Tony Fernandez, baseball player, 1983-2001

Tony Fernandez

Born: 6/30/1962 in San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macorís, D.R.

Died: 2/16/2020 in Weston, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1983-09-02 | Final Game: 2001-10-07

Bats: B | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Octavio Antonio Fernandez

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Biography

Tony Fernandez was a prominent figure in Major League Baseball, known for his impressive versatility and defensive prowess as a shortstop. Born in 1962, Fernandez made his debut in the league in 1983 and continued to showcase his talents until his retirement in 2001. Over the course of his career, he played in 2,158 games, amassing 2,276 hits, 94 home runs, and 844 RBIs, while maintaining a commendable batting average of .288. His ability to steal bases also stood out, as he recorded 246 stolen bases throughout his time in the league. Fernandez was selected to the All-Star Game five times, a testament to his skill and impact on the field. He was particularly notable for his exceptional defensive abilities, earning a reputation as one of the best shortstops of his era. His career spanned a transformative period in baseball, bridging the gap between the more traditional styles of play and the offensive explosion that characterized the late 1990s. Fernandez's contributions to the game extended beyond his statistics, as he became a beloved figure among fans and players alike, leaving a lasting legacy in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2158 7911 1057 2276 414 92 94 844 246 690 784 0.288 0.347 0.399 0.746 4555.0

Career AVG .288 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +10.0% above league average.

Career OBP .347 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — +5.5% above league average.

Career SLG .399 vs. league average .402 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.746 vs. league average 0.731 across their career seasons — near 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
1983 TOR AL 15 34 5 9 1 1 0 2 0 2 2 0.265 — — — — 0.0
1984 TOR AL 88 233 29 63 5 3 3 19 5 17 15 0.270 .259 (+4%) .322 (-2%) .384 (-7%) .707 (-5%) -209.7
1985 TOR AL 161 564 71 163 31 10 2 51 13 43 41 0.289 .257 (+12%) .323 (+5%) .390 (avg) .714 (+2%) 233.9
1986 TOR AL 163 687 91 213 33 9 10 65 25 27 52 0.310 .257 (+20%) .325 (+4%) .395 (+8%) .720 (+6%) 698.5
1987 TOR AL 146 578 90 186 29 8 5 67 32 51 48 0.322 .262 (+22%) .331 (+15%) .415 (+2%) .746 (+8%) 1043.2
1988 TOR AL 154 648 76 186 41 4 5 70 15 45 65 0.287 .254 (+13%) .317 (+5%) .377 (+2%) .695 (+4%) 442.0
1989 TOR AL 140 573 64 147 25 9 11 64 22 29 51 0.257 .254 (+1%) .319 (-9%) .375 (+4%) .694 (-2%) -510.9
1990 TOR AL 161 635 84 175 27 17 4 66 26 71 70 0.276 .257 (+7%) .324 (+8%) .385 (+1%) .710 (+5%) 644.6
1991 SDP NL 145 558 81 152 27 5 4 38 23 55 74 0.272 .255 (+7%) .323 (+4%) .384 (-6%) .708 (-2%) -83.2
1992 SDP NL 155 622 84 171 32 4 4 37 20 56 62 0.275 .255 (+7%) .322 (+5%) .377 (-5%) .699 (-1%) 14.5
1993 NYN NL 48 173 20 39 5 2 1 14 6 25 19 0.225 .265 (-15%) .332 (-3%) .403 (-27%) .735 (-16%) -438.4
1993 TOR AL 94 353 45 108 18 9 4 50 15 31 26 0.306 .265 (+15%) .332 (+9%) .403 (+10%) .735 (+9%) -438.4
1994 CIN NL 104 366 50 102 18 6 8 50 12 44 40 0.279 .269 (+3%) .338 (+7%) .424 (avg) .763 (+3%) 291.0
1995 NYY AL 108 384 57 94 20 2 5 45 6 42 40 0.245 .266 (-8%) .337 (-5%) .417 (-17%) .755 (-12%) -862.4
1997 CLE AL 120 409 55 117 21 1 11 44 6 22 47 0.286 .266 (+7%) .336 (-4%) .419 (+1%) .756 (-1%) -174.5
1998 TOR AL 138 486 71 156 36 2 9 72 13 45 53 0.321 .266 (+21%) .335 (+15%) .420 (+9%) .755 (+12%) 1304.7
1999 TOR AL 142 485 73 159 41 0 6 75 6 77 62 0.328 .271 (+21%) .344 (+24%) .433 (+4%) .778 (+13%) 1696.5
2001 MIL NL 28 64 6 18 0 0 1 3 1 7 9 0.281 .263 (+7%) .332 (+6%) .426 (-23%) .758 (-10%) -83.4
2001 TOR AL 48 59 5 18 4 0 1 12 0 1 8 0.305 .263 (+16%) .332 (-3%) .426 (-1%) .758 (-2%) -83.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
43 150 13 49 11 0 1 23 10 16 0.327

