Roberto Alomar, Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach
Roberto "Robbie" Alomar Velázquez (; Spanish pronunciation: [aloˈmaɾ]; born February 5, 1968)
is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks (1988–2004). He is regarded as one of the greatest second basemen and all-around players. During his career, the 12-time All-Star won more Gold Glove Awards (10) than any other second baseman in baseball history, in addition to winning four Silver Slugger Awards for his hitting. Among second basemen, he ranks third in games played (2,320), fifth in stolen bases (474), sixth in plate appearances (10,400), seventh in doubles (504) and assists (6,524), and eighth in hits (2,724), runs (1,508), at bats (9,073), and double plays turned (1,407). In 2011, Alomar was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first Hall of Fame member to be depicted as a Blue Jays player on his plaque.The son of MLB second baseman Sandy Alomar Sr., Alomar followed in his father's footsteps, signing with the Padres as an amateur free agent in 1985. He made his major league debut with the team three years later, establishing himself as an exceptional base-stealing, hitting, and fielding threat before becoming an All-Star in 1990. He was traded to the Blue Jays the following off-season, leading the team to three consecutive American League Championship Series (ALCS) appearances and being named the 1992 ALCS Most Valuable Player (MVP), culminating in back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. Alomar signed with the Orioles after the 1995 season, led the team to two ALCS appearances, and won the 1998 All-Star Game MVP Award in his final year with the team. He then joined the Indians for three seasons and had the most productive years of his career in 1999 and 2001, again leading his team to the playoffs and becoming an AL MVP Award finalist both years. Alomar spent the final years of his career with the Mets, White Sox, and Diamondbacks before retiring at spring training in 2005.
A switch hitter, Alomar finished his career with a .300 batting average. Shortly after his 2011 Hall of Fame induction, the Blue Jays retired his number 12.
In 2020, Alomar became the owner of RA12, an expansion team in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente. He also became a member of the LBPRC Board of Directors. In 2021, Alomar was banned from baseball by MLB following an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, dating back to 2014. In April 2021, the Blue Jays also announced that Alomar would be removed from the Level of Excellence and his retired number banner would be taken down at Rogers Centre.