{{Short description|Venezuelan baseball player (1912–1969)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{family name hatnote|Carrasquel <small>[car-ras-kael']</small>|Aparicio <small>[ah-pah-ree'the-oh]</small>|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Alex Carrasquel | image = Paton-carrasquel_(cropped).jpg | position = Pitcher | bats = Right | throws = Right | birth_date = {{birth date|1912|7|24}} | birth_place = Caracas, Venezuela | death_date = {{death date and age|1969|8|19|1912|7|24}} | death_place = Caracas, Venezuela | debutleague = MLB | debutdate = April 23 | debutyear = 1939 | debutteam = Washington Senators | finalleague = MLB | finaldate = July 26 |finalyear=1949 |finalteam=Chicago White Sox | statleague = MLB | stat1label = Win–loss record |stat1value=50-39 |stat2label=Earned run average |stat2value=3.73 |stat3label=Strikeouts |stat3value=252 | teams = *Washington Senators ({{mlby|1939}}–{{mlby|1945}}) *Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1949}}) |highlights= *First Venezuelan ballplayer in Major League Baseball | hofcolor = #ffd700 | hoflink = Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | hoftype = Venezuelan | hofdate = 2003 | hofvote = |hofmethod = }}
'''Alejandro Eloy Carrasquel Aparicio''' (July 24, 1912 – August 19, 1969) was a Venezuelan pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the Washington Senators and the Chicago White Sox over a span of eight seasons from 1939 to 1949. Nicknamed ''Patón'' ("Bigfoot") in Venezuela, he was listed at {{convert|6|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}, {{convert|182|lb|kg}}, and batted and threw right handed.<ref name=BR>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carraal01.shtml Alex Carrasquel]. MLB batting and pitching statistics. ''Baseball Reference''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref>
Carrasquel became the first Venezuelan-born player to ever appear in the majors<ref name=SABR/> when he joined the Senators in its 1939 season. He is also known as one of the handful of major leaguers who jumped from their organized baseball teams to play in the Mexican League in {{baseball year|1946}}.<ref name=SABR>[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a1d402b1 Alex Carrasquel]. Article written by Lou Hernandez. ''SABR Biography Project''. Retrieved on May 7, 2019.</ref>
==Baseball career== Born in Caracas, Carrasquel had a fine fastball, which he complemented with an effective knuckleball and a decent curve. He started his major league career with the Senators of the American League on April 23, 1939.<ref name=BR/> Carrasquel became the second player to go straight into the major leagues, following Ted Lyons, who did it in 1923.
Carrasquel made his first appearance against the New York Yankees at Griffith Stadium. He relieved starter Ken Chase with two outs in the fourth inning and a runner on first base. The first three batters Carrasquel faced were future Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey. He retired them all, striking out DiMaggio while retiring Gehrig on a ground ball and Dickey on a pop fly. Carrasquel threw {{frac|5|1|3}} solid innings of relief, surrendering only one run over that span, though the Yankees won, 7–4.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B04230WS11939.htm New York Yankees 7, Washington Senators 4]. Game Played on Sunday, April 23, 1939 (D) at Griffith Stadium. ''Retrosheet box score''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref>
In his second game, on April 30, Carrasquel earned his first save at Yankee Stadium. He was called in to relieve in the eighth inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, and Washington trying to preserve a 3–2 lead. Carrasquel got the third out by retiring Yankees second baseman Joe Gordon, then retired Red Ruffing, Frankie Crosetti and Red Rolfe in order in the ninth to preserve the Senators victory.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B04300NYA1939.htm Washington Senators 3, New York Yankees 2]. Game Played on Sunday, April 30, 1939 (D) at Yankee Stadium. ''Retrosheet box score''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref>
A month later, on May 30, Carrasquel hit his only career home run,<ref name=BR/> a solo blast off pitcher Nels Potter in a 3–1 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics, which was the first home run hit by a Venezuelan player in a major league game.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B05301WS11939.htm Philadelphia Athletics 3, Washington Senators 1 (1st Game)]. Game Played on Tuesday, May 30, 1939 (D) at Griffith Stadium.''Retrosheet box score''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref>
In the 1940s, Carrasquel posted positive win–loss records in six consecutive seasons for lousy Senators teams that usually finished below .500. He had a 6–2 record (.750) in both 1940 and 1941, while the Senators went 64-90 and 70–84, respectively. In 1942 he went 7–7 (.500); Washington, 60–91.<ref name=BR/>
His most productive season came in 1943, when he had a 11–7 record and 3.43 ERA in 39 games (13 starts), including four complete games, one shutout and five saves.<ref name=BR/> His shutout was also a career highlight on April 25, as he pitched a two-hitter, 5–0 victory against the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1943/B04252PHA1943.htm Washington Senators 5, Philadelphia Athletics 0 (2nd Game)]. Game Played on Sunday, April 25, 1943 at Shibe Park ''Retrosheet box score''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref> The Senators actually finished over .500 at 84–69.
