Roberto Alomar

Lore & Background

Alomar was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico to Santos 'Sandy' Alomar Sr. and María Velázquez. He grew up in Salinas, Puerto Rico. He and his older brother Sandy Jr. did not see their father that often and lived with their mother. When school was out for the summer, they joined their father, who let his sons hang around the clubhouse, shag fly balls, and absorb knowledge of the game—especially from his New York Yankees teammates including Thurman Munson and Graig Nettles. As a youth, Alomar idolized his father and José Cruz. He signed with the San Diego Padres as an amateur free agent in 1985 and made his major league debut on April 22, 1988. On December 5, 1990, Alomar and Joe Carter were traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernández. He led the team to three consecutive ALCS appearances and was named the 1992 ALCS MVP, culminating in back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. Alomar signed with the Baltimore Orioles after the 1995 season, led the team to two ALCS appearances, and won the 1998 All-Star Game MVP Award. He then joined the Cleveland Indians for three seasons and had the most productive years of his career in 1999 and 2001, becoming an AL MVP Award finalist both years. Alomar spent the final years of his career with the New York Mets, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox, before retiring at spring training in 2005. In 2021, Alomar was banned from baseball by MLB following an independent investigation into an allegation of sexual misconduct, dating back to 2014. The Blue Jays removed him from the Level of Excellence and took down his retired number banner. Alomar remains the only player to currently be a member of both the Baseball Hall of Fame and MLB's permanently-ineligible list simultaneously.

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed above the retractable roof as Alomar dug into the batter's box at home plate. The SkyDome was packed, the air thick with anticipation and the smell of popcorn. He adjusted his helmet, eyes locked on the pitcher, ignoring the noise that swelled around him. A sharp crack echoed through the dome, a line drive slicing through the night. For a moment, the stadium held its breath before erupting into cheers, another memory etched into Toronto's baseball history.

Reader's Guide

Alomar played for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1991 through 1995. He was traded from the San Diego Padres, not the Montreal Expos. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, his second year of eligibility (not first ballot). His tenure with the Blue Jays was 1991–1995, not through 2001.

Did You Know?

• Alomar won 10 Gold Glove Awards, more than any other second baseman in baseball history.
• He was named the 1992 ALCS MVP after hitting a game-tying ninth-inning home run against Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in Game 4.
• In 1995, he played 104 consecutive games without committing an error, setting an AL record for second basemen.
• Alomar is the only player to be both a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and on MLB's permanently-ineligible list.