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1997 ALCS CLE 5 14 1 5 1 0 1 2 1 2 0.357
1997 ALDS1 CLE 4 11 0 2 1 0 0 4 0 0 0.182
1997 WS CLE 5 17 1 8 1 0 0 4 0 1 0.471
1995 ALDS2 NYA 5 21 0 5 2 0 0 0 2 2 0.238
1993 ALCS TOR 6 22 1 7 0 0 0 1 2 4 0.318
1993 WS TOR 6 21 2 7 1 0 0 9 3 3 0.333
1989 ALCS TOR 5 20 6 7 3 0 0 1 1 2 0.350
1985 ALCS TOR 7 24 2 8 2 0 0 2 1 2 0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
2B 201 184 349 540 19 105
3B 302 285 157 493 26 41
SS 1573 1529 2708 4511 151 943

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1983 TOR SS 13 7 16 17 0 6
1984 TOR 3B 10 3 3 17 1 1
1984 TOR SS 73 50 116 178 8 40
1985 TOR SS 160 158 283 478 30 109
1986 TOR SS 163 162 294 445 13 103
1987 TOR SS 146 142 270 396 14 88
1988 TOR SS 154 154 247 470 14 106
1989 TOR SS 140 140 260 475 6 93
1990 TOR SS 161 161 297 480 9 93
1991 SDN SS 145 143 247 440 20 78
1992 SDN SS 154 155 240 405 11 65
1993 NYN SS 48 48 83 150 6 28
1993 TOR SS 94 94 196 260 7 62
1994 CIN 2B 5 5 7 12 0 1
1994 CIN 3B 93 87 54 166 2 12
1994 CIN SS 9 6 6 17 2 2
1995 NYA 2B 4 4 7 9 0 2
1995 NYA SS 103 101 141 274 10 63
1997 CLE 2B 109 94 207 295 10 59
1997 CLE SS 10 8 12 26 1 7
1998 TOR 2B 82 81 128 222 9 43
1998 TOR 3B 54 52 32 73 4 3
1999 TOR 2B 1 0 0 2 0 0
1999 TOR 3B 132 130 65 212 18 21
2001 MIL 3B 13 13 3 25 1 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Second Base 201
Third Base 302
Shortstop 1573
Designated Hitter 27

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1999 Player of the Week Week of 1999-06-19
1989 Gold Glove SS
1988 Gold Glove SS
1987 Gold Glove SS
1986 Gold Glove SS
1986 TSN All-Star SS

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2001 MIL NL $600,000
1999 TOR AL $2,250,000
1998 TOR AL $2,000,000
1997 CLE AL $1,550,000
1996 NYA AL $1,500,000
1995 NYA AL $1,633,335
1994 CIN NL $787,500
1993 NYN NL $2,300,000
1992 SDN NL $2,100,000
1991 SDN NL $2,100,000
1990 TOR AL $1,500,000
1989 TOR AL $1,400,000
1988 TOR AL $875,000
1987 TOR AL $400,000
1986 TOR AL $275,000
1985 TOR AL $127,500
Total Career Earnings $21,398,335

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1989 Most Valuable Player AL 19th 9.0 392 0
1988 Most Valuable Player AL 26th 1.0 392 0
1987 Most Valuable Player AL 8th 79.0 392 0
1986 Most Valuable Player AL 14th 17.0 392 0