Luis Andrew Polonia Almonte (born December 10, 1963) is a former
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), ...
outfielder and designated hitter. He currently resides in
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
, in the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
, his hometown.
Signed by the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
as an amateur free agent in 1984, Polonia would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Oakland Athletics on April 24, 1987, and appear in his final game on October 1, 2000. He played for two World Series championship teams, winning with the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
in 1995 and the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
in 2000.
Early life
Polonia was born on December 10, 1963 in the Dominican Republic. He joined the Dominican League at an early age and was known as a strong contact hitter, as well as a below-average defensive outfielder. Though he had good speed, he was not a wise baserunner and led his league in caught stealing a total of five times between the minors and majors. He was also known for his tremendous performance during winter ball. He is one of the top 10 contact hitters in Dominican League history and is the all-time Caribbean series leader in hits, doubles, and runs scored as of 2008.
Career
Throughout his career, Polonia was known as a quick runner and stolen base threat.
Oakland Athletics (1987–1989)
Polonia began his career in 1987 with the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
. He played in 125 games that year hitting .287 with 10 triples and 29 stolen bases. The following year, Polonia played in only 84 games, hitting .292 with 29 steals in 36 attempts. Polonia's strong play helped the Oakland A's reach the postseason and advance to the World Series in
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
. However, Polonia was 1 for 9 in the series as Oakland lost to 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 ...
. In 1989, he was hitting .286 with 13 steals in 17 attempts before being traded to the Yankees.
New York Yankees (1989–1990)
On June 21, 1989, the Athletics traded Polonia,
Eric Plunk
Eric Vaughn Plunk (born September 3, 1963) is an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1986 through 1999. He pitched for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Milwaukee Brewers.
...
, and
Greg Cadaret
Gregory James Cadaret (born February 27, 1962) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 to 1998 for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals ...
to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
for
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson (born December 25, 1958) is an American retired professional baseball left fielder who played his 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four separate tenures with hi ...
. During the remainder of the season, he hit .313 with 9 steals. In October, he was sentenced to 60 days in prison after pleading guilty to having sex with a minor that August.
[Luis Polonia]
- Baseballbiography.com
Polonia began the 1990 season with seven hits in his first 22 at-bats. After only 11 games,
[MLB.com]
/ref> he was traded to 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 ...
for Claudell Washington
Claudell Washington (August 31, 1954June 10, 2020) was an American baseball outfielder who played seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Atlanta B ...
and Rich Monteleone
Richard Monteleone (born March 22, 1963) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach.
Career
Monteleone was the first round pick (20th overall) for the Detroit Tigers in the 1982 draft. However, he began his major league care ...
.
California Angels (1990–1993)
Polonia finished the 1990 season with 128 hits in 381 at-bats. Polonia hit .336 for the Angels in 1991, while attaining a career-high 122 OPS+ as well as tying Nelson Liriano and Lance Johnson
Kenneth Lance Johnson (born July 6, 1963) is an American former professional baseball center fielder.
Career
Johnson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating from Princeton High School, he completed his education at the University of Sou ...
for third place with nine triples in the American League, but also led the league in times caught stealing.[ The following year, his average fell to .286, but he tied Shane Mack for the eighth place in the American League in triples. He had 48 stolen bases but was caught 23 times, leading the league. In 1993, his average fell to .271, but he stole 55 bases, tying ]Roberto Alomar
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez (; ; born February 5, 1968)
is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, and Arizon ...
for second (behind Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th amon ...
), but tied Chad Curtis
Chad David Curtis (born November 6, 1968) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and convicted sex offender. Curtis played major league baseball from 1992 to 2001 for the California Angels, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cle ...
for the league lead with 24 times caught stealing.
Return to the Yankees (1994–1995) and the World Series with Atlanta
In 1994, he signed as a free agent with the Yankees, hitting .311 in the strike-shortened season. He stole 20 of 32 bases that year, but tied Kenny Lofton and Felix Jose with 12 times caught stealing. When baseball resumed in 1995, he hit .261 before being traded to the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
and provided a boost down the stretch when he was 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs in the NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
and NLCS, despite playing in a platoon role. In the first game of the 1995 World Series
The 1995 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1995 season. The 91st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the Americ ...
, Polonia drove in Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff (born October 31, 1963) is an American former first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 through 2004. He was one of the most consistently productive powers hitters of the 1990s, post ...
for the game-winning RBI. Overall, he was 4-for-14 with a walk, a double, 3 runs scored, and 4 RBIs as he earned his first World Series ring
A World Series ring is an award given to Major League Baseball players who win the World Series. Since only one Commissioner's Trophy is awarded to the team, a World Series ring is an individual award that players and staff of each World Series ...
