Nine years ago today, former MLB SS Chico Carrasquel passed away at the age of 79. As a Venezuelan born SS, he was the first in the series of players to dominate on the defensive side of the sport. Chico played from the years of 1950-1959 and made the All Star team 4 times (1951, 1953-1955). A subpar offensive player, Carrasquel hit just .258 for his career. But he was a very fundamentally sound ballplayer who had more walks in his career (491) than strikeouts. He also had 67 sacrifice bunts in his career and even hit more than 10 HR in a season twice though he finished his career with just 55.
Carrasquel was an incredible defensive SS who perhaps never got the credit he deserved. His best seasons defensively came before the start of the Gold Glove Award, which was instituted in 1957 (for both leagues) and starting in 1958 with a winner selected for each position in each league. It is hard to quantify a defensive player in that time but the advanced stats have been attributed to the older times. Rather than discuss his defensive WAR, which in my opinion has no relevance to the 1950s, here are some of his top defensive stats, according to baseballreference.com: From the years of 1950-1955, he ranked in the top five in the AL in both putouts and assists. His 102 double plays turned in 1954 led the AL and he finished top 5 five other times- 1950-1951, 1953-1955, 1959. He finished his career with a .969 fielding percentage, which for a SS is very good. He led the league in 1951, 1953 and 1954. Among the modern defensive stats, he led the AL in total zone runs in both 1953 and 1954. His range factor for SS was in the top 5 in the AL 4 times from 1950-1954. Odds are, if the Gold Glove Award existed in the years he played, he would have won it several times.
Carrasquel was the first in a series of Venezuelan SSs to have success in the major leagues. Most notably was Luis Aparacio, who won 9 Gold Gloves in the season of 1958-1970. He hit .262 for his career. Dave Concepcion, who won 5 Gold Gloves for the Reds from 1974-1979, hit .267 for his career. Ozzie Guillen, who was the 1985 AL Rookie of the Year, won only one in his career- in 1990, but was known as a very good defensive SS. Ozzie hit .264 for his career. Omar Vizquel won 11 GGs in his career and hit .272. Among contemporaries, Alex Gonzalez, Alicides Escobar, Elvis Andrus, Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores all came from Venezuela.
Carrasquel was an incredible defensive SS who perhaps never got the credit he deserved. His best seasons defensively came before the start of the Gold Glove Award, which was instituted in 1957 (for both leagues) and starting in 1958 with a winner selected for each position in each league. It is hard to quantify a defensive player in that time but the advanced stats have been attributed to the older times. Rather than discuss his defensive WAR, which in my opinion has no relevance to the 1950s, here are some of his top defensive stats, according to baseballreference.com: From the years of 1950-1955, he ranked in the top five in the AL in both putouts and assists. His 102 double plays turned in 1954 led the AL and he finished top 5 five other times- 1950-1951, 1953-1955, 1959. He finished his career with a .969 fielding percentage, which for a SS is very good. He led the league in 1951, 1953 and 1954. Among the modern defensive stats, he led the AL in total zone runs in both 1953 and 1954. His range factor for SS was in the top 5 in the AL 4 times from 1950-1954. Odds are, if the Gold Glove Award existed in the years he played, he would have won it several times.
Carrasquel was the first in a series of Venezuelan SSs to have success in the major leagues. Most notably was Luis Aparacio, who won 9 Gold Gloves in the season of 1958-1970. He hit .262 for his career. Dave Concepcion, who won 5 Gold Gloves for the Reds from 1974-1979, hit .267 for his career. Ozzie Guillen, who was the 1985 AL Rookie of the Year, won only one in his career- in 1990, but was known as a very good defensive SS. Ozzie hit .264 for his career. Omar Vizquel won 11 GGs in his career and hit .272. Among contemporaries, Alex Gonzalez, Alicides Escobar, Elvis Andrus, Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores all came from Venezuela.
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