Ozzie Virgil, Sr.
| Ozzie Virgil | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility player | |||
|
Born: May 17, 1932 Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic | |||
| |||
| MLB debut | |||
| September 23, 1956, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| June 27, 1969, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .231 | ||
| Home runs | 14 | ||
| Runs batted in | 73 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
| |||
Osvaldo José (Pichardo) Virgil (born May 17, 1932) is a former Major League Baseball player who was the first Dominican to play in Major League Baseball.[1]
He served in the U.S. Marines from 1950 to 1952. On June 6, 1958 he became the first non-white player to play for the Detroit Tigers.[1] He is a former utility player who played in Major League Baseball between 1956 and 1969 for the New York Giants (1956–57), Detroit Tigers (1958, 1960–61), Kansas City Athletics (1961), Baltimore Orioles (1962), Pittsburgh Pirates (1965) and San Francisco Giants (1966, 1969). Basically a third baseman, Virgil played all positions except pitcher and center field. He batted and threw right-handed.
In a nine-season major league career, Virgil posted a .231 batting average with 14 home runs and 73 RBI in 324 games played. He also played for the minor league Rochester Red Wings in the International League.[1]
After his playing career ended, Virgil spent 19 seasons as a coach for the Giants (1969–72; 1974–75); Montréal Expos (1976–81); San Diego Padres (1982–85); and Seattle Mariners (1986–88). From 1977 through 1988, he served as the third-base coach on the staff of Baseball Hall of Fame manager Dick Williams.
Osvaldo Virgil National Airport serves the province of Montecristi, in the north of the Dominican Republic. This airport was opened in 2006 for tourism with flights from other Dominican airports.
See also
- List of first black Major League Baseball players by team and date
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
- List of players from Dominican Republic in Major League Baseball
References
- 1 2 3 Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. "Bob Matthews Sports Article (January 27, 2008)". Retrieved 2008-01-27.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference