David Ismael Concepción Benitez (born June 17, 1948) is a
Venezuelan
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player and
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
. He played his entire career in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
as a
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
for the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
dynasty that won four
National League pennants and two
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
championships between and .
A nine-time All-Star player, Concepción earned five
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
s as he teamed with
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
for one of the best middle-infield combinations of their era.
He also won two
Silver Slugger Award
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.
These voters cons ...
s and was named the MVP of the
1982 All-Star Game. In 2000, Concepción was inducted into the
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
The Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is an entity established by Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds franchise that pays homage to the team's past through displays, photographs and multimedia. It was instituted in 1958 to recognize th ...
and in 2007, the team retired Concepción's uniform #13.
Early life
Concepción was born in Ocumare de la Costa,
Aragua State
Aragua State ( es, Estado Aragua, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains and jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular are Cata and Choroni. It has Venezuela's first ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, the son of a truck driver
and his wife, Ernestina.
He attended Agustin Codazzi High School. After high school, he worked as a bank teller
and played part-time for the local
Tigres de Aragua
The Tigres de Aragua ( en, Aragua Tigers) is a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and represents the state of Aragua.
Founded in 1965, the Tigres plays its home games at the Estadio José Pérez Colmenares i ...
baseball team. His coach,
Wilfredo Calviño Wilfredo is a given name which may refer to:
* Wilfredo Alicdan (born 1965), Filipino figurative artist
* Wilfredo Alvarado (born 1970), Venezuelan football defender
*Willy Caballero (born 1981), Argentine football goalkeeper
*Wilfredo Caraballo (b ...
, was also a Cincinnati Reds' scout, and Calviño signed Concepción to a Reds' contract in 1967.
Career
Following the steps of his childhood heroes
Chico Carrasquel and
Luis Aparicio, Jr., Concepción, originally drafted as a pitcher, came out of Venezuela to become one of the Reds' and the National League's greatest all-time shortstops. He made his big-league debut at the age of 21 on April 6, 1970, starting at shortstop and going 0-for-4 as the Reds defeated the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
, 5-1. He went 0-for-4 again the next day against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
before getting his first hit on April 8, a seventh-inning double off Dodgers pitcher (and future Reds teammate)
Fred Norman
Fredie Hubert Norman (born August 20, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four div ...
.
In his first three seasons, Reds manager
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third t ...
played him part-time, sharing duties with
Woody Woodward
William Frederick "Woody" Woodward (born September 23, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player, college baseball coach, and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball, primarily as a shortstop from 1963 to 1971 for the ...
and
Darrel Chaney
Darrel Lee Chaney (born March 9, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1969 to 1979, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Red ...
. In one of those appearances, in 1971, he was the only team member to reach base safely when the Reds were
no-hit
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
by the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
'
Rick Wise
Richard Charles Wise (born September 13, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher between and for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Re ...
; a sixth-inning walk spoiled what would have been a
perfect game
Perfect game may refer to:
Sports
* Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners
* Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game
* Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...
. In 1973, Concepción blossomed, both at bat and in the field, being named the starting shortstop. On May 9, in a Reds 9–7 victory over the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
,
Johnny Bench
John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...
hit three
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and drove in seven runs against pitcher
Steve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for six different teams from 1965 to 1988, most notably as a member of the Philadelphi ...
. It was the second time that Bench smashed three homers against Carlton in a game. However, a Concepción two-run tie-breaker homer in the ninth, off
Barry Lersch, was the game-winner. Concepción had been named to the NL
All-Star team, but on July 22, two days before the game he dislocated his knee and broke his leg (sliding into third base after moving from first base with
Denis Menke
Denis John Menke (July 21, 1940 – December 1, 2020) was a professional baseball infielder and coach. He played all or parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974. He played for the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1962–67), Hou ...
base hit against the Expos in the bottom of the seventh inning at Riverfront, fracturing the fibula of left leg) and missed the second half of the year. At this time, he was
batting Batting may refer to:
* Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs
* Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...
