Raul Sanchez
From BR Bullpen
Raul Guadalupe Sanchez Rodriguez
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 150 lb.
- Debut April 17, 1952
- Final Game May 17, 1960
- Born December 12, 1930 in Marianao, Cuba
- Died June 30, 2002 in Pembroke Pines, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Cuban-born right-hander Raul Sanchez was signed before the 1951 season by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent. After a 12-12 record with a 2.66 ERA in a split season with the Big Spring Broncs of the Longhorn League and the Havana Cubans of the Florida International League in 1951, he would make his Major League debut. Sanchez hurled a shutout for his first big league victory, with the Senators on April 17, 1952
Sanchez spent several seasons back in Havana pitching for the International League team and was sold to the Havana franchise by the Senators on March 18, 1954. Raul would spend two more years with the Havana club after that transaction before being obtained by the Cincinnati Redlegs as part of a minor league working agreement. He would go 3-2 with five saves in 38 games out of the 1957 Redlegs bullpen.
Sanchez would be with the Cincinnati Reds again briefly in 1960 and in one game against the Philadelphia Phillies triggered a wild brawl when he hit three Phillies with pitches in the same inning. This was Raul's final trip to the major leagues and he finished with a 5-3 record with a 4.62 ERA in 49 appearances.
After the 1960 season, Raul would drop back into the minors. He would pitch until 1963 and wind up his twelve year (1951-1963) minor league run with a 92-78 record, that included six double-digit win years. Sanchez carried a 3.36 ERA while pitching 1,468 innings. His strongest season appears to have come in 1959 when he went 11-5 with a 3.10 ERA for the Havana club.
After baseball, Sanchez resided in Coral Gables, FL, where he worked in construction. He passed away on June 30, 2002, at the age of 71, in Pembroke Pines, FL.
