Rubén Gómez (baseball)
| Rubén Gómez | |||
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Gómez with the Giants
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: July 13, 1927 Arroyo, Puerto Rico |
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Died: July 26, 2004 (aged 77) Carolina, Puerto Rico |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 17, 1953, for the New York Giants | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| May 2, 1967, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 76–86 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.09 | ||
| Strikeouts | 677 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Rubén Gómez Colón (July 13, 1927 – July 26, 2004) was a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who became the first Puerto Rican to pitch in a World Series game. He was also the winning pitcher in the first ever Major League Baseball game played west of Kansas City. In his homeland, Gómez was nicknamed El Divino Loco ("The Divine Madman"), on account of his willingness to pitch in tough situations.
Born in Arroyo, Puerto Rico, Gómez debuted with the New York Giants on April 17, 1953. He finished his rookie season with a 13–11 record. Gómez created some controversy when, on the order of Giants' manager Leo Durocher, he hit Brooklyn Dodgers player Carl Furillo with a pitch. Gómez would hit other notables with pitches in his career, including Joe Adcock and Frank Robinson.
After going 17–9 in his second season, Gómez pitched and won Game 3 of the 1954 World Series in the Giants sweep of the Cleveland Indians. He thus became the first Puerto Rican player to be a member of a World Series championship team, becoming a hero in his native country (schools closed the day he pitched in the World Series so the kids could watch the game). When Gómez returned to Puerto Rico, he was greeted by thousands of fans at the San Juan airport and a holiday was declared.
After the 1957 season, the Dodgers and Giants moved to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively. On April 15, 1958, Gómez made baseball history when he pitched an 8–0 shutout against the Dodgers at San Francisco's Seals Stadium in the first Major League Baseball game played on the West Coast. He thus became the first pitcher to win a game played on the West Coast; the losing pitcher was future Hall of Famer Don Drysdale.
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