Vladimir Guerrero

Vladimir Guerrero was a fearsome, free-swinging right fielder known for hitting pitches far outside the strike zone with power.

Vladimir Guerrero Alvino was born on February 9, 1975, in Don Gregorio, in the Nizao Bani district of the Dominican Republic, one of nine children. His family struggled financially, and after Hurricane David devastated the country in 1979, Guerrero's mother, Altagracia, traveled between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela seeking work, leaving young Vladimir and his siblings largely in the care of a great-aunt. Guerrero grew up playing baseball barefoot in the streets of Nizao, using a stick for a bat and lemons wrapped in rags in place of real baseballs — resourceful improvisation that nonetheless produced one of the most gifted natural hitters the sport has ever seen. The Los Angeles Dodgers passed on Guerrero after an extended tryout when he was 16, and the Texas Rangers looked at him and passed as well. It was the Montreal Expos, in a 1993 tryout, who finally recognized what the others had missed: after watching him take a single at-bat, Expos scout Fred Ferreira signed him on the spot for a $2,000 bonus, just weeks after his 18th birthday. His older brother Wilton, who had already signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, had helped pave the way for him in professional baseball. Guerrero made his major league debut with Montreal in September 1996 and quickly became known as one of the sport's most unique and dangerous hitters — a true "bad-ball hitter" who would swing at, and often crush, pitches thrown well outside the strike zone, including balls that bounced before reaching the plate. Pedro Martínez, his teammate in Montreal and a childhood rival in the Dominican winter leagues, once said he had to abandon his fastball against Guerrero entirely because "I couldn't blow it by him." Over seven full seasons with the Expos, Guerrero averaged 33 home runs and 100 RBIs a year, coming within a single home run of the rare 40-homer, 40-steal club in 2002. Guerrero signed with the Anaheim Angels as a free agent after the 2003 season and won the American League MVP award in his very first season there, in 2004. He finished his 16-year career with a .318 batting average, 449 home runs, and nine All-Star selections, playing his final seasons with the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. Guerrero was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018, his second year of eligibility, and his son, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., went on to become a star in his own right, following his father into the major leagues.

Aggressive free-swinging hitter with exceptional power and arm strength

Hall of Fame outfielder known for his incredible bat speed and ability to hit bad pitches

• AL MVP (2004)
• 9x All-Star
• 8x Silver Slugger
• Hall of Fame 2018