleveland Indians (1994–2004) San Francisco Giants (2005–2008) Texas Rangers (2009) Chicago White Sox (2010–2011) Toronto Blue Jays (2012) As coach Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013) Detroit Tigers (2014–2017)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (1998, 1999, 2002) 11× Gold Glove Award (1993–2001, 2005, 2006) Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2018
Vote	77%
Election Method	Contemporary Committee

Omar Enrique Vizquel González (born April 24, 1967), known as "Little O", is a former professional baseball shortstop from Venezuela. He played for 24 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his career, Vizquel played for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays. In Venezuela, he played for Leones del Caracas.

Many people consider Omar Vizquel one of the best defensive shortstops ever. He won 11 Gold Glove Awards, including nine in a row from 1993 to 2001. His fielding percentage of .9847 is the highest for a shortstop in history. He also holds the record for most games played at shortstop and most double plays turned. Vizquel was the all-time hits leader for players from Venezuela with 2,877 hits until Miguel Cabrera passed him in 2021. He is also third all-time in hits among shortstops, behind Derek Jeter and Honus Wagner.

When he retired, Vizquel was the oldest position player in MLB. He was also the only active position player who had played in the 1980s. He is one of only 31 players in baseball history to play in four different decades. He is the only one of these players who played shortstop. On May 7, 2012, Vizquel became the oldest player to play shortstop in Major League history. He passed Bobby Wallace, who played at age 44 in 1918.

After his playing career, Vizquel became a coach. From 2014 to 2017, he was the first-base, infield, and baserunning coach for the Detroit Tigers. He also managed the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League. Additionally, he managed the Venezuela national baseball team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Omar Vizquel's Baseball Journey

Starting with the Seattle Mariners

Vizquel began his career with the Leones del Caracas team in the Venezuelan Winter League. He learned to switch-hit from Bill Plummer, who managed him in Venezuela and later coached the Mariners. The Mariners signed Vizquel as a free agent in 1984. He made his Major League debut on April 3, 1989. In that game, he played shortstop and made five assists. A few nights later, he got his first career hit against Storm Davis.

Playing for the Cleveland Indians

Vizquel during his time with the Indians in 1996

At the end of the 1993 season, the Mariners traded Vizquel to the Indians. During his time in Cleveland, the Indians reached the World Series twice. They lost to the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and to the Florida Marlins in 1997. Vizquel had a .250 batting average in 57 postseason games.

Vizquel won nine Gold Gloves in a row with the Mariners and Indians. This streak started in 1993 and lasted until 2001. Alex Rodriguez broke his streak by winning the award in 2002. Vizquel later won two more Gold Gloves in 2005 and 2006 with the San Francisco Giants.

In 1999, Vizquel had a great season, hitting over .300 for the first time. He finished with a .333 batting average and scored 112 runs. He batted second in a powerful Indians lineup that included Kenny Lofton and Roberto Alomar. This team scored over 1,000 runs that season.

On August 5, 2001, Vizquel hit a three-run triple in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners. This hit tied the game 14–14, helping the Indians come back from a 14–2 deficit. The Indians went on to win 15–14 in 11 innings. This tied the record for the biggest comeback win in history. In 2002, Vizquel hit a career-high 14 home runs and had 72 RBIs. He also tied the 2002 All-Star Game with an RBI triple. In 2003, he played only 64 games due to knee surgery. On May 27, 2003, Vizquel surprised the Detroit Tigers by stealing home base. He returned in 2004, hitting .291 in 148 games. After that season, Vizquel joined the Giants.

Time with the San Francisco Giants

On June 23, 2007, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame welcomed Vizquel into its Hall of Fame. He was honored along with former Giants outfielder Matty Alou. Vizquel finished in the top ten for sacrifice hits for the 13th and final time in his career.

Vizquel had knee surgery in February 2008. He started the 2008 season on the disabled list and played his first game on May 10. On June 13, Vizquel stole home for the second time in his career against Oakland Athletics pitcher Greg Smith.

Vizquel won the Hutch Award and the Willie Mac Award. He was also a finalist for the Heart & Hustle Award. Only a few other players have won more than one of these awards. Vizquel was also the 3,000th strikeout victim for pitcher Greg Maddux on July 26, 2005.

Playing for the Texas Rangers

Vizquel with the Rangers in 2009

On January 21, 2009, Vizquel signed a contract with the Texas Rangers. He made the team's main roster and mostly played as a backup infielder. In 62 games with the Rangers, he had 47 hits and a .266 batting average. He played shortstop, third base, and second base without making any errors.

Years with the Chicago White Sox

On November 23, 2009, Vizquel joined the Chicago White Sox. Former White Sox legend Luis Aparicio, also a Venezuelan shortstop, allowed Vizquel to wear his retired number 11 for the 2010 season. This was because White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén, another Venezuelan shortstop, already wore Vizquel's usual number 13.

On May 25, 2010, Vizquel became the shortstop with the third most hits of all time. On June 25, he hit his first home run of 2010. This made him one of only a few players to hit home runs in four different decades. On November 2, 2010, Vizquel signed another one-year deal with Chicago. On April 3, 2011, Vizquel got his 2,800th career hit. Even in his forties, Vizquel was still known as a great defensive shortstop. His teammates saw him as one of the most physically fit players.