.287, with 8 home runs, 46
RBI, 39
runs, 18
doubles, three
triples and 22
stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s.
![198009-012WillieMcCoveyLastCandlestick](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/198009-012WillieMcCoveyLastCandlestick.png)
Concepción returned in 1974 and played 160 games. He enjoyed his best overall season, batting .281, with 14 home runs and 82 RBI, as well as winning his first of five
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
s.
By 1975, Concepción joined
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...
,
Johnny Bench
John Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from through , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of t ...
,
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan (September 19, 1943 – October 11, 2020) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Colt .45s / Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, ...
,
Tony Pérez
Atanasio "Tony" Pérez Rigal (born May 14, 1942) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and third baseman from through , most notably as a member of the ...
,
Ken Griffey, Sr.
George Kenneth Griffey (born April 10, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from through , most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won ...
,
George Foster and
César Gerónimo in the famous "Great Eight" starting lineup of
The Big Red Machine
The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division tit ...
that would help the Reds win the next two
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
titles. Even after Concepción had established himself in the major leagues as a star shortstop, he continued to play winter ball in Venezuela, helping to improve his batting. After his .274, 5, 49 totals in the 1975 Major League season, Concepción posted marks of: .281, 9, 69 (1976); .271, 8, 64 (1977); .301, 6, 67 (1978); .281, 16, 84 (1979); .260, 5, 77 (1980); .306, 5, 67 (1981); and .287, 5, 53 (1982).
On July 13, 1982, the first All-Star Game outside of the United States was held at
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
's
Olympic Stadium
''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...
. Concepción hit a two-run homer to help the National League to a 4–1 win (the NL's 11th straight victory and 19th in the last 20 contests). Concepción was named the game's
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
.
Later in his career, Concepción worked with Tony Pérez and perfected the one-bounce throw to first base. Concepción was the first shortstop to use this method to take advantage of the smooth artificial turf at
Riverfront Stadium
Riverfront Stadium, also known as Cinergy Field from 1996 to 2002, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States that was the home of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball from 1970 through 2002 and the Cincinnati Bengals o ...
and other parks in the National League.
Hampered by age, an elbow injury and shoulder surgery in 1982, Concepción had consecutive sub-par seasons from 1983–84. Grooming
Barry Larkin
Barry Louis Larkin (born April 28, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player. He played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2004.
He briefly played in the minor leagues before making h ...
as his successor, he became a dependable handyman at all four infield positions. He was replaced by Larkin in 1986, only 44 games away from
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa (born December 6, 1945) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. Bowa went on to ma ...
's NL record for shortstops.
In 1988, which would be his 19th and final season with the Reds, manager Pete Rose sent Concepción in to pitch 1.1 innings in
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...
late in a blow-out game. He gave up two hits, no runs, and struck out one batter. The Reds released Concepción after the 1988 season. He attempted a 20th Major League season in 1989, trying out for the
California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
, but he failed to make the roster and retired from playing at the age of 40.
Concepcion ranks second in Cincinnati Reds history in career games played and at-bats; third in hits, doubles and stolen bases; and fifth in runs scored and total bases.
He and
Barry Larkin
Barry Louis Larkin (born April 28, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player. He played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2004.
He briefly played in the minor leagues before making h ...
share the franchise record with 19 seasons played in a Reds uniform.
Personal life
After retiring in 1989, he served as manager of the
Tigres de Aragua
The Tigres de Aragua ( en, Aragua Tigers) is a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and represents the state of Aragua.
Founded in 1965, the Tigres plays its home games at the Estadio José Pérez Colmenares i ...
team in Venezuela.
