Ivan Calderón (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Iván Calderón Pérez born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
, was a Puerto Rican
Major League Baseball
player from 1984 to 1993, and was named an All-Star
in 1991. He was murdered in a bar in Loiza, Puerto Rico
. Shot seven times in the back and head, he died instantly. Local police suspect mafia
involvement in the murder.
as an amateur free agent on July 30, 1979, and made his debut on August 10, 1984. Midway through the 1986 season he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
, where he became a regular right fielder
in 1987.
after the 1990 season, in a deal that brought Tim Raines
to the White Sox.
and again with the White Sox, he quit in 1993, at age of 31.
Calderón was a career .272 hitter with 104 home run
s and 444 RBI
in 924 games.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, was a Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player from 1984 to 1993, and was named an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1991. He was murdered in a bar in Loiza, Puerto Rico
Loíza, Puerto Rico
Loíza is a small town and municipality in the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, north of Canóvanas; east of Carolina; and west of Río Grande. Loíza is spread over 5 wards and Loíza Pueblo...
. Shot seven times in the back and head, he died instantly. Local police suspect mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
involvement in the murder.
Seattle Mariners
Calderón was signed by the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
as an amateur free agent on July 30, 1979, and made his debut on August 10, 1984. Midway through the 1986 season he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, where he became a regular right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in 1987.
Chicago White Sox
Known for his power and speed, Calderón put together a series of productive seasons in Chicago. He was sent to the Montreal ExposMontreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
after the 1990 season, in a deal that brought Tim Raines
Tim Raines
Timothy Raines , nicknamed "Rock", is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball for six teams from 1979 to 2002 and was best known for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos...
to the White Sox.
Montreal Expos
The Expos raised his yearly salary to over $2 million a season, and his efforts were rewarded with a place on the 1991 NL All-Star team. Injuries the following season slowed him down, and after stints with the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and again with the White Sox, he quit in 1993, at age of 31.
Calderón was a career .272 hitter with 104 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 444 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 924 games.