Andres Galarraga

Andres Galarraga Stats & Facts

Player

 

VINTAGE BASEBALL MEMORABILIA

Vintage Baseball Memorabilia

Andrés Galarraga

Position: First Baseman
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
6-3, 235lb (190cm, 106kg)
Born: June 18, 1961 in Caracas, Venezuela
High School: Enrique Felmi (Caracas, Venezuela)
Debut: August 23, 1985 (15,086th in major league history)
vs. LAD 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: October 3, 2004
vs. OAK 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Andres Jose Galarraga
Nicknames: Big Cat
Pronunciation: \Gahl-la-RAH-ga\
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

Nine Players Who Debuted in 1985

Andres Galarraga
Paul O’Neill
Ozzie Guillen
Devon White
Jose Canseco
Cecil Fielder
Teddy Higuera
Shawon Dunston
Todd Worrell

 

 

 

Notable Events and Chronology for ANDRES GALARRAGA Career

1991 – The Montreal Expos trade first baseman Andres Galarraga to the St. Louis Cardinals for starting pitcher Ken Hill. Galarraga will struggle for St. Louis before enjoying a career renaissance with the Colorado Rockies in Rockies, while Hill will emerge as one of the the league’s best starting pitchers with his new team.

Expos P Mark Gardner becomes the first National League pitcher since 1954 to hit three batters in a single inning, as he plunks the Cardinals’ Ray Lankford, Andres Galarraga and Luis Alicea. The Cardinals win, 6 – 4.

Andres Galarraga

Colorado Rockies sign free agent Andres Galarraga

8/31/1993 – In the bottom of the first inning, the Rockies reversed the third and fourth hitters in the lineup. Andres Galarraga batted instead of Dante Bichette and grounded out to end the inning. Bichette then led off the second with an infield single and eventually scored the first Rockies run. The Expos did not protest and eventually won the game 14-3. Bichette had four hits in four at bats in the game while Galarraga went zero for four.

The Rockies win their 63rd game of the year, beating the Padres, 15 – 4. Colorado (63-90) is now slightly ahead of the expansion Marlins (62-89). Andres Galarraga is 4 for 6 to raise his average to .381 but must get 502 plate appearances to beat the idle Tony Gwynn for the batting title.

1994 – Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Joe Carter finishes April with 31 RBI to set a major league record for the month. Colorado Rockies first baseman Andres Galarraga finishes with 30 RBI to set a National League record.

At jack Murphy Stadium Colorado Rockies Firstbaseman  Andres Galarraga hits home runs in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings against the Padres to tie the major league record: he’s the 4th major leaguer to clout 4-baggers in three consecutive innings. Galarraga’s 7 RBIs lead the Rockies to an 11 – 3 win.

Andres Galarraga becomes the fourth player in big league history to hit a home run in three consecutive innings. The Rockies’ first baseman’s accomplishment helps Colorado to beat the Padres at Jack Murphy Stadium, 11-3.

Colorado downs Houston by a score of 15 – 10 at Coors Field. The Rockies’ attack is led by 1B Andres Galarraga, who strokes three singles, a double, and two home runs, while driving home five runs and scoring four. The victory moves Colorado one game ahead of the idle Dodgers for first place in the National League West.

In a slugfest at Coors Field, Andres Galarraga enjoys a 6-for-6 performance at the plate when the Rockies bang out 21 hits. The first baseman’s offensive output, which includes two homers and five RBIs, contributes to Colorado’s 15-10 victory over Houston.

1995 – Andres Galarraga of Colorado goes 6-for-6 with two homers and five RBIs as the Rockies take a 15-10 slugfest over Houston at Coors Field. Derek Bell and James Mouton go deep for the Astros but it’s not enough to offset the 21-hit assault of Colorado. 

In a slugfest at new Coors Field, the Cubs defeat the Rockies by a score of 26 – 7. A 2 1/2 hour rain delay interrupts the contest which takes more than six hours to play. OF Luis Gonzalez drives home six runs for Chicago while Sammy Sosa goes 4 for 4, with four RBIs and four runs scored. Several major league records are tied by the Cubs: nine teammates each score two or more runs (Scott Servais and Sosa score 4, while Mark Graceplates 3); 14 Cubs hit safely, and 26 RBIs (ties the National League mark) are collected. The Cubs now have scored 20 or more runs 39 times in their history, extending their record. Kevin Foster pitches the first three innings for Chicago, allowing only a Andres Galarraga homer before departing to rest with the Cubs up 9 – 1. Anthony Young picks up an easy win with 1 1/3 innings of relief.

