Al Lopez

Alfonso Ramon Lopez spent 36 years in the big leagues as a catcher and manager. He had a .261 lifetime batting average, compiled 1,547 hits and caught a then-record 1,918 games in a 19-year playing career. The teams he managed—the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox—won two pennants and finished runner-up 10 times in 17 seasons. He was the only manager to interrupt the Yankees’ 15 year pennant dynasty from 1949, piloting the Indians in 1954 with an A.L. record 111 wins and guiding the White Sox in 1959. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977. Al Lopez of Tampa opened up baseball to individuals of Spanish, Cuban and Italian ancestry at a time when social barriers had just begun to recede. He symbolized for many Latins the path to success. This book is his first-ever biography. It is based, first, on the recollections of the man himself, and former players, family, and fans, and also on newspaper and periodical accounts, and archival resources.