Alou Brothers

How's this for a story?

 

Your name is Felipe and you're the oldest of three very talented baseball-playing brothers in the Dominican Republic. In 1955, just barely out of your teenage years, you play outfield for a national team that takes the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. Your talent is recognized, and later that year you're signed by the San Francisco Giants.

A couple of year later, as you're preparing for the big show, the Giants notice your next-oldest brother Matty and sign him as an amateur free agent. Then, in 1958, just a few months after your big-league debut, the Giants notice your youngest brother Jesus, and sign him as an amateur free agent, too. What a time for the family!

A couple of years pass, and Matty joins the Giants in 1960. Then in 1963, when young brother Jesus becomes a late-season addition to the roster, all three are finally with the big club. And soon something remarkable happens.

 

On September 15th, you start the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the outfield. You reach base a couple of times and score two runs, and by the time the 7th inning rolls around, your team is ahead 8-3. Manager Alvin Dark decides to give your fellow outfielder Willie McCovey some rest, and swaps him out with your brother Jesus.

 

Then, in the bottom of the 8th inning, Dark decides to give your other fellow outfielder—a guy named Willie Mays—a little rest too, and swaps in your other brother, Matty.

 

As pitcher Billy O'Dell takes his warm-up tosses before the first batter of the inning steps up to the plate, you look to your left and to your right. It's an all-Alou outfield!

 

Never before had three brothers done this on a major league field. What a day.

 

Here are all three guys just a few years later.

1968 Topps #55 Felipe Alou, #270 Matty Alou, and #452 Jesus Alou

 
 

By this point, although having been split up, they'd all had quite a bit of success with their respective teams.

 

In 1966, for example, Matty led the league with a .342 batting average, while Felipe finished second at .327.

 

Both Felipe and Matty were all-stars on more than one occasion. Matty won the World Championship in 1972, and Jesus did the same in 1973 and 1974.

 

Here are some numbers for the Alous.

CAREER TOTALS

	FELIPE (17 seasons)	MATTY (15 seasons)	JESUS (15 seasons)
GAMES PLAYED	2082	1667	1380
AT-BATS	7339	5789	4345
RUNS	985	780	448
HITS	2101	1777	1216
DOUBLES	359	236	170
TRIPLES	49	50	26
HOME RUNS	206	31	32
RBI	852	427	377
STOLEN BASES	107	156	31
WALKS	423	311	138
STRIKEOUTS	706	377	267
BATTING AVERAGE	.286	.307	.280
OBP	.328	.345	.305
SLG	.433	.381	.353

 

 

BEST INDIVIDUAL SEASON
(Career highs in bold; asterisk = led major leagues)

	FELIPE (1966, ATL)	MATTY (1969, PITT)	JESUS (1965, SF)
GAMES PLAYED	154	162	143
AT-BATS	666*	698*	543
RUNS	122*	105	76
HITS	218*	231*	162
DOUBLES	32	41*	19
TRIPLES	6	6	4
HOME RUNS	31	1	9
RBI	74	48	52
STOLEN BASES	5	22	9
WALKS	24	42	13
STRIKEOUTS	51	35	40
BATTING AVERAGE	.327	.331	.298
OBP	.361	.369	.317
SLG	.533	.411	.398

 

Felipe also had a terrific managing career, most notably with the Expos throughout the 1990s. Keeping the family theme going, he managed his son Moises (quite a talented player himself) for quite a few of those years, and also took home the Manager of the Year award in 1994.

 

So here's to the Alou brothers. Three great careers, and some special memories in San Francisco. 

Thanks for reading, as always.