With two out in the ninth inning at Three Rivers Stadium, Paul Wagner loses a no-hitter against the Rockies on an infield single by Andres Galarraga. The 27 year-old Pirates right-hander will win the game, 4-0, but will lead the National League in losses this season, posting a 5-16 record for Pittsburgh.

San Diego pummels Colorado, 15 – 4, as 3B Ken Caminiti drives home eight runs with four hits, including a pair of homers, again from each side of the plate. Caminiti has now hit a pair of homers, right and left-handed, in three of his last four games. He’s the only major leaguer to ever to do it three times in a month. Jody Reed has four hits and four runs for the Pads. Andres Galarraga connects for his 30th homer, giving the Rockies four players with 30+ homers. This matches the 1977 Dodgers.

The Colorado Rockies bang out 21 hits, including a pair of three-run home runs by Andres Galarraga, to hook the Florida Marlins, 17 – 5. The Rockies score seven runs in the 1st inning when they hit three of their five home runs. Galarraga collects seven RBI for the day.

The Rockies pound the Dodgers, 13 – 1, as Andres Galarraga leads the way with a double, two homers, and a team-record eight runs driven in.

In the pitchers’ hell known as Coors Field, the Rockies take a pair from the Mets, out-slugging them, 10 – 7 and 11 – 10. The two games feature 59 hits, including eight home runs, off 17 pitchers. In the 1st inning of the nitecap, Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga and Vinny Castilla hit consecutive homers off Pete Harnisch. Galarraga hits another in the 3rd, one of his six hits for the day.

The Rockies jump to a 7 – 0 lead over the Braves, then need back-to-back homers in the 10th to win, 9 – 7. Andres Galarraga, with his second homer, and Vinny Castilla homer off Mark Wohlers for the victory. Galarraga now leads the National League in RBIs with 107.

Vinny Castilla reaches the 100-RBI plateau, joining teammates Andres Galarraga, Ellis Burks, and Dante Bichette. Not since the Cubs and Phillies of 1929 has a team had four players reach the mark.

Thanks to Andres Galarraga’s three-run homer the Rockies establish a big league record for runs scored at home. Colorado, which will amass 658 tallies at Coors Field, scores its 626th, 627th and 628th runs of the season when the “Big Cat” goes deep, to surpass the 1950 Red Sox who crossed the plate 625 times.

Thanks to Andres Galarraga’s three-run homer the Rockies establish a big league record for runs scored at home. Colorado, which will amass 658 tallies at Coors Field, scores its 626th, 627th, and 628th runs of the season when the ‘Big Cat’ goes deep to surpass the 1950 Red Sox, who crossed the plate 625 times.

Thanks to Andres Galarraga’s three-run homer the Rockies establish a big league record for runs scored at home. Colorado, which will amass 658 tallies at Coors Field, scores its 626th, 627th, and 628th runs of the season when the ‘Big Cat’ goes deep to surpass the 1950 Red Sox, who crossed the plate 625 times.

Hitting his 40th homer, Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla joins Andres Galarraga (47) and Ellis Burks (40) to become the first trio of teammates in 23 years to hit 40 homers for one team. Davey Johnson (43), Darrell Evans (41), and Hank Aaron (40) accomplished the feat for the Braves in 1973.

Rockies become only the second team in history to boast three players with at least 40 home runs

In Florida‚ Rockies OF Ellis Burks hits a two-run double to cap a three-run rally in the 9th inning and help Colorado beat Florida‚ 6 – 5. Colorado trails, 4 – 0, in the 6th‚ before Larry Walker‚ Andres Galarraga‚ and Dante Bichette hit consecutive homers off Alex Fernandez.

Pedro Martinez strikes out 13 Rockies, including Andres Galarraga four times, in Montreal’s 3 – 0 win. Martinez gives up just three hits in going all the way.

In Miami, Florida’s Bobby Bonilla fouls off six two-strike pitches before blasting a grand slam with two outs in the 9th inning to give the Marlins a dramatic 9 – 6 win. For Bonilla, it is his 8th career slam. Larry Walker, Andres Galarraga, and Vinny Castilla homer for Colorado, which sets a National League record with 223 homers this year.

