Re-written on May 30, 2002
A
ridiculously talented outfielder for the
Montreal Expos baseball team.
He looks like
Roberto Clemente, and not just because both are
Caribbean. Like Clemente, Guerrero has a very strong
throwing arm, the ability to hit for
power, the ability to hit for a high
batting average and the ability to hit
bad balls — i.e., balls not thrown for strikes.
In 1998, Guerrero's first year as a starter, he hit .324 with 38
home runs at the age of 22. Since then, he's never failed to hit below .300, never failed to drive in 100 runs or score 100 runs. Moreover, he's improved at drawing
walks in his short time in the major leagues. According to a statistical
formula on baseball-reference.com, the most similiar players to him through age 25 are
Willie Mays and
Joe DiMaggio.
But there's one big difference between Guerrero and Clemente, Mays or DiMaggio — Guerrero plays in
Montreal, in front of just over 10,000 fans per game. Neither Clemente, Mays nor DiMaggio had to contend with
disinterest.
Now, in 2002, the Expos are ownerless and facing
contraction after a
bizarre series of events in the previous off-season. (The
Red Sox' owner wanted out, so the
Marlins' owner got the Red Sox and the Expos' owner got the Marlins.) If the Expos actually are dissolved — and that's a big if; there's series
legal challenges waiting — then the question of the day is, "Where does Guerrero go"? Will the ex-Expos be declared
free agents? If so, Guerrero might get the
richest contract ever. Will there be a dispersal
draft? If so, some team will be very lucky. Will he be traded to the
New York Yankees? Uh ... no comment there.
Or will the Expos be the
feel-good team of the 2002 season and make the
playoffs? Don't laugh; as of this writing, the Expos are 26-26, just three games behind the underachieving
New York Mets and
Atlanta Braves. Guerrero, of course, is having a fabulous season.
Guerrero's stats can be found here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/guerrvl01.shtml
Guerrero has a brother, Wilton, who is also a baseball player.