Luis Polonia, baseball player, 1987-2000

Luis Polonia

Born: 12/10/1963 in Santiago, Santiago, D.R.

MLB Debut: 1987-04-24 | Final Game: 2000-10-01

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: Luis Andrew Polonia

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Biography

Luis Polonia, born in 1963, was a dynamic position player whose Major League Baseball career spanned from 1987 to 2000. Over the course of 1,379 games, Polonia established himself as a reliable hitter and an agile base runner. He recorded 1,417 hits and maintained a commendable batting average of .293, showcasing his ability to consistently reach base and contribute to his team's offense. His offensive prowess was further highlighted by his 36 home runs and 405 runs batted in (RBIs), while his impressive speed on the bases led to 321 stolen bases throughout his career. Playing primarily in the late 1980s through the late 1990s, Polonia's career coincided with a transformative period in baseball characterized by increased offensive output and a growing emphasis on speed. Known for his quickness and versatility, Polonia could play multiple outfield positions, making him a valuable asset to teams such as the California Angels and the New York Yankees. His contributions to the game extended beyond statistics, as he was recognized for his enthusiastic playing style and ability to energize his teammates, leaving a lasting impact on baseball during his tenure.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1379 4840 728 1417 189 70 36 405 321 369 543 0.293 0.342 0.383 0.726 -797.1

Career AVG .293 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — +11.3% above league average.

Career OBP .342 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .383 vs. league average .405 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.726 vs. league average 0.737 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
1987 OAK AL 125 435 78 125 16 10 4 49 29 32 64 0.287 .262 (+9%) .331 (+1%) .415 (-4%) .746 (-2%) -189.8
1988 OAK AL 84 288 51 84 11 4 2 27 24 21 40 0.292 .254 (+15%) .317 (+6%) .377 (avg) .695 (+3%) 141.8
1989 OAK AL 59 206 31 59 6 4 1 17 13 9 15 0.286 .254 (+13%) .319 (-1%) .375 (-2%) .694 (-2%) -100.2
1989 NYY AL 66 227 39 71 11 2 2 29 9 16 29 0.313 .254 (+23%) .319 (+12%) .375 (+8%) .694 (+10%) -100.2
1990 NYY AL 11 22 2 7 0 0 0 3 1 0 1 0.318 — — — — 0.0
1990 LAA AL 109 381 50 128 7 9 2 32 20 25 42 0.336 .257 (+30%) .324 (+16%) .385 (+8%) .710 (+12%) 0.0
1991 LAA AL 150 604 92 179 28 8 2 50 48 52 74 0.296 .255 (+16%) .323 (+9%) .384 (-1%) .708 (+3%) 434.0
1992 LAA AL 149 577 83 165 17 4 0 35 51 45 64 0.286 .255 (+12%) .322 (+4%) .377 (-13%) .699 (-5%) -456.4
1993 LAA AL 152 576 75 156 17 6 1 32 55 48 53 0.271 .265 (+2%) .332 (-1%) .403 (-19%) .735 (-11%) -1232.7
1994 NYY AL 95 350 62 109 21 6 1 36 20 37 36 0.311 .269 (+15%) .338 (+13%) .424 (-2%) .763 (+4%) 400.8
1995 NYY AL 67 238 37 62 9 3 2 15 10 25 29 0.261 .266 (-2%) .337 (-4%) .417 (-16%) .755 (-11%) -483.2
1995 ATL NL 28 53 6 14 7 0 0 2 3 3 9 0.264 .266 (-1%) .337 (-10%) .417 (-5%) .755 (-7%) -483.2
1996 BAL AL 58 175 25 42 4 1 2 14 8 10 20 0.240 .269 (-11%) .340 (-16%) .426 (-28%) .767 (-23%) -726.1
1996 ATL NL 22 31 3 13 0 0 0 2 1 1 3 0.419 — — — — -726.1
1999 DET AL 87 333 46 108 21 8 10 32 17 16 32 0.324 .271 (+20%) .344 (+4%) .433 (+21%) .778 (+13%) 743.3
2000 DET AL 80 267 37 73 10 5 6 25 8 22 25 0.273 .270 (+1%) .344 (-6%) .437 (-5%) .782 (-5%) -350.0
2000 NYY AL 37 77 11 22 4 0 1 5 4 7 7 0.286 .270 (+6%) .344 (-1%) .437 (-14%) .782 (-8%) -350.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
33 47 4 11 1 0 1 7 3 13 0.234

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2000 ALCS NYA 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
2000 ALDS1 NYA 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
2000 WS NYA 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.500
1996 NLCS ATL 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000
1996 NLDS1 ATL 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000
1996 WS ATL 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.000
1995 NLCS ATL 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.500
1995 NLDS1 ATL 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0.333
1995 WS ATL 6 14 3 4 1 0 1 4 1 3 0.286
1988 ALCS OAK 3 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.400
1988 WS OAK 3 9 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.111

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1055 952 1987 67 36 14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1987 OAK OF 104 95 235 2 5 1
1988 OAK OF 76 64 155 3 2 1
1989 OAK OF 55 48 126 3 2 1
1989 NYA OF 53 50 105 6 2 1
1990 CAL OF 85 80 142 3 3 2
1991 CAL OF 143 141 246 9 5 1
1992 CAL OF 99 96 192 8 4 1
1993 CAL OF 141 135 286 12 5 3
1994 NYA OF 84 80 155 9 4 2
1995 NYA OF 64 56 132 5 0 1
1995 ATL OF 15 6 9 0 0 0
1996 BAL OF 34 27 56 1 1 0
1996 ATL OF 7 2 4 0 1 0
1999 DET OF 40 37 68 4 1 0
2000 DET OF 27 20 44 2 0 0
2000 NYA OF 28 15 32 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 927
Center Field 87
Right Field 54
Designated Hitter 214

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2000 DET AL $1,100,000
1999 DET AL $300,000
1996 ATL NL $109,000
1996 BAL AL $250,000
1995 NYA AL $1,500,000
1994 NYA AL $1,500,000
1993 CAL AL $2,475,000
1992 CAL AL $1,650,000
1991 CAL AL $845,000
1990 NYA AL $200,000
1989 OAK AL $182,500
1987 OAK AL $62,500
Total Career Earnings $10,174,000