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Preston Gómez

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(Redirected from Preston Gomez) Cuban baseball player and manager (1923–2009)

Baseball player
Preston Gómez
As manager of the Spokane Indians
Infielder / Manager
Born: (1923-04-20)April 20, 1923
Central Preston, Oriente Province, Cuba
Died: January 13, 2009(2009-01-13) (aged 85)
Fullerton, California, U.S.
Batted: RightThrew: Right
MLB debut
May 5, 1944, for the Washington Senators
Last MLB appearance
August 12, 1944, for the Washington Senators
MLB statistics
Batting average.286
Home runs0
Runs batted in2
Managerial record346–529
Winning %.395
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Managerial record at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
As player

As manager

As coach

Career highlights and awards

Preston Gómez (born Pedro Gómez Martínez; April 20, 1923 – January 13, 2009) was a Cuban-born infielder, manager, coach and front-office official in Major League Baseball (MLB), best known for managing three major league clubs: the San Diego Padres (1969–72), Houston Astros (1974–75) and Chicago Cubs (1980). Born in Central Preston (now Guatemala), Cuba, he was given his nickname in U.S. professional baseball from his birthplace.

Playing career

A right-handed batter and thrower, Gómez was listed as 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall and 170 pounds (77 kg). He played eight major league games as a shortstop and second baseman for the 1944 Washington Senators, hitting .286 in seven at bats with two runs batted in.

Minor leagues

He spent the next two decades in minor league baseball, as a player between 1944 and 1955, and then as manager of the Diablos Rojos del México, the "Mexico City Reds," in 1957 and 1958. He then managed in the farm systems of the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. His 1959 Havana Sugar Kings were champion of the International League and won the Junior World Series; the following season, his Spokane Indians won 91 games and the 1960 Pacific Coast League championship.

Managerial and coaching career

Early career

In 1965, Gómez became third-base coach of the Dodgers, serving under Walter Alston through 1968 and on two National League pennant-winners and one World Series champion.

San Diego Padres

When Dodger executive vice president Buzzie Bavasi became president and part-owner of the expansion Padres, he named Gómez the first skipper in the team's major league history in August 1968. But, like most expansion teams, the Padres struggled, losing 110 games in 1969, 99 in 1970 and 100 more in 1971, finishing last in the NL West Division each season. After 11 games and seven more defeats in 1972, Gómez was fired April 26 and replaced by Don Zimmer. With the Padres, he had a record of 180 wins and 316 losses.

Houston Astros

He returned to baseball the following season as a coach under Baseball Hall of Fame skipper Leo Durocher for the Houston Astros. His 1973 campaign included interim stints as manager in April and August when the 68-year-old Durocher fell ill; the Astros strongly responded to Gómez, going 16–5 (.762) under him during those full-in assignments. When Durocher retired from baseball at season's end, Gómez succeeded to the manager's post in 1974.

That season, the Astros posted an 81–81 record — Gómez' only .500 or better season as a permanent big league manager. But in 1975, the Astros were staggered by the off-season accidental death of starting pitcher Don Wilson. They began the year by losing 16 of their 24 April games, and were still in last place in the NL West after 127 games (at 47–80) on August 18. On that day, Gómez was released in favor of Bill Virdon. As the Astros' pilot, he finished with a record of 128 wins and 161 losses.

Once again, Gómez took to the coaching lines, for the St. Louis Cardinals (1976) and then back to the Dodgers (1977–79), where he assisted Tommy Lasorda for three seasons and coached in two more World Series — 1977 and 1978.

Chicago Cubs and California Angels

The exposure led to one last major league managing job, with the 1980 Cubs — but again Gómez met with frustration. The last-place Cubs dropped 52 of their first 90 games, and on July 23 Gómez was fired again, to be replaced by Joey Amalfitano. Not counting his interim role with Houston in 1973, his career managing record, over seven years, was 346 wins, 529 losses (.395) with four last-place finishes.

Highly respected, Gómez remained in baseball as third-base coach (1981–84) of the California Angels, then served the Angels' organization as a special assignments scout and assistant to the general manager from 1985 until his death.

Ongoing no-hitters aborted

On two occasions, Gómez sent in pinch-hitters to hit for pitchers who had pitched no-hitters through eight innings. He did this on July 21, 1970, with the Padres' Clay Kirby and on September 4, 1974, with the Astros' Wilson. Both pitchers were losing their respective games at the time they were pulled. In both cases, the hitting strategy failed, and the games were ultimately lost.

Managerial record

Team From To Record
W L Win %
San Diego Padres 1969 1972 180 316 .363
Houston Astros 1974 1975 128 161 .443
Chicago Cubs 1980 1980 38 52 .422
Total 346 529 .395
Ref.:

Death

Gómez sustained major head injuries when he was struck by the driver of a vehicle at a Blythe, California, gas station on March 26, 2008. The crash occurred while Gómez was on his way home to Chino Hills, California, from the Angels' spring training in Arizona. He died from his injuries on January 13, 2009, in Fullerton, California, aged 85.

The 2009 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim honored Gómez' memory with a uniform patch in the shape of a black diamond with the name "Preston" written in white.

See also

References

  1. Spink, C.C. Johnson, pub., The 1967 Official Baseball Register. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1967
  2. ^ "Preston Gómez". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  3. July 21, 1970 New York Mets at San Diego Padres Play and Box Score
  4. September 4, 1974, Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros Play
  5. Gomez family to throw first pitch.

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded byTony Pacheco Havana Sugar Kings manager
1959 		Succeeded byNap Reyes
Preceded byBobby Bragan Spokane Indians manager
1960–1962 		Succeeded byDanny Ozark
Preceded bySheriff Robinson Richmond Virginians manager
1963–1964 		Succeeded byFranchise relocated
Preceded byPete Reiser
Tommy Lasorda 		Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach
1965–1968
1977–1979 		Succeeded byDanny Ozark
Danny Ozark
Preceded bySalty Parker Houston Astros third base coach
1973 		Succeeded byGrady Hatton
Preceded byVern Benson St. Louis Cardinals third base coach
1976 		Succeeded byJack Krol
Preceded byBobby Knoop California Angels third base coach
1981–1984 		Succeeded byMoose Stubing
Los Angeles Dodgers 1965 World Series champions
3 Willie Davis
5 Jim Lefebvre (NL ROY)
6 Ron Fairly
8 John Roseboro
9 Wally Moon
10 Jeff Torborg
11 John Kennedy
15 Bob Miller
16 Ron Perranoski
19 Jim Gilliam
21 Jim Brewer
22 Johnny Podres
23 Claude Osteen
28 Wes Parker
30 Maury Wills
31 Don LeJohn
32 Sandy Koufax (CYA & World Series MVP)
35 John Purdin
37 Mike Kekich
39 Howie Reed
41 Lou Johnson
43 Willie Crawford
44 Dick Tracewski
45 Nick Willhite
53 Don Drysdale
Manager
24 Walter Alston
Coaches
18 Preston Gómez
19 Jim Gilliam
33 Danny Ozark
36 Lefty Phillips
Regular season
San Diego Padres managers
Houston Astros managers
Chicago Cubs managers
Members of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame
Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Miscellaneous
Categories: