Gerónimo Gil
Encyclopedia
Gerónimo Gil is a Major League Baseball
first baseman
and catcher
who currently plays in the Triple-A Mexican League for the Mexico City Red Devils. He bats and throws right-handed.
on February 15, .
in 1996. The Sand Gnats came back from seventh place and won the South Atlantic League
championship that year.
In , Gil played for the Single-A Vero Beach Dodgers. The next year, he was promoted to the Double-A San Antonio Missions
, playing catcher as well as in the outfield
and at first base
. Gil played for San Antonio until . The highlights of his career with San Antonio included ranking 4th in batting average
and tying for 3rd place in double
s with 17 in , tying for the Missions' team lead with 15 home run
s in , and being named the best defensive catcher in the Texas League
in 2000. In 1999, he played catcher and outfield, and in 2000, he caught and also played third base
.
Later in the 2000 season, Gil was promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes
. With the Dukes, he played 15 games, batting .380 with 2 home runs and 22 RBI
. He also had a .600 slugging average and a .421 on-base percentage.
Despite the fact that he played nearly his entire minor league career on Los Angeles farm teams, Gil never played a Major League game for the Dodgers. He began the season in the Dodgers farm system with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
, but was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
on July 31, 2001, after batting only .222 with Las Vegas.
. He batted .313, collecting a hit
in 13 of his last 17 games with Rochester. He also had only 8 stolen base
s against him, in 31 attempts. The highlight of his short stint with Rochester was an 8-game hitting streak, from August 7-15. On September 7, the Orioles purchased Gil's contract from the Red Wings. He made his major league debut the next day. Of the final 22 games of the season, Gil started at catcher in 17 of them.
In , Gil started for the O's on Opening Day. He was the first Orioles rookie to start at catcher on Opening Day since Andy Etchebarren
, in . He caught 33 out of 91 baserunners stealing, second in the American League
to Bengie Molina
. He hit his first big league homer on April 11, off Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher
Travis Phelps
. His first multi-homer game was on April 23, both off the Boston Red Sox
pitcher Frank Castillo
. He also hit another home run off Castillo on April 29. Gil hit 12 home runs that year, the most ever by a Mexican-born rookie. The previous record was held by Vinny Castilla
, who hit 9 for the Colorado Rockies
in . An interesting fact about Gil's 2002 season is that of his 12 home runs, 4 were against the Red Sox, the most he hit against any team that year. 3 of those 4 homers he hit against Boston were off Frank Castillo. He was selected as the catcher on the Topps' All-Rookie team after the season was over. Gil played for the Obregón Yaquis
in the Mexican Winter League during the 2002 offseason, batting .266 with 6 home runs and 20 RBI. He played mostly first base, outfield and designated hitter
. He also played 6 games as a catcher and a game at third.
In , Gil spent most of the season with Baltimore, but he also played for six weeks with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx
. He started the season as the everyday catcher for the O's, and started 12 of the first 16 games. Gil batted only .173 with a dinger and 3 RBI in the first 22 games, and with only 1 game in which he had more than one hit in that span. He batted .339 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI in May, and in June he batted only .139 with 2 RBI and no home runs. In July, he only started 2 games before being optioned to Triple-A Ottawa on July 20. With the Lynx, he hit safely in 30 out of 36 games. Gil also had an 11-game hitting streak, from August 2-13. During this hitting streak, he batted .400. While with Ottawa, he had 17 RBI, 13 of which he hit in the final 18 games of the minor league season. After Ottawa was eliminated by the Pawtucket Red Sox
in the International League
playoff series, in which Gil batted 1 for 16, Baltimore brought Gil back up from the minors. He had two hits in his first Major League game back, but only played in three games. During the season, he threw out 10 of 48 basestealers. Gil played again for Obregón in the Mexican League after the season, playing 50 games and batting .277 with 4 home runs and 29 RBIs.