Free agent first baseman Andres Galarraga signs a three-year $24.8 million contract with the Atlanta Braves, ending a five-year stint with the Colorado Rockies that helped put Colorado on the baseball map. Galarraga batted .316 with 172 home runs and 579 RBI with the Rockies, including a National League batting crown in 1993, consecutive RBI titles in 1996 and 1997, and a home run title in 1997.

A bit behind McGwire is Andres Galarraga, who clubs his 300th home run in the Braves’ 3 – 2 loss to the Padres. Tony Gwynn homers off Tom Glavine.

Braves backup backstop Eddie Perez’s solo home run in Atlanta’s 4-1 win over Florida is the team’s 208th round-tripper this season, breaking a 32 year-old franchise record. Atlanta will finish the season with 215 homers, with Andres Galarraga being the club leader with 44.

Braves backup backstop Eddie Perez’s solo home run in Atlanta’s 4-1 win over Florida is the team’s 208th round-tripper this season, breaking a 32 year-old franchise record. Atlanta will finish the season with 215 homers, with Andres Galarraga being the club leader with 44.

Andres Galarraga hits a home run in his first game back after missing the entire 1999 season following cancer surgery as the Braves defeat the Rockies, 2 – 0.

The Braves defeat the Padres, 12 – 6, as 1B Andres Galarraga goes 5 for 5, including a double. OF Brian Jordan has four hits for Atlanta, including two home runs, and drives in seven runs.

In other free agent signings today, the Giants sign veteran IF Shawon Dunston, the Pirates sign P Terry Mulholland, the Rangers sign 1B Andres Galarraga to a contract and the Cubs sign P Jeff Fassero to a two-year contract.

The Rangers send 1B Andres Galarraga to the Giants for minor league OF Chris Magruder, P Erasmo Ramirez and P Todd Ozias.

2005 – First baseman Andres Galarraga announces his retirement. A five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner in a 19-year major league career, Galarraga was a .288 hitter with 399 home runs and 1425 RBI in 2,257 games played.

Charlie Blackmon ties a team record established by Andres Galarraga in 1995, collecting six hits in the Rockies’ 12-2 rout of Arizona in the team’s home opener at Coors Field. The 27 year-old platoon outfielder is the first major leaguer to collect three doubles, two singles, and a home run in a major league game.

Miguel Cabrera hits the 400th home run of his career off Tyler Lyons in the 1st inning of a game against the Cardinals. With the blast, he passes both Andres Galarraga, who held the record for most homers by a player from Venezuela, and Detroit Tigers legend Al Kaline, who both finished with 399 homers. The homer comes one night after Adrian Beltre also reached the 400 mark. The Tigers win, 4 – 3, in 10 innings.

Biography

After a fine career in obscurity in Montreal, Andres Galarraga blossomed in the thin air of Colorado in the 1990s. He batted .370 in his first season in a Rockies’ uniform, and slugged 47 homers and drove in 150 runs in 1996. More than just a slugger, “The Big Cat” won a pair of Gold Gloves for his nimble play at first base, and with his bright smile, he won the hearts of fans in every city he played in. He rebounded from cancer and won the Comeback Player of the Year Award, and retired with 399 home runs.

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Best Season, 1996
47 homers, 150 RBI. Those are all the numbers you really need to know. Yes, he played in Coors Field, where he slugged an amazing .738 (32 homers in 79 games) and drove in 103 runs, but he also slugged 15 homers on the road.

Awards and Honors
1989 NL Gold Glove
1990 NL Gold Glove

Post-Season Appearances
1995 National League Divisional Series
1998 National League Championship Series
1998 National League Divisional Series
2000 National League Divisional Series
2003 National League Divisional Series

 

The Thin Air Effect
Galarraga hit .348 with 102 homers in 364 games in Denver. He slugged .633. So, yes he benefitted from his years in the thin air, but that’s not his fault. He was a good hitter in Montreal, where he hit .300 twice, and in Atlanta, wher ehe hit .300 twice. At the age of 42, he hit .300 in a platoon role for the Giants. He had power everywhere. He hit 20 homers three times for the Expos, and slugged 44 in Atlanta and 28 again the next season. His numbers are inflated a bit due to the Rockies, but so are those of Larry Walker, Todd Helton, and several others.

All-Star Selections
1988 NL
1993 NL
1997 NL
1998 NL
2000 NL

 

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