Julián Javier
Encyclopedia
Manuel Julián Javier Liranzo (born August 9, 1936 in San Francisco de Macorís
, Dominican Republic
), best known as Julián Javier [hoo-lee-AN hah-vee-ER], is a former Major League Baseball
second baseman
and right-handed batter. He played with the St. Louis Cardinals
(1960–71) and Cincinnati Reds
(1972). He is the father of former big-leaguer Stan Javier
.
Javier was strictly a good-contact singles
hitter, one who jumped on high fastball
s and hit them up the middle. He was also a good hit-and-run
man, and one of the best bunters in the league. He hit left-handed pitchers extremely well. A smart baserunner, he was quick enough out of the box to avoid hitting into double play
s, and never hesitated to take the extra base. As a second baseman, Javier was a master at handling slow rollers, with good range to both sides, and at snagging pop-ups
while running with his back to the infield. He turned the double play fearlessly.
On July 9, 1963, Javier and teammates Bill White (first baseman
), Dick Groat
(shortstop
), and Ken Boyer
(third baseman
), combined for an all-Cardinal, starting National League All-Star
infield. He played again in the 1968 All-Star game. The same year, he was considered in the Most Valuable Player
(MVP) selection (9th).
A .333 hitter in nineteen World Series
games, Javier belted a three-run home run
in Game Seven of the 1967 World Series
, to help pitcher
Bob Gibson
win his third Series game against the Red Sox
and bring the World Championship to the Cardinals. In Game Two of that Series, he broke up Jim Lonborg
's bid for a no-hitter
by doubling with two out in the eighth; this would be the Cardinals' only hit on the afternoon.
In his 13-season career, Javier hit .257 with 78 home runs, 506 RBI
, 722 runs, 216 doubles
, 55 triples
, and 135 stolen base
s in 1,622 games.
Julián Javier (called Hoolie by his teammates) was also given the nickname "The Phantom" by Tim McCarver
, for Javier's abilities to avoid runners sliding into second base. Javier is in the Triple-A Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio
for his remarkable performance with the Columbus Jets
while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates
affiliates' minor league team. He was also inducted to the Dominican Republic Hall of Fame in 1978.
He was married to Inés Negrin, with whom he had five sons and daughters: Julieta, Julián José, Stanley, Vienna Alexandra, and Lynette. After becoming a widower, he married Yolanda Then, his current wife. His oldest son is Manuel Julián Javier, an engineer in Santiago, Dominican Republic
. Julián's son Stan Javier
, named after Stan Musial
a friend and teammate of Julian with the Saint Louis Cardinals, played in the major leagues for eighteen years with multiple teams. His other son, Julian J , is an interventional cardiologist in Naples, Florida
.
Julián Javier founded the Khoury League in Dominican Republic, later changing its name to Roberto Clemente
League to honor the Pittsburgh Pirates legend. He also founded the "Summer League", a professional baseball league with four teams in the cities of Santiago, Puerto Plata, La Vega
and San Francisco de Macorís that played from 1975 to 1978. He also founded, with the help of his son Stan, the Gigantes del Cibao
, one of the expansion teams in the Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM).
Estadio Julian Javier
, the stadium in Julián Javier's hometown of San Francisco de Macorís, is named after him, and is the home stadium for the Gigantes del Cibao. He was chosen the all-time second baseman for the Águilas Cibaeñas
, and his number (25) retired by them in the Dominican Winter Baseball League.
San Francisco de Macorís
San Francisco de Macorís is a city in the Dominican Republic. It is also the capital of the Duarte Province. It has had a very active role in the shaping of Dominican history, as it is known as one of, if not the most, politically active cities in the country. It is located in the northeast portion...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
), best known as Julián Javier [hoo-lee-AN hah-vee-ER], is a former Major League Baseball
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...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and right-handed batter. He played with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1960–71) and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1972). He is the father of former big-leaguer Stan Javier
Stan Javier
Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitter who played with the New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , San Francisco Giants , Houston...
.
