# Julio Gotay

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{{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](/source/Shortstop)
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1939|4|9}}
|birth_place=[Fajardo, Puerto Rico](/source/Fajardo%2C_Puerto_Rico)
|death_date={{death date and age|2008|7|4|1939|6|9}}
|death_place=[Ponce, Puerto Rico](/source/Ponce%2C_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](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
|stat1value=.260
|stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s
|stat2value=6
|stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in)
|stat3value=70
|teams=
* [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) ({{mlby|1960}}–{{mlby|1962}})
* [Pittsburgh Pirates](/source/Pittsburgh_Pirates) ({{mlby|1963}}–{{mlby|1964}})
* [Los Angeles Angels](/source/Los_Angeles_Angels) ({{mlby|1965}})
* [Houston Astros](/source/Houston_Astros) ({{mlby|1966}}–{{mlby|1969}})
}}
'''Julio Enrique Gotay Sánchez''' (April 9, 1939 – July 4, 2008) was a [Puerto Rican](/source/Puerto_Ricans) professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player, a [shortstop](/source/shortstop) and [second baseman](/source/second_baseman) who played all or parts of ten seasons (1960–69) for the [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals), [Pittsburgh Pirates](/source/Pittsburgh_Pirates), [Los Angeles Angels](/source/Los_Angeles_Angels_of_Anaheim) and [Houston Astros](/source/Houston_Astros) of [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball). Born in [Fajardo](/source/Fajardo%2C_Puerto_Rico), he threw and batted right-handed, stood {{convert|6|ft}} tall and weighed {{convert|180|lb}}. He was the uncle of infielder [Rubén Gotay](/source/Rub%C3%A9n_Gotay).

==Career==
He made his major league debut at age 21 on August 6, 1960, as the host Cardinals defeated the [Cincinnati Reds](/source/Cincinnati_Reds) 6–5. In his first career [at-bat](/source/at-bat), [pinch-hitting](/source/Pinch_hitter) for pitcher [Ed Bauta](/source/Ed_Bauta) in the sixth [inning](/source/inning_(baseball)), he singled off Cincinnati [southpaw](/source/southpaw_(disambiguation)) [Joe Nuxhall](/source/Joe_Nuxhall) for his first big-league [hit](/source/hit_(baseball)).<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](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) .255 with two [home runs](/source/home_runs), 12 [doubles](/source/double_(baseball)) and 27 [runs batted in](/source/runs_batted_in) in 406 [plate appearance](/source/plate_appearance)s. 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](/source/National_League_Most_Valuable_Player_Award) [Dick Groat](/source/Dick_Groat) to St. Louis. Groat would help lead the Cardinals to a second-place finish in {{mlby|1963}} and the [1964 World Championship](/source/1964_World_Series) and start at shortstop on the 1963 and 1964 National League [All-Star](/source/Major_League_Baseball_All-Star_Game) teams.

Meanwhile, Gotay could not beat out [Ducky Schofield](/source/Ducky_Schofield) for the Pirates' shortstop job in {{mlby|1963}} and was sent to [Triple-A](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)). He would appear in only seven games for Pittsburgh during the 1963 and {{mlby|1964}} campaigns. As a [utility infielder](/source/utility_player), 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](/source/games_played) in the major leagues, Gotay collected 257 hits, with 38 doubles, three [triples](/source/triple_(baseball)), 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](/source/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](/source/Ponce%2C_Puerto_Rico).

Gotay died from [prostate cancer](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Julio Gotay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Gotay) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Gotay?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.