Luis Emilio Gonzalez,nicknamed "Gonzo",is an American former baseball outfielder who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams. Gonzalez spent his best years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the most popular players in the organization's history. His game-winning hit in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera clinched the Diamondbacks' first and only World Series championship to date. Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2001. In addition to good power,Gonzalez was known as an exceptional gap hitter. His 596 career doubles currently rank 19th on the all-time MLB list.
Felipe Rojas Alou is a Dominican former Major League Baseball outfielder,first baseman,coach and manager. He managed the Montreal Expos (1992–2001) and the San Francisco Giants (2003–2006). The first Dominican to play regularly in the major leagues,he is the most prominent member of one of the sport's most notable families of the late 20th century:he was the oldest of the trio of baseball-playing brothers that included Matty and Jesús,who were both primarily outfielders,and his son Moisés was also primarily an outfielder;all but Jesús have been named All-Stars at least twice. His son Luis,in turn,managed the New York Mets.
Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 to 2001. A switch-hitter with good production from both sides of the plate,he also had a strong arm with the ability to play all three outfield positions exceptionally well. Javier is the son of former major league player Julián Javier,and was named after his father's teammate and close friend,Stan Musial.
Steven Allen Finley is an American former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams between 1989 and 2007,most notably the Houston Astros,San Diego Padres,and Arizona Diamondbacks;he is one of only two players,along with Matt Herges,to play for all five National League West teams. An outstanding all-around player with power,speed,and defensive skill,he is one of only four players since 1945 with 300 home runs and 100 triples,along with Stan Musial,Willie Mays,and George Brett. He is also one of three players,along with Mays and Ken Griffey Jr.,to have 2,500 hits and win five Gold Glove Awards in center field.
Charles Joseph Hiller was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. In the 1962 World Series,he became the first National League player to hit a grand slam in a World Series.
Ronald Ray Fairly was an American professional baseball player and television sports presenter. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and right fielder from 1958 to 1978,most prominently as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers where,he was an two-time All-Star player and was a member of three World Series winning teams.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2002 throughout the world.
Todd Mathew Hollandsworth is an American former professional baseball outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). In 1996,he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award,setting a record as the fifth consecutive Los Angeles Dodgers rookie to do so.
Jerry Wayne Hairston Jr. is an American former professional baseball infielder and outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles,Chicago Cubs,Texas Rangers,Cincinnati Reds,New York Yankees,San Diego Padres,Washington Nationals,Milwaukee Brewers,and Los Angeles Dodgers. He played every position except pitcher and catcher during his baseball career. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Sam Hairston,the son of former major leaguer Jerry Hairston Sr.,and the brother of Scott Hairston. He helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series,beating the Philadelphia Phillies,giving him his only World Series title.
Jason Jerome Ellison is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston,Idaho,and made his major league debut on May 9,2003. As of the 2015 season,he was an area scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim based in Issaquah,Washington.
Manuel Rafael Mota Geronimo,more commonly known as Manny Mota,is a Dominican former Major League Baseball outfielder who played 20 seasons for the San Francisco Giants,Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos,as well as being a pinch hitting specialist with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired as a player at the age of 44.
Carl Reginald Smith is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and afterwards served as a coach and front office executive. He also played in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for two seasons at the end of his playing career. During a seventeen-year MLB career (1966–1982),Smith appeared in 1,987 games,hit 314 home runs with 1,092 RBI and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime,he had one of the strongest throwing arms of any outfielder in the MLB. Smith played at least seventy games in thirteen different seasons,and in every one of those thirteen seasons,his team had a winning record.
Michael Vaughn Hatcher is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder,third baseman and first baseman from 1979 through 1990,most notably as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when he replaced an injured Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series and hit .368 (7/19) with two home runs and five RBI to help the Dodgers win the world championship.
Cody Joseph Ross,nicknamed "Toy Cannon" and "Ross the Boss," is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 12 seasons;with the Detroit Tigers (2003),Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2006),Cincinnati Reds (2006),Florida Marlins (2006–2010),San Francisco Giants (2010–2011),Boston Red Sox (2012),Arizona Diamondbacks (2013–2014) and Oakland Athletics (2015). Ross won a World Series with the San Francisco Giants in 2010. He is one of the few Major League players to bat right-handed and throw left-handed.
David Alejandro Green Casaya was a Nicaraguan professional baseball player who was an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Between 1981 and 1987,he spent parts of six seasons in the MLB. He was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals for five of those years,and he also spent one season with the San Francisco Giants.
Raymond Lee Walls Jr. was an American professional baseball player,an outfielder who appeared in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1952 and 1964 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates,Chicago Cubs,Cincinnati Reds,Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played the 1965 season in Japan,for the Hankyu Braves. The native of San Diego threw and batted right-handed,stood 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall,and weighed 205 pounds (93 kg). Walls wore eyeglasses on the field during his active career —a rarity for players of his era —and was nicknamed "Captain Midnight" because of his eyewear.
Denis Phipps is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds in 2012.
Joc Russell Pederson is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers,Chicago Cubs,Atlanta Braves,and San Francisco Giants. He is a two-time World Series champion and a two-time All-Star.
O'Koyea Dickson is an American professional former baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2017 season,and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2018.
The Gigantes de Rivas are a professional baseball team based in Rivas,Nicaragua. They compete in the Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League (LBPN). The team plays at the Estadio Yamil Ríos Ugarte. Established in 2013,the club has won the LBPN title four times in 2014,2016,2021 and 2024. The Gigantes also won the 2016 Latin American Series,becoming the first Nicaraguan team to win the Latin American Series.
