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Víctor José Davalillo Romero (31 July 1939 – 6 December 2023) was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Mexican League as an outfielder from 1963 to 1982.
Davalillo (pronounced da-va-LEE-yo) played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians (1963–68), California Angels (1968–69), St. Louis Cardinals (1969–70), Pittsburgh Pirates (1971–73), Oakland Athletics (1973–74), and Los Angeles Dodgers (1977–80) as an outfielder.
Davalillo, who batted and threw left-handed, was a leadoff hitter known for his speedy baserunner and capable defense. He was a fan favorite during his years with the Indians, and became a valuable utility player later in his career. He was also recognized as a superb pinch hitter.
Davalillo also had an exceptional career in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he is the all-time leader in total base hits and career batting average. He played for 30 years in the U.S., Mexico, and his homeland, compiling more than 4,100 base hits total.
In 1965, Davalillo led the league in batting at mid-season with a .345 batting average, earning him a place as the starting center fielder for the American League team in the 1965 All-Star Game. He ended the season with a .301 batting average, third-best in the American League behind Tony Oliva and Carl Yastrzemski, the only other players to break the .300 mark that year. Davalillo had an off year in 1966, and the Indians began to use him in a Platoon system role, playing him when they faced right-handed pitchers. In 1967, he hit for a .302 average against right-handed pitchers but, only managed a .188 average against left handers, for a .287 average overall.
Davalillo was batting .239 with 12 runs batted in (RBI) when he was traded from the Indians to the California Angels for Jimmie Hall before the trade deadline on 15 June 1968. "Major League Teams Beat Clock with Last-Minute Trading Spurt," Schenectady (NY) ''Gazette, Monday, June 17, 1968. Retrieved 17 February 2023. He rebounded to lead the Angels with a .298 batting average after the trade, finishing the season with a .277 average overall, the sixth highest average in the American League. In an era dominated by pitching, Yastrzemski was the only player in the American League to hit for an average higher than .300 in .
In January , Davalillo suffered a nervous breakdown while he was in Venezuela to play in the Venezuelan Winter League. He began the 1969 season hitting for only a .155 average in 33 games and on 30 May, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Jim Hicks. In his first National League at bat on 1 June, 1969, Davalillo hit a three-run home run. He also made two appearances as a relief pitcher for the Cardinals in 1969 but failed to retire any batters. He is one of 14 pitchers in Major League history to have posted an infinite ERA, and the only one to have pitched in more than one game.
Davalillo became a utility player and highly effective pinch hitter with the Cardinals in 1970. He was originally credited with 24 pinch hits in , which broke the National League record set by Sam Leslie (1932) and tied by Red Schoendienst (1962). He also ostensibly tied the major-league single-season mark, also set by Dave Philley in . The total was subsequently corrected to 23, but while Davalillo was still credited with holding it, it was broken in by José Morales. One of the previous National League record holders was also his manager in 1970: Red Schoendienst. Davalillo ended the season with a .311 average and 33 runs batted in.
The Cardinals traded Davalillo along with Nelson Briles to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Matty Alou and George Brunet in January . He continued in his role as a utility player, facing mostly right-handed pitchers and playing all three outfield positions and as a first baseman. Davalillo ended the year with a .285 batting average, helping the Pirates clinch the National League Eastern Division title. The Pirates went on to defeat the San Francisco Giants in the 1971 National League Championship Series before winning the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In 1972, he continued to be a valuable role player, hitting for a career-high .318 batting average in 117 games, helping the Pirates win the Eastern Division pennant race, before they lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the 1972 National League Championship Series.
In July 1973, the Pirates sold Davalillo to the Oakland Athletics, who were in the midst of a pennant race with the Kansas City Royals. The Athletics eventually won the American League West Division and faced the Baltimore Orioles in the 1973 American League Championship Series. Davalillo had five hits in eight at-bats for a .625 batting average during the championship series, including a crucial RBI triple in the deciding Game 5.
The Athletics then went on to defeat the New York Mets in the 1973 World Series. Davalillo played in six of the seven games, starting twice in center field and going 1-for-11 altogether.
After appearing in 17 games for the Athletics in the 1974 season, Davalillo was released on 30 May.
Davalillo's pinch-hitting talent played a prominent role in the Dodgers' come-from-behind victory in Game 3 of the 1977 National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Trailing the Phillies 5–3 with 2 outs in the 9th inning, he spearheaded a three-run rally by surprising the Phillies defense with a perfectly executed drag bunt. Manny Mota drove Davalillo home with a double, then scored on a single by Davey Lopes to tie the game. The Dodgers eventually won the game and went on to win Game 4 to clinch the National League championship.
In the 1977 World Series against the New York Yankees, Davalillo made three pinch-hitting appearances, driving home one run with a single as the Dodgers lost the series in six games.
At the age of 42 in 1978, Davalillo hit for a .312 average as a pinch hitter for the Dodgers as they once again claimed the National League pennant before losing to the New York Yankees for a second consecutive year in the 1978 World Series.
