Monday, July 11, 2011

Player Profile: Santo Alcala

Check out my latest installment of "This Week in Baseball Cards" over at The Hall of Very Good. Derek Jeter's amazing Saturday is covered, but so are mid-90s Yankee fans and MC Hammer.

I have one card of Santo Alcala, from 1978 Topps.

Playing Career: Santo Alcala was a rookie on the World Champion 1976 Reds, going 11-4 in 21 starts. However, he had a 4.70 ERA and had as many walks (67) as strikeouts. He did not pitch in the postseason. He then pitched briefly for the Reds and Expos in 1977, his last major league season. He hung around the minors until 1982.

My memories: I remember him as being one of the pitchers on Mike Flanagan’s rookie card, which was one of many rookie cards pictured in a book I had as a kid called the Hygrade Baseball Card Price Guide. I thought it was funny someone would have a name so similar to Santa. I don’t have any personal memories of him as I was three months old when he last pitched in the major leagues.

Where he is now: Coaching baseball in Licey, Dominican Republic.

Google Autocomplete results: He is third when you type Santo Al, between Santo Albano, a psychologist in East Setauket, New York, and Santo Alejo, a fifth century Catholic saint. There do not appear to be any other prominent Santo Alcalas.

Coming up next: The next profile will be Israel Alcantara.

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