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On May 30, 1989 I attended a New York Yankees-Seattle Mariners game at Yankee Stadium. I distinctly remember that in the bottom of the seventh inning, Steve Sax grounded into a double play. Harold Reynolds fielded the ball and threw it to this tiny 22-year old kid from Venezuela who made a beautiful transistion and threw it to first for a double play. It would turn out that that 5'9", 165 pound shortstop was Omar Vizquel, and he had and still has the greatest pair of hands on a shortstop that I have ever seen.
Now, 19 years and 1,658 double plays later, Vizquel recently broke Luis Aparicio's record for most games played at shortstop. This is one of the many records he holds, and I would just like to congratulate him on this achievement.
Some more notable things that Vizquel has done.
Most double plays turned of all-time (1,658 DP)
Most games played at shortstop (2,585 G)
Second-most hits for a shortstop of all-time (2,609, behind Luis Aparicio)
Second-most Gold Glove Awards for a shortstop (11, behind Ozzie Smith)
Oldest shortstop to recieve a Gold Glove Award (38 and 39)
Lowest number of errors by a shortstop of all-time (3)
Highest fielding percentage by a shortstop in a season (.995 FP)
Highest career fielding percentage by a shortstop (.984 FP)
Most hits and at-bats by an active player on a team (2,609 and 9,530)
I have considered him for some time to be the greatest defensive player I have ever seen, even better than Ozzie Smith who is widely regarded as the elite defensive shortstop. Some of Vizquel's records are pretty remarkable, especially when you compare them to someone like Ozzie Smith. In 2000, Vizquel played 156 games at shortstop and made only three errors. The fewest errors Ozzie Smith made in a season was eight and he did that on three occasions (1991, 1994, and 1996), but only one of them was a full season and that was in 1991. The most errors Vizquel made in a season was 20, which is still amazing when you look at someone like Orlando Cabrera who, following his Gold Glove winning year in 2001, made 29 errors at shortstop in 153 games. Even Ozzie Smith made more than 20 errors in four seperate seasons (1978, 1980, 1983, and 1988). Vizquel made 20 errors just once (1996). Vizquel's fielding percentage was at or over .990 in four seasons (.993 in 1998, .995 in 2000, .990 in 2002, and .993 in 2006). Ozzie Smith never had a fielding percentage over .987. Vizquel has played in one more season than Ozzie Smith did, and Vizquel has almost 100 less errors than Smith did. Not only that, but Vizquel's fielding percentage is about six points higher than Smith's.
So, I would just like to say congratulations to Omar Vizquel on his achievement and passing Luis Aparicio and the congratulate him on all that he has done in his career. He has the softest hands and the smoothest transition I have ever seen while turning a double play. He is the greatest defensive shortstop of all-time.
Now, 19 years and 1,658 double plays later, Vizquel recently broke Luis Aparicio's record for most games played at shortstop. This is one of the many records he holds, and I would just like to congratulate him on this achievement.
Some more notable things that Vizquel has done.
Most double plays turned of all-time (1,658 DP)
Most games played at shortstop (2,585 G)
Second-most hits for a shortstop of all-time (2,609, behind Luis Aparicio)
Second-most Gold Glove Awards for a shortstop (11, behind Ozzie Smith)
Oldest shortstop to recieve a Gold Glove Award (38 and 39)
Lowest number of errors by a shortstop of all-time (3)
Highest fielding percentage by a shortstop in a season (.995 FP)
Highest career fielding percentage by a shortstop (.984 FP)
Most hits and at-bats by an active player on a team (2,609 and 9,530)
I have considered him for some time to be the greatest defensive player I have ever seen, even better than Ozzie Smith who is widely regarded as the elite defensive shortstop. Some of Vizquel's records are pretty remarkable, especially when you compare them to someone like Ozzie Smith. In 2000, Vizquel played 156 games at shortstop and made only three errors. The fewest errors Ozzie Smith made in a season was eight and he did that on three occasions (1991, 1994, and 1996), but only one of them was a full season and that was in 1991. The most errors Vizquel made in a season was 20, which is still amazing when you look at someone like Orlando Cabrera who, following his Gold Glove winning year in 2001, made 29 errors at shortstop in 153 games. Even Ozzie Smith made more than 20 errors in four seperate seasons (1978, 1980, 1983, and 1988). Vizquel made 20 errors just once (1996). Vizquel's fielding percentage was at or over .990 in four seasons (.993 in 1998, .995 in 2000, .990 in 2002, and .993 in 2006). Ozzie Smith never had a fielding percentage over .987. Vizquel has played in one more season than Ozzie Smith did, and Vizquel has almost 100 less errors than Smith did. Not only that, but Vizquel's fielding percentage is about six points higher than Smith's.
So, I would just like to say congratulations to Omar Vizquel on his achievement and passing Luis Aparicio and the congratulate him on all that he has done in his career. He has the softest hands and the smoothest transition I have ever seen while turning a double play. He is the greatest defensive shortstop of all-time.
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