Davalillo remained on manager Tommy Lasorda's squad to start the 1979 season, but in mid-June, he returned to Triple-A ball for the first time in 17 years. He rejoined the big club in September, going 4-for-10.
Davalillo played in 40 final games in the Mexican League in 1981. His career south of the border continued, however, in the little-known Liga Nacional. This circuit was started in 1981 by ANABE (Asociación Nacional de Beisbolistas), a Mexican players' association. Davalillo played in 1982 for Lechugueros de León in 1982. If Liga Nacional records still exist, they would be extremely difficult to find, but apparently Davalillo hit .360 in 124 games for the Lettuce Growers. In 1986 he was invited to join another Liga Nacional club, Tuzos de Zacatecas, but the circuit folded before he played for the Gophers.
Davalillo retired after appearing in the 1987 Caribbean Series.
As a pinch hitter in MLB, he recorded 95 hits in 367 at-bats (.259) with 5 home runs and 48 RBI.
In the Venezuelan Winter League, he set lifetime league records that still stand in batting average (.325), hits (1,505), games played (1,280), at-bats (4,633), runs (668), doubles (196), runs batted in (483) and career seasons (30). Baseball with a Latin beat: a history of the Latin American game By Peter C. Bjarkman, McFarland, 1994 Beside this, he won four batting titles and set record in hits (100) in a season.
The 2019 biography Vitico al Bate credits him with 4,158 total base hits as a professional:
Note: This total may not account for U.S. minor-league postseason games.
Note also that La Enciclopedia del Beisbol Mexicano credits Davalillo with 782 in the Mexican League. Uncertainty exists around totals in the Liga Nacional.
In 2003, Davalillo was selected to the inaugural class of the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Venezuelan winter league played its 2019–20 season in Davalillo's honor.
In March 2022, a youth baseball program in Caracas called "Escuela de Beisbol Menor Víctor Davalillo" began operations.
The book "Portrait of a Franchise: An Intimate Look at Cleveland Indians Baseball during the Rockin' Sixties" includes a chapter about Davalillo.
Mexican League
Davalillo then played three seasons in the Mexican League. He was the league's top hitter with a .384 batting average in . He continued to pitch on occasion.
Comeback in the majors
The Los Angeles Dodgers, seeking an experienced reserve, purchased Davalillo's contract in August 1977. As a pinch hitter and a defensive substitute, he posted a .313 batting average in 24 games for the Dodgers in 1977, helping them win the National League West Division crown. Davalillo thus became the first major-leaguer to play for three different teams in the League Championship Series (Pittsburgh in –, Oakland in and Los Angeles in ).
Continued action in Mexico and the majors
After the 1979 season the Dodgers released Davalillo. He returned to Mexico, and after he hit .394 in 94 games, the Dodgers reached out for him again. He played for the Dodgers' Triple-A team in Albuquerque and was called up at age 44 for his last six big-league at-bats in September and October 1980.
Venezuelan professional baseball
Davalillo kept playing in the Venezuelan Winter League until the age of 50. All told, he played in 30 seasons between 1957 and 1987:
Other leagues in Venezuela
Death
Davalillo died in Caracas from complications of surgery on 6 December 2023, at the age of 84. Fallece Vítico Davalillo, leyenda venezolana en Grandes Ligas y la LVBP
Career statistics
In a 16-year major-league career, Davalillo played in 1,458 Games played, accumulating 1,122 hits in 4,017 at bats for a .279 career batting average along with 36 , 329 runs batted in, a .315 on-base percentage, 509 runs, 160 doubles, 37 triples, and 125 . He finished his career at center field with a .988 fielding percentage, ranking him 61st among major league center fielders since .
Honors
In 1987, the ballpark in Cabimas, Zulia, was renamed Estadio Víctor Davalillo. The Most Valuable Player award in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League is also named after him.
See also
External links
Categories: 1939 Births, 2023 Deaths, Albuquerque Dukes Players, American League All-stars, Angeles De Puebla Players, Cafeteros De Córdoba Players, California Angels Players, Cleveland Indians Players, Columbia Reds Players, Gold Glove Award Winners, Havana Sugar Kings Players, Jacksonville Suns Players, Jersey City Jerseys Players, Leones Del Caracas Players, Llaneros De Portuguesa Players, Los Angeles Dodgers Players, Major League Baseball Center Fielders, Major League Baseball Players From Venezuela, Oakland Athletics Players, Palatka Redlegs Players, Baseball Players From Cabimas, Sportspeople From Falcón, Pittsburgh Pirates Players, Rieleros De Aguascalientes Players, St. Louis Cardinals Players, Tigres De Aragua Players, Topeka Reds Players, Visalia Redlegs Players, Venezuelan Expatriate Baseball Players In Mexico, Venezuelan Expatriate Baseball Players In The United States, Venezuelan Expatriate Baseball Players In Cuba, 20th-century Venezuelan Sportsmen
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