Javier was strictly a good-contact singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
hitter, one who jumped on high fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
s and hit them up the middle. He was also a good hit-and-run
Hit and run (baseball)
A hit and run is a high risk/high reward offensive strategy used in baseball.When the offense has a baserunner on first base , the runner on first breaks for second as the pitch is thrown...
man, and one of the best bunters in the league. He hit left-handed pitchers extremely well. A smart baserunner, he was quick enough out of the box to avoid hitting into double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s, and never hesitated to take the extra base. As a second baseman, Javier was a master at handling slow rollers, with good range to both sides, and at snagging pop-ups
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
while running with his back to the infield. He turned the double play fearlessly.
On July 9, 1963, Javier and teammates Bill White (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...
), Dick Groat
Dick Groat
Richard Morrow Groat is a former two-sport athlete best known as a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played for four National League teams, mainly the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in after winning the batting title with a .325...
(shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
), and Ken Boyer
Ken Boyer
Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
(third baseman
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...
), combined for an all-Cardinal, starting National League All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
infield. He played again in the 1968 All-Star game. The same year, he was considered in the Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
(MVP) selection (9th).
A .333 hitter in nineteen World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
games, Javier belted a three-run 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...
in Game Seven of the 1967 World Series
1967 World Series
The 1967 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the 1946 World Series, with the Cardinals winning in seven games for their second championship in four years and their eighth overall...
, to help 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...
Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
win his third Series game against the 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"...
and bring the World Championship to the Cardinals. In Game Two of that Series, he broke up Jim Lonborg
Jim Lonborg
James Reynold Lonborg is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies...
's bid for a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
by doubling with two out in the eighth; this would be the Cardinals' only hit on the afternoon.
In his 13-season career, Javier hit .257 with 78 home runs, 506 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...
, 722 runs, 216 doubles
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....
, 55 triples
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....
, and 135 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 in 1,622 games.
Julián Javier (called Hoolie by his teammates) was also given the nickname "The Phantom" by Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
, for Javier's abilities to avoid runners sliding into second base. Javier is in the Triple-A Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
for his remarkable performance with the Columbus Jets
Columbus Jets
The Columbus Jets were a Minor League baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio from 1955 to 1970. The team moved from Ottawa, Canada where they were known as the Ottawa Athletics. The Jets were a member of the International League. From 1955-56 they were the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City...
while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
affiliates' minor league team. He was also inducted to the Dominican Republic Hall of Fame in 1978.
He was married to Inés Negrin, with whom he had five sons and daughters: Julieta, Julián José, Stanley, Vienna Alexandra, and Lynette. After becoming a widower, he married Yolanda Then, his current wife. His oldest son is Manuel Julián Javier, an engineer in Santiago, Dominican Republic
Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...
. Julián's son Stan Javier
Stan Javier
Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitter who played with the New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , San Francisco Giants , Houston...
, named after Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
a friend and teammate of Julian with the Saint Louis Cardinals, played in the major leagues for eighteen years with multiple teams. His other son, Julian J , is an interventional cardiologist in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
.
Julián Javier founded the Khoury League in Dominican Republic, later changing its name to Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
League to honor the Pittsburgh Pirates legend. He also founded the "Summer League", a professional baseball league with four teams in the cities of Santiago, Puerto Plata, La Vega
Concepción de La Vega
La Vega, or Concepción de La Vega is the largest city and municipality of the central Dominican Republic and the third of the whole country...
and San Francisco de Macorís that played from 1975 to 1978. He also founded, with the help of his son Stan, the Gigantes del Cibao
Gigantes del Cibao
The Gigantes del Cibao are a baseball team that plays in the Dominican Winter League. The Gigantes have produced a number of successful major league ballplayers, including Albert Pujols and José Reyes....
, one of the expansion teams in the Dominican Winter Baseball League (LIDOM).
Estadio Julian Javier
Estadio Julian Javier
Estadio Julian Javier is a multi-use stadium in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic. It is currently used mostly for baseball matches and hosts the home games of Gigantes del Cibao. The stadium holds 12,000 people....
, the stadium in Julián Javier's hometown of San Francisco de Macorís, is named after him, and is the home stadium for the Gigantes del Cibao. He was chosen the all-time second baseman for the Águilas Cibaeñas
Águilas Cibaeñas
The Águilas Cibaeñas are a team in the Dominican Republic's winter baseball league. Founded in and based in Santiago, they have won 5 Caribbean Series and 20 national titles. The Águilas have a large fan base in the Dominican Republic...
, and his number (25) retired by them in the Dominican Winter Baseball League.