(ReliableNews.org) – Vic Davalillo spent 16 years in Major League Baseball. Over the course of his career, he played for six teams. Sadly, the star player, who won many accolades, has now passed away.
Helga Davalillo told the press that her father died on December 6 in Caracas, Venezuela. He passed away after being rushed into emergency surgery for renal insufficiency and an intestinal obstruction. There’s some confusion about how old he was when he died. He was either 84 or 87 years old. Some sources say he was born on July 30, 1939, others say he was born in 1936 and considered July 31 his birthday.
Davalillo began playing with the Cincinnati Reds when he was 18 years old in 1958. Originally he was supposed to be a pitcher, but his batting skills caught the eye of the team. In 1961, he was sold to the Cleveland Indians, and in 1962, he had a batting average of .346 and won the Triple-A International League’s batting title.
In 1963, the batter made his major league debut for the Indians. In 1964, he won a Gold Glove award as an outfielder. The next year, he secured his status as an All-Star by hitting .301 with five home runs, 26 stolen bases, and 40 RBIs.
Davalillo was traded to the California Angels in June 1968. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals From 1960 to 1970 and for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1971 to 1973. He helped the Pirates win a World Series title during his first season with them. Davalillo went on to play for the Oakland Athletics from 1973 to 1974. In ‘73, the Athletics won a World Series, as well.
When the MLB wasn’t playing during the winter months, he went back to his home in Venezuela to play there. Davalillo won seven titles across 30 seasons (157-58 through 1986-87) with the Venezuelan Winter League. In 1961-62, he was the first .400 hitter for the league.
Davalillo is survived by his daughter.
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