Concepción resides with his wife, Delia, in Urbanizacion El Castaño, a community in
Maracay, Venezuela
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption =Top:Maracay Municipal Garden and Las Delicias area, Second:Sindoni Tower, Los Tamarindo residential area and overview to Maracay, Third:Maestranza Cesar Giron Bullring Stadium, Girardot Square and Maracay ...
at the base of the mountains near
Henri Pittier National Park
Henri Pittier National Park is the oldest national park in Venezuela, originally created in 1937 under the name of ''Rancho Grande'' by decree of President Eleazar López Contreras. In 1953 the park was renamed in honor of Henri Pittier, a distin ...
. They have three grown children, sons David Alejandro and David Eduardo, and daughter Daneska.
Concepción owns a farm as well as a trucking business.
On August 25, 2007, the Cincinnati Reds held a
pre-game ceremony
A pre-game ceremony or pre-match ceremony is an on-field ceremony occurring before a sporting event. Such ceremonies may celebrate a past event, honour a retiring athlete, commemorate a deceased athlete, or promote a cause.
Celebrating past event ...
to retire Concepción's number 13.
Joining him were several other all-time Reds greats whose numbers were retired, including former teammates Tony Pérez, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and manager Sparky Anderson as well as former teammates Ken Griffey and George Foster. Concepción has said that he originally chose that number to honor his mother, Ernestina, who was born in 1913.
It was the first occasion in Major League history that the number 13 was retired by a team.
His number 13 was also retired by the Venezuelan team for which he played 20 years of winter ball, Tigres de Aragua of Maracay.
In 2014, he was named vice president of the club.
He is a member of the Caribbean Series Hall of Fame.
In 2014, Concepción returned to Cincinnati to serve as grand marshal of the annual opening day Findlay Market Parade, and later he and his successor at shortstop for the Reds, Barry Larkin, threw the ceremonial first pitches prior to the Reds' season opener.
Articles
* Reds' Brass Excited Over Concepción, Fast-Rising Infield Whiz. ''The Sporting News'', by Earl Lawson – November 8, 1969 (Vol. 168, Issue 17) -- p. 39
* The Making of Dave Concepción. ''Baseball Digest'', by Si Burick – August, 1974 (Vol. 33, Issue 8) -- p. 40, 3 page(s)
* Friday the 13th. ''Sports Illustrated'', by Robert H. Boyle – June 23, 1980 (Vol. 52, Issue 26) -- p. 13, 14
* Dave Concepción Best in the Business. ''Boys' Life'', by Jim Brosnan – September, 1975 (Vol. 65, Issue 9) -- p. 20, 4 page(s)
Further reading
* ''The Greatest Shortstops Of All Time'', by Donald Honig – p. 80, 6 page(s). Dubuque, Ia: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1992
* ''Baseball's Dream Team.'', by John Thorn – Dave Concepción: "Senor Slick" – p. 40, 10 page(s). New York: Ace Tempo Books, 1982
See also
*
List of NL Gold Glove winners at shortstop
*
List of Gold Glove middle infield duos
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
Below is the list of the 286 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2,000 hit milestone during their career in MLB. Pete Rose holds the Major League record for most career hits, with 4,256. Rose and Ty Cobb, second most, are the only ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 7.01 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules, a runner acqu ...
*
*
List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
From 1939 to 2019, 397 Venezuelan baseball players born in Venezuela have played in Major League Baseball. This list shows players who appeared in at least one game in MLB, including number indicating order of arrival, name of player, position, ...
*
Tigres de Aragua
The Tigres de Aragua ( en, Aragua Tigers) is a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and represents the state of Aragua.
Founded in 1965, the Tigres plays its home games at the Estadio José Pérez Colmenares i ...
References
External links
Davidconcepcion– Official web site
:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Concepcion, Dave
1948 births
Living people
Asheville Tourists players
Cincinnati Reds players
Gold Glove Award winners
Indianapolis Indians players
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs
Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
Major League Baseball players with retired numbers
Major League Baseball shortstops
National League All-Stars
People from Aragua
Silver Slugger Award winners
Tampa Tarpons (1957–1987) players
Tigres de Aragua players
Venezuela national baseball team people
Venezuelan baseball coaches
Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States