Former San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros outfielder Jesus Alou has reportedly passed away. He was 80 years old.
Alou made history during his brief time in the majors in 1963. He, along with brothers Felipe and Matty, all batted consecutively in the eighth inning of the Giants game against the Mets for his debut; the trio were retired by Carl Willey. Then, on September 15, the trio of brothers all played in the outfield together for the first time.
Remembering Jesus Alou
Alou was much more than a footnote in the major league history book. He had been considered a better prospect than either of his brothers when he signed, earning a $4000 bonus in 1958. He was originally a pitcher, but an arm injury led to his being moved to the outfield, where he quickly took to the position as he tore up the minors with the bat.
Although he never quite lived up to that potential in the majors, Alou still had a solid career. He posted a .280/.305/.350 batting line in his 4577 plate appearances over 15 years, hitting 170 doubles while striking out 267 times. Considering that Alou had transitioned from the mound, his success at the plate was impressive.
Alou stayed active in the game after his playing days. He served as a player/coach in 1979 before becoming a scout for the Expos. From there, he served as the Marlins’ director of Dominican operations, eventually moving to the Red Sox in 2002 in the same role. He was awarded the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame Pioneer Award in Houston in 2008, a fitting tribute to his place in baseball history.
Former San Francisco Giants outfielder Jesus Alou has reportedly passed away at 80 years old. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.
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