Gil spent almost the whole season with Ottawa, after being sent to Ottawa during spring training, a decision he infamously reacted to by smashing trash cans in the clubhouse with his bat. He hit .287 in the first half with the Lynx, and was their only player at the Triple-A All-Star Game. In the second half, he hit .278 in the end of July, and only .198 in August. Gil was called up by the Orioles in September when rosters expanded. He played in 12 games for the O's during the last month of the season, batting .281, and was the only Orioles backup catcher that hit over .170. He had a 2-RBI double in his first game back against the Devil Rays on September 2. Gil also had a season-high 2 hits against the Detroit Tigers
on the September 26. He also threw out 3 of 16 baserunners.
In , Gil batted .192, with 4 home runs, 17 RBI, and no stolen bases in 64 games. The Orioles placed him on the 15-day disabled list
on July 4 with a strained left thumb
.
Before the season, the Orioles placed Gil on waivers, which he cleared. On March 29, 2006, Gil was released by the Orioles. Gil signed with the Colorado Rockies
on December 14, 2006. Before the start of the season, he was loaned to the Red Devils of the Mexican League where he batted .396 in 75 games and was named to the midseason All-Star team. He was returned and called up by the Rockies on August 9, .
Gil is notable for having more career at-bats without a triple
than any other active player, 681.
Now he play with Diablos Rojos de Mexico and Naranjeros de Hermosillo, he participate in the Baseball Fest 2010 in Tijuana
with Naranjeros de Hermosillo.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
who currently plays in the Triple-A Mexican League for the Mexico City Red Devils. He bats and throws right-handed.
Playing career
Gil began his baseball career with the Red Devils of the Mexican League. He had played in only 4 games for Mexico City in when his contract was purchased by the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on February 15, .
Los Angeles Dodgers
Gil played for the Single-A Savannah Sand GnatsSavannah Sand Gnats
The Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets.-History:...
in 1996. The Sand Gnats came back from seventh place and won the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
championship that year.
In , Gil played for the Single-A Vero Beach Dodgers. The next year, he was promoted to the Double-A San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
, playing catcher as well as in the outfield
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and at first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. Gil played for San Antonio until . The highlights of his career with San Antonio included ranking 4th in batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and tying for 3rd place in double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
s with 17 in , tying for the Missions' team lead with 15 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in , and being named the best defensive catcher in the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
in 2000. In 1999, he played catcher and outfield, and in 2000, he caught and also played third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
.
Later in the 2000 season, Gil was promoted to the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes
Albuquerque Dukes
The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.-History:The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class-D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Frank Huelman was the league leader in home runs,...
. With the Dukes, he played 15 games, batting .380 with 2 home runs and 22 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. He also had a .600 slugging average and a .421 on-base percentage.
Despite the fact that he played nearly his entire minor league career on Los Angeles farm teams, Gil never played a Major League game for the Dodgers. He began the season in the Dodgers farm system with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
, but was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
on July 31, 2001, after batting only .222 with Las Vegas.
Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies
After the trade, Gil played for the Triple-A Rochester Red WingsRochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. He batted .313, collecting a hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 13 of his last 17 games with Rochester. He also had only 8 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s against him, in 31 attempts. The highlight of his short stint with Rochester was an 8-game hitting streak, from August 7-15. On September 7, the Orioles purchased Gil's contract from the Red Wings. He made his major league debut the next day. Of the final 22 games of the season, Gil started at catcher in 17 of them.
In , Gil started for the O's on Opening Day. He was the first Orioles rookie to start at catcher on Opening Day since Andy Etchebarren
Andy Etchebarren
Andrew Auguste Etchebarren is an American former Major League Baseball catcher who played for a total of 15 seasons. He played for the Baltimore Orioles , California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers ....
, in . He caught 33 out of 91 baserunners stealing, second in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
to Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
. He hit his first big league homer on April 11, off Tampa Bay Devil Rays pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Travis Phelps
Travis Phelps
Travis Howard Phelps is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball from - for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. He was drafted in the 89th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft.In , Phelps played for the York...
