Moises Alou

Moisés Alou was born on July 3, 1966, and played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1990 to 2008. An American outfielder, he suited up for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets. The son of legendary first baseman and manager Felipe Alou, he came from one of the late 20th century's most prominent baseball families. Known for his bat, Alou earned six All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger Awards, and won the 1997 World Series.

Growing up, Alou preferred basketball and didn't play organized baseball until age 18 at Cañada College in California. Scouts there noticed his bat speed and quickness on the bases. The Pirates made him the second overall pick in the MLB January Draft. Unusually for a modern player, Alou never wore batting gloves; instead, he urinated on his hands to toughen them.

Traded to the Expos, he later played under his father, who managed the team. A severe ankle injury cost him his speed and limited him to corner outfield spots. He bounced back to hit .339 and delivered the game-winning hit in that year's All-Star Game. After two strong seasons in Montreal, shoulder surgeries cut his season short.

Signing with the Marlins as a free agent, Alou led the club with 23 homers and 115 RBIs. The wild-card Marlins beat the Giants in the NLDS, topped the Braves in the NLCS, and won the World Series over Cleveland in seven games. Alou hit .321 with three homers and nine RBIs in the Fall Classic, though pitcher Liván Hernández took the MVP.

Traded to the Astros, Alou set career highs with 38 home runs and 124 RBIs, helping Houston to a franchise-record 102 wins. He tore his ACL in a treadmill accident, missing all of 1999. Returning, he hit .355 in 2000 and .331 in 2001, driving in at least 108 runs each year. The Astros let him go as a free agent due to budget limits.

In December 2001, Alou signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Cubs. He started 2002 on the disabled list and finished with a .275 average and 15 homers. After hiring a personal trainer, he batted over .300 most of the next season before a late slump dropped him to .280, with 22 homers and 91 RBIs. He led the Cubs in batting average during their playoff series against the Braves and Marlins.

In Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS against Florida, fan Steve Bartman deflected a foul ball Alou was reaching for in the stands. The Marlins scored eight runs that inning, won 8–3, and took the series in seven games. Alou later said he was frustrated but wouldn't have caught the ball anyway, though he later denied that statement, claiming he only said it to make Bartman feel better.

The next season, Alou set new career highs with 39 homers and 36 doubles, driving in 106 runs. The Cubs missed the playoffs after losing seven of their last nine games. The team declined arbitration, citing Alou's frequent disputes with umpires, whom he accused of having a vendetta.

Alou talked to his father about playing for the Giants and signed a one-year, $13.5 million deal with a player option. He played mostly left field due to Barry Bonds' injuries. He said he'd retire if the Giants won the World Series, but they didn't, so he exercised his option for the next season, hitting 22 homers with 74 RBIs.

The Mets signed Alou to a one-year, $7.5 million contract with a club option. After hitting .318 in his first month as the regular left fielder, he tore a quadriceps muscle and was out until August. Returning, he led the Mets with a .345 average and put together a 30-game hitting streak—the longest in MLB that season, the longest by a player over 40, and a Mets franchise record. The Mets exercised their option on his contract.