Joaquin Andujar Stats & Facts - This Day In Baseball

Joaquín Andújar

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Both • Throws: Right
6-0, 170lb (183cm, 77kg)
Born: December 21, 1952 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Died: September 8, 2015 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Buried: Cementerio Municipal, San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris
Debut: April 8, 1976
vs. CIN 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 SO, 2 BB, 1 ER
Last Game: September 30, 1988
vs. SDP 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER
Full Name: Joaquin Andujar
Pronunciation: \wah-KEEN ahn-DOO-har\

Nine Players Who Debuted in 1976

Andre Dawson
Dale Murphy
Willie Wilson
Garry Templeton
Dennis Martinez
Bruce Sutter
Rick Sutcliffe
Joaquin Andujar
Mark Fidrych

All-Time Teammate Team

Coming Soon

Notable Events and Chronology

December 21, 1952

1952 – Joaquin Andujar is born in San Pedro de Macoris, DR. The self-proclaimed “One Tough Dominican” has a colorful career which included switch-hitting regardless whether the pitcher threw lefthanded or righthanded and wearing glasses while at the plate but not while on the mound.

October 24, 1975

Houston acquires pitcher Joaquin Andujar from Cincinnati for two players to be named later

May 25, 1977

1977 – Art Howe slams a Charlie Hough knuckler for his second homer of the day to upend the Dodgers, 7-6. Julio Gonzalez contributes four hits. Joaquin Andujar gets the win in relief.

July 4, 1979

Fireworks in Cincinnati as Ray Knight and Joaquin Andujar spark old flames

August 14, 1979

1979 – The Astros’ Joaquin Andujar hurls a four-hitter and hits a two-run inside-the-park homer, to defeat the Expos, 2 – 1.

August 14, 1979

Montreal’s noted flake, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, surrenders a two-run inside-the-park homer to Houston’s noted flake, Joaquin Andujar

October 8, 1980

Houston tastes their first post-season win, a 7-4 ten-inning victory in Philadelphia

October 20, 1982

On his 29th birthday, Keith Hernandez hits a game-tying two-run single off Bob McClure in Game 7 of the Fall Classic, in the Redbirds’ eventual 6-3 victory over the Brewers at Busch Stadium. The batter and pitcher, who lived in homes 100 feet from one another growing up in Pacifica, California, were teammates in Little League and Terra Nova High School baseball team.

May 15, 1984

Joaquin Andujar hits a grandslam vs the Braves – during his career he never gave up a grandslam

May 19, 1984

Eric Davis debuts with no uniform

June 10, 1984

The Cubs add a 9th-inning insurance run on a triple steal to beat the Cardinals’ Joaquin Andujar, 2 – 0. Leon Durham steals home‚ while Jody Davis takes third base and Larry Bowagoes to second.

July 8, 1985

Joaquin Andujar scatters 12 singles to register his 15th win as the Cards down the Giants, 6 – 1.

August 23, 1985

1985 – Joaquin Andujar becomes baseball’s first 20-game winner this season, beating Atlanta 6 – 2 for the Cardinals. Andujar is the first National League pitcher to post consecutive 20-win seasons since Joe Niekro in 1979-1980.

October 2, 1985

Dwight Gooden wins 24th Game

October 22, 1985

Pitcher Bret Saberhagen gives the Kansas City Royals their first World Series victory with a complete game 6 – 1 decision in Game 3

October 29, 1985

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joaquin Andújar is suspended for the first 10 games of the 1986 season

December 10, 1985

1985 – In the first major swap of the winter meetings, the A’s trade C Mike Heath and P Tim Conroy to the Cardinals for Joaquin Andujar, 21-game winner with a volatile temperament.

February 28, 1986

Commissioner Peter Ueberroth Suspends 11 players

Biography

Pitcher Joaquin Andujar was born on December 21, 1952

Referring to himself as “one tough Dominican,” the colorful Andujar reached his peak in the mid-1980s as a Cardinal workhorse who worked well on three days’ rest. Coming from the Astros, who hadn’t been able to handle his unique personality and had misused him in the bullpen, Andujar’s 15-10, 2.47 record in 1982 helped St. Louis to a World Championship. He won the LCS clincher 6-2 as the Braves were swept in three games, and had a 1.35 ERA in the World Series, winning Games Three and Seven.

After dropping off to 6-16 in 1983, Andujar led the NL in wins, shutouts, and IP in 1984, going 20-14 with a 3.34 ERA and four shutouts in 261.1 IP. His 21-12 record in 1985 led the Cardinals as they captured the NL pennant, although he pitched poorly in the last two months after four great months and was 1-5 with a 5.76 ERA after August. He continued to struggle in the postseason, getting hit hard in two LCS starts and losing Game Two to the Dodgers. In the World Series, the Royals knocked him out in the fifth inning of Game Three as he lost 6-1, and he had a disastrous relief appearance in Game Seven. Called in in the fifth inning when the Cardinals were already losing by a wide margin, he gave up a hit and a walk and was then ejected, along with manager Whitey Herzog, for complaining vociferously about the umpiring.

When Joaquin Andujar and Dwight Gooden faced each other on October 2, 1985, it was the first time two 20-game winners met during the regular season since September, 1970. Gooden’s Mets won the game, 5-2, improving Doc’s record to 24-4, and dropping Andujar to 21-11

Joaquin Andujar never allowed a grand slam in his career, but he did hit one, on May 15, 1984.

Andujar was traded to Oakland that winter and his career wound down amidst injuries and accusations by him that his downfall was caused by a conspiracy against him (he never offered any specifics). One of his injuries with the A’s came while taking batting practice despite being in the AL, where the DH rule prevented him from hitting. Although he batted just .127 lifetime, he considered himself quite a hitter, and switch-hit by an unusual system: if he didn’t trust the control of the pitcher he was facing, he would go against the usual lefty-righty percentages and bat so that his pitching arm was the more protected back arm.

He was a 4X All-Star, won a Gold Glove Award in 1984, was a 2X 20-game winner (1984-85), and was a key member of the 1982 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals (15 wins, 5 shutouts, 2.47 ERA). Twice he finished 4th in the NL Cy Young Award voting (1984-85).

In his 13-year career (1976-1988), Andujar had 127 wins, 1032 strikeouts, & 3.58 ERA.

Joaquin passed away in 2015 at the age of 62.

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Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts

Played For
Houston Astros (1976-1981)
St. Louis Cardinals (1981-1985)
Oakland Athletics (1986-1987)
Houston Astros (1988)

Awards and Honors
1984 NL Gold Glove

Post-Season Appearances
1980 National League Championship Series
1982 National League Championship Series
1982 World Series
1985 National League Championship Series
1985 World Series

Factoid
When Joaquin Andujar and Dwight Gooden faced each other on October 2, 1985, it was the first time two 20-game winners met during the regular season since September, 1970. Gooden’s Mets won the game, 5-2, improving Doc’s record to 24-4, and dropping Andujar to 21-11.

Factoid
Joaquin Andujar never allowed a grand slam in his career, but he did hit one, on May 15, 1984.

All-Star Selections
1977 NL
1979 NL
1984 NL
1985 NL

Other Resources & Links