Luis Salazar, baseball player, 1980-1992

Luis Salazar

Born: 5/19/1956 in Barcelona, Anzoátegui, Venezuela

MLB Debut: 1980-08-15 | Final Game: 1992-10-04

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Luis Ernesto Salazar

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Biography

Luis Salazar, born in 1956, was a versatile position player who enjoyed a notable career in Major League Baseball from 1980 until his retirement in 1992. Over the course of 1,302 games, Salazar established himself as a reliable hitter, compiling 1,070 hits with a batting average of .261. He showcased his power at the plate with 94 home runs and contributed significantly to his teams with 455 RBIs. Known for his speed, he also recorded 117 stolen bases, demonstrating his ability to impact the game not only with his bat but also with his legs. Salazar played during a transformative era in baseball, which saw the game evolve in terms of offensive strategies and player versatility. His career spanned over a decade, during which he suited up for several teams, including the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves. Salazar's all-around skills and adaptability made him a valuable asset, as he was able to play multiple positions effectively. His contributions to the teams he played for have left a lasting legacy, marking him as a significant figure in the landscape of baseball during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1302 4101 438 1070 144 33 94 455 117 179 653 0.261 0.293 0.381 0.673 -4784.5

Career AVG .261 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .293 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 9.6% below league average.

Career SLG .381 vs. league average .387 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.673 vs. league average 0.710 across their career seasons — 5.2% 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
1980 SDP NL 44 169 28 57 4 7 1 25 11 9 25 0.337 .264 (+27%) .326 (+14%) .387 (+19%) .714 (+17%) 440.8
1981 SDP NL 109 400 37 121 19 6 3 38 11 16 72 0.302 .255 (+18%) .320 (+3%) .368 (+9%) .688 (+6%) 340.5
1982 SDP NL 145 524 55 127 15 5 8 62 32 23 80 0.242 .261 (-7%) .324 (-15%) .388 (-14%) .712 (-14%) -1624.2
1983 SDP NL 134 481 52 124 16 2 14 45 24 17 80 0.258 .260 (-1%) .324 (-12%) .389 (-1%) .714 (-6%) -682.8
1984 SDP NL 93 228 20 55 7 2 3 17 11 6 38 0.241 .259 (-7%) .322 (-19%) .384 (-15%) .707 (-17%) -739.1
1985 CHW AL 122 327 39 80 18 2 10 45 14 12 60 0.245 .257 (-5%) .323 (-17%) .390 (+3%) .714 (-6%) -563.2
1986 CHW AL 4 7 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.143 — — — — 0.0
1987 SDP NL 84 189 13 48 5 0 3 17 3 14 30 0.254 .262 (-3%) .331 (-9%) .415 (-21%) .746 (-16%) -549.5
1988 DET AL 130 452 61 122 14 1 12 62 6 21 70 0.270 .254 (+6%) .317 (-4%) .377 (+2%) .695 (-1%) -139.2
1989 SDP NL 95 246 27 66 7 2 8 22 1 11 44 0.268 .254 (+6%) .319 (-5%) .375 (+9%) .694 (+3%) 59.8
1989 CHC NL 26 80 7 26 5 0 1 12 0 4 13 0.325 .254 (+28%) .319 (+12%) .375 (+13%) .694 (+13%) 59.8
1990 CHC NL 115 410 44 104 13 3 12 47 3 19 59 0.254 .257 (-2%) .324 (-10%) .385 (+1%) .710 (-4%) -405.6
1991 CHC NL 103 333 34 86 14 1 14 38 0 15 45 0.258 .255 (+1%) .323 (-10%) .384 (+12%) .708 (+2%) 43.9
1992 CHC NL 98 255 20 53 7 2 5 25 1 11 34 0.208 .255 (-19%) .322 (-26%) .377 (-18%) .699 (-22%) -1121.5

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 1 0 1 0 4.50 0

Career ERA 4.50 vs. league average 4.29 across their career seasons — near 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
1987 SDP NL 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 0 4.50 — -

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
12 27 2 9 0 2 1 2 0 1 0.333

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1989 NLCS CHN 5 19 2 7 0 1 1 2 0 0 0.368
1984 NLCS SDN 3 5 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0.200
1984 WS SDN 4 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 25 13 115 4 1 13
2B 5 3 3 8 0 1
3B 863 730 555 1562 111 119
OF 293 197 460 16 12 5
P 2 0 0 1 0 0
SS 121 82 156 229 20 45

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1980 SDN 3B 42 42 29 88 7 7
1980 SDN OF 4 1 10 0 0 0
1981 SDN 3B 94 88 63 189 12 16
1981 SDN OF 23 18 45 2 2 1
1982 SDN 3B 129 123 104 291 26 28
1982 SDN OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1982 SDN SS 18 14 28 35 3 4
1983 SDN 3B 118 110 102 250 19 17
1983 SDN SS 19 9 20 24 2 5
1984 SDN 3B 58 39 41 90 4 5
1984 SDN OF 24 10 43 2 2 0
1984 SDN SS 4 1 3 5 0 0
1985 CHA 1B 6 6 40 2 0 6
1985 CHA 3B 39 27 22 52 6 5
1985 CHA OF 84 53 118 3 4 2
1987 SDN 1B 1 0 3 0 0 0
1987 SDN 3B 38 23 17 49 3 4
1987 SDN OF 10 5 9 0 0 0
1987 SDN P 2 0 0 1 0 0
1987 SDN SS 22 17 27 45 6 7
1988 DET 1B 4 0 6 0 0 0
1988 DET 2B 5 3 3 8 0 1
1988 DET 3B 31 29 12 55 1 2
1988 DET OF 68 52 127 4 1 1
1988 DET SS 37 28 51 84 8 18
1989 SDN 1B 2 0 2 0 0 2
1989 SDN 3B 72 42 37 116 5 10
1989 SDN OF 14 9 18 0 1 0
1989 SDN SS 9 5 13 10 1 6
1989 CHN 3B 25 16 8 27 3 1
1989 CHN OF 2 2 1 1 0 0
1990 CHN 3B 91 83 55 136 10 12
1990 CHN OF 28 21 41 1 2 0
1991 CHN 1B 7 4 30 1 1 2
1991 CHN 3B 86 78 46 151 9 5
1991 CHN OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1992 CHN 1B 5 3 34 1 0 3
1992 CHN 3B 40 30 19 68 6 7
1992 CHN OF 34 26 47 3 0 1
1992 CHN SS 12 8 14 26 0 5

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 2
First Base 25
Second Base 5
Third Base 863
Shortstop 121
Left Field 161
Center Field 114
Right Field 36
Designated Hitter 10

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1992 CHN NL $600,000
1991 CHN NL $575,000
1990 CHN NL $550,000
1989 SDN NL $400,000
1988 DET AL $150,000
1987 SDN NL $75,000
1986 CHN NL $325,000
1985 CHA AL $325,000
Total Career Earnings $3,000,000