Víctor José Davalillo Romero (31 July 1939 – 6 December 2023) was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Mexican League as an outfielder from 1963 to 1982.

Davalillo (pronounced da-va-LEE-yo) played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians (1963–68), California Angels (1968–69), St. Louis Cardinals (1969–70), Pittsburgh Pirates (1971–73), Oakland Athletics (1973–74), and Los Angeles Dodgers (1977–80)

as an outfielder.

Davalillo, who batted and threw left-handed, was a leadoff hitter known for his speedy baserunning and capable defense. He was a fan favorite during his years with the Indians, and became a valuable utility player later in his career.

Davalillo also had an exceptional career in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he is the all-time leader in total base hits and career batting average. He played for 30 years in the U.S., Mexico, and his homeland, compiling more than 4,100 base hits total.

Early life

Although many baseball references show Davalillo's birthplace as Cabimas, Venezuela, in 2006 he told a biographer that he was born in Churuguara, Falcón on 31 July 1939. Other sources have given his date of birth as 30 July 1939, or sometime in 1936. His family moved to Cabimas a few days after he was born. He grew up in the Costa Oriental region on Lake Maracaibo. He was sold to the Indians organisation in 1961 and moved up the ladder to Jacksonville, their Triple-A club in the International League. Davalillo won the first batting title in the Jacksonville Suns history with a .346 batting average in 1962.

Major league career (first phase)

Davalillo became the eighth Venezuelan to play in Major League Baseball when he joined the Indians in 1963 as their leadoff hitter and center fielder. He returned from the injury to lead the Indians in hitting with a .292 along with a career-high 7 home runs in 90 games however, after the injury, he was never the same hitter against left handed pitching. In October, he was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team. The following season, Davalillo finished second in the league in fielding percentage among center fielders and was named as a recipient of the American League Gold Glove Award. He was the first left-handed throwing outfielder to win an American League Gold Glove Award (Vada Pinson won the National League Gold Glove Award as a left-handed outfielder).

In 1965, Davalillo led the league in batting at mid-season with a .345 batting average, earning him a place as the starting center fielder for the American League team in the 1965 All-Star Game. He ended the season with a .301 batting average, third-best in the American League behind Tony Oliva and Carl Yastrzemski, the only other players to break the .300 mark that year. Davalillo had an off year in 1966, and the Indians began to use him in a platoon role, playing him when they faced right-handed pitchers. In 1967, he hit for a .302 average against right-handed pitchers but, only managed a .188 average against left handers, for a .287 average overall.

Davalillo was batting .239 with 12 runs batted in (RBI) when he was traded from the Indians to the California Angels for Jimmie Hall before the trade deadline on 15 June 1968. He rebounded to lead the Angels with a .298 batting average after the trade, finishing the season with a .277 average overall, the sixth highest average in the American League.

In January , Davalillo suffered a nervous breakdown while he was in Venezuela to play in the Venezuelan Winter League. He began the 1969 season hitting for only a .155 average in 33 games and on 30 May, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Jim Hicks. He also made two appearances as a relief pitcher for the Cardinals in 1969 but failed to retire any batters. He is one of 14 pitchers in Major League history to have posted an infinite ERA, and the only one to have pitched in more than one game.

Davalillo became a utility player and highly effective pinch hitter with the Cardinals in 1970. He was originally credited with 24 pinch hits in , which broke the National League record set by Sam Leslie (1932) and tied by Red Schoendienst (1962). He also ostensibly tied the major-league single-season mark, also set by Dave Philley in . The total was subsequently corrected to 23, but while Davalillo was still credited with holding it, it was broken in by José Morales. One of the previous National League record holders was also his manager in 1970: Red Schoendienst. Davalillo ended the season with a .311 average and 33 runs batted in. The Pirates went on to defeat the San Francisco Giants in the 1971 National League Championship Series before winning the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In 1972, he continued to be a valuable role player, hitting for a career-high .318 batting average in 117 games, helping the Pirates win the Eastern Division pennant, before they lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the 1972 National League Championship Series. The Athletics eventually won the American League West Division and faced the Baltimore Orioles in the 1973 American League Championship Series. Davalillo had five hits in eight at-bats for a .625 batting average during the championship series, including a crucial RBI triple in the deciding Game 5.

The Athletics then went on to defeat the New York Mets in the 1973 World Series. Davalillo played in six of the seven games, starting twice in center field and going 1-for-11 altogether.

After appearing in 17 games for the Athletics in the 1974 season, Davalillo was released on 30 May. As a pinch hitter and a defensive substitute, he posted a .313 batting average in 24 games for the Dodgers in 1977, helping them win the National League West Division crown. Trailing the Phillies 5–3 with 2 outs in the 9th inning, he spearheaded a three-run rally by surprising the Phillies defense with a perfectly executed drag bunt. Manny Mota drove Davalillo home with a double, then scored on a single by Davey Lopes to tie the game. The Dodgers eventually won the game and went on to win Game 4 to clinch the National League championship.

In the 1977 World Series against the New York Yankees, Davalillo made three pinch-hitting appearances, driving home one run with a single as the Dodgers lost the series in six games.

At the age of 42 in 1978, Davalillo hit for a .312 average as a pinch hitter for the Dodgers as they once again claimed the National League pennant before losing to the New York Yankees for a second consecutive year in the 1978 World Series.

Davalillo remained on manager Tommy Lasorda's squad to start the 1979 season, but in mid-June, he returned to Triple-A ball for the first time in 17 years. He rejoined the big club in September, going 4-for-10. All told, he played in 30 seasons between 1957 and 1987:

  • 19 for the Leones del Caracas (1957–58 through 1974–75, 1986–87)
  • One for "Tibuleones" de Portuguesa (1975–76)
  • 10 for the Tigres de Aragua (1976–77 through 1985–86).

Davalillo retired after appearing in the 1987 Caribbean Series.

Career statistics

In a 16-year major-league career, Davalillo played in 1,458 games, accumulating 1,122 hits in 4,017 at bats for a .279 career batting average along with 36 home runs, 329 runs batted in, a .315 on-base percentage, 509 runs, 160 doubles, 37 triples, and 125 stolen bases.

As a pinch hitter in MLB, he recorded 95 hits in 367 at-bats (.259) with 5 home runs and 48 RBI.

In the Venezuelan Winter League, he set lifetime league records that still stand in batting average (.325), hits (1,505), games played (1,280), at-bats (4,633), runs (668), doubles (196), runs batted in (483) and career seasons (30). Beside this, he won four batting titles and set record in hits (100) in a season.