. His first multi-homer game was on April 23, both off the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
pitcher Frank Castillo
Frank Castillo
Frank Anthony Castillo is a retired Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Castillo has played for the Chicago Cubs , Colorado Rockies , Detroit Tigers , Toronto Blue Jays , Boston Red Sox , and Florida Marlins , In his 13-year career, he has had 82 wins and 104 losses, 1101 strike outs, and a...
. He also hit another home run off Castillo on April 29. Gil hit 12 home runs that year, the most ever by a Mexican-born rookie. The previous record was held by Vinny Castilla
Vinny Castilla
Vinicio "Vinny" Castilla Soria is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his best years with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves...
, who hit 9 for the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in . An interesting fact about Gil's 2002 season is that of his 12 home runs, 4 were against the Red Sox, the most he hit against any team that year. 3 of those 4 homers he hit against Boston were off Frank Castillo. He was selected as the catcher on the Topps' All-Rookie team after the season was over. Gil played for the Obregón Yaquis
Yaquis de Obregón
The Yaquis de Obregón is a Mexican baseball team of the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico .The team was founded on October 8, 1970, and its home stadium is the Estadio Tomás Oroz Gaytán. They have been champions of the league on five occasions. The first time was at the 1965–1966 season with Manuel...
in the Mexican Winter League during the 2002 offseason, batting .266 with 6 home runs and 20 RBI. He played mostly first base, outfield and designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
. He also played 6 games as a catcher and a game at third.
In , Gil spent most of the season with Baltimore, but he also played for six weeks with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
. He started the season as the everyday catcher for the O's, and started 12 of the first 16 games. Gil batted only .173 with a dinger and 3 RBI in the first 22 games, and with only 1 game in which he had more than one hit in that span. He batted .339 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI in May, and in June he batted only .139 with 2 RBI and no home runs. In July, he only started 2 games before being optioned to Triple-A Ottawa on July 20. With the Lynx, he hit safely in 30 out of 36 games. Gil also had an 11-game hitting streak, from August 2-13. During this hitting streak, he batted .400. While with Ottawa, he had 17 RBI, 13 of which he hit in the final 18 games of the minor league season. After Ottawa was eliminated by the Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
in the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
playoff series, in which Gil batted 1 for 16, Baltimore brought Gil back up from the minors. He had two hits in his first Major League game back, but only played in three games. During the season, he threw out 10 of 48 basestealers. Gil played again for Obregón in the Mexican League after the season, playing 50 games and batting .277 with 4 home runs and 29 RBIs.
Gil spent almost the whole season with Ottawa, after being sent to Ottawa during spring training, a decision he infamously reacted to by smashing trash cans in the clubhouse with his bat. He hit .287 in the first half with the Lynx, and was their only player at the Triple-A All-Star Game. In the second half, he hit .278 in the end of July, and only .198 in August. Gil was called up by the Orioles in September when rosters expanded. He played in 12 games for the O's during the last month of the season, batting .281, and was the only Orioles backup catcher that hit over .170. He had a 2-RBI double in his first game back against the Devil Rays on September 2. Gil also had a season-high 2 hits against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
on the September 26. He also threw out 3 of 16 baserunners.
In , Gil batted .192, with 4 home runs, 17 RBI, and no stolen bases in 64 games. The Orioles placed him on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
on July 4 with a strained left thumb
Thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position , the thumb is the lateral-most digit...
.
Before the season, the Orioles placed Gil on waivers, which he cleared. On March 29, 2006, Gil was released by the Orioles. Gil signed with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
on December 14, 2006. Before the start of the season, he was loaned to the Red Devils of the Mexican League where he batted .396 in 75 games and was named to the midseason All-Star team. He was returned and called up by the Rockies on August 9, .
Gil is notable for having more career at-bats without a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
than any other active player, 681.
Return to the Mexican League
Gil started playing for the Oaxaca Warriors, but after 54 games he was sent to the Red Devils. Combined, Gil batted .298 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI.Now he play with Diablos Rojos de Mexico and Naranjeros de Hermosillo, he participate in the Baseball Fest 2010 in Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
with Naranjeros de Hermosillo.