Omar Enrique Vizquel González (born on April 24, 1967 in Caracas, Venezuela), is a former Venezuelan big league, shortstop who played in the Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners (1989-93), Cleveland Indians (1994-2004) ), San Francisco Giants (2005-2008), with the Texas Rangers (2009), White Sox of Chicago (2010-2011) and Toronto Blue Jays (2012). He is an ambidextrous batter who throws the ball with his right hand. Because of its large number of records is considered the best defensive shortstop in the history of baseball. After signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, at 45 years of age he remained an active player in the Major Leagues, improving the records that consolidate him as the best defensive shortstop of all time, on October 3 of 2012 retires of the Great Leagues being this his last season like professional player.
Vizquel signed with Seattle in 1984 and made his major league debut on April 3, 1989 in a game against the Oakland Athletics. His defensive work was remarkable from the beginning, not his offensive work which was gradually improving after several years. In his first three years with Seattle, he hit .220, .247 and .230 with only 39 extra-hits. He then hit an average of .294 in 1992 and 1993. At the end of that year he was traded to the Cleveland team.
After strict batting training and adjustments in style he managed to raise his average and in 1996 he hit .297, with 9 home runs, 64 RBIs, 98 RBIs and 36 doubles. In the following years, he hit about .280. In the defense, Vizquel worked in a duo with second baseman Roberto Alomar, becoming one of the most effective defensive combinations of all time.
After hitting 14 home runs and pushing 72 runs in 2002, Vizquel was operated on his right knee to repair a cartilage. He only played 64 games in 2003 and had to be operated again.
In 2004 he had a successful offensive season with .291 average in 148 Games. In the following season he signed with the San Francisco Giants. On May 13, 2007, Vizquel made the double play number 1,591 beating the absolute record that then held Ozzie Smith.
In his 25-year career, Vizquel has batted .272 on average, 80 home runs and 404 stolen bases, receiving 1,028 bases on balls in 2963 games. On Sunday May 25, 2008 at 41, Omar Vizquel participated in a double card and broke the record of Luis Aparicio, which became the Venezuelan with more games played in the majors. On September 6, 2010 Omar Vizquel participated in his 2832 Major League game, becoming the Latin American player with most games played in the history of the major leagues, surpassing the record that had the Cuban Rafael Palmeiro, to meet the amount of 2585 games as a short course. By the end of the 2010 season and according to the MLB site, Omar tied Craig Biggio 15th on the list of players with the most games played in the big leagues with 2,850.
On September 19, 2012, at the new Yankee Stadium and before Andy Pettitte's submissions, Vizquel would hit the RF to match El Bambino, the Great Babe Ruth, on the list of hitters of all time with 2,873 hits connected, later in the eighth episode of the same match he would connect his 2,874 hits with double tugboat to the David Robertson submissions, with which he is placed alone in the 41st place of all time.
Omar Enrique Vizquel González (born on April 24, 1967 in Caracas, Venezuela), is a former Venezuelan big league, shortstop who played in the Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners (1989-93), Cleveland Indians (1994-2004) ), San Francisco Giants (2005-2008), with the Texas Rangers (2009), White Sox of Chicago (2010-2011) and Toronto Blue Jays (2012). He is an ambidextrous batter who throws the ball with his right hand. Because of its large number of records is considered the best defensive shortstop in the history of baseball. After signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, at 45 years of age he remained an active player in the Major Leagues, improving the records that consolidate him as the best defensive shortstop of all time, on October 3 of 2012 retires of the Great Leagues being this his last season like professional player.
Vizquel signed with Seattle in 1984 and made his major league debut on April 3, 1989 in a game against the Oakland Athletics. His defensive work was remarkable from the beginning, not his offensive work which was gradually improving after several years. In his first three years with Seattle, he hit .220, .247 and .230 with only 39 extra-hits. He then hit an average of .294 in 1992 and 1993. At the end of that year he was traded to the Cleveland team.
After strict batting training and adjustments in style he managed to raise his average and in 1996 he hit .297, with 9 home runs, 64 RBIs, 98 RBIs and 36 doubles. In the following years, he hit about .280. In the defense, Vizquel worked in a duo with second baseman Roberto Alomar, becoming one of the most effective defensive combinations of all time.
After hitting 14 home runs and pushing 72 runs in 2002, Vizquel was operated on his right knee to repair a cartilage. He only played 64 games in 2003 and had to be operated again.
In 2004 he had a successful offensive season with .291 average in 148 Games. In the following season he signed with the San Francisco Giants. On May 13, 2007, Vizquel made the double play number 1,591 beating the absolute record that then held Ozzie Smith.
In his 25-year career, Vizquel has batted .272 on average, 80 home runs and 404 stolen bases, receiving 1,028 bases on balls in 2963 games. On Sunday May 25, 2008 at 41, Omar Vizquel participated in a double card and broke the record of Luis Aparicio, which became the Venezuelan with more games played in the majors. On September 6, 2010 Omar Vizquel participated in his 2832 Major League game, becoming the Latin American player with most games played in the history of the major leagues, surpassing the record that had the Cuban Rafael Palmeiro, to meet the amount of 2585 games as a short course. By the end of the 2010 season and according to the MLB site, Omar tied Craig Biggio 15th on the list of players with the most games played in the big leagues with 2,850.
On September 19, 2012, at the new Yankee Stadium and before Andy Pettitte's submissions, Vizquel would hit the RF to match El Bambino, the Great Babe Ruth, on the list of hitters of all time with 2,873 hits connected, later in the eighth episode of the same match he would connect his 2,874 hits with double tugboat to the David Robertson submissions, with which he is placed alone in the 41st place of all time.
During the double matchday of September 23, 2012, which faced Toronto and Baltimore at Campdem Yards, Omar Vizquel chased down Mel Ott's lifetime record and tied for 40th all-time hitting hit with 2876. In the first match, the Caracas native did not see action, however, in the second match, the strategist of the Canadian team, John Farell placed him in the seventh position of the lineup and the defense was in the second base (43 times he has played in this position in 2012).
The production of the 45-year-old player began early, hitting a double against the Taiwanese Wei-Yin Chen in the opening of the second chapter. It was the connection of two bases 456 of his tour of 24 seasons in the majors. Against the same Asian monticulista, the Venezuelan left for his third turn, when he led a hit to right field defended by his compatriot Endy Chávez to occupy the 40th place among the maximum hitteadores of all time with 2877.
On October 3, 2012, Omar Vizquel retires from the big leagues being the last position player born in the 60s and the last debutante in the 80s.
During the double matchday of September 23, 2012, which faced Toronto and Baltimore at Campdem Yards, Omar Vizquel chased down Mel Ott's lifetime record and tied for 40th all-time hitting hit with 2876. In the first match, the Caracas native did not see action, however, in the second match, the strategist of the Canadian team, John Farell placed him in the seventh position of the lineup and the defense was in the second base (43 times he has played in this position in 2012).
The production of the 45-year-old player began early, hitting a double against the Taiwanese Wei-Yin Chen in the opening of the second chapter. It was the connection of two bases 456 of his tour of 24 seasons in the majors. Against the same Asian monticulista, the Venezuelan left for his third turn, when he led a hit to right field defended by his compatriot Endy Chávez to occupy the 40th place among the maximum hitteadores of all time with 2877.
On October 3, 2012, Omar Vizquel retires from the big leagues being the last position player born in the 60s and the last debutante in the 80s.
On June 21, 2014, he is inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.
Without a doubt, it is the best short course in Venezuelan history and pride, the popular "Manos de Seda"
