Ruben Gomez
Born: 7/13/1927 in Arroyo, P.R.
Died: 7/26/2004 in Carolina, P.R.
MLB Debut: 1953-04-17 | Final Game: 1967-05-02
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 170 lbs
Biography
Ruben Gomez was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1953 to 1967. Born in 1927, Gomez made his mark during a transformative era in baseball, characterized by the integration of players and evolving pitching styles. He finished his career with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses, showcasing his durability and persistence on the mound over 15 seasons. With an earned run average (ERA) of 4.09, Gomez was known for his competitive spirit and ability to navigate the challenges posed by hitters of his time.
Throughout his career, Gomez accumulated a total of 677 strikeouts, highlighting his effectiveness as a strikeout pitcher. He also recorded five saves, demonstrating his versatility in both starting and relief roles. His contributions to the game extended beyond his statistics; Gomez served as a bridge for future generations of Latin American pitchers, paving the way for greater representation in Major League Baseball. His journey through the league not only reflected his individual talent but also underscored the changing landscape of the sport during the mid-20th century.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 86 | 289 | 205 | 63 | 15 | 5 | 1454.0 | 1436 | 660 | 154 | 574 | 677 | 4.09 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | NY1 | NL | 13 | 11 | 29 | 26 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 204.0 | 166 | 77 | 101 | 113 | 3.40 | 141.4 |
| 1954 | NY1 | NL | 17 | 9 | 37 | 32 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 221.7 | 202 | 71 | 109 | 106 | 2.88 | -1668.1 |
| 1955 | NY1 | NL | 9 | 10 | 33 | 31 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 185.3 | 207 | 94 | 63 | 79 | 4.56 | -255.6 |
| 1956 | NY1 | NL | 7 | 17 | 40 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 196.3 | 191 | 100 | 77 | 76 | 4.58 | -1037.7 |
| 1957 | NY1 | NL | 15 | 13 | 38 | 36 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 238.3 | 233 | 100 | 71 | 92 | 3.78 | -2101.7 |
| 1958 | SFG | NL | 10 | 12 | 42 | 30 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 207.7 | 204 | 101 | 77 | 112 | 4.38 | - |
| 1959 | PHI | NL | 3 | 8 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 72.3 | 90 | 49 | 24 | 37 | 6.10 | -1410.7 |
| 1960 | PHI | NL | 0 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 52.3 | 68 | 31 | 9 | 24 | 5.33 | -138.6 |
| 1962 | CLE | AL | 1 | 2 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 45.3 | 50 | 22 | 25 | 21 | 4.37 | -1093.6 |
| 1962 | MIN | AL | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19.3 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 4.66 | -756.3 |
| 1967 | PHI | NL | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3.97 | -509.6 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 381 | 477 | 58 | 95 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 2 | 14 | 61 | 0.199 | 0.224 | 0.245 | 0.469 | -2561.2 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | NY1 | NL | 61 | 72 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0.208 | -521.0 |
| 1954 | NY1 | NL | 49 | 81 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.173 | -561.7 |
| 1955 | NY1 | NL | 42 | 60 | 9 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.300 | -82.8 |
| 1956 | NY1 | NL | 52 | 60 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0.183 | -463.1 |
| 1957 | NY1 | NL | 54 | 87 | 6 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 0.184 | -498.9 |
| 1958 | SFG | NL | 48 | 70 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0.200 | -433.7 |
| 1959 | PHI | NL | 24 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.176 | 0.0 |
| 1960 | PHI | NL | 22 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.083 | 0.0 |
| 1962 | CLE | AL | 16 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.231 | 0.0 |
| 1962 | MIN | AL | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1967 | PHI | NL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | WS | NY1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7.3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.45 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | WS | NY1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7.3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.45 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 289 | 179 | 127 | 297 | 19 | 24 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | NY1 | P | 29 | 0 | 20 | 39 | 3 | 1 |
| 1954 | NY1 | P | 37 | 32 | 13 | 47 | 4 | 3 |
| 1955 | NY1 | P | 33 | 31 | 22 | 39 | 2 | 4 |
| 1956 | NY1 | P | 40 | 31 | 19 | 40 | 1 | 4 |
| 1956 | NY1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | NY1 | P | 38 | 36 | 14 | 51 | 2 | 3 |
| 1957 | NY1 | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | SFN | P | 42 | 30 | 21 | 39 | 2 | 3 |
| 1959 | PHI | P | 20 | 12 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
| 1960 | PHI | P | 22 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1962 | CLE | P | 15 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 1962 | MIN | P | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | PHI | P | 7 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 289 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 22th | 2.0 | 336 | 0 |