Cesar Geronimo
Known for his great defense, Cesar Geronimo tracked down fly balls with long "gazelle-like" strides in center field for three pennant-winning Reds' teams. In his nine seasons with Cincinnati, "The Big Red Machine" won five division titles and two World Championships. His surprising homer off Luis Tiant in Game Six of the 1976 World Series, tied the game and set the stage for Carlton Fisk's dramatics later in extra innings. Overshadowed by the others in the Reds "Great Eight" starting lineup of that era, Geronimo won four Gold Glove Awards.
Played For
Houston Astros (1969-1971)
Cincinnati Reds (1972-1980)
Kansas City Royals (1981-1983)
Best Season: 1976
Buoyed by a hot start (he hit .320 on April), Geronimo enjoyed by far his best season at the plate. He hit .307 with 24 doubles, 11 triples, 49 RBI and 22 stolen bases. Not bad for a #7 hitter. He also won his third straight Gold Glove Award in center field.
Factoids
Cesar Geronimo was the 3,000th strikeout victim of both Bob Gibson and Nolan Ryan.
Where He Played
Geronimo was the best defensive center fielder in the National League in the 1970s.
Born
Cesar Francisco (Zorrilla) Geronimo was born on March 11, 1948, in El Seybo
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: CIN
Major League Debut
April 16, 1969
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1969
Darrell Evans
Bill Buckner
Carlton Fisk
Steve Garvey
Bill Russell
Toby Harrah
Vida Blue
Jerry Reuss
Thurman Munson
Nicknames
The Chief
Related Players
Outfield mates in Cincinnati: George Foster and Ken Griffey.
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1989 |
BBWAA |
0 |
% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1972 National League Championship Series
1972 World Series
1973 National League Championship Series
1975 National League Championship Series
1975 World Series
1976 National League Championship Series
1976 World Series
1979 National League Championship Series
1981 American League Division Playoffs
Awards and Honors
1974 NL Gold Glove
1975 NL Gold Glove
1976 NL Gold Glove
1977 NL Gold Glove
Transactions
Geronimo was built for the spacious outfield of the Astrodome, but Houston included him in the deal that sent Joe Morgan and a few others to Cincinnati, on Novermber 29, 1971. It was one of the worst trades in Astros history.
Replaced
Bobby Tolan
Replaced By
Dave Collins
Best Strength as a Player
Impossible to choose between his range and his throwing arm. When he was drafted out of the Dominican by the Yankees as a 19-year old in 1967, they tried to make a pitcher out of him.
Largest Weakness as a Player
He was a below-average hitter and had real trouble with left-handers (career .214 average against southpaws, and a .278 SLG).
Learn More about Cesar Geronimo
Search Amazon.com for Books about Cesar Geronimo ⇒
Search for Cesar Geronimo at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
