▪︎ INDIANS' Vic Davillio 84 (or 87 ?), dies after emergency surgery.

mjp28

Vic Davillio dies after emergency surgery.

I remember watching him as a kid at the Old Munipical Stadium.

Vic Davalillo, 84 (or 87 ?) two-time World Series champ, dead after emergency surgery

▪︎ Associated Press ▪︎ Published Dec. 11, 2023, 4:22 p.m. ET

MLB
Vic Davalillo, two-time World Series champ, dead after emergency surgery
By Associated Press

● Published Dec. 11, 2023, 4:22 p.m. ET

Vic Davalillo, a two-time World Series champion who spent 16 seasons in the major leagues and became the first Venezuelan-born player to win a Gold Glove, died Dec. 6. He was 84 or 87, depending on conflicting sources.

Davalillo died in Caracas after an emergency surgery due to an intestinal obstruction and renal insufficiency, daughter Helga Davalillo said.

Baseball Reference lists his date of birth as July 30, 1939, but Davalillo considered July 31 his birthday and Asdrúbal Fuenmayor wrote in a 2006 biography that Davalillo was born in 1936. The 1969 Sporting News Baseball Register also used 1936.

Leones de Caracas in Venezuela’s winter league said it will wear a patch with Davalillo’s name and No. 2 on its jersey sleeves for the rest of the season. The ballpark in Cabimas was named after Davalillo in 1987 and the Venezuelan Winter League MVP award was named after him. While Cabimas is listed as Davalillo’s place of birth, Fuenmayor wrote in his book that Davalillo told him he was born in Churuguara.

..... edit add, ..... Davalillo played the final four seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with his final season coming in 1980.

He finished his career with a .278 batting ave. (3) home runs and 329 RBI. ...He was 5' 7" and 150 lbs.

mjp28

~ And the TWO World Series wins were with the Pittsburgh ('71-'73) before going to CAL-STL-PIT-OAK-LAD where he retired in 1980.

▪︎ He broke into MLB with CLE from (1963 -1969) before his trip through the AL and NL (1969-1980). And he was 5' 7" and 150 lbs, with 3 career HRs. Not really a "BIG" guy but a great player.

Vic Davalillo #18 of the Pittsburgh Pirates poses for a photo prior to the game against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium on an unknown date in Queens, New York. (Louis Requena/MLB Photos via Getty Images) ( See picture below. )

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Davalillo’s death on X.

"We are saddened by the loss of Vic Davalillo, a member of our 1971 World Champion team," the team said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Davalillo family."

The Venezuela native made his Major League debut in ▪︎1963 for the Cleveland Indians. He played more than five seasons with the Indians and earned his only Gold Glove Award in 1964. He was also selected to his first and only All-Star Game in 1965.