Chile Gómez Explained

Chile Gómez
Position:Infielder
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Birth Date:March 23, 1909
Birth Place:Villa Unión, Sinaloa, Mexico
Death Place:Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Debutleague:MLB
Debutdate:July 27
Debutyear:1935
Debutteam:Philadelphia Phillies
Finalleague:MLB
Finaldate:May 30
Finalyear:1942
Finalteam:Washington Senators
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.226
Stat2label:Home runs
Stat2value:0
Stat3label:Runs batted in
Stat3value:50
Teams:
Hofcolor:green
Hoflink:Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame
Hoftype:Mexican Professional
Hofdate:1971

José Luis Gómez Gonzales [''Chile''] (March 23, 1909 – December 1, 1992) was a utility infielder in Major League Baseball who played between and for the Philadelphia Phillies (1935–36) and Washington Senators (1942). Listed at 5' 10" and 165 lb., Gómez batted and threw right-handed. He was the first Latino to play for the Phillies[1] and the second Mexican-born person to play in the Major Leagues.

In his three-season MLB career, Gómez was a .226 hitter (142-for-627) with 56 runs and 50 RBI in 200 games, including nine doubles, three triples, and three stolen bases. Gómez did not hit a home run. He made 203 infield appearances at second base (126), shortstop (76) and third base (1). He had an extensive career in the Mexican League as both a player and manager before retiring in 1953.

Gómez played four seasons in the Cuban League: 1937–38 with Santa Clara and 1939–40, 1941–42 and 1945–46 with Cienfuegos.[2]

He played 17 seasons in the Mexican League, from 1937 to 1954 with the following teams: Necaxa, El Águila de Veracruz, Cafeteros de Córdoba, Industriales de Monterrey, Pericos de Puebla, Diablos Rojos del México, Azules de Veracruz, Alijadores de Tampico and Tuneros de San Luis Potosí. In 1971, Gómez was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.[3]

Gómez died on December 1, 1992 in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico at age 83.[4]

Career statistics

Cuban League

SeasonTeamGABRH2BHRRBISBBA
114 4 24 4 1 0 6 2 .210
180 28 46 4 0 1 15 5 .256
Cienfuegos 91 8 15 3 1 0 4 1 .165
Cienfuegos 157 18 36 3 1 0 13 1 .229
Total 542 58 121 14 3 1 38 9 .223
Source:[2]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Burgos, Adrian Jr. . 2007 . Playing America's Game . University of California Press . Berkeley . 978-0-520-25143-4 . 272 .
  2. Book: Figueredo, Jorge S.. 1 August 2015. Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961. McFarland & Company. 396. 0786482648.
  3. Web site: Inmortales 39-71. Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano. 1 August 2024. es.
  4. Web site: Un 1 de diciembre pero de 1992 muere José Luis Chile Gómez. Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano. 1 December 2021. 1 August 2024. es.