Final Season with the Toronto Blue Jays

Vizquel with the Blue Jays in 2012

Vizquel signed a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for the 2012 season. He made the team and played his first game on Opening Day against his old team, the Cleveland Indians. His first start was on April 22. Vizquel was ejected from a game on May 1 after arguing with the umpire. He jokingly danced before leaving the dugout. Vizquel hinted that he might retire after the 2012 season. Even at 45 years old, he said he still enjoyed coming to the ballpark and competing.

On July 27, Vizquel hit his first two extra-base hits of the season: a double and a triple. He became the third oldest player to hit a triple. He also became the oldest player in MLB history to hit a double and a triple in the same game.

On September 19, Vizquel got his 2,874th career hit, passing Babe Ruth for 41st all-time. In the final game of the 2012 season, Brett Lawrie wore a different jersey number so Vizquel could wear his favorite number 13 for his last game. Vizquel went 1-for-3, hitting a single in his last at-bat. This was his 2,877th career hit, moving him past Mel Ott for 40th all-time. Vizquel retired after the season. He was the last position player born in the 1960s and the last to play in the 1980s to retire.

Coaching Career

Coaching for the Los Angeles Angels

On January 30, 2013, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hired Vizquel. He became a co-infield coach, working with Bobby Knoop.

Coaching for the Detroit Tigers

Vizquel as first-base coach of the Detroit Tigers in 2017

On November 18, 2013, the Detroit Tigers named Vizquel their new first-base coach. He also taught infield skills and baserunning. After manager Brad Ausmus left in 2017, Vizquel interviewed for the manager's job but Ron Gardenhire was chosen instead.

Managing in the Minor Leagues

In November 2017, Vizquel returned to the White Sox organization to manage their Class A-Advanced team, the Winston-Salem Dash. In December 2018, he was promoted to manage the White Sox' Class AA team, the Birmingham Barons.

Managing the Toros de Tijuana

On December 2, 2019, Vizquel was named the new manager for the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League. He left the team in July 2021.

Personal Life and Community Work

Vizquel is very involved in community service. He has been a spokesperson for "Young Audiences," an arts education group in Cleveland. He also supported "Schools Now," which raises money for schools. After a terrible mudslide disaster in his home country of Venezuela in 1999, Vizquel helped with relief efforts. He helped raise over $500,000 to help those affected. Vizquel has also hosted charity events in Cleveland, like Tribe Jam, where he and teammates sing songs.

His 2002 autobiography, Omar!: My Life on and Off the Field, was a best-seller. He wrote it with Bob Dyer. Vizquel has two children, Nicholas Enrique and Caylee Rae. He married Mónica Gemza in March 2025.

Feud with José Mesa

Vizquel had a well-known disagreement with his former teammate and friend, José Mesa. In his 2002 book, Vizquel wrote about Mesa's performance in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. He said Mesa's "eyes were vacant" when he gave up the tying runs. Mesa reacted strongly, saying he would hit Vizquel with a pitch every time they faced each other.

On June 12, 2002, Mesa hit Vizquel with a pitch. They did not face each other again until 2006. By then, Vizquel was with the San Francisco Giants and Mesa was with the Colorado Rockies. When Vizquel came to bat against Mesa in Denver on April 22, Mesa hit him again. Vizquel batted well against Mesa before Mesa retired in 2007.

Baseball Achievements and Records

Great Fielding Skills

• All-time leader in double plays made as a shortstop.
• Won 11 Gold Glove Awards.
• Oldest shortstop to win a Gold Glove (at age 38 in 2005, and 39 in 2006).
• Highest career fielding percentage for a shortstop (0.9846) with at least 1,000 games played.
• Tied for the lowest number of errors in a season by a shortstop (3 in 2000).
• Sixth all-time in assists, and third all-time in assists at shortstop.

Impressive Batting Records

• When he retired, he was the all-time leader in hits for a player from Venezuela.
• He was the 47th MLB player to reach 2,800 career hits (on April 3, 2011).
• When he retired, he had the second-most hits among active players, behind Derek Jeter.
• When he retired, he had the most singles among active players, and was 20th all-time.
• All-time leader in sacrifice hits in the live-ball era. He led the league four times (1997, 1999, 2004 & 2005).
• When he retired, he had the third most stolen bases among active players.
• Tied the American League record for most hits in a nine-inning game with six hits on August 31, 2004.
• Second-most hits while playing shortstop (behind Derek Jeter).
• Fourth-most runs scored while playing shortstop all-time.
• Seventh-most stolen bases while playing shortstop all-time.
• 44th all-time in career hits (2,877).

Overall Career Highlights

• First all-time in games played at shortstop.
• When he retired, he had played the most games among active players, and was 14th all-time.
• Three-time All-Star (1998, 1999 & 2002).
• Won two American League Championships with Cleveland (1995, 1997).
• Won six American League Central Division Championships with Cleveland (1995–99, 2001).
• Won the Hutch Award (1996), the only non-American player to do so.
• Won the Willie Mac Award (2006) for his spirit and leadership.
• Was a finalist for the Heart & Hustle Award (2007).
• Captain of the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team (2006).
• Member of the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame.
• Inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame (2014).
• Chosen as one of the four greatest Indians in franchise history for the 2015 All-Star Game's "Franchise 4" (2015).

Vizquel has been on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2018. Players need 75% of the vote to be elected. His support has varied, but he has not yet reached the required percentage. Players can stay on the ballot for up to ten years.

See also

In Spanish: Omar Vizquel para niños