Vladimir Guerrero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vladimir Guerrero |
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Guerrero with the Los Angeles Angels in 2007
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| Right fielder / Designated hitter | |||
| Born: February 9, 1975 Nizao, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| September 19, 1996, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2011, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .318 | ||
| Hits | 2,590 | ||
| Home runs | 449 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,496 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2018 | ||
| Vote | 92.9% (second ballot) | ||
Vladimir Guerrero Alvino (born February 9, 1975) is a former baseball star from the Dominican Republic. People often called him "Vlad the Impaler". He played for 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a right fielder (who plays in the outfield) and a designated hitter (who only bats).
Guerrero played for the Montreal Expos (1996–2003), Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004–2009), Texas Rangers (2010), and Baltimore Orioles (2011). He was chosen for the All-Star Game nine times. He was known for hitting the ball with great power and getting many hits. He was also good at catching and throwing.
In 2004, he won the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. This award goes to the best player in the league. Guerrero helped the Angels win five AL West championships between 2004 and 2009. In 2008, baseball managers voted him one of the most feared hitters.
Guerrero was famous for hitting pitches that were outside the strike zone. Sometimes, he even hit balls that bounced before reaching home plate! He hit more than 30 home runs in eight seasons. He also had over 100 runs batted in (RBI) ten times.
On September 26, 2011, Guerrero became the MLB leader for hits by a Dominican player. In 2018, he was added to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. His son, Vladimir Jr., also became a baseball star. They are the second father-son duo in MLB history to each hit 40 home runs in a season. Guerrero's career batting average of .318 is the highest for any player who mainly played in the 21st century.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Guerrero grew up in Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic. His home was made of mud and brick with a palm-leaf roof. His mother, Altagracia, sold street food to earn money. After Hurricane David hit in 1979, his mother traveled to find work. Guerrero and his siblings were cared for by a great aunt.
He was one of nine children. His older brother, Wilton Guerrero, also played in the major leagues. They were even teammates on the Montreal Expos for a while. Vladimir and his brothers played baseball using homemade gloves from milk cartons. They used socks filled with plastic bags as baseballs. Vladimir did not get a real baseball glove until he was 15. His older brother, who was a minor league player, gave it to him.
As a teenager, Guerrero tried out for the Dodgers. But he was sent home after eight months without a contract. In 1993, a scout named Arturo DeFreites convinced the Montreal Expos to sign Guerrero. He signed for $2,100. He even lied about his age, saying he was born in 1976. He accidentally revealed his real birth year (1975) in 2009.
Professional Baseball Career
Montreal Expos Years
The Montreal Expos signed Guerrero on March 1, 1993. He quickly moved up through their minor league teams. He made his MLB debut on September 19, 1996. In his first game, he got his first big league hit. Two nights later, he hit his first career home run.
In his first full season in 1997, Guerrero was criticized for swinging at too many pitches. But he still had good numbers for a rookie. He batted .302, with 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in (RBI).
Guerrero led all outfielders in errors several times. But his amazing ability to hit "bad" pitches made up for it. He could hit pitches that were clearly balls with power. His great hand-eye coordination and strength allowed him to be very aggressive. He still kept a high batting average every year. Even with his free-swinging style, he never struck out 100 times in a season.
In 1998, Guerrero batted .324, with 38 home runs and 109 RBI. He signed a $28 million deal before that season ended. He played in the 1999 All-Star Game. In 1999, he had a 31-game hitting streak. This was the longest in the majors in 12 years. He finished 1999 with 131 RBI, and in 2000, he hit 44 home runs. Both were career highs.
On July 7, 2001, Guerrero made one of the best throws in MLB history. He threw out a runner from deep right field. The throw was about 300 feet and reached the catcher perfectly.
In 2001, Guerrero also stole 37 bases and hit 34 home runs. This made him a member of the 30–30 club. In 2002, he led the National League with 206 hits. He also stole a career-high 40 bases. He almost joined the 40–40 club, missing by one home run. He was the first player to hit 30 home runs, steal 40 bases, and bat over .330 in one season.
Guerrero's 2003 season was shorter because of a back injury. Even injured, he managed to hit for the cycle on September 14, 2003. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. He was the last Expos player to hit for the cycle before the team moved.
He set many team records for the Expos. He is the all-time Expos career leader in batting average (.323), home runs (234), and slugging percentage (.588). He won the Montreal Expos Player of the Year award four times.
Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
After the 2003 season, Guerrero became a free agent. On January 14, 2004, he signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the Anaheim Angels. The Angels' owner, Arte Moreno, was the first Hispanic owner of an MLB team. Guerrero said this was a reason he chose the Angels.
In his first year with the Angels, Guerrero led his team in many hitting stats. He led the American League (AL) with 124 runs scored. He also tied for first in the AL with 13 outfield assists. He batted .337, which was third best in the AL. He was the second Angels player to have .300 batting average, 30 home runs, and 100 RBI in a season. He was chosen for his fifth MLB All-Star game.
Guerrero had an amazing September in 2004. He batted .371 with 10 home runs and 23 RBI. His strong play helped the Angels win the AL West Division title. This was their first division title since 1986. Because of his great performance, Guerrero won the AL MVP award. He was the second Angels player to win this award.
In the playoffs, the Angels lost to the Boston Red Sox. Guerrero hit a grand slam in Game 3.
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The Angels won the Western Division again in 2005. Guerrero batted .317 with 32 home runs and 108 RBIs. He hit his 300th career home run before turning 30. Only 11 other players had done this before him.
Guerrero had mixed results in the 2005 playoffs. He batted .389 in the first round against the New York Yankees. But he only hit .050 in the next round against the Chicago White Sox. He also appeared in a TV ad for Pepsi with Alex Rodriguez.
On July 15, 2006, Guerrero got his 1,000th career RBI. In 2007, he won his first Home Run Derby. He hit a 503-foot (153 m) home run. He was chosen for the All-Star Game in each of his first four seasons with the Angels (2004–2007).
By 2009, Guerrero's fielding skills were not as strong due to age and injuries. He became a designated hitter, focusing only on batting. In 2009, Sporting News ranked him number 37 among the 50 greatest current players.
On August 10, 2009, Guerrero hit his 400th career home run. On August 26, he got his 1,000th career hit as an Angel. This made him only the fourth player to have 1,000 hits in both the National League and American League.
In the 2009 playoffs, Guerrero hit a two-run single in the ninth inning. This helped the Angels beat the Boston Red Sox and move on to the ALCS. The 2009 season was the first time his batting average was below .300 (.295).
Texas Rangers
On January 11, 2010, Guerrero signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers. He had a great season, batting .300 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs. He won a Silver Slugger Award for his hitting. The Rangers won their division and reached the American League pennant for the first time.
On October 22, 2010, Guerrero drove in 3 runs in Game 6 of the ALCS. This helped the Rangers win the pennant. The Rangers then lost the World Series to the San Francisco Giants. After the season, the Rangers did not pick up his option for 2011, making him a free agent.
Baltimore Orioles
Guerrero signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles on February 18, 2011. On September 26, 2011, he became the all-time MLB hits leader among players born in the Dominican Republic. In 2011, Guerrero hit .290, his lowest batting average since his rookie year. He also had 13 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 163 hits.
Later Career and Retirement
Guerrero did not sign with any team at the start of the 2012 Major League Baseball season. Many people thought he might retire, but he said he would not. On May 10, 2012, he signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played a few games in the minor leagues before asking for his release on June 12, 2012.
He then played in the Dominican Professional Baseball League. He played for the San Pedro de Macorís team Estrellas Orientales. Later, he played for Tigres del Licey. He played only eight games with Tigres before leaving the team.
On April 4, 2013, Guerrero signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. However, he never played for them due to family issues.
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On March 31, 2014, Guerrero signed a one-day contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He officially retired from baseball that day. He became eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2018, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He received 92.9% of the votes. Guerrero is the first Hall of Famer shown with an Angels cap.
Career Statistics
In his 16 seasons, Guerrero played in 2,147 games. He had a .318 batting average (2,590 hits in 8,155 tries). He scored 1,328 runs, hit 477 doubles, 46 triples, and 449 home runs. He also had 1,496 RBI and stole 181 stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .379, and his slugging percentage was .553. In the playoffs, he hit .263 with 2 home runs and 20 RBI in 44 games.
Batting Style
Guerrero batted without wearing batting gloves. This is very rare in modern baseball. He said he learned to grip things well by helping his grandfather with cows as a boy. To improve his grip on the bat, he would put pine tar on his helmet and rub his helmet before batting. His helmet would get covered in pine tar by the end of the season.
Guerrero batted over .300 from 1997 to 2008. He drove in over 100 runs every season between 1998 and 2007, except for 2003. Besides his 2004 MVP season, he finished in the top 10 for MVP voting many other times.
In 2008, Guerrero swung at pitches outside the strike zone more than any other hitter. This meant he took fewer "balls" (pitches he didn't swing at). But it also meant he swung at fewer "strikes" (pitches in the zone).
Guerrero had an amazing 44-game hitting streak against only the Texas Rangers. This streak lasted from 2004 to 2006. It was the longest such streak against one team since 1969. He was incredibly good against Rangers pitchers. During the 2009 postseason, baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. called Guerrero "the best bad-ball hitter I've ever seen."
Personal Life
Guerrero's son, Vladimir Jr., was born in Montreal in 1999. Vladimir Jr. signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. He made his major league debut in 2019 and won the All-Star Game MVP in 2021. Another son, Pablo Guerrero, signed with the Texas Rangers in 2023. Another son, Vladimir Miguel Guerrero, signed with the New York Mets in 2024.
Guerrero has helped create jobs in his hometown in the Dominican Republic. He owns a concrete-block factory, a propane company, a supermarket, a farm, and a women's clothing store.
Awards and Honors
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (2018)
- Inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (2017)
- American League Most Valuable Player (2004)
- Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award (2010)
- 9× MLB All-Star (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010)
- 8× Silver Slugger Award winner (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010)
- 4× Montreal Expos Player of the Year (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002)
- 4× Los Angeles Angels Player of the Year (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
- Eastern League MVP (1996)
- Eastern League Rookie of the Year (1996)
Career Statistical Highlights
Top 10 in League Stats
- Top 10 in MVP voting (2000, 2002, 2004 (won), 2005, 2006, 2007)
- Top 10 in Batting Average (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
- Top 10 in Home Runs (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010)
- Top 10 in RBI (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010)
- Top 10 in Slugging Percentage (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- Top 10 in On-Base Percentage (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007)
- Top 10 in OPS (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- Top 10 in Hits (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006)
- Top 10 in Runs (2002, 2004)
- Top 10 in Stolen Bases (2001, 2002)
See Also
In Spanish: Vladimir Guerrero para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
