Cesar Tovar
Born: 7/3/1940 in Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela
Died: 7/14/1994 in Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela
MLB Debut: 1965-04-12 | Final Game: 1976-09-29
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'9" | Weight: 155 lbs
Full name: Cesar Leonardo Tovar
Biography
Cesar Tovar, born in 1940, was a dynamic position player who made significant contributions to Major League Baseball from 1965 to 1976. Known for his versatility on the field, Tovar played multiple positions throughout his career, which included stints with the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He appeared in 1,488 games, amassing 1,546 hits and a commendable batting average of .278. Tovar's offensive prowess was highlighted by his ability to generate runs, as he recorded 46 home runs and 435 RBIs. Additionally, he showcased his speed on the bases, finishing his career with 226 stolen bases, a testament to his aggressive playing style.
Tovar's career unfolded during a transitional period in baseball, as the sport was evolving with the introduction of more specialized roles and the increasing importance of speed and defense. His ability to adapt and contribute in various capacities made him a valuable asset to his teams. Tovar's legacy is remembered not only for his statistics but also for his impact as a player who exemplified the spirit of competition and versatility in baseball.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | MIN | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1488 | 5569 | 834 | 1546 | 253 | 55 | 46 | 435 | 226 | 413 | 410 | 0.278 | 0.335 | 0.368 | 0.703 | 4198.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | MIN | AL | 18 | 25 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0.200 | 0.0 |
| 1966 | MIN | AL | 134 | 465 | 57 | 121 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 41 | 16 | 44 | 50 | 0.260 | -264.2 |
| 1967 | MIN | AL | 164 | 649 | 98 | 173 | 32 | 7 | 6 | 47 | 19 | 46 | 51 | 0.267 | 514.4 |
| 1968 | MIN | AL | 157 | 613 | 89 | 167 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 47 | 35 | 34 | 41 | 0.272 | 1036.6 |
| 1969 | MIN | AL | 158 | 535 | 99 | 154 | 25 | 5 | 11 | 52 | 45 | 37 | 37 | 0.288 | 983.3 |
| 1970 | MIN | AL | 161 | 650 | 120 | 195 | 36 | 13 | 10 | 54 | 30 | 52 | 47 | 0.300 | 1488.7 |
| 1971 | MIN | AL | 157 | 657 | 94 | 204 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 45 | 18 | 45 | 39 | 0.311 | 868.1 |
| 1972 | MIN | AL | 141 | 548 | 86 | 145 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 31 | 21 | 39 | 39 | 0.265 | 78.2 |
| 1973 | PHI | NL | 97 | 328 | 49 | 88 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 0.268 | -83.6 |
| 1974 | TEX | AL | 138 | 562 | 78 | 164 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 58 | 13 | 47 | 33 | 0.292 | 670.1 |
| 1975 | OAK | AL | 19 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0.231 | 0.0 |
| 1975 | TEX | AL | 102 | 427 | 53 | 110 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 16 | 27 | 25 | 0.258 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | NYY | AL | 13 | 39 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0.154 | 0.0 |
| 1976 | OAK | AL | 29 | 45 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0.178 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 28 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.250 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | ALCS | OAK | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 |
| 1970 | ALCS | MIN | 3 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.385 |
| 1969 | ALCS | MIN | 3 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.077 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2B | 215 | 180 | 395 | 481 | 28 | 109 |
| 3B | 227 | 187 | 160 | 351 | 38 | 27 |
| C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OF | 945 | 842 | 2043 | 71 | 44 | 18 |
| P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SS | 77 | 52 | 87 | 139 | 14 | 20 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | MIN | 2B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 1965 | MIN | 3B | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 1965 | MIN | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | MIN | OF | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966 | MIN | 2B | 76 | 73 | 154 | 205 | 8 | 33 |
| 1966 | MIN | SS | 31 | 27 | 47 | 67 | 6 | 10 |
| 1966 | MIN | OF | 24 | 21 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1967 | MIN | 2B | 36 | 31 | 69 | 66 | 4 | 11 |
| 1967 | MIN | 3B | 70 | 56 | 60 | 101 | 9 | 8 |
| 1967 | MIN | SS | 9 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| 1967 | MIN | OF | 74 | 70 | 169 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| 1968 | MIN | P | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | MIN | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | MIN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | MIN | 2B | 18 | 12 | 29 | 24 | 2 | 6 |
| 1968 | MIN | 3B | 75 | 68 | 48 | 147 | 14 | 8 |
| 1968 | MIN | SS | 35 | 20 | 31 | 59 | 5 | 9 |
| 1968 | MIN | OF | 78 | 52 | 138 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 1969 | MIN | 2B | 41 | 33 | 78 | 99 | 7 | 25 |
| 1969 | MIN | 3B | 20 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 2 | 2 |
| 1969 | MIN | OF | 113 | 76 | 225 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| 1970 | MIN | 2B | 8 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 5 |
| 1970 | MIN | 3B | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1970 | MIN | OF | 151 | 146 | 370 | 12 | 9 | 1 |
| 1971 | MIN | 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971 | MIN | 3B | 7 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 1971 | MIN | OF | 154 | 150 | 348 | 14 | 5 | 3 |
| 1972 | MIN | OF | 139 | 134 | 287 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| 1973 | PHI | 2B | 22 | 20 | 39 | 56 | 3 | 24 |
| 1973 | PHI | 3B | 46 | 39 | 34 | 56 | 7 | 7 |
| 1973 | PHI | OF | 24 | 20 | 40 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1974 | TEX | OF | 135 | 133 | 331 | 13 | 7 | 3 |
| 1975 | OAK | 2B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | OAK | 3B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1975 | OAK | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | TEX | 2B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | TEX | OF | 31 | 30 | 56 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 1976 | NYA | 2B | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 1976 | OAK | OF | 20 | 8 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 1 |
| Catcher | 1 |
| First Base | 1 |
| Second Base | 214 |
| Third Base | 232 |
| Shortstop | 79 |
| Left Field | 394 |
| Center Field | 469 |
| Right Field | 207 |
| Designated Hitter | 90 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 24th | 4.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1970 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 18th | 16.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1969 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 9.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1968 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 23th | 3.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1967 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 7th | 70.0 | 280 | 1 |