Ozzie Virgil (virgioz01)

From BR Bullpen

Osvaldo Jose Virgil Sr. (Pichardo)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut September 23, 1956
• Final Game June 27, 1969
• Born May 17, 1932 in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic

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[edit] Biographical Information

Ozzie Virgil was credited for breaking the color barrier for Detroit in 1958, and had five hits in his first game as a Tiger. He was the very first of the hundreds of major leaguers who were born in the Dominican Republic. He emigrated to the United States at fourteen in 1947 and began playing baseball in the 1950s while with the United States Marine Corps. He was signed by the New York Giants to a contract in 1953. In addition to his major league career he played 13 seasons (1953-1956, 1958-1960, 1962-1964, 1966-1968) in the minor leagues, 10 of which were at AAA. He had 3 years with batting averages of over .300. Incredibly, the free-swinging Virgil walked only 34 times in nearly 800 career M.L. plate appearances.

Virgil was a coach for the San Francisco Giants (1969-1972, 1974-1975), Montreal Expos (1976-1981), San Diego Padres (1982-1985) and Seattle Mariners (1986-1988). For the last three stops, he accompanied manager Dick Williams, to whom he became a close friend and confidant during the latter's time as Expos' manager. In 1989, he was a coach for the St. Petersburg Pelicans of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.

During the winter months Virgil played with the Mayaguez Indians in the Puerto Rican League and with Aguilas and Escogido in the Dominican League, both of which he would later manage. He also managed the Cardenales de Lara, Leones del Caracas, Tiburones de La Guaira and Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan League and the Mazatlan Venados in Mexico.

He is the father of catcher Ozzie Virgil Jr.

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