Father's Day 2015: Celebrating Best Father-Son Combos in MLB History
Happy Father's Day!
It's that time of the year again. That time where we give thanks and remember all the great things that Dad did for us when we younger. Sports has always served as a connection between fathers and sons, especially in Major League Baseball history.
Numerous Latino father-son duos have thrived in MLB over the years.
One of the most notable is the Alomar's. Sandy Alomar debuted for the Milwaukee Braves in 1964. Alomar would go on to play 15 years in MLB recording nearly 1,200 career hits. Although not a power hitter (only 13 home runs), Alomar was an excellent defensive second baseman. Eventually, his son, Roberto Alomar, would play in the big leagues as well.
Like his father, Alomar Jr. was born and raised in Puerto Rico where baseball just came naturally. In this father-son Puerto Rican duo, the young gun is going to have a pretty wide edge statistically. Alomar Jr. finished his career with more than 2,700 hits, a .300 batting average, and he appeared in an amazing 12 consecutive All-Star games. Alomar Jr. was a member of that memorable Toronto Blue Jays squad that won back to back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.
Alomar Jr. retired in 2004 with the Chicago White Sox, and was later voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.
While the Alomar's were making their mark well known in baseball, another Puerto Rican duo was performing quite well during that same time period. Jose Cruz was a tough out for opposing pitchers in the 1970s and early 1980s. From 1976 to 1986 Cruz eclipsed the 100-hit mark in a season every year. Not once in his entire 19-year career did Cruz ever strikeout 90 times in a season. For some historical perspective, Mickey Mantle struck out 100 times in a season eight times.
Cruz Jr. followed in his father's footsteps playing the majority of his career with the Blue Jays. He couldn't quite match the at plate abilities, but he was a great defender.
Arguably the most impressive father-son MLB combination ever hails from the Dominican Republic. The Alou family provided baseball fans with many memorable moments through the decades. Felipe, the father, played 17 seasons in the majors beginning with the San Francisco Giants. A magician at the plate, Alou led all of baseball in hits during the 1966 and 1968 season. From 1961 to 1971 he successfully recorded more than 100 hits. Alou even went on to become a manager for the Montreal Expos where he won the 1994 Manager of the Year Award.
His son, Moises Alou, also played 17 season in MLB. Alou Jr. battled some injuries, but that didn't stop him from finishing his career with a .303 batting average. He also won the 1997 World Series with the Florida Marlins against the Cleveland Indians. Alou Jr. hit 332 home runs, had a very impressive .516 slugging percentage, and was a six time All-Star.
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