Sandy Alomar Jr.
A rock-solid defensive catcher, Sandy Alomar Jr. was the first catcher to start the All-Star Game as a rookie. He struggled through several injury-plagued seasons before exploding in the first-half of 1996. He struggled in the second-half, but came back to post a 30-game hitting streak in the first half of 1997. He was hitting .375 (a record for a catcher) at the All-Star break in 1997, but suffered another second-half collapse. Alomar helped the Indians to five straight division titles in the 1990s, was a six-time All-Star, and won one Gold Glove.
Played For
San Diego Padres (1988-1989)
Cleveland Indians (1990-2000)
Chicago White Sox (2001-2002)
Colorado Rockies (2002)
Chicago White Sox (2003-2004)
Texas Rangers (2005)
Best Season: 1997
Alomar was batting .375 at the All-Star break, the highest average for a catcher at that juncture in baseball history (at least 75 hits). In 2006, Joe Mauer eclipsed that mark, batting .378.
Where He Played
Played one game at first base and a handful as a DH, but besides that, he was strictly a catcher.
Born
Santos (Jr.) (Velazquez) Alomar Jr. was born on June 18, 1966, in Salinas
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: C
Primary Team: CLE
Major League Debut
September 30, 1988
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1988
Craig Biggio
Roberto Alomar
Mark Grace
Gary Sheffield
Brady Anderson
John Smoltz
Randy Johnson
Curt Schilling
Gregg Olson
Family Tree
Brother Roberto and father Sandy. Sandy played 15 seasons in the big leagues and was known for his glove. Roberto and Sandy Jr. were teammates with the Padres in 1988-1989, with the Indians in 1999-2000, and with the ChiSox in 2003-2004.
Similar Players
In physique, Lance Parrish. Alomar was probably a better defensive catcher than Parrish, by a slim margin. Parrish was a batter hitter.
Related Players
Brother Roberto Alomar, a perennial All-Star second baseman, and father Sandy Alomar, an infielder... When Alomar debuted with the Padres in 1988, he was considered the best catching prospect in baseball. He had been named Minor League Player of the Year. The Padres, however, already had an All-Star catcher in Benito Santiago. Forced to choose between the two, San Diego picked Santiago and dealt Alomar to the Indians in a blockbuster deal.
Post-Season Appearances
1995 American League Championship Series
1995 World Series
1995 American League Divisional Series
1996 American League Divisional Series
1997 American League Divisional Series
1997 American League Championship Series
1997 World Series
1998 American League Championship Series
1998 American League Divisional Series
1999 American League Divisional Series
Awards and Honors
1990 AL Gold Glove
1990 AL Rookie of the Year
1997 ML AS MVP
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
1991: hip and shoulder; 1992: torn cartilage in left knee; 1993: back surgery; 1994: hip and back; 1995: knee injury; 1999: knee surgery... Alomar had no fewer than nine knee operations in his career, at least seven of them on his left knee alone. Through 2005, in an 18-year career, he had played in just 1,323 games, an average of fewer than 75 per season.
Hitting Streaks
30 games (1997)
Transactions
October 21, 1983: Signed by the San Diego Padres as an amateur free agent.
December 6, 1989: Traded by the San Diego Padres with Carlos Baerga and Chris James to the Cleveland Indians for Joe Carter.
October 27, 2000: Granted Free Agency.
December 18, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago White Sox.
July 29, 2002: Traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Colorado Rockies for Enemencio Pacheco (minors).
October 31, 2002: Granted Free Agency.
December 20, 2002: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago White Sox.
October 27, 2003: Granted Free Agency.
November 26, 2003: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago White Sox.
October 29, 2004: Granted Free Agency.
December 8, 2004: Signed as a Free Agent with the Texas Rangers.
The trade that sent Alomar to the Indians, is one of the better deals in Indians history. Baerga was a three-time All-Star at second for Cleveland, and Alomar, though oft-injured, paid long-term dividends. The Indians won five straight AL Central titles.
Trivia Question
Who is the only rookie catcher to start an All-Star Game?
Trivia Answer
Sandy Alomar
All-Star Selections
1990 AL
1991 AL
1992 AL
1996 AL
1997 AL
1998 AL
Replaced
Andy Allanson
Replaced By
Anyone who was healthy.
Best Strength as a Player
Defense behind the plate and handling pitching staffs.
Largest Weakness as a Player
A large man (6'5" and close to 230 pounds), Alomar was constantly afflicted with injuries. He suffered knee, leg, shoulder, back, and arm injuries that limited him to fewer than 90 games in seven of his prime seasons. From 1991-1995 he wa son the disabled list every season.
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