Remembering Jose Valdivielso
ALSO: ATLANTA IS NOW BURNING WITHOUT GENERAL SHERMAN
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
When Cubs catcher Carson Kelly hit for the season’s first cycle Monday night, it was the first by a Cub since Mark Grace on May 9, 1993 -- over a year before Kelly was born — and put Sacramento’s first major-league game (an 18-3 romp over the Athletics) into the history books . . .
That $15.5 million contract Toronto gave ancient Max Scherzer seems to be in jeopardy of a wasted investment following his latest injury, a lat strain suffered Opening Day, plus an earlier thumb injury . . .
Atlanta’s 1-for-28 performance with runners in scoring position during their first five games does not bode well for new hitting coach Tim Hyers . . .
Roki Sasaki may have control issues but that doesn’t put a dent in the Big Blue Machine of the defending champion Dodgers . . .
Believing their new paddle-bats helped the Yankees hit a club-record nine homers in their 20-9 romp over the Brewers in the second game of the season, the Atlanta Braves bought their own supply . . .
Rumors are rife that the Blue Jays will trade Vlad Guerrero, Jr. — and maybe Dante Bichette too — if they can’t sign the sluggers before they become free agents.
Leading Off
Nats’ Valdivielso Completed Lone All-Cuban Triple Play
By Andrew Sharp
José Valdivielso, the primary shortstop during the final season of the Griffith Senators, died March 4 at age 90.
He debuted with Washington in 1955 and moved with the organization when Calvin Griffith left D.C. for Minnesota. Not much with the bat, Valdivielso hit .219 in 401 games over parts of five seasons in the big leagues. He got into 117 games in 1960, starting 92 times before ceding the position in September to Zoilo Versalles, a future MVP and the first Latino player to win that award.
Beyond his forgettable stats, Valdivielso is remembered for becoming a significant voice in the Cuban and Latino baseball community as a Spanish-language broadcaster for both the Yankees and Mets and for years of work on behalf of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.
On July 23, 1960, the original A. L. team’s last season in D.C., Valdivielso was part of the only triple-play involving all Cuban-born players.
As often is the case when a player recalls a game years later, Valdivielso himself mixed up one of the participants: “It was at Kansas City. Whitey Herzog was hitting with runners on first and second… Herzog hit a line drive to Camilo [Pascual] who threw to Julio Becquer at first base. Julio then threw to me at second base. A 1-3-6 triple play,” he told author Rich Marazzi in 2004. In fact, the pitcher who began the triple play was the Senators’ other Cuban starter, Pedro Ramos.
Four days earlier in Detroit, Valdivielso came close to saving what would have been a Ramos no-hitter. Ramos had held the Tigers hitless into the bottom of the eighth. Rocky Colavito led off and hit Ramos’ first pitch back up the middle. Vadiveilso had the Tigers’ pull-hitting slugger shaded toward third.
“Colavito’s ball shot past Ramos with Valdi running to his left in hot pursuit,” Bob Addie wrote in the Washington Post’s July 20 game story. “Had the ball stayed down, Valdi might have grabbed it, but the ornery thing took a big hop and sailed past Jose’s frantic glove.” Ramos settled for a one-hit shutout.
I recall listening to that game on the radio and hearing legendary play-by-play man Bob Wolff describing the bad hop that kept Valdivielso from getting to the ball.
Although born in Cuba, Valdivielso had strong ties to the United States, where his father played football while attending Boston University. The younger Valdivielso was playing for Lubbock in the West Texas-New Mexico League when he was signed early in 1954 by Joe Cambria, the famous scout noted for finding players for the Senators in Cuba.
A cartoon in The Sporting News in January 1956 depicted Senators’ manager Chuck Dressen, who had several non-English speaking Cubans on his roster, trying to talk to Valdivielso in badly-broken Spanglish. The bilingual Valdivielso replied: “Mr. Dressen, I’ve studied English all my life.”
Shortly after his call-up in 1955, Valdivielso had what he later described as one of his biggest thrills: in his first game at Yankee Stadium, he went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a walk-off Whitey Ford. One of the hits was a double. I doubt Valdi had any better days with the bat.
Best-known for his long broadcasting career, Valdivielso joined the Yankees’ Spanish-language radio broadcasts alongside Buck Canel in the early 1970s. Starting in 1974, Valdivielso and Canel worked together again on the Mets’ Spanish-language broadcasts.
In 1977, Valdivielso was asked to accept the Hall of Fame plaque on behalf of legendary Negro Leaguer Martin Dihigo, a fellow Cuban who entered Cooperstown’s ranks that year.
In the late 1990s, Valdivielso became a member of the board of the MLB Players Alumni Association, which was founded by former expansion Senators players. In January 2020, he was given lifetime emeritus status on the board.
