Vic Davalillo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vic Davalillo |
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Davalillo with the California Angels in 1968
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: July 31, 1939 Died December 6, 2023 (aged 84) Cabimas, Zulia, Venezuela |
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| debut | |||
| April 9, 1963, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 6, 1980, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .279 | ||
| Home runs | 36 | ||
| Runs batted in | 329 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2003 | ||
Víctor José Davalillo Romero (born July 31, 1939 – died December 6, 2023) was a famous Venezuelan professional baseball player. People often called him Vic Davalillo. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Mexican League from 1963 to 1982.
Davalillo was known for his speed when running bases and his excellent defense. He was a favorite player for fans of the Cleveland Indians. Later in his career, he became a valuable player who could play many different positions. He was also very good at hitting the ball when coming off the bench as a pinch hitter.
Vic Davalillo also had an amazing career in the Venezuelan Winter League. There, he holds the record for the most total base hits and the highest career batting average. He played baseball for 30 years in the U.S., Mexico, and his home country, getting more than 4,100 hits in total.
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Vic Davalillo's Early Life
Vic Davalillo was born on July 31, 1939. Many baseball books say he was born in Cabimas, Venezuela. However, in 2006, he shared that he was actually born in Churuguara, Falcón. His family moved to Cabimas just a few days after he was born. He grew up near Lake Maracaibo. His older brother, Pompeyo Davalillo, also played baseball for a short time in Major League Baseball in 1953.
Playing in the Minor Leagues
Davalillo started his baseball journey as a pitcher. He signed his first professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds in 1958. In 1961, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians team. He quickly moved up through their minor league system.
In 1962, Davalillo played for the Jacksonville Suns, which was a Triple-A team. Triple-A is the highest level of minor league baseball. He won the batting title for the Suns that year, hitting an impressive .346. This means he got a hit in 34.6% of his turns at bat.
Starting His Major League Career
In 1963, Vic Davalillo joined the Cleveland Indians. He became the eighth player from Venezuela to play in Major League Baseball. He started as the team's leadoff hitter and center fielder. A leadoff hitter is the first batter in the lineup.
By the middle of June, he was hitting very well, with a .304 batting average. People even thought he might win the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award. But then, he got hit by a pitch and broke his wrist. He still finished the season with a .292 batting average and 7 home runs in 90 games. After his injury, it was harder for him to hit against left-handed pitchers.
In 1964, Davalillo was recognized for his great defense. He won the Gold Glove Award as a center fielder. He was the first left-handed throwing outfielder in the American League to win this award.
In 1965, Davalillo was hitting so well that he was chosen to start in the 1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He finished that season with a .301 batting average, which was the third best in the American League. In 1966, he didn't hit as well, so the Indians started using him in a "platoon" role. This meant he mostly played when the other team had a right-handed pitcher.
In 1968, Davalillo was traded from the Indians to the California Angels. He played much better with the Angels, hitting .298 after the trade. He finished the season with a .277 average overall. This was the sixth highest average in the American League during a time when it was hard to get hits.
Moving to New Teams
In 1969, Davalillo was traded again, this time to the St. Louis Cardinals. In his very first turn at bat in the National League, he hit a three-run home run! He even tried pitching twice for the Cardinals in 1969, but it didn't go so well.
By 1970, Davalillo became a very useful player for the Cardinals. He was a "utility player," meaning he could play many different positions. He was also an excellent pinch hitter. He was credited with 23 pinch hits that year, which was a record for the National League at the time. He finished the season with a .311 batting average.
In 1971, the Cardinals traded Davalillo to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He continued to be a utility player, playing all three outfield positions and even first baseman. He helped the Pirates win their division. The Pirates then won the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
In 1972, Davalillo had his best batting average of his career, hitting .318 in 117 games. He helped the Pirates win their division again.
In 1973, Davalillo was sold to the Oakland Athletics. He helped the Athletics win their division and then beat the Baltimore Orioles in the championship series. Davalillo played very well in that series, getting five hits in eight turns at bat. The Athletics then went on to win the 1973 World Series against the New York Mets. Davalillo played in six of the seven games.
After playing in 17 games for the Athletics in 1974, Davalillo was released from the team.
Playing in Mexico and a Major League Comeback
After leaving Major League Baseball, Davalillo played for three seasons in the Mexican League. In 1977, he was the best hitter in the Mexican League, with a .384 batting average.
In August 1977, the Los Angeles Dodgers bought Davalillo's contract. They needed an experienced player who could come off the bench. As a pinch hitter and a defensive player, he hit .313 in 24 games for the Dodgers in 1977. He helped them win their division. Davalillo became the first player to play for three different teams in the League Championship Series.
Davalillo's pinch-hitting skills were very important in Game 3 of the 1977 National League Championship Series. The Dodgers were losing 5–3 in the 9th inning with two outs. Davalillo surprised the other team with a perfect bunt, which started a rally. The Dodgers ended up winning that game and the championship series.
In the 1977 World Series against the New York Yankees, Davalillo had three pinch-hitting chances and got one hit that drove in a run. The Dodgers lost that series.
In 1978, at 42 years old, Davalillo hit .312 as a pinch hitter for the Dodgers. They won the National League championship again but lost to the New York Yankees in the 1978 World Series.
Davalillo started the 1979 season with the Dodgers. But in June, he went back to play in Triple-A for the first time in 17 years. He rejoined the Dodgers in September for a few more games.
After the 1979 season, the Dodgers released Davalillo. He went back to play in Mexico. After hitting .394 in 94 games, the Dodgers called him back again. He played for their Triple-A team and then got called up to the Dodgers at age 44 for his last six turns at bat in 1980.
He played his final 40 games in the Mexican League in 1981. He continued to play in other leagues in Mexico for a few more years.
Playing in the Venezuelan Winter League
Vic Davalillo kept playing in the Venezuelan Winter League until he was 50 years old! He played for 30 seasons between 1957 and 1987.
- He played 19 seasons for the Leones del Caracas.
- He played one season for "Tibuleones" de Portuguesa.
- He played 10 seasons for the Tigres de Aragua.
Davalillo retired from baseball after playing in the 1987 Caribbean Series.
Career Baseball Statistics
In his 16 years in Major League Baseball, Davalillo played in 1,458 games. He got 1,122 hits in 4,017 turns at bat, which gave him a career batting average of .279. He also hit 36 home runs, drove in 329 runs batted in, and stole 125 stolen bases. He was a great fielder, finishing his career with a .988 fielding percentage as a center fielder.
In the Venezuelan Winter League, he set many records that still stand today. He has the highest lifetime batting average (.325), the most hits (1,505), the most games played (1,280), and the most runs batted in (483). He also won four batting titles in that league.
A book about him from 2019 says he had a total of 4,158 base hits in his professional career across all leagues.
Honors and Awards
Vic Davalillo has received many honors for his amazing baseball career:
- In 1987, the baseball field in Cabimas, Zulia, was renamed Estadio Víctor Davalillo in his honor.
- The award for the Most Valuable Player in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League is also named after him.
- In 2003, Davalillo was chosen to be part of the very first group of players inducted into the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
- The Venezuelan winter league played its 2019-20 season in honor of Davalillo.
- In March 2022, a youth baseball program in Caracas called "Escuela de Beisbol Menor Víctor Davalillo" (Victor Davalillo Minor Baseball School) started.
See also
In Spanish: Víctor Davalillo para niños