.
Struggles (1996)
Prior to the season, the Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
signed Polonia to a non-guaranteed contract. He was released during spring training. He was soon picked up by the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
where he played 14 games for the Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...
before being called up and hitting .240 over 58 games. He was cut in August and signed with the Braves, where he hit .419 down the stretch, but went 0 for 10 with just one walk that postseason as the Braves fell to the New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
in six games.
Out of MLB
In 1997, he signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...
, but instead played for the Mexico City Tigres
The Quintana Roo Tigers (), formerly known as the Mexico (City) Tigers () are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The team is part of the Southern Division (). The team has won twelve champio ...
. He led the Mexican League
The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country.
The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...
in steals and was second in average. Playing in winter ball that year, he hit .382 with a league-leading 15 doubles and 60 hits. In 1998, he hit .381 with 36 of 45 steals and 82 RBIs. In winter ball, he won the batting title with a .336 average, ahead of Luis Castillo.
Back in the Majors (1999–2000)
Polonia was signed late in the 1999 season by the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
, hitting .324 and slugging 10 home runs in 87 games.[ In 2000, Polonia hit .273 in 80 games for the Tigers before being released.
]
Third stint with the Yankees (2000)
On August 3, 2000, Polonia signed with the Yankees after being released by the Detroit Tigers. He served as an outfielder down the stretch while also receiving some time as a designated hitter
The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...
. In the 2000 American League Division Series, Polonia served as a pinch hitter for Jorge Posada
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Posada recorded a .273 batting average, 275 home runs, and ...
in Game 4, where he recorded a single. He received two at-bats in the 2000 World Series, going 1 for 2 with a single. He retired after the World Series.
Career statistics
In 1,379 games over 12 seasons, Polonia compiled a .293 batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, 1,417 hits, 728 runs scored
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...
, 189 doubles, 70 triples, 36 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, 405 RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
, 321 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, 369 base on balls
A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Se ...
, a .342 on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
and a .383 slugging percentage
In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...
. He posted a .983 fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...
at all three outfield positions. In the postseason, he hit .234 (11-for-47) in 17 World Series games and 16 playoff games.
Conviction
Luis Polonia was found guilty of having sexual intercourse with an underage girl, however the judge postponed sentencing until after the 1989 baseball season. "I made a mistake and I'm really sorry for it," Polonia told the judge before the sentence was imposed. "I'm a human being and anybody can make the mistake I made." Polonia, still with the New York Yankees, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined $1,500 on the misdemeanor charge of having sex with a 15-year-old girl. Thomas Doherty, Milwaukee County circuit judge, also ordered Polonia to make a $10,000 contribution to the Sinai Samaritan Medical Center's sexual assault treatment center in Milwaukee. Polonia pleaded no contest to the charge of having sexual intercourse with a child. The Yankees ownership made no comment; however, manager Dallas Green said, "It's a shame to see that happen. It's a personal thing. All you can do is warn people. You can't live their lives."
Post-baseball career
Polonia currently runs the Polonia Baseball Academy.
In 2016, Polonia was inducted in the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame
The Pabellón de la Fama del Caribe (In English, the ''Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame'') was established in 1996 by Juan Francisco Puello Herrera, commissioner of the Confederación de Béisbol del Caribe (''Caribbean Confederation of Profession ...
On May 8, 2020, Polonia's son, former professional baseball player Rodney Polonia, was found dead of an apparent heart attack, aged 27.[https://www.archyworldys.com/rodney-polonia-son-of-luis-polonia-former-dominican-major-leagues-dies/ ]
See also
* 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 ...
References
External links
, o
Retrosheet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polonia, Luis
1963 births
Living people
Águilas Cibaeñas players
Atlanta Braves players
Baltimore Orioles players
Baseball players at the 2007 Pan American Games
California Angels players
Detroit Tigers players
Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States
Huntsville Stars players
Madison Muskies players
Major League Baseball designated hitters
Major League Baseball left fielders
Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
Mexican League baseball left fielders
New York Yankees players
Oakland Athletics players
People from Santiago de los Caballeros
Rochester Red Wings players
Tacoma Tigers players
Tigres del México players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Pan American Games competitors for the Dominican Republic
People convicted of child sexual abuse
Prisoners and detainees of Wisconsin