Luis Aparicio, baseball player, 1956-1973

Luis Aparicio

⭐ Hall of Fame 1984

Born: 4/29/1934 in Maracaibo, Zulia, Venezuela

MLB Debut: 1956-04-17 | Final Game: 1973-09-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Luis Ernesto Aparicio

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Biography

Luis Aparicio, born in 1934, was a celebrated Venezuelan shortstop who made a significant impact on Major League Baseball from 1956 until his retirement in 1973. Known for his exceptional defensive skills and speed on the bases, Aparicio played a total of 2,601 games in his illustrious career, amassing 2,677 hits, 83 home runs, and 791 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .262. His remarkable ability to steal bases set him apart, as he swiped 506 bases, solidifying his reputation as one of the premier base runners of his time. Aparicio was selected as an All-Star 13 times, a testament to his consistent performance and influence in the game. He played during an era that witnessed the evolution of baseball, transitioning through the late 1950s into the 1970s, a period marked by the rise of power hitters and changing playing styles. His contributions to the game went beyond statistics; he was a pioneer for Venezuelan players in Major League Baseball, paving the way for future generations. Luis Aparicio's legacy as a dynamic shortstop and a trailblazer in baseball history endures, as he remains a celebrated figure in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2601 10230 1335 2677 394 92 83 791 506 736 742 0.262 0.311 0.343 0.653 -12995.0

Career AVG .262 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .311 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .343 vs. league average .377 across their career seasons — 9.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.653 vs. league average 0.694 across their career seasons — 5.9% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1956 CHW AL 152 533 69 142 19 6 3 56 21 34 63 0.266 .258 (+3%) .331 (-6%) .397 (-14%) .728 (-10%) -1187.3
1957 CHW AL 143 575 82 148 22 6 3 41 28 52 55 0.257 .257 (avg) .323 (-2%) .391 (-15%) .715 (-9%) -1034.4
1958 CHW AL 145 557 76 148 20 9 2 40 29 35 38 0.266 .257 (+3%) .324 (-5%) .394 (-13%) .719 (-9%) -1093.5
1959 CHW AL 152 612 98 157 18 5 6 51 56 53 40 0.257 .256 (avg) .323 (-3%) .392 (-15%) .715 (-10%) -1170.1
1960 CHW AL 153 600 86 166 20 7 2 61 51 43 39 0.277 .255 (+8%) .323 (avg) .387 (-11%) .711 (-6%) -795.9
1961 CHW AL 156 625 90 170 24 4 6 45 53 38 33 0.272 .258 (+5%) .328 (-5%) .399 (-12%) .727 (-9%) -1152.9
1962 CHW AL 153 581 72 140 23 5 7 40 31 32 36 0.241 .257 (-6%) .326 (-14%) .393 (-15%) .719 (-15%) -1862.6
1963 BAL AL 146 601 73 150 18 8 5 45 40 36 35 0.250 .246 (+1%) .308 (-6%) .371 (-11%) .680 (-9%) -1072.2
1964 BAL AL 146 578 93 154 20 3 10 37 57 49 51 0.266 .250 (+6%) .312 (+4%) .377 (-4%) .690 (avg) 8.9
1965 BAL AL 144 564 67 127 20 10 8 40 26 46 56 0.225 .245 (-8%) .310 (-8%) .371 (-9%) .682 (-8%) -982.9
1966 BAL AL 151 659 97 182 25 8 6 41 25 33 42 0.276 .248 (+11%) .309 (avg) .376 (-3%) .685 (-1%) -256.2
1967 BAL AL 134 546 55 127 22 5 4 31 18 29 44 0.233 .242 (-4%) .306 (-12%) .357 (-12%) .663 (-12%) -1349.3
1968 CHW AL 157 622 55 164 24 4 4 36 17 33 43 0.264 .236 (+11%) .298 (+1%) .340 (-2%) .638 (avg) -116.2
1969 CHW AL 156 599 77 168 24 5 5 51 24 66 29 0.280 .248 (+13%) .320 (+10%) .369 (-2%) .689 (+4%) 543.9
1970 CHW AL 146 552 86 173 29 3 5 43 8 53 34 0.313 .253 (+23%) .325 (+14%) .385 (+5%) .711 (+9%) 1065.2
1971 BOS AL 125 491 56 114 23 0 4 45 6 35 43 0.232 .249 (-7%) .316 (-10%) .365 (-17%) .682 (-14%) -1308.9
1972 BOS AL 110 436 47 112 26 3 3 39 3 26 28 0.257 .243 (+5%) .310 (-4%) .353 (-1%) .664 (-2%) -299.6
1973 BOS AL 132 499 56 135 17 1 0 49 13 43 33 0.271 .256 (+5%) .325 (avg) .378 (-18%) .703 (-10%) -931.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
10 42 1 12 2 0 0 2 2 3 0.286

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1966 WS BAL 4 16 0 4 1 0 0 2 0 0 0.250
1959 WS CHA 6 26 1 8 1 0 0 0 2 3 0.308

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
SS 2583 2539 4548 8016 366 1553

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1956 CHA SS 152 151 250 474 35 91
1957 CHA SS 142 139 246 449 20 85
1958 CHA SS 145 145 289 463 21 90
1959 CHA SS 152 150 282 460 23 87
1960 CHA SS 153 152 305 551 18 117
1961 CHA SS 156 151 264 487 30 86
1962 CHA SS 152 141 280 452 20 102
1963 BAL SS 145 145 275 403 12 76
1964 BAL SS 145 144 260 437 15 98
1965 BAL SS 141 139 238 439 20 87
1966 BAL SS 151 151 303 441 17 104
1967 BAL SS 131 128 221 333 25 67
1968 CHA SS 156 151 269 535 19 92
1969 CHA SS 154 153 248 563 20 94
1970 CHA SS 146 140 251 483 18 99
1971 BOS SS 121 121 194 338 16 56
1972 BOS SS 109 109 183 304 16 54
1973 BOS SS 132 129 190 404 21 68

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Shortstop 2582

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1972 TSN All-Star SS
1970 Gold Glove SS
1970 TSN All-Star SS
1968 Gold Glove SS
1968 TSN All-Star SS
1966 Gold Glove SS
1966 TSN All-Star SS
1964 Gold Glove SS
1963 TSN All-Star SS
1962 Gold Glove SS
1961 Gold Glove SS
1960 Gold Glove SS
1959 Gold Glove SS
1958 Gold Glove SS
1956 Rookie of the Year
1956 TSN Rookie of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1972 Most Valuable Player AL 18th 9.0 336 0
1970 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 35.0 336 0
1968 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 13.0 280 0
1966 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 51.0 280 0
1964 Most Valuable Player AL 28th 3.0 280 0
1963 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 3.0 280 0
1961 Most Valuable Player AL 12th 16.0 280 0
1960 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 6.0 336 0
1959 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 255.0 336 8
1956 Most Valuable Player AL 25th 7.0 336 0
1956 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 22.0 24 22