Andrew Sharp is a retired newspaper journalist and a member of SABR. He has written several dozen Bio Project and Games Project stories and the team ownership histories of the two Washington A.L.franchises. He lives in central New Jersey, and blogs about D.C. baseball at washingtonbaseballhistory.com
Cleaning Up
Profar Suspension, Lopez Injury Hit Reeling Braves Hard
By Dan Schlossberg
Atlanta’s only major off-season acquisition, Jurickson Profar, will miss 80 games plus any potential post-season action.
And one of its top signees from the previous winter, Reynaldo Lopez, is also down for the count, sent to the injured list with shoulder inflammation after a single start.
It’s not a good look for the Braves, whose shaky bullpen imploded in the first two games at San Diego and whose hitters were even more impotent in the last two.
The team, whom many pundits picked to play deep into October, lost four straight to the Padres, then limped to Los Angeles to face a juggernaut that almost all experts agree is baseball’s best. That visit extended their losing streak to seven after the bullpen blew a 5-0 lead in the finale.
Ouch.
Although former MVP Ronald Acuña, Jr. and former strikeout king Spencer Strider are due back from injury soon, it can’t be soon enough.
Now the team is stuck with potential replacements like Alex Verdugo and Jarred Kelenic in left field and Bryce Elder in the starting rotation.
If not for the looming luxury tax, Alex Anthopoulos could have signed Willy Adames to play short, Jack Flaherty to pitch, and Teoscar Hernandez to play left field. Instead, they all went elsewhere. Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
It’s not that the Braves don’t have the money. Attendance is booming not only in Truist Park but also in the adjacent team-owned Battery.
But 27 of the 30 teams — Atlanta included — spent less money combined than the three elites from both coasts, the Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers.
You’d think the union would be screaming “collusion” at this point in time.
With Lopez lost indefinitely, Max Fried wearing Yankee pinstripes, and Charlie Morton dressed in Oriole orange, the Braves are down three of their four best starters from last season.
Profar was supposed to fill the void left by Acuña, a great leadoff man, but lasted only four games. His PED ban also casts a shadow on the unexpected All-Star season he put together for the Padres last year.
According to his track record, the switch-hitting outfielder didn’t even carry a .240 career average into last season.
Profar, who denies taking any prohibited substance “knowingly,” will not be paid while suspended. He had inked a three-year, $42 million pact — a nifty raise over the $1 million the Padres paid him in 2024. During his suspension, he will forfeit some $5.8 million of his $12 million annual salary, plus whatever post-season bonus money he might have made (though no team with an 0-7 start has ever reached the post-season).
MLB announced his suspension with the following statement: “The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a performance enhancing substance, in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Profar is effective immediately.”
The team also issued one of its own: “We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Jurickson Profar tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Jurickson will learn from this experience.”
Not to be overlooked, Profar posted his own message: “Braves fans, today is the most difficult day of my baseball career. I am devastated to announce that I have been suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball and the Commissioner’s office, for testing positive for a banned substance this off-season. This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game. There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite.
“I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it. I have been tested my entire career, including eight times last season alone, and have never tested positive. I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision. I am devastated that I won’t be on the field with my teammates for the next 80 games. I look forward to competing again at the highest level this season upon my return.”
The switch-hitting outfielder hit 24 home runs for San Diego in 2024, attracting interest from a half-dozen clubs.
Atlanta signed him after finding funds formerly used to pay Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Adam Duvall, Ramon Laureano, A.J. Minter, Tyler Matzek, Morton, and Fried last year. All are now gone.
The Braves did not spend more than $1.5 million on any other free agents during the off-season that just ended.
The entire incident recalls the suspension of Otis Nixon, another switch-hitting outfielder signed by the Braves as a free agent, in 1991. Had that suspension not happened, Atlanta might have managed to beat Minnesota in the first World Series match-up of worst-to-first teams.
Nixon had 72 stolen bases, a club record later broken by Acuña, before he was sidelined for the final month of that ‘91 campaign.
Hank Aaron must be rolling over in his grave.
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is a national baseball writer for forbes.com. The author of 43 books, he is on a speaking tour to promote a forthcoming title called The New Baseball Bible. Dan’s email is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia: Catching Up With New Catcher
Baldwin, a left-handed power hitter who also makes good contact, got his first major-league hit at Petco Park in the second game of the season . . .
The No. 1 Atlanta prospect, who starred in the Arizona Fall League, is the latest in a long line of quality Braves catchers that includes Del Crandall, Joe Torre, Javy Lopez, Johnny Estrada, and Brian McCann . . .
When veteran receiver Sean Murphy returns from a spring training injury, he might have a hard time dislodging Baldwin, who has won raves from Atlanta pitchers for his game-calling skills . . .
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker began his career as a catcher in the Braves system in 1977.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], does the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.