Three days later, on May 3, Carrasquel made his third relief appearance and picked up his first win as well as the first by a Venezuelan pitcher in Major League Baseball history when the Senators defeated the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman’s Park. Washington rallied from a six-run deficit in the sixth, scoring seven runs over the final three innings of the game, en route to an 11–10 road victory. Carrasquel pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to secure the historic win.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B05030SLA1939.htm Washington Senators 11, St. Louis Browns 10]. Game Played on Wednesday, May 3, 1939 (D) at Sportsman's Park. ''Retrosheet box score''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref>
Carrasquel made his first big league start on May 14 against the visiting Boston Red Sox at Griffith Stadium. Carrasquel engaged in an 11-inning pitching duel with Lefty Grove and the score tied at 2–2, until the Red Sox chased him with three runs in the top of the 12th, while the Senators’ rally in the bottom of the inning against Grove and two relievers fell one run short, as the Sox prevailed, 5–4. Besides, in the 7th inning Carrasquel recorded the first hit by a Venezuelan player in the major leagues when he singled off Grove. Incidentally, Carrasquel faced a Red Sox starting lineup that had other future Hall of Famers: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, and the aforementioned Grove.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B05140WS11939.htm Boston Red Sox 5, Washington Senators 4]. Game Played on Sunday, May 14, 1939 (D) at Griffith Stadium. ''Retrosheet box score''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref> On August 13, he won a rematch with the Red Sox at Fenway Park, earning his sixth win of the season in a 6–3, complete game effort.<ref>[https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1939/B08132BOS1939.htm Washington Senators 6, Boston Red Sox 3 (2nd game)]. Game Played on Sunday, August 13, 1939 (D) at Fenway Park. ''Retrosheet box score''. Retrieved on June 7, 2019.</ref>
Although World War II was officially over and baseball's finest players were back in their familiar ranks, tranquility no longer had a place in the majors. The new Mexican League, headed by millionaire Jorge Pasquel, had lured a cluster of big leaguers. On January 2, 1946, the Chicago White Sox bought Carrasquel's contract from the Senators. He rejected the deal and fled to play in Mexico, signing a three-year contract – the first shot in the cross-border disputes that would dominate baseball even more than the return of the war veterans. “Pasquel paid me $3,000 cash [bonus], to sign a three-year contract calling for $10,000 a year,” Carrasquel said, in an interview three years later. “I took it, for in addition to the $33,000 I was to receive in Mexico, I also was free to pitch winter baseball”, he added, according to historian Lou Hernandez.<ref name=SABR/> There were several other players who fled to Mexico, including outfielder Danny Gardella, pitchers Sal Maglie and Max Lanier and catcher Mickey Owen. As a result, Commissioner of Baseball Happy Chandler sought a lifetime suspension for them, but his penalty was later reduced.
In 1949, Carrasquel returned to the majors and made three appearances for the White Sox before being farmed out. When Chicago acquired his nephew Chico Carrasquel in that season, GM Frank Lane swapped Alex to the Detroit Tigers for Cuban reliever Witto Aloma, who acted strictly as an interpreter for the young Venezuelan shortstop.
==Career statistics== In an eight-season major league career, Carrasquel posted a 50–39 record with 252 strikeouts, a 3.73 ERA, 30 complete games, four shutouts, 16 saves, and 861 innings pitched in 258 games (64 as a starter).
== Personal life and death == In his native country, Carrasquel was affectionately nicknamed 'Patón' (Bigfoot) due to his shoe size 14.<ref name=SABR/> Carrasquel was married to Virginia Johnson. They had two sons, Thomas and William.<ref name=SABR/> Carrasquel was hospitalized in Caracas for blood cancer in the summer of 1959, where he died on August 19 due to complications from cancer at age 57.<ref>{{cite news |title=Alex Carrasquel Dies of Cancer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-alex-carrasquel-a/196116105/ |access-date=April 22, 2026 |work=Bangor Daily News |agency=United Press International |date=August 20, 1969 |page=24|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Sources== {{Reflist}}
==See also== {{Portal|Biography}} * List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=c/carraal01|brm=carras002ale |retro=C/Pcarra101}} *[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a1d402b1 SABR Biography Project]
{{Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrasquel, Alex}} Category:1912 births Category:1969 deaths Category:Algodoneros de Torreón players Category:Azules de Veracruz players Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Category:Cervecería Caracas players Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Diablos Rojos del México players Category:Gavilanes de Maracaibo players Category:Industriales de Monterrey players Category:Jersey City Giants players Category:Knuckleball pitchers Category:Laredo Apaches players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:Navegantes del Magallanes players Category:Paris Indians players Category:Sacramento Solons players Category:Baseball players from Caracas Category:St. Jean Braves players Category:Sultanes de Monterrey players Category:Sweetwater Braves players Category:Tigres del México players Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Category:Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Category:20th-century Venezuelan sportsmen