38 Facts About Vladimir Guerrero

Nine-time All-Star, Vladimir Guerrero was widely recognized for his impressive offensive production — regularly hitting for power and average — as well as his defensive range and strong throwing arm.

Vladimir Guerrero helped lead the Angels to five AL West championships between 2004 and 2009 and was voted one of the most feared hitters in baseball in a 2008 poll of all 30 major league managers.

Vladimir Guerrero was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.

One of nine children, Vladimir Guerrero is the younger brother of ex-major leaguer Wilton Vladimir Guerrero, who played with the Montreal Expos .

Vladimir Guerrero was raised in Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic, in a house made of mud and brick and a palm-leaf roof.

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Vladimir Guerrero did not own a real baseball glove until he was 15 years old, when he received one from his older brother, a minor leaguer.

That night, Vladimir Guerrero went 1 for 5 at the plate; his first big league hit, a single to center field, came against Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Steve Avery, in the top of the fourth inning, at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.

Vladimir Guerrero was criticized during his first full season, in 1997, for being too aggressive at the plate.

Vladimir Guerrero led all NL outfielders in errors in 2002, and led all AL outfielders in 2006, and 2007 .

In one instance, Vladimir Guerrero got a base hit off a pitch that bounced before arriving at home plate.

Vladimir Guerrero finished 1999 with 131 RBI, and in 2000, he hit 44 home runs; both figures are career highs.

Vladimir Guerrero caught the ball off a bounce and threw it to his catcher, who caught it squarely.

Vladimir Guerrero posted similar or slightly improved numbers through the 2002 season.

Vladimir Guerrero had developed a running game, stealing 37 bases in 2001.

In 2002, Vladimir Guerrero led the National League with 206 base hits and 364 total bases.

The owner of the Angels, Arte Moreno, was the first Hispanic controlling owner of a Major League ballclub, and Vladimir Guerrero cited Moreno's heritage as a motivating factor for choosing the Angels over other teams.

Mike Scioscia, the Angels manager, said that Vladimir Guerrero "really carried us on his back" in the last month of the season, as the Angels overtook first place from the faltering Oakland Athletics who finished the season one game behind in the standings.

Vladimir Guerrero leading the Angels to their first Western Division title since 1986 .

Vladimir Guerrero finished with 354 points, 100 more than second-place finisher Gary Sheffield.

Vladimir Guerrero fared better in a national TV ad for Pepsi with the Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez; the two engaged in a personal home run competition that ended up with the moon being broken.

Vladimir Guerrero appeared at Game Four of the 2005 World Series, where he was introduced as a member of Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team.

Vladimir Guerrero was chosen for the All-Star Game in each of his first four seasons with the Angels .

Vladimir Guerrero's stellar fielding talent dwindled in the later 2000s due to age and injuries, prompting the long-time outfielder to be reassigned as a designated hitter at the start of the 2009 season.

In 2009, Vladimir Guerrero was named number 37 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball.

Vladimir Guerrero earned a Silver Slugger Award in the regular season for a Texas Rangers club that wound up winning its division and ultimately, the first pennant in Rangers history.

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Vladimir Guerrero won the Edgar Martinez Award and earned his ninth invitation to the All-Star Game.

Vladimir Guerrero had 13 home runs and 63 RBIs on a struggling Orioles team.

Vladimir Guerrero remained unsigned by any team going into the 2012 Major League Baseball season, leading to much speculation about his potential retirement, though Vladimir Guerrero insisted that he would not retire.

Vladimir Guerrero played in 4 games for Dunedin, with 9 hits in 20 at bats, including 4 home runs and was then promoted to the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s.

Vladimir Guerrero started playing in the Dominican Professional Baseball League with the San Pedro de Macoris team Estrellas Orientales.

Vladimir Guerrero informed the team that he had family issues to attend to and would not be joining them to start the season.

Vladimir Guerrero batted without wearing batting gloves, a custom rarely seen in modern baseball.

Vladimir Guerrero drove in over 100 runs every season between 1998 and 2007, except for 2003.

In 2008, Vladimir Guerrero swung at a higher percentage of pitches outside the strike zone, 45.

Vladimir Guerrero had a 44-game hitting streak exclusively against the Texas Rangers, from 2004 to 2006, the longest such player-vs -team streak in MLB history, since 1969.

The streak finally came to an end in August 2006 in a game in which Vladimir Guerrero was intentionally walked three times, walked four times overall, and finished 0-for-1.

Vladimir Guerrero was named to the Dominican Republic's roster for the 2006 World Baseball Classic, although he eventually withdrew due to the death of three cousins in a car accident immediately before the tournament.

Vladimir Guerrero has provided job opportunities in his hometown in the Dominican Republic through his business ventures: a concrete-block factory, a propane distribution company, a supermarket, a livestock and vegetable farm, and a women's clothing store.