{{Short description|Puerto Rican baseball player (1939–2008)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{family name hatnote|Gotay|Sánchez|lang=Spanish}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Julio Gotay |image=Julio Gotay Cardinals.jpg |position=Shortstop |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{Birth date|1939|4|9}} |birth_place=Fajardo, Puerto Rico |death_date={{death date and age|2008|7|4|1939|6|9}} |death_place=Ponce, Puerto Rico |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=August 6 |debutyear=1960 |debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 23 |finalyear=1969 |finalteam=Houston Astros |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.260 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=6 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=70 |teams= * St. Louis Cardinals ({{mlby|1960}}–{{mlby|1962}}) * Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1963}}–{{mlby|1964}}) * Los Angeles Angels ({{mlby|1965}}) * Houston Astros ({{mlby|1966}}–{{mlby|1969}}) }} '''Julio Enrique Gotay Sánchez''' (April 9, 1939 – July 4, 2008) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player, a shortstop and second baseman who played all or parts of ten seasons (1960–69) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros of Major League Baseball. Born in Fajardo, he threw and batted right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft}} tall and weighed {{convert|180|lb}}. He was the uncle of infielder Rubén Gotay.

==Career== He made his major league debut at age 21 on August 6, 1960, as the host Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6–5. In his first career at-bat, pinch-hitting for pitcher Ed Bauta in the sixth inning, he singled off Cincinnati southpaw Joe Nuxhall for his first big-league hit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN196008060.shtml|title=Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals Box Score, August 6, 1960|website=Baseball Reference}}</ref>

Gotay had his most productive season for the Cardinals in {{mlby|1962}}. He started 105 games at shortstop and batted .255 with two home runs, 12 doubles and 27 runs batted in in 406 plate appearances. But on November 19, he was sent to the Pirates in a four-player trade that brought veteran shortstop and 1960 National League Most Valuable Player Dick Groat to St. Louis. Groat would help lead the Cardinals to a second-place finish in {{mlby|1963}} and the 1964 World Championship and start at shortstop on the 1963 and 1964 National League All-Star teams.

Meanwhile, Gotay could not beat out Ducky Schofield for the Pirates' shortstop job in {{mlby|1963}} and was sent to Triple-A. He would appear in only seven games for Pittsburgh during the 1963 and {{mlby|1964}} campaigns. As a utility infielder, he spent a half-season with the Angels in {{mlby|1965}}, then appeared in one full season and parts of three others for the Astros (1966–69). He retired from baseball after the 1971 minor-league season, which he spent at Triple-A in the Cardinals' organization. In 389 games played in the major leagues, Gotay collected 257 hits, with 38 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 70 RBI.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gotayju01.shtml|title=Julio Gotay Stats|website=Baseball Reference}}</ref>

According to teammate Jim Bouton, Gotay was also known for "carrying a dead fish on plane trips to ward off evil spirits." And he "was also famous for having a cheese sandwich fall out of his back pocket. While he was sliding into second base."<ref name="Bouton">{{cite book |last1=Bouton |first1=Jim |title=Ball Four: The final Pitch |date=2014 |publisher=Turner Publishing Company |location=Nashville, TN |isbn=978-1-63026-034-7 |page=449}}</ref>

After retiring from baseball, he earned a bachelor degree in education and spent many years as a physical education teacher in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Gotay died from prostate cancer on July 4, 2008, at age 69 in Ponce.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023|reason=Death info needs source}} He was buried at the Fajardo Municipal Cemetery in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. He was married to his wife, Silvia Irizarry, for 48 years. He had four children, Julio Gotay, Agustín Gotay, Irma Gotay, and Silvia Gotay.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sp/spt/5873178.html|accessdate=2008-07-09|publisher=Associated Press|work=HoustonChronicle.com|date=2008-07-05|title=Muere el pelotero puertorriqueño Julio Gotay Sánchez}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} {{in lang|es}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Baseballstats|br=g/gotayju01|fangraphs=1004897|brm=gotay-001jul}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gotay, Julio}} Category:1939 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Charleston Marlins players Category:Columbus Jets players Category:Daytona Beach Islanders players Category:Houston Astros players Category:Los Angeles Angels players Category:Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Category:Major League Baseball shortstops Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players Category:Sportspeople from Fajardo, Puerto Rico Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Puerto Rican expatriate baseball players in Canada Category:Rochester Red Wings players Category:St. Louis Cardinals players Category:San Juan Marlins players Category:Seattle Angels players Category:Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players Category:Winnipeg Goldeyes players Category:Wytheville Cardinals players