Marcelino Pons López (September 23, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was a Cuban professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

as a left-handed

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

in and from through , most notably as a member of the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) 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) East Division. As one of the America ...

dynasty that won two American League pennants and one

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

championship. He also played for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

and the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

Early years

López signed as an amateur free agent with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

at just sixteen years old. He made his major league debut in 1963, but after just four appearances, was back in the minors by the end of April. He spent all of the 1964 season with Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate, the

Chattanooga Lookouts The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...

. After the Phillies acquired first baseman Vic Power from the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

(September 9, 1964), López was selected as the “player to be named later,” the following month.

California Angels

In 1965, López went 14–13 with a 2.93

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

and 122

strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

for the Angels to finish second to Curt Blefary in

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

rookie of the year balloting. His numbers fell off considerably in 1966, largely because he led AL starters in

hit batsmen In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter (baseball), batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded f ...

with nine, and was second in the league with twelve

wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third st ...

es (the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

's Joe Horlen had 14). Shoulder injuries limited López to just nine innings for the Angels in 1967. On June 15, he and minor leaguer Tom Arruda were sent to the Baltimore Orioles for

Woodie Held Woodson George "Woodie" Held (March 25, 1932 – June 11, 2009) was an American shortstop/outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Baltimor ...

Baltimore Orioles

López spent all of 1968 in the minors before making his first major league appearance with the Orioles in 1969. At this point in his career, he was converted into a reliever, and was 4–2 with a 4.06 ERA out of the bullpen (he was 1–1 with a 5.40 ERA in his four starts). The Orioles ran away with the

American League East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). T ...

by nineteen games over 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

. López's only appearance in the 1969 American League Championship Series came in game one. In the twelfth inning, he faced four batters, retiring only one before manager

Earl Weaver Earl Sidney Weaver (August 14, 1930 – January 19, 2013) was an American professional baseball manager, author, and television broadcaster. After playing in minor league baseball, he retired without playing in Major League Baseball (MLB). He be ...

removed him in favor of Dick Hall. He did not make an appearance in the 1969 World Series against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

. López became one of the most reliable relievers in Baltimore's bullpen in

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...

, as he had a 1.65 ERA in relief. He was 1–0 with a 3.18 ERA as a starter. Baltimore returned to the post-season, and again, López made just one appearance. In the second game of the 1970 World Series, he faced just one batter, Bobby Tolan, and got him to fly out to

Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (May 18, 1937 – September 26, 2023) was an American baseball player who played his entire 23-year career in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "Mr. Hoove ...

in foul territory.

Milwaukee Brewers

During

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

the following season, López was traded to the

for Roric Harrison and minor leaguer Marion Jackson. He began the 1971 season as a reliever, but was added to the starting rotation midway through the season. He had a 1–5 record as a starter.

Retirement

López's contract was purchased by the

during spring training 1972. After spending the entire season with Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate, the

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams h ...

, López made four appearances with the Indians that September. He played minor league ball for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

and

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

before retiring. He died in 2001 at age 58.

References

External links

Marcelino López
at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Marcelino López
at Baseball Almanac * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Marcelino 1943 births 2001 deaths Baseball players from Havana Rojos del Águila de Veracruz players Alijadores de Tampico players Arkansas Travelers players Baltimore Orioles players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players California Angels players Charleston Charlies players Chattanooga Lookouts players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Astros players Elmira Pioneers players Florida Instructional League Orioles players Hawaii Islanders players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Cuba Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Miami Marlins (FSL) players Milwaukee Brewers players Mineros de Coahuila players Philadelphia Phillies players Portland Beavers players Rochester Red Wings players Tampa Tarpons (1957–1987) players Tiburones de La Guaira players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Tigres de Aragua players Williamsport Grays players