Wilton Guerrero

Wilton Guerrero
Second baseman / Outfielder
Born: (1974-10-24) October 24, 1974 Don Gregorio, Dominican Republic
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 3, 1996, for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 2004, for the Kansas City Royals
MLB statistics
Batting average	.282
Home runs	11
Runs batted in	127
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (1996–1998) Montreal Expos (1998–2000) Cincinnati Reds (2001–2002) Montreal Expos (2002) Kansas City Royals (2004)

Wilton Álvaro Guerrero (born October 24, 1974) is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1996–1998), Montreal Expos (1998–2000, 2002), Cincinnati Reds (2001–2002), and Kansas City Royals (2004). He is the older brother of Vladimir Guerrero and cousin of Cristian Guerrero.

Career

Guerrero was 21 years old when he made his major league debut September 3, 1996, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. On June 1, 1997, the Dodgers rookie led off against the St. Louis Cardinals by breaking his bat on a grounder to second. Rather than try to run it out, Guerrero scrambled to pick up the pieces of his shattered bat, making the umpires suspicious. Plate umpire Steve Ripley noticed cork in one of the shattered pieces, and showed it to crew chief and third-base umpire Bruce Froemming, who immediately ejected Guerrero. He was suspended eight games and fined $1,000.

He was a utility player and played strong defense at any position he played. Although he had the ability to hit for average, he had limited power. Additionally, his tenure in Los Angeles was plagued by numerous mental mistakes that kept him from becoming a regular starter.

He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals to a minor league contract in January 2005 with an invitation to spring training, but started the season with the Memphis Redbirds, the Cardinals' top affiliate. The Cardinals traded his contract to the Chicago White Sox in June, but after two more months with the White Sox' top affiliate, the Charlotte Knights, he was released in August. He then played several years in the Dominican Republic.

As of the 2009 season, Guerrero is serving as an international scout in the Dominican Republic for the Dodgers.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)

• Reid, Jason. Guerrero Is Causing the Dodgers to Go Mental. Los Angeles Times, 1998-04-07.