Alvaro Espinoza, baseball player, 1984-1997

Alvaro Espinoza

Born: 2/19/1962 in Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela

MLB Debut: 1984-09-14 | Final Game: 1997-07-12

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Alvaro Alberto Espinoza

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Biography

Alvaro Espinoza, born in 1962, was a versatile position player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1984 until his retirement in 1997. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 942 games, showcasing his skills as a reliable infielder. Espinoza recorded 630 hits, including 22 home runs, and drove in 201 runs, with a career batting average of .254. Although not predominantly known for his power, he added a notable presence on the base paths with 13 stolen bases, highlighting his capability as a well-rounded player during a time when the game was increasingly emphasizing speed and versatility. Espinoza’s playing career spanned the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, an era marked by significant changes in baseball, including the rise of power-hitting and the early whispers of the steroid controversy. His contributions to teams such as the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, and the Cleveland Indians reflected his adaptability and dedication to the game. While he may not have been a household name, Espinoza's consistent performance and defensive reliability earned him respect among his peers and fans, solidifying his legacy as a steadfast contributor in the competitive landscape of Major League Baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
942 2478 252 630 105 9 22 201 13 76 324 0.254 0.279 0.331 0.610 -7667.8

Career AVG .254 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .279 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 15.0% below league average.

Career SLG .331 vs. league average .399 across their career seasons — 17.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.610 vs. league average 0.727 across their career seasons — 16.2% 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
1984 MIN AL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1985 MIN AL 32 57 5 15 2 0 0 9 0 1 9 0.263 .257 (+2%) .323 (-11%) .390 (-24%) .714 (-18%) -166.5
1986 MIN AL 37 42 4 9 1 0 0 1 0 1 10 0.214 — — — — 0.0
1988 NYY AL 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1989 NYY AL 146 503 51 142 23 1 0 41 3 14 60 0.282 .254 (+11%) .319 (-6%) .375 (-12%) .694 (-9%) -948.6
1990 NYY AL 150 438 31 98 12 2 2 20 1 16 54 0.224 .257 (-13%) .324 (-20%) .385 (-29%) .710 (-25%) -2221.8
1991 NYY AL 148 480 51 123 23 2 5 33 4 16 57 0.256 .255 (avg) .323 (-13%) .384 (-11%) .708 (-12%) -1218.7
1993 CLE AL 129 263 34 73 15 0 4 27 2 8 36 0.278 .265 (+5%) .332 (-10%) .403 (-6%) .735 (-8%) -485.9
1994 CLE AL 90 231 27 55 13 0 1 19 1 6 33 0.238 .269 (-12%) .338 (-24%) .424 (-28%) .763 (-26%) -1205.6
1995 CLE AL 66 143 15 36 4 0 2 17 0 2 16 0.252 .266 (-6%) .337 (-22%) .417 (-23%) .755 (-23%) -628.9
1996 CLE AL 59 112 12 25 4 2 4 11 1 6 18 0.223 .269 (-17%) .340 (-18%) .426 (-6%) .767 (-11%) -272.1
1996 NYN NL 48 134 19 41 7 2 4 16 0 4 19 0.306 .269 (+13%) .340 (-5%) .426 (+12%) .767 (+4%) -272.1
1997 SEA AL 33 72 3 13 1 0 0 7 1 2 12 0.181 .266 (-32%) .336 (-37%) .419 (-54%) .756 (-46%) -575.6

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.7 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0

Career ERA 0.00 vs. league average 3.91 across their career seasons — 100.0% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1991 NYY AL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.7 0 0 0 0 0.00 — -

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 11 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.182

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1995 ALCS CLE 4 8 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.125
1995 ALDS1 CLE 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1995 WS CLE 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 24 8 108 8 0 12
2B 86 43 92 176 9 45
3B 219 117 93 231 24 15
P 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 624 527 890 1717 77 415

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1984 MIN SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1985 MIN SS 31 21 25 69 5 15
1986 MIN 2B 19 11 12 36 3 7
1986 MIN SS 18 5 11 16 1 4
1988 NYA 2B 2 1 4 1 0 0
1988 NYA SS 1 0 1 1 0 1
1989 NYA SS 146 144 237 471 22 114
1990 NYA SS 150 141 268 447 17 100
1991 NYA 3B 2 2 2 3 0 0
1991 NYA P 1 0 0 0 0 0
1991 NYA SS 147 136 223 438 21 113
1993 CLE 2B 2 2 6 3 1 2
1993 CLE 3B 99 50 42 107 10 9
1993 CLE SS 35 13 18 47 1 13
1994 CLE 1B 3 0 2 0 0 1
1994 CLE 2B 20 11 26 62 1 15
1994 CLE 3B 37 12 12 31 4 2
1994 CLE SS 36 34 53 117 5 27
1995 CLE 1B 2 0 9 0 0 1
1995 CLE 2B 22 9 18 39 2 7
1995 CLE 3B 22 16 10 27 1 1
1995 CLE SS 19 9 13 35 2 8
1996 CLE 1B 18 8 97 8 0 10
1996 CLE 2B 5 2 5 11 1 5
1996 CLE 3B 20 7 7 11 1 1
1996 CLE SS 16 8 16 29 1 12
1996 NYN 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1996 NYN 2B 2 0 0 1 0 0
1996 NYN 3B 38 30 20 52 8 2
1996 NYN SS 7 3 4 13 0 3
1997 SEA 2B 14 7 21 23 1 9
1997 SEA 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1997 SEA SS 17 13 21 34 2 5

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 1
First Base 24
Second Base 87
Third Base 218
Shortstop 624
Designated Hitter 4

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1996 CLE AL $400,000
1995 CLE AL $450,000
1994 CLE AL $475,000
1993 CLE AL $500,000
1992 NYA AL $1,000,000
1991 NYA AL $650,000
1990 NYA AL $256,000
1989 NYA AL $68,000
1986 MIN AL $60,000
Total Career Earnings $3,859,000