Matty Alou - RIP

[Cash Calloway]

Major League Baseball received sad news on Wednesday when it learned of outfielder Matty Alou's passing in Miami at age 72 due to complications with diabetes. Alou, a two-time all-star and 1966 NL batting champion, spent most of his playing days with the San Francisco Giants (1960-65) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1966-70).


On Friday, the New York Yankees organization released the following statement on Alou, who was a Yankee for most of the 1973 season before he was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals:


"The entire Yankees organization extends their deepest condolences to the Alou family. Though his time in pinstripes was short, Matty and the Alou family continue to leave an extraordinary mark on the game of Baseball, and are true ambassadors for the sport in the United States as well as their native Dominican Republic."


As a Yankee, Alou, who played alongside his brothers, Felipe (father of Moises) and Jesus, on the '63 Giants, hit .296 with two home runs and 28 runs batted in. In '66, Alou, then a teammate of fellow Latin American Roberto Clemente on the Pirates, won the NL batting title with his major league-leading .342 average. Three seasons later, he had the fourth highest batting average (.331) in the NL and led all of baseball in hits (231) and doubles (41).


Before joining the Yankees, Alou was on the Oakland Athletics team that won the World Series in '72. He struggled mightily in that Fall Classic, hitting .042 (1-for-24) against the Cincinnati Reds, but his performance vs. the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS helped Oakland win the pennant in five games. Alou went 8-for-21 (.381) with four doubles, two RBIs and scored two runs in the series.


Over his 15-year career—which ended in '74—Alou hit .307 with 31 homers and 427 RBIs

[Victor]

RIP Matty Alou. Thank you for the memories.