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Raúl Ramón Mondesí Avelino (born March 12, 1971) is a Dominican former politician and
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. Mondesí 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 ...
(MLB) for 13 seasons, primarily for 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, and made his MLB debut with them in 1993. He was the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
(NL) Rookie of the Year in 1994, an MLB All-Star, and a two-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner. Known for his combination of power and speed, Mondesí twice achieved the
30–30 club In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 30–30 club is the group of 47 Batter (baseball), batters who have collected 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season. ''Baseball Digest'' called the 30–30 club "the most celebrated feat that can ...
. He led MLB right fielders in assists in three separate seasons over the course of his career. After baseball, Mondesí began a career in politics, gaining election to the Dominican
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
in 2006. In 2010, he became mayor of San Cristóbal in the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
, serving a six-year term. In 2017, Mondesí was sentenced to eight years in prison on corruption charges arising from his mayoral tenure.


Career


Los Angeles Dodgers

Mondesí was originally signed by 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
as an amateur free agent in 1988 out of the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
. With the Great Falls Dodgers in 1990, he hit .303 with 30 stolen bases and was selected to the Pioneer League All-Star team. In 1991, he played in 21 games with the Bakersfield Dodgers, 53 games with the
San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions compete in the Texas League as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Nelson W. W ...
, and 2 with the
Albuquerque Dukes The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. History The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Fran ...
hitting .277 with 8 home runs and 18 stolen bases. In 1992, he played 18 games with San Antonio and 35 with Albuquerque, hitting .296. He spent all of 1993 with the Dukes, hitting .280 with 12 homers and 13 steals. He made his MLB debut for the Dodgers on July 19, 1993, against 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 ...
, hitting a single to center field as a pinch hitter in seventh inning against David West for his first major league hit. He hit his first home run, a two-run shot off Bob Scanlan in the 13th inning of a game against the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
on July 31. He returned to the minors after the August 6 games, but was back with the Dodgers for good in September. He appeared in 42 games that season for the Dodgers, hitting .291 with four home runs. Mondesí made the Dodgers opening day roster in 1994 and played in 112 games, hitting .306 with 16 homers, 56 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. He was selected as the National League Rookie of the Year. In 1995, he was twice selected as National League Player of the Week (April 30 and July 5), he won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award and was selected to the 1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He flew out to right field in his one at-bat in the All-Star game. He also competed in the
Home Run Derby The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context ...
. Overall, he hit .285 with 26 home runs, 88 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. He had two hits in nine at-bats for the Dodgers in the
1995 National League Division Series The 1995 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the National League side of the 1995 MLB Postseason, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Saturday, October 7, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a ...
loss to the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
. He was two for twelve in the 1996 National League Division Series against 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
, with two doubles. In 1997, he hit .310 with 30 homers, 88 RBI, and 32 steals becoming the first Dodger player in history to join the
30–30 club In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 30–30 club is the group of 47 Batter (baseball), batters who have collected 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season. ''Baseball Digest'' called the 30–30 club "the most celebrated feat that can ...
. He also won his second Rawlings Gold Glove Award and finished 15th in voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. In 1999, he again joined the 30–30 club with 33 homers and 36 steals, though his average had dipped to .253.


Toronto Blue Jays

On November 8, 1999, Mondesí was traded by the Dodgers (along with Pedro Borbón Jr.) to the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
for Shawn Green and minor league player Jorge Nunez. He only played in 96 games during his first season in Toronto after he tore ligaments in his right elbow during a game on July 21, which required season-ending surgery. He played two and a half seasons with the Blue Jays, playing in 320 games and hitting 66 home runs. He won the American League Player of the Week Award for the week of May 6, 2001.


New York Yankees

Mondesí was traded by the Blue Jays 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) Am ...
on July 1, 2002, for Scott Wiggins. He played in 71 games for the Yankees that season and another 98 in 2003, hitting .250 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI. He had 3 hits in 12 at-bats for the Yankees in the 2002 American League Division Series against the Anaheim Angels.


Arizona Diamondbacks

The Yankees traded Mondesí on July 29, 2003, to the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
for David Dellucci, Bret Prinz and minor leaguer John Prowl. In 45 games with the Diamondbacks, he hit .302 with eight home runs.


Pittsburgh Pirates

Mondesí signed as a free agent with the
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 ...
on February 24, 2004. By May he was talking of leaving the team for personal reasons, involving a legal dispute, in the Dominican Republic. He left the team on May 11, 2004, and his contract was terminated a week later.


Anaheim Angels

The Anaheim Angels signed Mondesí on May 30, 2004. The deal was investigated by
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 ...
, but the Angels were cleared of any wrongdoing. Shortly after Mondesí signed with the Angels, he tore his quadriceps and was placed on the disabled list. He was released by the Angels in July for not showing up for his rehab therapy.


Atlanta Braves

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
signed Mondesí in 2005; he appeared in 41 games with the team before the Braves released him on May 31.


Career statistics

In 1525 games over 13 seasons, Mondesí recorded a .273
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 ...
(1589-for-5814) with 909 runs, 319 doubles, 49 triples, 271
home runs 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 ...
, 860 RBI, 229 stolen bases, 475 walks, .331
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
, and .485
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, an ...
. Defensively, although primarily a right fielder, he posted a .976
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
playing at all three outfield positions.


Post-baseball career

In May 2006, running on the ballot of the Dominican Liberation Party, Mondesi was elected to a seat in the Dominican Republic's
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...
, representing his home province San Cristóbal. In November 2007, he switched sides, aligning himself with the Dominican Revolutionary Party after discrepancies with the government over humanitarian aid to be given to his province after Tropical Storm Noel. He was elected mayor of his hometown on May 16, 2010, for a six-year term. In September 2017, Mondesi was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay a $1.3 million fine for
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
and mishandling of public funds during his term as mayor of San Cristóbal. In 2024, Mondesi was re-sentenced to a term of six years and nine months imprisonment. As he had been under house arrest, the sentence was considered served.


Personal life

Mondesí's son Adalberto Mondesí (formerly known as Raul Mondesí Jr.) is also a professional baseball player. He made his MLB debut for the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
in the 2015 World Series.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders This is a list of the 300 Major League Baseball players who have hit the most career home runs in regular season play (i.e., excluding playoffs or exhibition games). In the sport of baseball, a home run is a hit in which the batter scores by ci ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunning, baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 5.06 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules ...
*
30–30 club In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 30–30 club is the group of 47 Batter (baseball), batters who have collected 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season. ''Baseball Digest'' called the 30–30 club "the most celebrated feat that can ...


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mondesí, Raúl 1971 births Living people 20th-century Dominican Republic sportsmen 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen 30–30 club Águilas Cibaeñas players Albuquerque Dukes players Anaheim Angels players Arizona Diamondbacks players Atlanta Braves players Bakersfield Dodgers players Baseball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Baseball players from San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic Dominican Liberation Party politicians Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Republic people of African descent Dominican Republic prisoners and detainees Dominican Revolutionary Party politicians Gold Glove Award winners Great Falls Dodgers players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball right fielders Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Mayors of places in the Dominican Republic Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic National League All-Stars New York Yankees players Pan American Games competitors for the Dominican Republic Pittsburgh Pirates players Politicians convicted of corruption Prisoners and detainees of the Dominican Republic Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Salt Lake Stingers players San Antonio Missions players Sportsperson-politicians Toronto Blue Jays players