(UnitedHeadlines.com) – Two-time World Series champion outfielder and Venezuela native Vic Davalillo died in Caracas Dec. 6. His daughter, Helga Davalillo, said he died following an emergency surgery for renal insufficiency and an intestinal obstruction.
Vic Davalillo’s 16-season career in Major League Baseball began in 1958 when he signed with the Cincinnati Reds. Following the 1961 season, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians and made his major league debut in 1963. He became the first Venezuelan player to earn a Gold Glove Award in 1964 and was selected to play in his only All-Star Game in 1965.
After playing five seasons with the Indians, Davalillo was traded to the California Angels in the middle of the 1968 season. He was then traded from the Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1969 season. Before the start of the 1971 season, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and won his first World Series ring that year. Davallilo was once again traded to the Oakland Athletics during the 1973 season, when he won his second World Series ring. He played the final four years of his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, retiring in 1980.
He finished his career with a .278 batting average, 36 home runs, 125 steals and 329 RBI.
In Venezuela, from 1957-58 through 1986-87, Davalillo won seven titles in 30 seasons. He became the league’s first .400 hitter during the 1961-62 season. He won four Venezuela batting championships. In the Venezuelan league, he had a .325 career average with a record 1,505 hits.
The Cabimas, Venezuela, ballpark of the Venezuelan Winter League team Leones de Caracas was named after him in 1987. The Venezuelan Winter League MVP award was also named after Davalillo. The team will wear a patch to honor Davalillo for the rest of the season.
On Twitter, the Pittsburgh Pirates wrote, “We are saddened by the loss of Vic Davalillo,” adding that he was “a member of our 1971 World Champion team.”
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